Environment & Safety
Tune up the ‘sweetening’ process for your facility
Novel catalysts can improve the oxidation of thiols (RSH) found in light oils. Thiols in petroleum products, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and light straight-run naphtha (LSRN), usually found ..
Recover from a steam reformer tube rupture
Most operational problems in the hydrogen plant occur at the steam reformer. The steam reformer is typically operated at high temperatures (810°C process gas) and high pressures (20 atmg) to maxi..
HP Viewpoint: Brief overview of India’s upstream
Over the last few decades, the Indian upstream sector has evolved through three different regulatory regimes—nomination, pre-new exploration licensing policy (NELP)/limited bid rounds and, finall..
HP Automation Safety: Maintenance capability: Does it matter in the long term?
I remember working in a test department, where a particular technician, known as Mike, seemed to destroy a significant percentage of the equipment he worked on. Since he reported to me, I tried extra ..
HP Industry Perspectives: Marine fuels: Not clear sailing ahead
Major changes are unfolding that will impact the marine shipping industry. Within the next decade, tighter environmental rules will be in place, changing fuels used to propel international and domesti..
HP Brief
Major energy supply and flare reduction project in IraqSouth Gas Co., Shell and Mitsubishi have joined together to form Basrah Gas Co. (BGC), which will oversee what the group claims to be “the l..
HP Impact: US electricity demand sinks, while coal captures market share from gas
US electricity demand in April 2013 was the lowest monthly demand the country has seen in three years, as April temperatures trended warmer for the East Coast and West Coast, while a core of well-belo..
HP Innovations
Corrosion coating adds to petrochemical safetyPetrochemical plants are expected to remain safely and efficiently operational for decades, with little downtime and unplanned maintenance. To protect equ..
Tesoro to pay record US penalty for environmental violations at refineries
Tesoro, an independent US refiner, didn't comply with recordkeeping, reporting, sampling and testing requirements at four refineries producing conventional gasoline, in violation of the Clean Air Act, the EPA said. The agency said the penalty was the largest ever issued for violations like these.
Iran launches cyberattacks on US energy firms
In the latest operations, the Iranian hackers were able to gain access to control-system software that could potentially allow them to manipulate US oil or natural gas pipelines.

- 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