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Maximising energy efficiency in grassroots designs
Oct-2014
A novel approach is required to achieve the full potential for energy 
performance of new plants
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Jan-2009
Utilising process- and unit-specific knowledge transfer to improve turnaround execution. A better approach is needed to ensure the transfer of critical ...
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3D scanning corrrects design clashes
Apr-2015
A contractor in Nigeria applied 3D laser scanning to overcome design clashes that had led to postponement of planned revamps in a gas platform
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Apr-2013
To save project costs, the distillation towers for a new refinery were designed to meet process design objectives using best available technology
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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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Securing fuel supply and reducing GHG emissions
Apr-2008
Six strategic options are available to refiners to satisfy future energy and environmental requirements in the light of surging oil prices and public concerns ...
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Hydrotreater revamps for ULSD fuel
Oct-2003
Scope and capital investment for revamping an existing diesel hydrotreater to meet the 15wppm sulphur standard. The base design is typical of hydrotreaters ...
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Decontamination of a crude/vacuum unit (TIA)
Apr-2016
A major oil company wanted to make a final validation of ITW Online Cleaning and ITW Improved Degassing/Decontamination technologies to use them strategically ...
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Oct-2014
A review of benefits, best practices and emerging opportunities in laser-enabled revamp projects
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The age of turbulence: charting a course for refiners to a profitable future
Nov-2012
Relentless turbulence has profoundly affected the global refining landscape in recent years. Moreover, the turmoil is likely to continue unabated in the ...
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Increasing distillate production at least capital cost
Apr-2015
Investing in improvements to the atmospheric crude unit can deliver increased distillate yields with short payback times
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Reducing the danger of maintenance exposure
Apr-1998
Maintenance cost overruns result from inadequate cost estimating and the emergence of unidentified work that has to be done
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Rationalisation of and mitigation options for proposed EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0682
Jul-2016
Part 2: Impact on FCC units. In May 2014, the EPA issued EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0682, FRL-9720-4, RIN 2060-AQ75 for review and comment.
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Online cleaning of 
production units
Apr-2008
Faster online cleaning avoids the production losses that occur when shutting down a unit for conventional cleaning. Other benefits, such as improved safety ...
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Identifying very small 
equipment leaks
Jan-2008
Very small leaks in feed/effluent exchangers can be identified using chemical tracing. This online technique can detect leaks as low as 5.0 ppm, avoiding ...
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Oct-2012
Serbia’s petroleum refinery describes its plans for a continuing programme of plant revamps and updates
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Advances in engineering and design technologies
Jul-2013
3D technology is moving out of the design office to transform the entire 
asset lifecycle
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Coordinating a complex automation project
Apr-2014
Installing an integrated control system in support of a major refinery upgrade meant coordinating the work of multiple EPC contractors
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Sep-2016
Automation at start-up, supported by dynamic simulation, is desirable if it can be accomplished with a modest amount of engineering effort
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Apr-2017
An evaluation of schemes to improve firing efficiency and ensure the reliability of combustion equipment
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FCC petrochemicals production at minimum capex
Nov-2021
Adapting FCC gas concentration unit design using dividing wall technology delivers high purity petrochemicals at significantly lower capital cost.
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Some myths about mechanical cleaning
Aug-2018
Because it has long been the only option when unit cleaning becomes unavoidable, the true cost of mechanical cleaning has been overlooked.
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Design developments for construction projects
Jul-2014
Software products enable the principles of lean manufacturing to be applied to refinery construction projects
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Cost effective revamps to meet the environmental challenge
Jul-2000
Expected legislation in Asia for cleaner transportation fuels face refiners there with a challenge to stay profitable. The new laws can be met in a way ...
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Enhanced heat transfer for improved throughput and energy consumption
Oct-2015
Customised revamps of heat exchangers optimise energy use and reduce 
costs in revamps.
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Reducing reactor turnaround time
Jan-2015
A refinery uses catalyst passivation technology for safer and more 
efficient turnarounds.
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3D scanning corrrects design clashes
Apr-2015
A contractor in Nigeria applied 3D laser scanning to overcome design clashes that had led to postponement of planned revamps in a gas platform
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Increasing distillate production at least capital cost
Apr-2015
Investing in improvements to the atmospheric crude unit can deliver increased distillate yields with short payback times
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Decontamination of a crude/vacuum unit (TIA)
Apr-2016
A major oil company wanted to make a final validation of ITW Online Cleaning and ITW Improved Degassing/Decontamination technologies to use them strategically ...
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Rationalisation of and mitigation options for proposed EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0682
Jun-2016
Part 1: Regulatory background and impact on delayed coking and catalytic reforming units.
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Rationalisation of and mitigation options for proposed EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0682
Jul-2016
Part 2: Impact on FCC units. In May 2014, the EPA issued EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0682, FRL-9720-4, RIN 2060-AQ75 for review and comment.
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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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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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Jan-2006
Staged investment and reformer technology improvement strategies are available for increasing hydrogen production, cycle time and reliability
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Apr-2013
To save project costs, the distillation towers for a new refinery were designed to meet process design objectives using best available technology
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How refineries are saving time and money protecting assets
Feb-2023
The oil and gas industry is seeing a rise in demand and is taking vital steps to avoid disruption in production by preventing corrosion in process vessels, ...
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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 ...
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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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Turnarounds deliver process improvements
Nov-2016
An extended unit shutdown is relatively rare and an opportunity to take every advantage to improve performance.
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Revamping crude towers to meet 
bitumen specifications
Jun-2017
A revamp of crude column internals improved bitumen quality, increased output of light products, saved on energy costs and improved ease of operation
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Considerations for crude unit preflash drums and preflash towers
Feb-2024
A guide to debottlenecking, revamping, designing, and operating crude unit preflash facilities based on literature and the authors’ experience.
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Dealing with desalter cleaning challenges
Aug-2016
How to overcome lengthy and potentially dangerous challenges when cleaning a crude unit desalter.
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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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Low-cost methods to improve FCCU energy efficiency
Jul-2000
The first step to finding low-cost ways of improving FCC unit efficiency under new environmental regulations is to determine the true limits of the existing ...
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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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Further advances in light hydrocarbon fractionation
Jul-2004
Recent developments in high capacity distillation trays focus on increasing capacity in fixed tower sizes in refineries and chemical plants. C2 and C3 ...
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Reducing refinery heater revamp costs
Oct-2005
This article discusses the importance of being able to deliver a safe, cost-effective heater revamp, in the shortest possible shutdown
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Online cleaning of 
process equipment
Oct-2008
In the interest of time and cost savings, online cleaning prior to shutdown can reduce the duration and complexity of refinery turnarounds, as demonstrated ...
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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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Coordinating a complex automation project
Apr-2014
Installing an integrated control system in support of a major refinery upgrade meant coordinating the work of multiple EPC contractors
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Optimising and revamping a refinery hydrogen network
Oct-2011
Pinch analysis and mathematical programming support hydrogen network 
design and retrofit. An increased demand for hydrogen often makes the supply ...
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Gasoline and diesel imbalances in the Atlantic Basin: part II
Oct-2011
Options to re-orientate a refinery’s production towards middle distillates. European refineries currently produce a surplus of gasoline and insufficient ...
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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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Bitumen processing: crude unit revamps
Jul-2011
The ability to process bitumen offers a competitive advantage, but revamps of crude and vacuum units to process bitumen require significant changes
to ...
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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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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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Apr-2011
Space restrictions on site called for an innovative solution to replace a refinery’s main fractionator mid-section
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Bulk separation of gas-liquid mixtures
Apr-2011
Effective gas-liquid separation is increasingly important to produce high-quality products from feedstocks of decreasing quality
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Feb-2011
Major improvements to throughput and product specification required a revamp of catalyst and internals in a diesel hydrotreater
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Rental strategies counter seasonal performance problems
Jan-2011
Engineered solutions can reverse the adverse effects of high temperatures and humidity. Petrochemical and refinery processes rely on efficient heat transfer ...
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Energy management: raising profitability, reducing CO2 emissions
Oct-2010
Case studies show how lower energy demand via revamps and improved maintenance can save money and abate CO2 emissions in refinery operations
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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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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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Debottlenecking a refinery fuel 
gas absorber
Oct-2010
A refinery fuel gas absorber was revamped to increase capacity while maintaining H2S in the product well below specification
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A step-by-step approach to 
managing emissions
Oct-2010
A comprehensive review of combustion systems and controls underpins a strategy for emissions reduction
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A balanced approach to vacuum tower flash zone/wash section design
Sep-2010
Revamping an existing vacuum column to operate at a higher feed rate, higher flash zone temperature, lower pressure, and different feed stock characterisation ...
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Improving performance through low-cost modification of tower internals
Jul-2010
Low-cost revamps of tower internals improve production from existing assets with a payback period of less than a year
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Online cleaning and decontamination of a butadiene unit
Apr-2010
Chemical treatment by closed-loop recirculation reduced cleaning time for a butadiene unit turnaround from a typical 20 days to 24 hours
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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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Are there alternatives to an expensive overhaul of a bottlenecked flare system?
Jan-2010
Changes in regulation or the revamp of an existing plant need not require an upgrade to a refinery’s flare system configuration
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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 ...
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Application of CFD in NOx reduction
Oct-2009
A study of parameters affecting NOx formation in an ageing boiler unit confirmed the measures needed to meet emissions targets
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A novel process to reduce aromatics and benzene in reformates
Oct-2009
A catalytic scheme for reducing the aromatics and benzene content in reformates without octane barrel loss uses existing reforming units at Moscow Oil ...
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Revamping hydrogen and sulphur plants to meet future challenges
Oct-2009
Revamp opportunities for hydrogen and sulphur plant operations in the era of clean fuels production offer significant benefits for refiners
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Stepwise simulation of vacuum transfer line hydraulics
Oct-2009
A stepwise hydraulic calculation determines the pressure profile of a vacuum transfer line by linking the hydraulic model to process simulation result ...