November 2010

Reinvestigation uncovers true accident events

This case history shows the benefits of site-specific programs in new equipment installations

New technology reduces compliance costs while optimizing operations

New visualization methods expose problems with traditional designs

Use these relief rate calculations for gas thermal expansion as a cause for overpressure

Residual oxygen measurement principle lowers emissions and improves efficiency

Follow these guidelines for a safer facility

Applying dynamic models in designing safety systems can reduce capital costs

Oil and gas are contributing enormously to the quality of our lives in the 21st century, just as they were throughout the 20th century. With the economies in the various parts of the world expanding s..

Water touches every industry and every sector, impacting lives, livelihoods, global industries and local economies. But the world is facing growing water scarcity challenges, both in developed and dev..

Here’s a checklist to make the jump

A good analysis is usually better than speculation

In November 2009, I wrote about how the world’s downstream consultants seemed almost to be vying to ring up the most pessimistic prognosis for refinery closures. A year on, there’s little to..

ARC conceived the Collaborative Process Automation Systems (CPAS) in 2002 in response to DCS end users’ requests for us to provide a vision of how process automation systems should evolve. Client..

Even an experienced reliability professional may find some customary terminology dealing with wire gauge and wire mesh to be confusing. Our HPIn Reliability column of April 2009 mentioned pump suction..

I’d like to weigh in again on the continuing debate regarding distillation column control.1–4 Attention has now turned to the practicality of “dual temperature” control,which is th..

In Part 3, we will discuss the typical responsibilities of a utility process engineer to manage their systems and to interface with process engineers at all of the production units within the complex...

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has waived a limitation on selling fuel that is more than 10% ethanol for model year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks. The waiver applies to fuel that ..

Flint Energy Services Ltd. was awarded a contract extension for work on Suncor Energy’s Firebag SAGD projects near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, for site-wide construction and commissioning ser..

GE Oil and Gas has been awarded a $32 million contract by PlusPetrol Peru Corporation SA to supply compression and reinjection upgrade equipment to boost the output of the Malvinas natural gas liquid ..

Avantium has started with the construction of a pilot plant at the Chemelot site in Geleen, The Netherlands. The pilot plant will produce building blocks for making green materials and fuels. Avantium..

Siirtec Nigi S.p.A. has been awarded two contracts by Saipem S.p.A. to design and supply eight packages, each including a burner, reaction furnace, steam drum, waste heat boiler, and 20 sulfur condens..

Toyo Engineering Corp. has a contract for an ethanolamine (ETA) production plant to be constructed in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China, by Honam Petrochemical Corp. (HPC). The plant is scheduled for ..

Purvin & Gertz, Inc., has released a report on the effect low-carbon-fuel standards (LCFS) will have on oil sands. The report notes that LCFS programs are being implemented in California, Oregon and B..

US demand for lubricants is forecast to expand 1.3% annually to 2.25 billion gallons in 2014, valued at $22 billion. This represents a significant improvement over the performance of the 2004–200..

The Linde Group will provide the BMW Manufacturing Co. plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a hydrogen fueling system for its material-handling fleet. An according agreement was signed in mid-Au..

The worldwide upstream investment of 224 oil and gas companies decreased 23% to $378 billion in 2009, according to a report released by IHS Herold. Although development spending fell nearly 20%, the f..

New FCC catalyst announcedGrace Davison has released a new fluid catalytic cracking catalyst technology called Alcyon. This catalyst reflects Grace’s continuing commitment to delivering a broad p..

Custom pressure transducers for any OEM requirement For specialized original equipment manufacturer (OEM) pressure transducer requirements, Ashcroft Inc. offers custom design modifications and ev..

Analyzer offers expanded combustion gas analysis capabilities with new oxygen probe With a revised sensor design and an increased choice of probe lengths, up to four meters (13+ ft), the Endura A..