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

Safety

HP Industry Perspectives: A sad turn of events

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

Many pages in Hydrocarbon Processing have and continue to discuss the technical solutions required by the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and similar legislation. At a time when developed nations str..

Optimize your compressor maintenance program

Consultant: Geitner, F. K.

One deviation alone might not be enough to bring on a compressor failure, but, when several more deviations combine, the failure risk is known to increase exponentially.

Case history: Failure analysis of a syngas compressor

SABIC Technology Centre: van Zyl, G.  |  Al-Zahrani, E.  |  Al-Meshari, A.  |  Al-Haroon, M.

A first-stage impeller in a synthetic gas compressor failed after 20 years of service. The compressor is a six-stage centrifugal compressor driven by a steam turbine. This case history discusses the i..

Improve pressure drop calculations for saturated water lines

When saturated water flows through pipes and components, it flashes—thus increasing its specific volume and limiting the fluid flowrate. Due to these conditions, the calculation and design for pi..

HP Reliability: Four-stage, low-flow process centrifugal compressor can fill important industry gaps

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

In the 1970s and 1980s, multistage centrifugal compressors in the 3,000 acfm (about 5,000m3/hr) and lower flow ranges were largely confined to instrument and plant air duties. Three stages with interc..

HP Integration Strategies: Consider procedural automation at a commercial-scale pilot plant

ARC Advisory Group: Miller, Paul

“All processes are batch processes to some degree. Even in ‘continuous’ process plants, processing units will need to be shut down at some point and then restarted to resume production...

HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 74: How to determine impact forces when troubleshooting

Consulting Engineer: Sofronas, A.

When troubleshooting failures, it is not unusual for the metallurgical report to indicate that the failure was the result of an impact type of force. The investigator who receives this information mus..

HP Industry Perspectives: US oil and gas executives energized for the year ahead

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

A recent survey of US executives by the KPMG Global Energy Institute supports growing optimism in the domestic energy and manufacturing industries. Much of the renewed enthusiasm is strongly linked to..

HP Brief

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

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

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

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..