Environment & Safety
ExxonMobil reports death of contractor in work at Beaumont refinery
The AltairStrickland worker was struck in the head and neck area by piping that was being removed from a heat exchanger, a local sheriff's office spokesperson said.
Saudi Aramco extends bid date for Ras Tanura clean fuels project
The Ras Tanura clean fuels project, which includes a naphtha hydrotreater, was to be part of a second phase of upgrades and was originally due to go on stream in 2016.
Failure prevention—The ultimate asset management strategy
The primary cause for losses and lost opportunities at refineries, chemical complexes, pipeline networks and gas processing facilities is equipment failures.
Lifting of US crude export ban will impact process safety management
Since the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s, the US government has restricted the export of crude oil to curb dependence on crude oil imports.
Engineering Case Histories: Case 90: Precautions when working near equipment
Most machines and pressure vessels are designed with safety in mind, but they can release large amounts of energy if not constructed, maintained or operated correctly.
Innovations
Planned shutdowns, turnarounds and outages (STOs) are often scheduled for preventive maintenance and new equipment installation that must be performed to keep a plant running and in regulatory compliance.
GE to provide wastewater treatment for Chinese coal-to-chemical plant
GE’s ZLD evaporator and crystallizer system will eliminate liquid discharge of waste and enable water reuse at the Shaanxi Future Energy Chemical Co. coal-to-chemical plant in China.
Death toll from Mexican chemical blast rises to 32
The massive explosion took place on Wednesday afternoon at the facility's chlorinate 3 plant in the Gulf state of Veracruz, sending a black cloud of smoke hundreds of meters into the air and giving off a powerful smell of ammonia.
Pemex petrochemical plant explosion kills dozens, injures hundreds
At least 32 people died and 136 were injured after a leak caused a deadly explosion at the plant, and the death toll could still rise further, according to the CEO of oil giant Pemex.
Petroecuador halts Esmeraldas refinery on quake
Petroecuador said it would assess when to restart operations during the day after verifying that no infrastructure was damaged by the 7.8 magnitude quake which struck off the country's Pacific coast.

- AVTL to develop ammonia terminal in Pipavav, India 6/20
- Chevron seeks buyers for 50% stake in Singapore refinery 6/20
- Asian refiners seek more Mideast oil after spot premiums jump on Israel-Iran conflict 6/20
- Mexican authorities discover clandestine mini-refinery in crackdown of illegal hydrocarbon trade 6/20
- Italy's Eni eyes new unit to manage oil refineries 6/20
- Inatech's Techoil implemented by Flint Hills Resources for a modern, integrated future 6/20