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

December 2000

Archive

Economics/Process Technology

How to buy flares
Consulting Engineer: Choi, D. W.

Obtain practical assistance in the knowledge and purchase of this equipment

Instrumentation/Control

Consider slotted orifice flowmeters
Texas A&M University: Hall, K. R.

Accuracy can be an order of magnitude better with less permanent head loss

Columns

HP Control: Automation: moving from a commodity
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Kane, L.

Peter Martin, VP of Corporate Marketing at the Foxboro Company, gave an interesting presentation entitled, "Bottom Line Automation," at the Invensys 2000 Conference, in Las Vegas (I cou..

HP Reliability: Use shock pulse methods to monitor bearings
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Several modern condition monitoring devices use shock pulse techniques to determine bearing quality. One of these is Prueftechnik's VIBSCANNER, marketed in the U.S. by Miami-based Ludec..

HPInternet: The FCC Network
Competitive Analysis Technologies: Crowley, B.

The venerable fluid catalytic cracker (FCC), maker of high-value products and consumer of expensive catalysts, has its own spot on the Internet (http://www.thefccnetwork.com/). The FCC ..

HP Water Management: Basics of boilwater chemical treatment
MarTech Systems, Inc.: Huchler, L. A.

Water treatment for steam-generating systems has two primary objectives - control deposition and minimize corrosion (Table 1). Deposition and corrosion occur throughout the entire steam..

HP Automation Safety: Periodic testing – theory versus reality
exida LLC: Goble, W.

One of the fundamental concepts in new functional safety design standards is use of the safety life cycle. This is a design process where risks are evaluated, risk reduction targets are..

HPInformer: HPInformer, North America edition
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Stephens, F. P.

ABB, Houston, Texas, the global technology group, has agreed to sell its Graylock Connector business, a division of ABB Vetco Gray. A company within the ABB Group's oil, gas and petrochemical segment,..

HP Construction: HPIn Construction
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Stephens, F. P.

ABB awarded ethylene furnace project by BASF ABB Lummus Global has been awarded a turnkey contract by BASF to implement an ethylene furnace project at the BASF Antwerp facility in Belgium. T..

HP In Brief: HPIn Brief
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

European Union rules that MTBE is NOT carcinogenic. Under the EU's ruling nomenclature, the compound could have received a class 3 (possible carcinogen) or class 2 (probable carcinogen) designation. T..

HP Impact: Economist asks: How long can the good times roll?
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

David Wyss, Chief Economist for Standard & Poor's, recently provided insight into the outlook for different regional economies. Speaking at the annual ECC Conference, Colorado Springs, ..

HP Impact: Forecast: M&As to grow in oil, gas sector
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the energy industry next year "should easily beat this year's record number of deals," according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) forecast. Thi..

HP Impact: UK chemical industry outlook to 2010
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

What will the UK chemical industry be facing over the next 10 years? Speaking recently in London at an annual strategy & marketing conference, Dr. Elliot G. Finer - Director General of ..

HP Impact: Industrial gases to gain 6.5%/yr
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

U.S. shipments of industrial gases are forecast to increase 6.5%/yr to $6.2 billion in 2004. The market is heavily reliant on the metal and chemical processing industries, which are for..

HP Impact: Heating oil reserve put in perspective
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Establishing the 2-million-barrel Northeast Heating Oil Reserve was meant to reassure consumers in that region that they are protected against a new winter supply problem and price spik..

HP Impact: Global forces impact chem engineer’s role
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Weirauch, Wendy

Fueled by advances in information and telecommunications technology, physical and cultural borders are crumbling, creating the foundation for a truly integrated global community. "Chemi..

Misc

Stepchild of the plant – utilities
Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Romanow, Stephany

Plant utilities are often treated as the "stepchild" operation. HPI operating companies never make profits from steam generation and water purification. However, malfunctions in steam d..

Consider outsourcing energy supplies

Users can avoid capital expenditures and save on steam and electricity costs

Hydrogen—what are the costs?

HPI operating facilities have many choices on how to meet their rising demand for H2; here are several options

Improve condensate recovery systems

Using these fundamental design guidelines, plant engineers can improve the operation and reliability of steam distribution systems

Reduce compressed air costs

There are many practical ways, and all use common sense

Systems approach for small capital projects

Execute jobs worth $1 million or less with efficiency and cost / schedule control

Industry CEOs report key concerns

Wendy Weirauch, Managing Editor       Comments? Write: WW@HydrocarbonProcessing.com Pressure on pricing is the great..