Safety
HP Brief
Train accident raises concerns on safetyThe train derailment that killed at least 38 people in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, has heightened safety concerns about crude oil shipments by rail. It has been ..
HP Impact: Canada takes steps to enhance its pipeline system
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources recently announced the government’s plan to further enhance the country’s pipeline system by requiring companies operating major pipelines to have..
Dropped tools are a dangerous problem
Explosions, car wrecks and workplace violence: these are events that grab headlines. What is interesting, however, is that the most mundane things are often the most dangerous. In the realm of hydroca..
Exxon Arkansas pipeline rupture blamed on defect
An independent report found that a rupture in an ExxonMobil pipeline that spilled thousands of barrels of oil in Arkansas earlier this year was caused by defects dating back to when the pipe was built in the 1940s.
HP Reliability: Expect adversity, but plan for success
Consider that a major oil refinery was planning a substantial modernization project in 2008. Energy efficiency gains and the ability to process a more readily available crude slate were key motivating..
HP Integration Strategies: Virtualization goes mainstream
Virtualization, a computing approach that decouples hardware and software, is rapidly gaining traction in the traditionally conservative automation and control industry. With its roots in the informat..
HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 73: Useful troubleshooting tools to keep at hand
Over the past 45 years, the author has pursued troubleshooting machinery and pressure vessels. It has also been the subject of this column. The troubleshooting tools used in this endeavor have been an..
HP Impact: Global distribution of natural catastrophes in 2012
In 2012, there were 905 natural catastrophes worldwide, 93% of which were weather-related disasters. In terms of overall and insured losses ($170 billion and $70 billion, respectively), 2012 did not f..
HP Impact: HSE remains a major concern for the oil and gas industry
Health, safety and environment (HSE) concerns remain the top issue on the oil and gas industry’s risk agenda, according to a new report from Ernst & Young.“The industry is undergoing intense..
HP Innovations
Training simulator to aid ethylene operatorsHyperion Systems Engineering has delivered to the Linde Group an operator training simulator (OTS) for ONGC Petro-additions Ltd.’s ethylene plant in Da..

- Carbon capture tops agenda at GPAE Conference 2025 6/17
- INEOS to cease phenol production at German site, cites high European energy costs and CO2 tax policy 6/17
- Petrobras signs $892 MM in contracts to complete RNEST Train 2 refinery expansion 6/17
- China's May refinery throughput at 9-month low on plant overhauls (1) 6/17
- bp completes turnaround work at 250,000-bpd refinery in Washington (U.S.) 6/17
- Japan's Eneos restarts 77,000-bpd Kawasaki CDU after unplanned shutdown 6/17