Maintenance & Reliability
PDVSA's Amuay refinery halts distillation unit
CARACAS (Reuters) — Venezuela’s 645,000 bpd Amuay refinery has halted its distillation unit No. 5 due to an operational problem, union leader and opposition activist Ivan Freites said on Thursday.
Saudi Aramco to push back shutdown at Ras Tanura refinery
(Reuters) — Saudi Aramco is expected to shut down its condensate splitter at its Ras Tanura refinery by the end of November for a month for planned maintenance work, two industry sources said, later than originally planned.
Innovations
ABB has introduced a new MID/OIML R117 certified high-accuracy CoriolisMaster Coriolis mass flowmeter for custody transfer applications in the oil and gas industry (FIG. 1).
Optimization: Filtration for processes inside refineries
Proper filtration is one of the most important functions performed inside refineries.
Reliability: Could a company be its own worst enemy?
In a recent conversation with a “pump veteran,” we explored his 33 yr of experience with pump original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from 1984–1997 and with a widely known non-OEM (1997–2017).
Connecting rod failure in a new reciprocating gas compressor
Compressor failure in an oil refinery can have severe consequences on health, safety and the environment.
Balanced oil sealing solution reduces lube oil leakage at compressor drive train
Reciprocating compressors use a piston rod connected to a drive train at the crosshead section.
Redesign, simplify and demonstrate facts
The Petronor oil refinery is located in northeastern Spain. Recently, the facility converted its last rolling element-equipped machine from liquid oil lubrication to pure (“dry-sump”) oil mist.
Case histories of amine plant equipment corrosion problems–Part 1
Lost production from corrosion costs the oil and gas industry more than $1 B/yr.1
Heavy crude oil processing design and reliability
Revamping refineries to process heavier crude slates goes well beyond the requirements to meet equipment performance dictated by a shift in the quantity of lighter product yields to heavier products.
- Brazil's Petrobras approves $1.2 billion investment for renewable fuels plant 6/22
- First batch of equipment arrives in Kazakhstan for $7.7-B Atyrau polyethylene project 6/22
- Explosion at Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG complex kills 13, injures 66 6/22
- Asia has plenty of crude oil, but refined fuels remain tight 6/22
- Fire extinguished at Marathon's Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas (U.S.) 6/22
- El Nino, expanding ethanol use squeeze India sugar supply 6/22

