ARTICLES
-
Crude column relief mitigation
Oct-2011
Mitigation of plant-wide relief loads can greatly improve the safety of the plant, reduce flaring and be used as the basis for building smaller relief ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
Mar-2018
Scalable simulation of crude unit operations enables refineries to build increasingly rigorous models to enhance performance
-
Jan-2011
A process review, including the improvement of atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns, for the reformulation of the diesel pool
-
Sep-2007
Primary goals of a lube vacuum column revamp were to increase lube product fractionation and minimise HVGO product contaminants
-
Revamping conceptual process design
Jan-2002
With the desirability of getting the maximum use out of existing equipment when revamps are planned a rigorous approach to CPD is required to avoid scope ...
-
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
-
Increasing vacuum tower performance
Oct-2004
Advantages of using gravity flow liquid distributors in services where, historically, spray nozzles have been used, specifically in refinery vacuum tower ...
-
Unlocking current 
refinery constraints
Apr-2008
When processing heavy feeds, technology based on residuum supercritical solvent extraction provides higher volumes of gas oil and DAO for conversion units. ...
-
Oil/water interface control for desalters
Oct-2007
Profiling instrument provides vertical real-time phase density measurement in desalter vessels. Benefits include reduced process upsets from interface ...
-
Silencing hammering in a condenser system
Dec-2017
Detailed analysis leading to correct diagnosis meant that only minor equipment changes were needed to cure severe hammering in a naphtha splitter.
-
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 ...
-
Dealing with desalter cleaning challenges
Aug-2016
How to overcome lengthy and potentially dangerous challenges when cleaning a crude unit desalter.
-
Light tight oil crude unit fouling root causes and troubleshooting
Mar-2015
Fouling in preheaters, crude furnace and atmospheric tower bottoms exchangers directly impacts throughput and profitability, requiring rigorous evaluation ...
-
Improving crude unit operation
Jan-2011
Most crude and vacuum units present an opportunity for improvement using modern process control systems
-
High-capacity tray for debottlenecking a crude distillation unit
Jan-2013
Use of ultra-high-capacity trays in the most constrained section of a CDU enabled over a 50% increase in throughput at less cost than other debottlenecking ...
-
Correcting vacuum column design flaws
Apr-2017
Conventional design practices have been proven inadequate when maximising diesel recovery and gas oil cut point
-
Problems in processing discounted crudes Part 1: definition and crude preheat
Feb-2019
Project costs must be considered to fully understand whether or not an opportunity crude really does deliver on savings.
-
A two stage approach to controlling fouling on preheat trains at OMV’s Schwechat refinery
Aug-2016
Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry. Fouling reduces exchanger performance, increases furnace duty, ...
-
Realities of heat flux in fired heaters
Nov-2020
Uneven radiant heat flux distribution is a major cause of poor reliability in refinery fired heaters.
-
Best practice desalting Part 1: crude flexibility window
Jul-2017
A replacement programme of desalter treatment chemistry transformed the operation of crude units struggling to meet performance targets
-
Online cleaning: a mindshift for improving operational excellence
Apr-2013
A patented method of chemical cleaning can reduce downtime arising from severe fouling in process units
-
Flexible upgrading of heavy feedstocks
Feb-2019
Adding tailor-made options for upgrading heavy crudes to existing assets can adapt refineries to changes in market conditions and regulatory demands.
-
Balanced distillation equipment design
Feb-2017
Fouling resistance and efficiency requirements for distillation equipment are balanced and optimised for reliable unit performance.
-
Operating vacuum distillation ejector systems
Oct-2016
Best practices and opportunities to deliver reliable ejector system performance and reduce performance risk.
-
Opening the crude flexibility window: automation manages threats in real time
Sep-2018
By increasing the volume of quality data, refiners can automate the correct addition of chemical additives to respond to variations in unit performanc ...
-
Oct-2004
Installation of vortex tube clusters in crude unit preflash drums has eliminated foam carry-over, increasing diesel and atmospheric gasoil product yie ...
-
Troubleshooting vacuum systems
Oct-2016
Case histories of refinery vacuum tower problems solved are gleaned from five decades of experience.
-
Consider retrofits to handle high-viscosity crudes
Mar-2004
In 2000, ConocoPhillips’ refinery in Sweeny, Texas, began processing 16° API gravity blends of extra-heavy crude oils, including Merey 16 and BCF 1 ...
-
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
-
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
-
Model predictive control of a distillation unit
Jul-2017
In a coordinated plant process, particular attention must be paid to control of individual columns.
-
Controlling contaminants in vacuum gasoil
Nov-2017
How revamps can increase VDU capacity and reliability while controlling contaminant levels to acceptable limits.
-
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
-
Sep-2003
Case studies show how accurate field-measured differential pressure can be interpreted incorrectly when troubleshooting refinery vacuum columns
-
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 ...
-
Balanced distillation equipment design
Feb-2017
Fouling resistance and efficiency requirements for distillation equipment are balanced and optimised for reliable unit performance.
-
Entrainment issues in vacuum column flash zones
Jan-2010
For a vacuum tower to operate effectively, the flash zone and the wash section must work together to provide the best possible feed quality to the sections ...
-
Oct-2012
Inaccurate feed characterisation and process modelling errors are major contributors to poor performance in a vacuum unit as refiners switch to heavier ...
-
Jan-2013
Revamping a VDU’s vacuum system delivered operational improvements in a refinery, but also led to safer and more efficient handling of non-condensed ...
-
Asphalt quality prediction and control
Oct-2014
With knowledge of heavy vacuum gasoil cut-point and asphalt density, asphalt quality can be inferred
-
Upgrading a vacuum distillation tower (TIA)
Aug-2021
When a major oil refinery in India was constrained by its vacuum tower, it turned to Sulzer Chemtech to find a solution that would not only solve existing ...
-
Apr-2022
A vacuum column’s economics can be greatly improved with a low cost modification to the ejector system
-
Reconfiguration of naphtha splitters using divided wall column technology
Feb-2023
Integration of DWCs into existing refining configurations reduces energy consumption and GHG emissions in distillation systems while also lowering operating ...
-
Predictive model for maximum feedstock flexibility (ERTC 2023)
Nov-2023
Challenge of crude oil variability. Current market conditions are driving refineries towards a permanent diversification in crudes. Crude oil is a complex ...
-
Solving a tube failure problem due to flow stratification using the Xtend tube-insert
Apr-2024
A vacuum heater located at a major oil refinery experienced tube failures at the top of the radiant section, and inspection showed a substantial layer ...
-
Enhancing fractionator efficiency
Jul-2016
Properly designed vapour and liquid distribution devices enable more effective distillation column efficiency.
-
Towards a zero gasoline production refinery: part 2
Oct-2013
Refinery configurations can suit various processing objectives, such as variations to the propylene-to-ethylene ratio and production of middle distillates ...
-
Data analytics for hydrocarbon processing
Oct-2016
Advanced data handling techniques are transforming operations in the refining industry at an increasing pace.
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
Fouling and cleaning analysis of a heat exchanger network
Dec-2019
Analysis of a complex heat exchanger network employs a digital twin model to establish a programme for fouling and cleaning.
-
Improving level control in desalters to aid in use of opportunity crudes
Sep-2019
Refineries are a complex set of various operating units designed to process crude oil into refined products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuels and feedstocks ...
-
Sustainable technology for cleaning a crude preheat exchanger network
Aug-2019
Mitigating environmental impacts, saving time and reducing costs: cleaning a heat exchanger network using a renewable cleaning agent.
-
Flue gas heat recovery through the acid dew point
Jul-2019
Polymer based heat exchange technology enables more heat recovery from flue gas by addressing acid corrosion issues.
-
Troubleshooting a heavy crude topper
Jul-2019
Thorough troubleshooting revealed the primary cause of a heavy crude topper’s poor availability: desalter operation. A comprehensive revamp resolved ...
-
Revamping a bitumen heating system
Jul-2019
A redesigned oil based heating system for bitumen storage and sales saves energy and eliminates customer complaints.
-
Problems in processing discounted crudes Part 2: crude and vacuum columns
May-2019
Project costs must be considered to fully understand whether or not an opportunity crude really does deliver on savings.
-
Apr-2019
With the market for high sulphur fuel oil under pressure, refiners with delayed cokers can instead opt for higher value power and steam generation.
-
Problems in processing discounted crudes Part 1: definition and crude preheat
Feb-2019
Project costs must be considered to fully understand whether or not an opportunity crude really does deliver on savings.
-
Flexible upgrading of heavy feedstocks
Feb-2019
Adding tailor-made options for upgrading heavy crudes to existing assets can adapt refineries to changes in market conditions and regulatory demands.
-
Front end filtering of unconventional oil
Jan-2019
Processing unconventional oils requires technologies such as electrostatic separation to handle higher amounts of filterable solids.
-
Tray revamp restores crude column performance
Jan-2019
Retrofitting the packed top section of a crude atmospheric tower with high capacity trays improved separation efficiency
-
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.
-
Opening the crude flexibility window: automation manages threats in real time
Sep-2018
By increasing the volume of quality data, refiners can automate the correct addition of chemical additives to respond to variations in unit performanc ...
-
Mar-2018
Scalable simulation of crude unit operations enables refineries to build increasingly rigorous models to enhance performance
-
Preventing ammonium salt fouling and corrosion
Jan-2018
Best practices and opportunities to reduce the risk of salt deposition and damage
-
Wastewater treatment for challenging crudes
Jan-2018
A new organic polymer treatment has enabled refiners to more effectively process a variety of opportunity crudes
-
Silencing hammering in a condenser system
Dec-2017
Detailed analysis leading to correct diagnosis meant that only minor equipment changes were needed to cure severe hammering in a naphtha splitter.
-
Controlling contaminants in vacuum gasoil
Nov-2017
How revamps can increase VDU capacity and reliability while controlling contaminant levels to acceptable limits.
-
Nov-2017
Thorough tank cleaning means removing all of the sludge and restoring the vessel’s full storage capacity.
-
Model predictive control of a distillation unit
Jul-2017
In a coordinated plant process, particular attention must be paid to control of individual columns.
-
Best practice desalting Part 1: crude flexibility window
Jul-2017
A replacement programme of desalter treatment chemistry transformed the operation of crude units struggling to meet performance targets
-
Troubleshooting crude column constraints
Jul-2017
Multiple limitations to operating capacity were identified and resolved during a column turnaround
-
Becht fired heaters services
-
Evonik Catalysts. Let's make a difference
-
Vacuum Systems
-
AMETEK Process Instruments Refinery Solutions
-
BASF Refinery Solutions on LinkedIn
-
Most advanced fired heater convection section cleaning robot
-
Level and density in resid hydrocracking processes
-
Axens SAF Solutions
-
Valves and Pumps for the Energy Industry
-
VectorWall two-stage SRU mixing system
SPONSORS