Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Crude oil

HP Industry Metrics

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Up-to-dateata tables and figures illustrate the state of the worldwide HPI, including cracking spreads, margins and utilization rates.

Calumet Specialty opens new Mexico facility for base, transformer oils

Through its Mexico facility, Calumet will offer a wide range of products to customers in Mexico and Latin American markets. The initial product focus will include base oils, transformer oils, waxes, white mineral oils, petrolatum, and other specialty hydrocarbon fluids, such as solvents.

HP Project Management: Consider a modular approach to constructing condensate splitters

Audubon Engineering Solutions: Senf, S.

Although the 1975 ban on crude oil exports remains in place, US oil producers have found more opportunities in shipping condensate both domestically and internationally. This practice is possible due to condensate splitters, which provide a workaround solution by separating crude oil into lighter byproducts. Because these lightly refined byproducts can be exported, investment in new condensate splitter capacity has grown.

HP Industry Metrics

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

US refinery utilization rates have returned to summer operating levels. Crude oil pricing supports higher cracking margins for gasoline in US and European markets. Asian margins fell as increasing sup..

Tesoro Refining upgrades crude rail car fleet to meet new US regulations

Tesoro worked with Union Tank Car Company (UTLX) beginning in February of last year to develop a rail car expected to meet or exceed forthcoming regulations. UTLX, which is manufacturing the cars and leasing them to Tesoro, has substantially completed the first group of enhanced cars.

China’s CNOOC begins exports of gasoline, diesel

China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has received government approval to begin international exports of diesel and gasoline cargoes in early May.

Calumet strikes US crude supply deal with Plains for Louisiana refinery

Oil will be shipped to Calumet's Shreveport refinery on the Caddo Pipeline, an 80,000 bpd pipeline owned by Plains and Delek Logistics, expected to reach completion by mid-2016.

Improve measurement of heavy oil viscosity

University of Calgary: Sundararaj, U.  |  Sadeghi, S.  |  Sadeghi, F.

This work will study the viscosity behavior of bitumen and its blends with diluent at different temperatures, as well as evaluating simulations for prediction of viscosity of the blend.A blend of bitu..

The Middle East’s strategic expansion of refined products exports

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Already a leader in crude oil exports, the Middle East is making a deliberate move to increase its participation in the refined and petrochemical products markets. It is likely that the ME will continue to add downstream projects. Refining capacity will center on domestic demand and export opportunities to Asia-Pacific and Europe.

HP Editorial Comment: Change is redefining the petrochemical industry

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

The petrochemical industry is embracing more “change” that is largely due to the recent drop in crude oil prices.