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Feb-2024
Part 1 covered the basics of crude-to-chemicals. Part 2 explains how hydroprocessing technology can be used to convert any crude to chemicals to maximise ...
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Premature foam-flood in an amine absorber: Part 2
Jan-2022
Troubleshooting and hydraulic analysis identified vapour channelling in fixed valve trays as the root cause of premature foam-flooding in a high pressure ...
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Worker safety when entering reactors with an inert atmosphere (TiA)
Feb-2024
The products from petrochemical processing touch almost every aspect of modern living. The importance of these products to industry and society emphasises ...
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ThruVision™ scans are the next step to investigate liquid maldistribution
Sep-2020
ThruVision™ technology allows for a complete understanding of liquid distribution, saving days of production losses and massive costs of a unit shut ...
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Fouling in VDU ejector systems
Feb-2023
Review of critical ejector-condenser interplay, with an overview of fouling in VDU ejector systems, including a case study where fouling impacted a refiner's ...
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Pre-turnaround scans enable better critical path planning
Sep-2020
Tru-Scan™ and Tru-Grid™ Scan results help determine whether to enter a particular column during the turnaround outage or remove it from the critical ...
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Mitigating FCC gas plant impacts when increasing reactor LPG yields
Apr-2023
Increasing FCC reactor LPG yields at the expense of gasoline increases profitability, but equipment downstream of the converter requires modifications ...
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Simulation VGO and waste lubricating/cooking oil co-hydroprocessing
Nov-2023
Software used to build a simulation case for industrial hydrocracking of VGO, WCO, and WLO validates predicted values of gasoline and middle distillates ...
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Sulzer’s VIEC technology provides the solution with single-stage early separation
Nov-2022
The principle of “easiest first” applies as much in the oil industry as in most other enterprises. This in no more evident than in the state of the ...
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Optimising fouled distillation units
Nov-2023
Case studies discuss optimisation strategies and enhanced distillation unit performance against fouled conditions.
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Planning to counter economic turbulence
Sep-2020
Synchronising engineering and planning models should be a key aim to support the resilience and agility needed for economic recovery
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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 ...
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Design configurations for lowering quenched coke drum venting pressure
Feb-2023
Compare the advantages when installing either an ejector or a water ring compressor for lowering coke drum venting pressure.
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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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Enhancing profitability using high-efficiency heat exchangers (RI 2023)
Nov-2023
Alfa Laval has been in the refinery industry for more than 40 years, with more than 3,000 high-efficiency heat exchangers installed worldwide. The company’s ...
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Guiding the crude-to-chemicals complex towards a net-zero future (RI 2023)
Nov-2023
In today’s world, the expanding chemical value chain requires superior processing flexibility to shift hydrocarbons from fuels to olefins and aromatics ...
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Three steps to optimise fractionator performance with plate technology
Oct-2022
The refining industry has dealt with various challenges throughout its history, but the current pressure from a range of factors, such as energy optimisation, ...
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Innovative vessel internals for enhanced safety when changing media beds (TiA)
May-2024
In our previous article (PTQ Q1 2024), we discussed the challenges inherent in performing scheduled inspections within confined spaces of fixed-bed downflow ...
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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 ...
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Jan-2011
A process review, including the improvement of atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns, for the reformulation of the diesel pool
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Improving crude unit operation
Jan-2011
Most crude and vacuum units present an opportunity for improvement using modern process control systems
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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 ...
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Optimising preflash for light tight oil processing
Jul-2015
For a crude unit handling light tight oil feedstock, a semi-preflash column can deliver significant advantages in energy saving, capacity gain and revamp ...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Three steps to optimise fractionator performance with plate technology
Oct-2022
The refining industry has dealt with various challenges throughout its history, but the current pressure from a range of factors, such as energy optimisation, ...
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Desalting chemistry and monitoring methods to help expand crude basket
Feb-2023
Widening the crude basket increases the challenges of maintaining asset reliability and plant performance, including formation of rag layers.
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Enhancing profitability using high-efficiency heat exchangers (RI 2023)
Nov-2023
Alfa Laval has been in the refinery industry for more than 40 years, with more than 3,000 high-efficiency heat exchangers installed worldwide. The company’s ...
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Worker safety when entering reactors with an inert atmosphere (TiA)
Feb-2024
The products from petrochemical processing touch almost every aspect of modern living. The importance of these products to industry and society emphasises ...
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Sep-2006
Operational issues such as higher heater duty and column pressure must be weighed against avoiding residue entrainment in HVGO
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Practical considerations for crude unit revamps
Oct-1998
Two examples are used in this article to illustrate how changes in the process flow scheme can increase preheat train heat recovery
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Vacuum unit design effect on operating variables
Jul-2002
To revamp vacuum units, process modelling and equipment design know-how are needed, and the understanding of connected equipment performance can lead to ...
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Identifying poor heat exchanger performance
Sep-2007
Identifying root causes of poor crude unit debutaniser reboiler performance and low-cost solutions that help meet exchanger original design conditions
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Simulation VGO and waste lubricating/cooking oil co-hydroprocessing
Nov-2023
Software used to build a simulation case for industrial hydrocracking of VGO, WCO, and WLO validates predicted values of gasoline and middle distillates ...
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Guiding the crude-to-chemicals complex towards a net-zero future (RI 2023)
Nov-2023
In today’s world, the expanding chemical value chain requires superior processing flexibility to shift hydrocarbons from fuels to olefins and aromatics ...
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Unicracking unit flow scheme optimisation and integration
Nov-2023
How an optimisation and integration approach can assist in maximising refinery margin for a residue upgrading project.
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Innovative vessel internals for enhanced safety when changing media beds (TiA)
May-2024
In our previous article (PTQ Q1 2024), we discussed the challenges inherent in performing scheduled inspections within confined spaces of fixed-bed downflow ...
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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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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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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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Choosing a neutralising amine corrosion inhibitor
Jul-2004
A review of physical and chemical properties of commonly used amine-based corrosion inhibitors. The authors highlight the relative strengths and weaknesses ...
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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 ...
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Crude column revamp using radial temperature profiles
Sep-2003
Designers need to be aware of all the factors influencing packed bed performance such as feed zone mixing problems
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Crude unit start-ups: the results of a 
high liquid level
Sep-2003
Pressure-measurement techniques can avoid the dangers of rapidly changing flow rates and levels during start-up
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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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ULSD production: improved feed stream quality
Apr-2003
Much of hydrotreater revamp investment costs in future will be in dealing with the most difficult-to-remove sulphur species, because of their low reaction ...
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Specifications — importance of getting them right
Mar-2003
Faulty equipment specifications sometimes carry unforeseen penalties, with loss of performance. It is the process design engineer’s responsibility to ...
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Vacuum unit design effect on operating variables
Jul-2002
To revamp vacuum units, process modelling and equipment design know-how are needed, and the understanding of connected equipment performance can lead to ...
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Crude unit revamp to increase diesel yield
Apr-2002
Account of a crude vacuum unit revamp where detailed calculation of the true performance of existing equipment raised diesel production by 14.5 vol% on ...
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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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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 ...
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Vacuum pressure control: impact on profitability
Jul-2001
Optimisation of flash zone pressure and temperature can improve feedstock quality to downstream units
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Avoiding unscheduled shutdowns
Apr-2001
Case studies have demonstrated that correct heater design and consequent performance will determine crude unit run length
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Practical considerations for crude unit revamps
Oct-1998
Two examples are used in this article to illustrate how changes in the process flow scheme can increase preheat train heat recovery
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Troubleshooting vacuum unit revamps
Jul-1998
While vacuum unit revamps increase gasoil yield, management is pushing the intervals between turnarounds to four or five years
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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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Revamp process design — optimum crude unit product yields
Jul-1997
Designing a new crude unit is an unconstrained process, limited only by capital
investment targets, while revamping an existing unit to optimise ...