Octane
Executive Viewpoint: Fuels and petrochemicals will continue to help humanity thrive
A 15-yr rise in U.S. exports of refined products continued in 2019 with the nation exporting more than ever, underscoring the importance of these products to fueling a growing world. In the latter half of the last decade, U.S. petrochemical production capacity increased—with more than $20 B invested in domestic petrochemical projects in the last 2 yr alone—and exports of petrochemicals and petrochemical feedstocks rose, as well.
FCCU catalyst reformulations: Reducing risk and guaranteeing value with collaboration/testing
Hellenic Petroleum S.A.’s Aspropyrgos refinery is located near Athens, Greece. It has a total refining capacity of approximately 7.5 MMtpy and a Nelson complexity index of 9.7. The refinery was built in 1958 and has undergone several upgrades, including the installation of a fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU).
A new liquid-phase isomerization process for xylene loop debottleneck and energy savings
In a typical xylene loop, C<sub>8</sub> aromatics are fractionated out of a heavy reformate C<sub>8</sub>+ aromatics stream and collected in the xylene column overhead. Then, paraxylene (PX) from the C<sub>8</sub> aromatics stream is recovered as product—usually by an adsorption or crystallization process—in the PX recovery section.
HP Top Project Awards
The editors of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> have identified nine projects that are anticipated to significantly impact the global or regional downstream industries. The winners and nominees of the HP Top Project awards will have a considerable impact on the HPI, whether through CAPEX, satisfying domestic or regional demand, diversifying product offerings, or adding to the resurgence in refining and/or petrochemical processing capacity.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards Winners
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its third annual awards. The <i>HP</i> Awards celebrate innovative technologies and people that have been instrumental in improving facility operations over the past year.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the finalists for its third annual awards.
Construction
Sinochem Hongrun Petrochemical Co. Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP’s ionic liquids alkylation technology to produce high-octane, cleaner-burning transportation fuels.
Business Trends: HPI construction: Capital expenditures remain above $1.8 T
As the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) nears the middle of 2019, Hydrocarbon Processing is providing an assessment of the global midstream/downstream processing industries’ capital investments.
Improve CCR reforming profitability using a novel high-density catalyst
Catalytic reforming has been a staple in petroleum refining since 1949.
Ultra-deep desulfurization of FCC gasoline: Reactive adsorption strategy
With an increase in concern for the environment, countries around the world are implementing stringent environmental regulations and are continuously pressuring refiners to reduce the amount of sulfur in transportation fuels—primarily gasoline and diesel—to combat airborne pollution caused by vehicles.
- Asian gasoline margin spikes to highest since August 2023 11/14
- Lukoil-Moldova grants free use of airport fuel terminal to government amid U.S. sanctions 11/14
- Croatia rejects Russian vacuum gasoil cargo after U.S. sanctions 11/14
- Bulgaria wins UK sanctions reprieve on refinery, petrol stations 11/14
- China's Sinochem shuts one crude unit at Quanzhou after fire 11/14
- Enbridge approves $1.4-B project to boost Canadian oil flows to U.S. refiners 11/14

