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Maximising diesel recovery from crude
Jan-2009
The CDU/VDU process flow scheme is reviewed, including equipment design and operating fundamentals used to maximise straight-run diesel recovery
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Safe, reliable and maintenance-free coke drum unheading
Jun-2011
The process of coke drum unheading within oil refining has traditionally been one of the most dangerous activities in the industry. Even today such operations ...
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Troubleshooting vacuum systems
Oct-2016
Case histories of refinery vacuum tower problems solved are gleaned from five decades of experience.
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High capacity distillation revamps
Oct-2001
Understanding how high-capacity trays work assists in the selection and design process and can also help in the avoidance of failures
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Bayernoil mild hydrocracker CATnap application
May-2012
On 21 January, Bayernoil, Neustadt, successfully shut down the mild hydrocracker (MHC) using the CATnap catalyst passivation process applied by Cat Tech ...
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Canadian crude processing challenges
Jan-2008
Vacuum unit design influences liquid volume yields, run length, product 
yield and product quality when processing bitumen crude oils
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Improving FCCUs: bottoms system upgrades
Jul-2003
A review of process flow scheme fundamentals and basic equipment operating and design principles that have improved unit operating profitability through ...
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Oxygen enriched sulphur recovery
Apr-2015
Revamping its SRU to oxygen enriched operation increased a refiner’s sulphur processing capacity and significantly reduced operating costs.
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Improved performance from reforming
Oct-2011
Process and equipment solutions help to improve the profitability and reliability of reforming units
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Revamping FCC emissions control
Oct-2011
An upgrade of FCC unit emissions reduction at a Tulsa refinery relied on computational modelling to develop optimal flow control systems
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Online cleaning of an integrated distillation unit
Oct-2013
Online cleaning technology was validated during a scheduled turnaround at the second largest refinery in Poland.
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Jan-2006
Staged investment and reformer technology improvement strategies are available for increasing hydrogen production, cycle time and reliability
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Revamping centrifugal compressors at an ethylene plant
Oct-2010
Technical improvements and increased throughput justify the revamp of a Russian ethylene plant’s compressors
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CFD study of a VDU feed inlet device and wash bed
Oct-2009
Analysis of vapour velocity profiles at the entry to the wash zone of a VDU column enables a higher feed rate and improved output quality
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Hydroprocessing to maximise refinery profitability
Oct-2012
Low-cost changes in catalyst systems can significantly enhance operational flexibility and increase returns on investment
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Column preheat improvement to debottleneck furnace operation
Apr-2012
Simulation helped to identify and mitigate the root cause of a furnace bottleneck to maximise the removal of light ends in the feed to a preflash colu ...
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Planning for a refinery turnaround
Jan-2019
A consistent approach, coupled with an aligned team, leads to successful preparation at the front end of a turnaround.
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Analysing economic viability of opportunity crudes
Jul-2008
Challenges to refinery heavy oil upgrades are discussed. Demand for heavy and high-TAN crudes continues to rise as light sweet crude reserves decline. ...
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Apr-2004
Water entrapment and foaming must be avoided to maximise LPG recovery and minimise downstream unit contaminants
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High octane isomerates from light naphtha
Feb-2020
Dividing wall column distillation is an energy efficient, cost effective alternative to conventional distillation for delivering high octane products from ...
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High performance trays for a fractionator in an aromatics plant
May-2015
Distillation is a very important separation technology in refineries and downstream chemical processing. Mass transfer internals in distillation columns ...
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Debottlenecking hydrogen plant production capacity
Oct-2010
Retrofitting a steam methane reformer with oxygen enhanced reforming can substantially boost hydrogen production capacity at low capital investment
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Platformer debutaniser revamp and optimisation
Oct-2012
Recommendations following a study of high reformate RVP delivered a range of benefits including a significant increase in gasoline production
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Industrial-scale production of renewable diesel
Jul-2011
A revamp has made possible the large-scale production of clean diesel with a significant percentage of renewable content
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Sep-2003
Causes, penalties and solutions to coking in the FCC reactor vapour line, with regard to inlet nozzle coking affecting unit capacity, conversion and r ...
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Correcting vacuum column design flaws
Apr-2017
Conventional design practices have been proven inadequate when maximising diesel recovery and gas oil cut point
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FCC gas concentration unit 
stripper revamp
Jul-2007
Unit charge rate and reactor conversion were increased by the elimination of stripper column flooding. Chemical-grade propylene specifications were me ...
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Options for CO2 capture from SMR
Oct-2014
As CO2 capture from steam methane reforming becomes increasingly important, the economics of retrofit for recovery from process gas streams need to be ...
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Revamping a hydrocracker’s overhead condenser
Jul-2015
A stepwise approach solved seasonal issues affecting plans to increase a hydrocracker’s capacity
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Troubleshooting crude column constraints
Jul-2017
Multiple limitations to operating capacity were identified and resolved during a column turnaround
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Successful turnaround planning
Dec-2019
Discussion of five key components in planning and executing a successful turnaround.
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Delayed coking: valves make the difference
Jan-2009
Traditional manual methods of coke drum unheading are labour intensive, costly to maintain, expensive to repair and carry inherent risk for personnel on ...
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Energy savings from electric 
capacity control
Jul-2015
Updated stepless capacity control of reciprocating compressors saved energy and improved process stability at a petrochemicals site.
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Crude overhead system design considerations
Jul-2007
Proper crude unit overhead system design is important when building a new unit or revamping an existing one to process different crudes
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Designing for sulphur removal and storage: part 1
Apr-2010
Selection of technologies for the sulphur block must serve legislative demands and the efficient operation of upstream processes
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Oxygen enriched sulphur recovery
Apr-2015
Revamping its SRU to oxygen enriched operation increased a refiner’s sulphur processing capacity and significantly reduced operating costs.
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Oct-2004
Installation of vortex tube clusters in crude unit preflash drums has eliminated foam carry-over, increasing diesel and atmospheric gasoil product yie ...
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Tray technology 
enhances extraction
Oct-2007
A case study involving the revamp of two rotating disc contactors in aromatics service highlights the most important design considerations for enhancing ...
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Troubleshooting vacuum systems
Oct-2016
Case histories of refinery vacuum tower problems solved are gleaned from five decades of experience.
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Challenges and opportunities of an FCC revamp
Jul-2018
An FCC revamp for enhanced refinery performance and profitability called for close coordination with the technology licensor and contractors.
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Why vacuum unit fired heaters coke
Oct-2004
A description of the internal workings of vacuum heaters and the causes of coke formation within them
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Use of non-abrasive ceramic materials in the FCCU
Oct-2017
Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) technology has been a part of the petroleum industry since it was introduced in the US in 1942 to help feed the voracious ...
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Accelerating reactor cool down prior to turnaround
Jul-2022
The post-pandemic demand for transportation fuels and petrochemicals requires higher process complexity.
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FCC profitability assessment via 
advanced modelling
Oct-2015
Process and computational fluid dynamic modelling were applied to validate the technology used in an FCC unit revamp at Shell’s Puget Sound refinery ...
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Revamping crude and vacuum units to process bitumen
Apr-2015
Revamping crude and vacuum units to process dilbit can involve extensive equipment replacement as well as major changes to the crude preheating scheme
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Sep-2003
Case studies show how accurate field-measured differential pressure can be interpreted incorrectly when troubleshooting refinery vacuum columns
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FCC unit revamps at minimum cost
Oct-2016
Selective modifications for FCC unit revamps can deliver the best return 
on investment
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Revamping a crude distillation unit
Feb-2020
A revamp project aimed to increase process safety and reduce high energy consumption in a CDU. It also delivered better product separation and higher diesel ...
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Accurate front-end scope definition: the key to a successful revamp project
Mar-2014
One of the characteristics of a mature industry such as petroleum refining, particularly in the U.S., is that many capital projects are facility revam ...
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Gasoline production in the age of shale oil, renewable fuel mandates, and tier 3 regulations
Apr-2014
The North American shale oil production surge has provided North American refiners with a seemingly bounty of high quality crudes.
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Delayed coker revamp for a capacity increase
Mar-2021
Revamping to a three-drum coker arrangement delivered improved product yields, higher throughput, and greater feedstock flexibility.
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Upgrading a vacuum distillation tower (TIA)
Feb-2021
Reliable and efficient vacuum towers are key to ensuring optimal performance and yield.
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Planning a turnaround that fits
Jan-2021
A risk based work selection process screens worklist items to ensure they are justified for risk reduction or financial benefit as part of a turnaroun ...
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Effective preparation for turnarounds
Dec-2020
Defining the objectives, planning thoroughly and ensuring operator readiness will increase the likelihood of a successful turnaround.
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Hydrocracker revamp lifts product flexibility
Nov-2020
How an innovative moving bed technology enabled a major refinery to improve residue conversion and crude flexibility.
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High performance internals in severe service
Nov-2020
Application of a severe service grid achieved 10% higher throughput with improved reliability in a vacuum tower revamp.
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Column revamp boosts diesel production
Nov-2020
Revamping the internals of a main fractionator column enabled a refinery to increase its diesel throughput.
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Modelling ensures a successful revamp
Nov-2020
Pre-turnaround computational modelling built confidence in the benefits of introducing design changes to a FCC regenerator revamp.
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Improving turnarounds and operations with online cleaning
Sep-2020
Case histories illustrate the financial and operational gains achieved by replacing mechanical cleaning with online, closed-loop operations. The conventional ...
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Slug catcher debottleneck protects downstream processing (TIA)
Aug-2020
Effective separation of oil and gas from different impurities in upstream operations is a matter of paramount importance. All downstream activities and ...
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Revamp raises crude flexibility and profits (TIA)
Aug-2020
Hyundai Oilbank (HDO) has been operating an atmospheric residue desulphurisation (ARDS) unit, producing feed for the RFCC unit, at its Daesan, South Korea, ...
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Improving hydrotreater performance with welded plate heat exchangers
Jul-2020
Pressure has never been higher on refiners to improve the efficiency of their energy-intensive processes.
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Coke drum repair restores capacity (TIA)
May-2020
The mechanical integrity of processing units is key for oil refineries to deliver smooth operations and maximum productivity. When structural damage was ...
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High octane isomerates from light naphtha
Feb-2020
Dividing wall column distillation is an energy efficient, cost effective alternative to conventional distillation for delivering high octane products from ...
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Dividing wall technology in distillation columns
Feb-2020
Increased throughput required the revamp of a gasoline unit. Space constraints and strict product requirements led to dividing wall column technology as ...
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Revamping a crude distillation unit
Feb-2020
A revamp project aimed to increase process safety and reduce high energy consumption in a CDU. It also delivered better product separation and higher diesel ...
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Renewables: four options for greater market share and profitability (ERTC)
Dec-2019
The refineries industry is facing profound changes. In the EU, RED (Renewable Energy Directive) requires member countries to meet at least 10% of their ...
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Successful turnaround planning
Dec-2019
Discussion of five key components in planning and executing a successful turnaround.
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Troubleshooting instability in a debutaniser tower
Dec-2019
Successful diagnosis and remediation of premature flood in a debutaniser tower demonstrate the value of good diagnosis for solving tower problems econ ...
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Flow maldistribution in shell and tube heat exchangers
Dec-2019
Old designs of shell and tube heat exchangers need to be revamped to develop uniform flow distribution in the inlet header and mitigate tube-side foul ...
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Respond to changing markets with revamps
Nov-2019
In volatile product markets, revamps are among the most compelling investment opportunities for refiners.
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Revamping an air separation unit
Nov-2019
Revamp of a high pressure column with structured packing, reducing operating costs and avoiding discharging finished products to atmosphere.
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Rust to robust for Spanish refinery (TIA)
Aug-2019
The efficient prevention and minimisation of corrosion induced deterioration in distillation columns is a key aspect helping refineries to remain productive ...
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Planning for a refinery turnaround
Jan-2019
A consistent approach, coupled with an aligned team, leads to successful preparation at the front end of a turnaround.
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Online monitor slashes biocide dosage (TIA)
Nov-2018
In many systems, fouling and deposits are a serious problem which results in shutdowns, cleaning actions and unexpected costs for the customer.