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

Middle East

IEA sees high refinery activity boosting fuel supply

The Paris-based energy watchdog, which represents major oil-consumer nations, expects refiners to process around 75.7 million bpd of crude in the third and fourth quarters, 1.3 million bpdmore than in the last quarter of 2011. Behind the output rise is unexpectedly high production in developed economies.

Tyco signs global agreement with Shell to provide pressure relief valves

The five-year agreement covers Crosby and Anderson Greenwood direct acting and pilot-operated pressure relief valves, line block relief valves and supporting services for all of Shell's global operations. During 2011, Tyco was also selected by Shell to provide butterfly valves in a similar arrangement.

Sasol eyes growth in North America, exit from Iran

Sasol's CEO said the company has a “huge strategy” in North America. In Louisiana, it is looking at building an $8 billion to $9 billion gas-to-liquids plant that would produce 96,000 bpd of mostly diesel. It is also looking at a 48,000 bpd plant in Alberta, Canada that would cost about $8 billion.

SK Energy, Kuwait agree to build Indonesia refinery, petrochemical complex

The refinery will have a capacity to produce between 200,000 and 300,000 bpd of Kuwaiti crude oil and will be located inside the petrochemical complex, which will be built in Balongan, West Java, according to KUNA.

Foster Wheeler wins engineering on monoethylene glycol project of Qatar, Shell

The MEG facility will be part of a new petrochemicals complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City being developed by a joint venture of Qatar Petroleum and Shell. The two-train MEG facility, based on Shell’s OMEGA technology, is planned to produce 1.5 million tpy of MEG. The expected startup date was not disclosed.

Maximize diesel production in an FCC-centered refinery, Part 1

For refineries with an FCC unit as the main conversion vehicle, the debate is how existing refinery assets can best be used to economically increase diesel production.

Redefining reforming catalyst performance: High selectivity and stability

Axens: Le Goff, P.-Y.  |  Lopez, J.
Axens North America: Ross, J.

Highly developed CCR catalysts are more robust to ensure extended service over 7–9 years.

Upgrade heavy oil more cost-efficiently

Ivanhoe Energy: Cabrera, C. A.  |  Silverman, M. A.

A new technology can economically upgrade and significantly improve the properties of heavy oil by reducing viscosity, increasing gravity and removing contaminants.

Increase FCC processing flexibility by improved catalyst recycling methods

UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company: Wolschlag, L. M.
UOP LLC, a Honeywell Co.: Lippmann, M.

The dynamic global refining market emphasizes the need for greater operating flexibility in the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit.

Successful fouling control hinges on effective monitoring

GE Water & Process Technologies: Price, X.  |  Teran, C.  |  Vanhove, A.  |  Casanova, J.

Equipment reliability, processing flexibility and energy conservation are key objectives for modern refineries. Refiners today are routinely using lower quality, more difficult to process feedstocks t..