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Simulating crude units with preflash
Nov-2016
Process simulation offers a cost effective way of testing ideas to improve yield and energy performance.
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On-purpose propylene production
Feb-2019
Propane dehydrogenation plays an increasingly key role in closing the global shortage in traditional propylene supplies.
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Process and energy analysis for cost savings and CO2 reduction
Jul-2010
Applying heat pinch technology and process know-how to maximise energy savings. In an increasingly carbon-conscious market, improving energy efficiency ...
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Renewable fuels and biofuels in a petroleum refinery
Jan-2011
Sound judgement of process environment, logistics and product properties is needed to process fossil and bio-derived raw materials on a single site
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Jan-2006
Cost-effective exchanger network solutions need to rely on more than just pinch technology if they are to be successful
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Distributor design and testing
Oct-2006
A new main fractionator designed to separate a range of feed streams incorporates multiple layers of structured packing and a slurry section. Flow testing ...
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Future of opportunity crudes processing
Oct-2011
Five critical drivers help refiners remain profitable and sustain long-term business goals while processing relatively inexpensive, low-quality crudes
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Minimise amine losses in gas and 
liquid treating
Jun-2018
Even with incomplete information, a systematic approach can be used to identify the source of amine losses and the action needed to reduce them.
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Refinery energy efficiency and environmental goals
Jul-2002
Cheaper fuels do not always reduce costs, say the authors, and an alternative is cogeneration. It is argued that fuel saving programmes and cogeneration, ...
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HS-FCC for propylene: concept to commercial operation
Oct-2016
A FCC process provides a high light olefin yield from a wide variety of feedstocks utilising high severity reaction conditions and a novel down flow reaction ...
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Divided-wall columns — a novel distillation concept
Oct-2000
The technology of divided-wall columns using a single distillation tower, described in this article, is claimed to have investment and operating advantages ...
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Green retarder technology for the 
styrene industry
Jan-2012
Increased environmental and safety awareness in the styrene industry has led to the development of more acceptable alternatives to toxic nitrophenolic ...
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Reducing gasoline sulphur with additives
Apr-2004
Evolution of regulations in an era of limited capital has led to the development of catalyst additive technologies to reduce FCC gasoline sulphur
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Jul-2015
Computational fluid dynamics was used to analyse the performance of side entry mixers in large crude tanks
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Evaluating opportunity crude processing
Oct-2006
Is processing opportunity crudes for every refiner? Technical challenges and economic benefits from processing high-acid crudes and bottom-of-the-barrel ...
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Improved conceptual process design avoids revamp scope growth
Mar-2002
For grassroots design, defining project scope is a straightforward exercise. Grassroots projects can follow optimum execution procedures for engineering ...
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Air pre-heater improves energy efficiency
Apr-2014
A corrosion resistant air pre-heater enables valuable heat recovery from corrosive and fouling refinery flue gas streams
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High-performance trays alone do not guarantee performance improvements
Apr-2012
A high-performance tray does not determine the effectiveness of the whole column. Other distillation equipment plays a vital role in a column revamp
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Simulating optimal tank farm design
Apr-2005
Development of a computerised model incorporating Monte Carlo operational risk simulation with the optimisation power of linear programming
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Oct-2012
Inaccurate feed characterisation and process modelling errors are major contributors to poor performance in a vacuum unit as refiners switch to heavier ...
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FCC flue gas scrubber alternatives: part I
Jul-2009
The merits of combining additives and barrier filters as a cost-effective and highly efficient way of meeting SOx, NOx and particulate matter emissions ...
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Apr-2019
The oil and gas sector is consistently among the most vulnerable to cyber attack. Can a security programme reduce the risks?
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What is sintering in relation to catalyst deactivation and how can it be avoided? (PTQ Q&A)
Oct-2020
Response to a question in the Q3 2020 issue of PTQ
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Apr-2011
Gasification technologies deliver steam, hydrogen and power from low-value refining residues and petcoke
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Handling mercury in gas processing plants
May-2017
Advances in the safe treatment and disposal of mercury in gaseous and liquid streams.
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Gases and gas handling for the lab environment
May-2011
Over the past decade, manufacturing and process plants across the full spectrum of industry have advanced exponentially to meet the growing and evolving ...
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Alarm floods and plant incidents
Jul-2012
Alarm floods and their contribution to industrial incidents can be controlled successfully through all process states
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Carbon dioxide emissions from fired heaters
Jun-2021
Fired heaters emit an estimated 400 to 500 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year. At least 73% of average refinery CO2 emissions come from c ...
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An atmospheric crude tower revamp
Jul-2005
Overall gas oil yield was maintained with heavier crudes due to a crude tower revamp. The revamp allowed for a crude heater outlet temperature reducti ...
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The challenges of crude blending - Part 2
Jun-2016
The second part of a two-part article details the importance of crude selection and blending strategies to prosper in a low cost yet volatile market.
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Importance of heat maintenance in sulphur recovery units
Mar-2016
While sulphur recovery in an SRU depends on the condensation and removal of elemental sulphur, its unintended condensation and accumulation can present ...
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When excess air becomes too much
Jul-2020
Excessive use of excess air impacts operating costs through fuel efficiency, furnace reliability, and stack emissions
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Detecting and dealing with hydrate formation
Apr-2010
A review of cause, detection and treatment of hydrate plug formation in 
gas pipelines. Gas hydrates are solid crystalline compounds, which have ...
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Cross-unit APC boosts downstream performance
Jul-2020
Manipulating advanced process control in a crude unit reduced constraints in a downstream diesel hydrotreater
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IMO 2020: meeting the challenge
Sep-2020
Developments in fuel additive technology address challenges and uncertainties raised by the IMO 2020 regulations
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Oct-2020
Responses to a question in the Q3 2020 issue of PTQ
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Optimise your workflow and improve lab efficiencies
Oct-2020
XOS’ Sindie® series sulphur analysers offer a variety of features and capabilities aiming to improve your operational efficiencies. In addition, XOS’ ...
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Maximum margin = sharp tools + true aim
Dec-2020
It’s time that we shift our focus away from the doom, the gloom, the fear, and the uncertainty of today’s industry news. Flip to the Comics section ...
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Feb-2021
Responses to a question in the Q1 2021 issues Q&A Feature
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Navigating the greenhouse gas conundrum
Apr-2021
How supply chain ecosystems can meet new renewable growth demands.
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Jun-2021
Advances in floating liquefied natural gas production technology are becoming an important factor in maintaining sustained growth of the natural gas i ...
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Hydroprocessing routes for flexible residue upgrading
Jan-2022
Efficient and flexible resid processing options maintain profitability and reduce risk when price volatility is high.
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Mar-2022
As North Sea oil production declines, it is also getting heavier and more sour. How is the quality shift is playing out in global trade flows?
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Mar-2022
Improving level control in desalters to aid in use of opportunity crudes
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Use of tube inserts in fired heaters
May-2022
In 1896 Whitham reported the successful use of twisted tapes (originally called retarders, and now also called turbulators) to increase heat transfer in ...
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Economical structural design of natural gas processing plants
Jun-2022
Case study of a butane treatment unit illustrates effective structural design procedures and highlights construction challenges encountered in new and ...
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Using future rows capacity to debottleneck fired heaters
Jun-2022
Opportunistic usage of the future row provision can lead to a multitude of benefits, provided the refiner knows what they are looking for during the r ...
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Olefins and octane from FCC operations
Jun-2022
The worldwide olefins market is valued at over $322 billion by 2026 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.0% for the 2022 to ...
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Challenges with carbon disulphide removal in petrochemical naphtha
Aug-2022
Meeting new specifications for removing carbon disulphide in petrochemical naphtha using dividing wall column technology.
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Considerations for repurposing a fuel-grade coker into a needle coker
Nov-2022
How a delayed coking unit originally designed and operated to produce fuel-grade coke could be repurposed to produce needle coke.
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Dec-2022
Risk-based Inspection (RBI) has been around the refining and petrochemical industry for many years.
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How can Becht help customers with additive manufacturing
Dec-2022
For more than half a century, Becht has maintained a valued reputation for exceptional innovation, service and partnership solving engineering problems ...
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What makes hydroprocessing different to other refining technologies?
Dec-2022
Most of the people that have worked around refineries for some time, feel that they have mastered the basics of the major refining technologies and feel ...
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Keeping your scaffolding under control during a turnaround
Dec-2022
During any Maintenance work or Turnarounds, there will be a need to reach inaccessible areas of the process plant, either for inspection or maintenance ...
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Dec-2022
Both 316 and type 304 (L is low carbon for weldability) are susceptible, under certain conditions, to three forms of attack in cooling water containing ...
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Dec-2022
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Becht expert witness - a true partner to support your case
Dec-2022
In any legal case it is very important to establish a true partnership between the law firm and the expert witness.
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Cooling tower acceptance testing
Dec-2022
In a recent blog, August 8, 2022, the subject of an independent check-rate or rating of a cooling tower’s thermal design was discussed.
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Thriving in demanding petrochemical applications
Dec-2022
The petrochemical industry presents valve solutions with demanding applications and operating environments.
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Reinventing reliability through material science
Dec-2022
Reinventing reliability is a critical mission that impacts technology and product development
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Dec-2022
For us, re-inventing reliability is a critical mission that impacts technology and product development. The above concept is also reflected in ESD-valves ...
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Pipeline operator boosts uptime and profitability with Q-Ball
Dec-2022
Self-flushing anti-cavitation trim eliminates maintenance outages, while decreasing noise and vibration and eliminating cavitation damage
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Valmet butterfly valves deliver versatility and performance for severe service applications
Dec-2022
Their compact and lightweight design, availability in larger sizes and easy usability make our butterfly valves an attractive option for many industrial ...
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Sustainable aviation fuel: prepare for take-off!
Dec-2022
Despite the unprecedented drop in global air traffic due to the Covid-19 crisis in the past years, passenger numbers and cargo volumes are anticipated ...
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Insights from Shell Rheinland’s transition to net zero
Nov-2022
When a refiner is defining its decarbonisation plans, it is likely to face a daunting realisation: of all the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for which ...
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Sustainable aviation fuel: prepare for take-off!
Nov-2022
Despite the unprecedented drop in global air traffic due to the Covid-19 crisis in the past years, passenger numbers and cargo volumes are anticipated ...
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Repsol uses Control Tower solution to manage its integrated business value chain (ERTC)
Nov-2022
Repsol S.A. is a global energy and petrochemical company based in Madrid, Spain. It is engaged in worldwide upstream and downstream activities to bring ...
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What about a CBAM for the refining industry? (ERTC)
Nov-2022
In 2020, when oil demand and refining margins collapsed during the pandemic, we saw a tidal wave of industry rationalisation across the world; many refineries ...
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An FCC sustainability game changer (ERTC)
Nov-2022
As the post-pandemic world reflects the return of strong demand and profits for oil refined products, there are increased incentives to use FCC premium ...
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Facilitating adoption of carbon capture on fcc flue gas (ERTC)
Nov-2022
Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is a key conversion step in gasoline production.
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Refiners weighing opportunities for circular polymer production (ERTC)
Nov-2022
Zero to single-digit returns for European refiners compel development of revenue streams around low-carbon products.
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Sustainable energy management is becoming increasingly important for refineries (ERTC)
Nov-2022
Energy is the big topic throughout Europe. Where does it come from, what is it used for, and how can we save it?
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Take-off for cleaner skies starts now with SAF (ERTC)
Nov-2022
The transportation sector accounts for 14% of the world’s GHG emissions. This is why governments and states worldwide are taking measures to lower GHG ...
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Decarbonising liquid fuels with BioFlux technologies (ERTC)
Nov-2022
The traditional oil and gas industry is transforming as modern fuels become cleaner and more sustainable.
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Mesoporous zeolites deliver catalytic benefits (ERTC)
Nov-2022
Catalytic results make compelling business cases in refining, petrochemicals, and the conversion of methanol, biomass and waste plastics.
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Steam methane reformer tube lifecycle improvement best practices
May-2024
Reformer tube life assessment can be done via online monitoring, non-destructive testing, and tube harvesting with historical operating, monitoring, and ...