Reactors
Process design consideration for a deep-cut vacuum distillation unit—Part 1
In the recent past, many US refineries have been reconfigured to process heavy opportunistic sour crudes.
Process safety as a profit center?
In today’s economic environment, new capital spending is harder to find than loose change buried under the couch cushions.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing,</i> the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the winners for its second annual awards.
Technical considerations for the Heydar Aliyev refinery revamp
The following case study describes the early development phases of SOCAR’s ongoing major revamp project at the Heydar Aliyev Refinery (HAR) in Baku, Azerbaijan, and its interface with the associated Azerikimya (AZK) steam cracking complex near Sumgait. References are made to the related SOCAR polymer project in Sumgayit, as well.
Additive solutions to SOx emissions in FCCUs
Sulfur oxide additives are typically based on hydrotalcite or magnesium aluminate spinel-type structures. Magnesium alumina is the pickup agent present in the most effective SO<sub>x</sub> additives on the market; therefore, to optimize SO<sub>x</sub> reduction, it is critical to maximize the amount of the critical magnesium component in the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) in an efficient and cost-effective way.
Hydrocarbon Processing Awards
<i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i>, the downstream processing sector’s leading technical publication, has announced the finalists for its second annual awards.
Business Trends
It is never a good sign when a piece of equipment exhibits unsafe behaviors—such as large, unexpected vibrations, or cracks forming around instrument ports—particularly in the thermal reactor of a sulfur plant, where high-temperature gaseous streams chemically react as part of the process that produces elemental sulfur.
Show Preview: IRPC Europe returns to Italy this June
Gulf Energy Information and Hydrocarbon Processing are pleased to provide a preview of IRPC Europe 2018, which will be held June 5–7 in Milan.
Three topics for operational excellence related to a Cr-Mo hydrotreating reactor
Many end users are trying to use feedstock with higher sulfur content for their refineries to increase profitability, but numerous unknown or plausible bottlenecks exist.
Innovations
Ross Systems and Controls (SysCon) recently completed the qualification to self-certify its touchscreen purged panels as meeting the rigorous standards of Underwriters Laboratories’ UL-698A Code and the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA-496 Code.
- 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

