Environment & Safety
US officials tighten crude-by-rail shipping rules
Federal railroad officials are investigating whether some crude shipments contain chemicals from fracking that make them more hazardous than their classification indicates.
US Gulf, Western Canada vie for big gas projects
Producers largely have divided up into two camps: One is betting on Canada's industry-friendly federal government and its closer proximity to Asia. The other group is hoping already-developed infrastructure in the US will outweigh political uncertainty in Washington over large-scale exports of the cheap fuel.
Environmentalists warn of hazards in extracting gas from methane hydrate
The trillions of cubic feet of methane hydrates contained in the ocean's floor are in geologically unstable areas. The fear: One wrong move and an undersea landslide could send massive amounts of a particularly potent greenhouse gas to the ocean's surface and into the atmosphere.
Use a simulation tool for multi-commodity pipeline scheduling
Pipeline transport represents one of the most important means of moving oil derivatives to different locations. It is both a reliable and inexpensive means of transport, and it yields small variable c..
Improve pressure drop calculations for saturated water lines
When saturated water flows through pipes and components, it flashes—thus increasing its specific volume and limiting the fluid flowrate. Due to these conditions, the calculation and design for pi..
Reduce hydrocarbons and solids contamination in sour water strippers
A modern refinery in Finland processes used lubrication oil and produces renewed base oil for lubrication products, gasoil and fuel gas. The process uses a front-end additive removal stage from the us..
HP Integration Strategies: Consider procedural automation at a commercial-scale pilot plant
“All processes are batch processes to some degree. Even in ‘continuous’ process plants, processing units will need to be shut down at some point and then restarted to resume production...
HP Industry Perspectives: US oil and gas executives energized for the year ahead
A recent survey of US executives by the KPMG Global Energy Institute supports growing optimism in the domestic energy and manufacturing industries. Much of the renewed enthusiasm is strongly linked to..
HP Brief
Train accident raises concerns on safetyThe train derailment that killed at least 38 people in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, has heightened safety concerns about crude oil shipments by rail. It has been ..
HP Impact: Dilbit poses no extra pipeline risk
Diluted bitumen (dilbit) has no greater likelihood of accidental pipeline release than other crude oils, says a new report from the National Research Council. The report found that diluted bitumen has..
- CNOOC completes construction on $2.9-B, 1.8-MMtpy integrated complex in east China 8/22
- bp's Whiting refinery (U.S.) continues to flare days after severe thunderstorm 8/22
- Bachmann introduces latest version M-Target for Simulink 8/22
- U.S. to rule on biofuel waivers, but big oil refiners may need to wait 8/22
- Chinese independent refiner Hongrun buys Canadian, Brazilian crude 8/22
- Ukrainian attack suspends Russian oil flows to Hungary, Slovakia 8/22
