Maintenance & Reliability
Mexico's Pemex sees restart of Salina Cruz refinery on July 30
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) — Mexican state oil producer Pemex said on Thursday that it expects to restart operations on July 30 at Salina Cruz, its largest oil refinery, after it was hit last week hit by flooding and subsequent fire that forced a shutdown of the plant.
Case study: Improve vacuum tower operation with VFD addition
The bottom pump in crude vacuum units is an area of concern for almost all petroleum oil refineries. The harsh operating parameters in which these pumps operate, including high product temperature and significant vacuum suction pressure, have resulted in frequent vacuum tower upsets and low mean time between failures (MTBF) for vacuum bottom pumps.
Innovations
Siemens has been working closely with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on a cyber security project.
Reliability: Oil in galvanized containers poses undue risk
Professional advancement is often linked to obtaining certification. To prepare, the technician or engineer must study texts, culminating in taking a test or passing an exam that makes use of, or is based on, questions contributed by subject matter experts.
Mammoet performs complex shutdown in limited time with limited space
Mammoet, the world’s largest service provider specializing in engineered heavy lifting and transport, completed heavy lifting, transportation and rigging activities at Chevron South Africa in Cape Town for their annual scheduled maintenance.
WorleyParsons awarded framework agreement by Refining NZ
Refining NZ has awarded WorleyParsons a 5-yr framework agreement for performance of engineering, procurement, shutdown and construction management services (EPCm) at the Marsden Point Refinery.
Black Sea diesel plant upgrade delayed by a year to 2019
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia's Rosneft has postponed plans to upgrade a plant on the Black Sea by around a year, delaying the supply of an additional 5.5 MMt of Russian diesel per year, industry sources told Reuters.
California safety, health board approves new hazard regulations for refineries
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Department of Industrial Relations' (DIR) Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved a regulation to strengthen workplace safety and health at oil refineries across the state. The new regulation provides a framework for anticipating, preventing and responding to hazards at refineries.
Scott Safety releases reusable single gas monitor, docking station
MONROE, N.C. -- Scott Safety introduced the Protégé SG, a reusable single gas monitor, and the MasterDock II, an expandable docking station.
US agency: Weak safety standards led to Exxon refinery blast
HOUSTON (Reuters) -- The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has concluded that a 2015 explosion at a Torrance, California, refinery then owned by Exxon Mobil Corp could have been prevented, the agency concluded in a report issued on Wednesday.
- Tasnee's Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene Co. commences planned maintenance of ethylene plant 1/2
- Advanced Biofuels Canada Association welcomes federal biofuels production incentive coming into force 1/2
- Technip Energies completes acquisition of Ecovyst’s Advanced Materials & Catalysts business 1/2
- Peru opens state-owned Petroperu to private investment after reorganization 1/2
- Brazil's Petrobras cuts jet fuel prices by 9.4% 1/2
- Norway's new car sales were 96% electric in 2025 1/2

