Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Europe

India's JBF plans new PET plant at BP Belgium site

India-based joint venture JBF RAK has entered into an agreement with BP to build a new 390,000 tpy polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production unit at BP’s petrochemical site in Geel, Belgium. The agreements provide JBF rights to build and operate this PET unit on BP’s existing petrochemicals complex in Geel, adjacent to BP’s world-class purified terephthalic acid (PTA) facility.

Dow to produce stadium wrap for London Olympics

Olympic partner Dow Chemical will produce a sustainable, fabric wrap that will encircle London’s Olympic Stadium during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, home to several athletic events, and the opening and closing ceremonies. The wrap will comprise 336 individual panels – each approximately 25 meters high and 2.5 meters wide - and will help the stadium become the visual centerpiece of the London 2012 Games, according to Olympic officials.

Dow to build plants for polyolefin encapsulant films in Thailand, Germany

Dow Chemical will build two new manufacturing plants in 2012 for its ENLIGHT polyolefin encapsulant films, with one in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, and another in Schkopau, Germany. Together, these sites will more than triple capacity for making specialty films used in photovoltaic modules, and will significantly expand Dow’s ability to supply encapsulant films worldwide, the company said.

Oil demand, prices to rise in Q3 - Ernst & Young

Oil demand and prices should continue to rise in the third quarter of 2011 according to indicators, even with ongoing uncertainty with respect to the economic recovery, deficit reduction initiatives in the US and the debt crisis in Europe, according to a quarterly outlook from Ernst & Young.

Control-valve seat leakage

GE Energy: Sanders, D.

Enhancing initial performance, extending service life of valves offers benefits

Avoid failures with pump power-end upgrades

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Designing-out maintenance and failure risk starts with simple upgrading measures, culminates in re-thinking entire bearing housing configuration

Consider life-cycle costs in specifying control valves

Samson AG: Kiesbauer, J.  |  Vnucec, D.

Latest approach improves sizing valves while also incorporating total ownership investment

Use a new calibration method for gas pipelines

University of Boumerdes: Guemana, M.  |  Aissani, S.
University of Djelfa: Hafaifa, A.

An advanced method improves calibrating orifice flowmeters while reducing maintenance costs

Decrease vibration in piping with reciprocating compressors

Reliance Engineering Group (REG): Choudhury, M. G.
BecRel Engineering Pvt. Ltd.: Tripathi, R.

Case study identifies problems in new compression unit

Pre-engineered solutions drive down advanced control costs

Emerson Process Management: Sharpe, P.  |  Hawkins, G.

Process control can improve quality and operating efficiency