Management
Equipment critical analysis: The need for an effective maintenance program
Oil refineries and large petrochemical plants contain thousands of pieces of process and utilities equipment that are subject to wear, erosion, deterioration, aging, etc., resulting in increasing breakdowns and outages. Imagine being a maintenance engineer and receiving 50 work orders during an overhaul with a limited budget, time, labor, spare parts, tools, machines, etc. How does that engineer prioritize the work?
HP announces launch of IRPC Europe, WGLC Europe, and HP Awards in Vienna
Three co-located events allow for ease of networking and attendance in one of Europe’s most renowned cultural and artistic centers.
Engineering Case Histories: Case 96: Career paths—technical and management
I have spent most of my career in the mechanical engineering technical area because that is what I do best. I was a manager of advanced engineering for many years, but then realized that it was not my calling.
Business Trends: Human reliability—a disruptive innovation
Annual bottom-line losses due to equipment failures total more than $100 MM at major refineries and petrochemical complexes. Corporate executives charge plant personnel with improving the reliability of the facility.
Editorial Comment: Maintenance—a value-added expense
This issue of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> tackles one of the most integral aspects of the downstream industry (or any industry, for that matter): maintenance and reliability. These two terms go hand-in-hand and help to ensure efficient and safe operations.
Prevent human-created hazards with improved job safety analysis
Safety incidents have occurred since the beginning of time. If a “hunter-gatherer” failed to return at the end of a day, the remaining group members took it in stride.
Industry Perspectives: Hydrocarbon Processing’s IRPC returns to Europe in June
Founded in 2009, Gulf Publishing Company and Hydrocarbon Processing’s International Refining and Petrochemical Conference (IRPC) provides a series of events for the international downstream industry covering technical innovations, and exploring both the challenges and opportunities found in today’s market.
Embracing MACs: A better way of executing automation projects
Historically, automation projects have been executed as single-transaction projects. Often, individual projects, along with phases within a given project, are bid with the potential for new vendors and different engineering teams.
People
Udo Bauer has been appointed to the executive board of Hoerbiger Holding AG. Mr. Bauer will represent the compression technology strategic business unit, now comprised of the previous compressor OEM business area and the previous compressor service business area, as the business unit’s CEO.
Business Trends: Standardized modularization—Drivers, challenges and perspectives in the oil and gas industry
Modularization is an alternative way of performing engineering aimed to reduce the number of interfaces, the total installed cost (TIC) and overall schedule length of a project, while optimizing the return on investment (ROI) and allowing standardization for similar future projects.
- BGN announces strategic MoU with XCF Global to produce and supply SAF 11/17
- KazMunayGas and Uzbekneftegaz partner to build 50,000-tpy linear alkylbenzene plant 11/17
- Chevron joins race to explore potential purchase of Lukoil assets, including refineries 11/17
- Abra Group and Sumitomo sign MoU to advance affordable SAF in Brazil 11/17
- Sonatrach signs contract for unit with Sinopec subsidiary to boost gasoline production capacity 11/17
- Verso Energy awards FEED contract to Rely for the DEZiR eSAF project 11/17

