Environment & Safety
Trump's proposal to scrap chemical safety board draws criticism
(Reuters) -- President Donald Trump's proposal to do away with the federal agency that investigates chemical accidents drew sharp criticism from environmental, labor and safety advocates, who said that eliminating the watchdog would put American lives at risk.
A reusable sponge could ‘revolutionize’ oil spill, diesel cleanup
CHICAGO -- Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have invented a new foam, called Oleo Sponge, that can be used to clean up oil and diesel spills in water. The material not only quickly adsorbs oil from water, but also is reusable and can pull dispersed oil from the entire water column—not just the surface.
Imperial continues restart after fire, flaring expected
Imperial Sarnia continues to restart units following last week’s operational issue. As a result, visible flaring is expected to continue over the next several days.
Minimize operations risks for increased resilience, safety and reliability
According to the Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” The reverse also is true, particularly in the context of safety in the process industry.
Alternatives to flare gas recovery for sour refinery flare gas
For many sour gas streams present in a flare header, less expensive options than flare gas recovery may exist. The compressors, liquids management, downstream treating and other systems required for flare gas recovery (FGR) can be expensive to install and/or operate reliably. Some refineries allow the flaring of sweet gases.
Driving innovation in the downstream: IRPC returns to New Delhi
Gulf Publishing Company and Hydrocarbon Processing are pleased to announce that IRPC 2017 will be held April 18–20 in New Delhi.
Engineering Case Histories: Case 95—How to avoid becoming overwhelmed in a failure situation
When you are involved with a major failure and find yourself staring at pieces of debris scattered all over the area, it can be easy to become overwhelmed.
Editorial Comment: Corrosion prevention starts at fabrication
Preventing corrosion begins with the choice of materials and methods used to fabricate the equipment, piping, valves and instruments that will be exposed to varying process conditions and weather. At present, designers and fabricators can select from a multitude of modern materials and methods. Once in service, effective asset integrity programs will use smart condition monitoring and, where needed, a treatment regime to sustain the useful working life of all components. In the Special Focus section of this issue, we provide several articles that illustrate good practices in vessel fabrication, corrosivity analysis and corrosion prevention treatment.
BLM's methane, waste prevention rule ‘hurts American consumers, local economies’
WASHINGTON – Executive Director of the Colorado Petroleum Council, a division of API, Tracee Bentley urged the US Senate to follow the House and support a disapproval resolution on the Bureau of Land Management's methane and waste prevention rule.
Veracity tapped by US DOE to develop next-gen network security
ALISO VIEJO, CA -- Veracity Industrial Networks, a developer of next-generation Operational Technology (OT) network cybersecurity for the industrial internet, announced that it is part of a three-company team tapped by the US Department of Energy to develop a secure networking solution that reduces cyberattacks against US industrial and utility networks.

- px Group signs LOIs for major SAF and green hydrogen/ammonia projects in Europe 6/19
- How TotalEnergies is utilizing hydrogen to decarbonize its refineries in Europe 6/19
- Oil tanker market signals more Middle East energy disruption ahead 6/19
- Yokogawa collaborates with Shell on robotics and AI technology for plant maintenance 6/19
- Alder Process Technology uses APS to produce low-carbon marine fuels 6/19
- Yokogawa celebrates 50th anniversary of CENTUM DCS: A pioneering achievement 6/19