Maintenance & Reliability
Safe design and operation of burn pit flare systems
This article will mainly focus on horizontal flare systems and grade-level burn pits. Design considerations, operational challenges and several lessons learned will be discussed.
SMR feed effluent hairpin exchanger: Once upon a time—An unusual thermal mix-point failure—Part 2
This article presents a review of a failure that happened in a hairpin heat exchanger type on the shell side in a H2 (H2) reformer unit.
Use advanced thermal insulative coatings to improve safety, maintain access and protect against corrosion
Throughout refineries, petrochemical plants and offshore oil and gas platforms, personnel are often required to work near equipment that operates at high temperatures. Protecting those workers from skin-contact burns has typically involved two approaches: implementing physical barriers and covering the hot assets with insulation and cladding. This article details how thermal insulative coatings can be used to improve safety and guard against corrosion.
Russian Urals oil sales to Turkey in Nov. up 38% m/m as STAR refinery increases runs
Russian Urals oil supplies to Turkey's ports in November increased to 9.9 MMbbl from 7.4 MMbbl in October as its main consumer was back from outage.
NNPC's Port Harcourt resumes output in boost to Nigeria oil refining
Nigeria's Port Harcourt refinery has resumed production, marking the first of state-owned oil firm NNPC Ltd.'s four plants to return from upgrade work announced in 2020.
Russia's Lukoil restoring cracker at NORSI refinery, gasoline output rising
Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil is restoring operations of its catalytic cracker complex, ramping up gasoline output after the unit's breakdown on Nov. 13.
Japan's Cosmo Oil restarts 86,000-bpd Yokkaichi CDU after maintenance
Japan's Cosmo Oil, a unit of Cosmo Energy Holdings, has restarted the 86,000-bpd crude distillation unit (CDU) at the Yokkaichi refinery in central Japan on Nov. 9 after planned maintenance.
bp delays Whiting refinery (U.S.) restart from maintenance
bp has delayed the restart of a crude distillation unit and a coker at its 435,000-bpd Whiting, Indiana, refinery from maintenance.
Russia's Ilsky refinery has asked for gov't help over high rates, modernization
Russia's Ilsky oil refinery has applied for government financial help mainly due to high interest rates and facility modernization, but added there was no risk of it shutting down and that it remained profitable.
Reformer of Venezuela's second-largest refinery halted for repairs
The naphtha reformer of Venezuela's second-largest refinery, the 310,000-bpd Cardon, has been halted for maintenance and repairs following an equipment malfunction last week.
- Indian Oil buys first Colombian oil under Ecopetrol contract 12/31
- Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire, damages equipment at Tuapse refinery 12/31
- Chile's $2.5-B Volta green ammonia project wins environmental permit 12/31
- China begins issuing second batch of 2026 crude import quotas to refiners 12/31
- EIA: U.S. crude, fuel inventories rose in the week ended December 19 12/30
- Ghana's Tema oil refinery restarts after 9-yr shutdown 12/30
