Refining
Improve plant operations with enterprise technology
In early 2009, the author was asked a rhetorical question by a senior executive with a major international oil company: “How do you run a business when your product unit price rises from $60/bbl to $140/bbl in the space of 14 months, and then drops to $40/bbl in less than six months?”
HP Global: Angola targets drop in fuel imports with new refinery
Angola’s constrained crude oil refining capacity has forced the country to import up to 80% of its petroleum consumption, despite the southern African nation being the continent’s second-largest crude oil exporter with an estimated 9 Bbbl of proved crude oil reserves.
HP Refining: Maintain plant production with temporary heat exchangers
Of all the process operations in a refinery or petrochemical plant, heating and cooling streams are perhaps the most pervasive.
HP Water Management: Phosphorus elimination in cooling tower treatment program
A heightened focus on environmental sustainability is apparent in today’s industry, and for a good reason.
HP Industry Metrics
A sharp drop in the gasoline crack spread following the end of the US driving season and increasing inventories caused refinery margins to fall.
HP Innovations
Ingersoll Rand debuted its TURBO-AIR NX 8000 integrally geared centrifugal compressor at the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia show in Houston, Texas in September.
DuPont opens world’s top cellulosic ethanol plant
This biorefinery is the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant, with the capacity to produce 30 million gal/year of clean fuel that offers a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline.
Chevron lifts downstream results as margins rise
Downstream earnings in the third quarter improved in both the US and internationally for Chevron, with overall profit from refining oil into fuels jumping 59% to $2.2 billion.
Total selects Axens’ technology for new La Mède biorefinery in France
The plant will produce 500,000 tpy of high-quality paraffinic biodiesel, treating primarily used oils, as well as other renewable feedstocks. This technology was originally developed by IFP Energies nouvelles in the mid-2000, based upon an extensive research and development program.
Kinder Morgan to acquire 15 refined product terminals in US from BP
The terminals, with 9.5 million bbl of storage, are pipeline-connected to key refining and processing centers across the US and offer extensive truck, vessel, and barge access and terminal services.
- Valmet to acquire Severn Group to strengthen Process Performance Solutions segment 12/22
- World’s first dynamic green ammonia plant starts operations in Denmark 12/22
- Baker Hughes to supply liquefaction equipment for Commonwealth LNG export project 12/22
- South Korea petrochemical firms on track to cut up to 3.7 MM tons of output 12/22
- MOL and JERA sign HoAs for the charter of ammonia carriers 12/22
- China's November fuel oil imports up 15% from October 12/22

