Environment
Exxon Arkansas pipeline rupture blamed on defect
An independent report found that a rupture in an ExxonMobil pipeline that spilled thousands of barrels of oil in Arkansas earlier this year was caused by defects dating back to when the pipe was built in the 1940s.
HP Impact: Global distribution of natural catastrophes in 2012
In 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide, 93% of which were weather-related disasters. In terms of overall and insured losses ($170 billion and $70 billion, respectively), 2012 did not f..
HP Construction Profile: European refiner makes significant processing advancements
At the Sannazzaro de’ Burgondi refinery, Eni is moving forward with leading-edge technological breakthroughs to produce “clean” transportation fuels. This refinery has a balanced 190,00..
Case history: New developments with lower catalyst-to-feed ratios for FCC units
A study was conducted using a series of FCC catalysts that included reduced rare-earth content and increased zeolite Y quantity systems. The goal was to raise gasoline yield along with greater yields of olefins.
How to select the ‘best’ fired heater for your operations
With the fluctuation of natural gas pricing, it is important to evaluate technically feasible solutions and choose the most economical alternative. Ultimately, this leads to a simpler and more cost-effective solution.
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 ..
Optimize crude preheat train to balance efficiency and operability
Critical attention must be paid when designing the crude distillation unit (CDU) preheat train. Many pitfalls can easily lead to unnecessary expenditures or unsatisfactory operations. Key design crite..
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..
- China's first coal-to-chemicals project with green hydrogen starts commercial operations 11/20
- Norsk e-Fuel and Braskem partner to turn captured carbon into long-lasting products 11/20
- Nigeria's Dangote refinery delays CDU maintenance to end of January 2026 11/20
- Technimont attends ground-breaking ceremony of Tengiz Gas separation Complex in Kazakhstan 11/20
- 42% of U.S. energy/critical infrastructure providers exposed to weaponized AI and email attacks 11/20
- EIA: U.S. crude stocks fall on higher demand, fuel inventories rise 11/20

