Mitigation of heat exchanger fouling

Oct-2012

Detailed analysis of potential contributors identifies the root cause of fouling in naphtha hydrotreater feed-effluent exchangers

Advances in amine reclaiming

Feb-2007

Why there is no excuse for operating a dirty amine system. The benefits of reclaiming amine systems are trumpeted by many and doubted by others.

Minimise corrosion while maximising distillate

Jul-2012

Reducing atmospheric fractionator overhead temperatures to maximise middle 
distillate production requires a full understanding of resulting corrosion ...

Amine plant corrosion reduced by removal of bicine

Jun-2012

Bicine, an amino acid, has been found in numerous amine gas treating systems including tail gas treating units, certain refinery services, and some natural ...

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

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 ...

Oil recovery from tank sludge

Nov-2017

Thorough tank cleaning means removing all of the sludge and restoring the vessel’s full storage capacity.

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

Operational challenges in sour 
water stripping

Jul-2019

How to keep a sour water stripper at optimum performance between shutdowns.

Estimating silicon accumulation in coker naphtha hydrotreaters

Mar-2012

Improved sampling and analysis of silicon in the feed enable a significant gain in the cycle life of coker naphtha hydrotreater catalysts

Chemical analysis in amine system operations

Jul-2013

The array of contaminants that can disrupt the operation of alkanolamine systems needs to be precisely characterised and analysed

Control of primary fractionator fouling

Jan-2009

Optimal operation and chemical treatment of primary fractionators requires an in-depth knowledge of many parameters. A combination of analytical tools ...

Cuba’s oil: due for development

Apr-2017

Cuba’s ambitions for energy self-sufficiency require major investment in the nation’s oil reserves and refining industry

Analysis method for determining bound and free alkanolamines in HSS contaminated solutions

Jul-1990

A conductometric titration method has been developed to determine the true available alkanolamine in solutions used for H2S and CO2 removal from refinery ...

Pitting and crevice corrosion of offshore stainless steel tubing

Jan-2009

Stainless steel tubing on oil and gas platforms is regularly employed in process instrumentation and sensing, as well as chemical inhibition, hydraulic ...

Stabilisation 
of asphaltenes

Jan-2009

Asphaltenes can plug refinery equipment and can decrease or stop production. Stabilisation of asphaltene particles is an efficient and cost-effective way ...

Continuous removal of contaminants from amine solutions

Oct-2011

A continuous purification system overcomes amine degradation and the formation of corrosion-promoting heat stable amine salts

Modelling to optimise natural gas dehydration

Apr-2009

Computer modelling can help processors to understand the severity of conditions in molecular sieves used for the dehydration of natural gas

Operating challenges associated with fines in the delayed coker

Jun-2014

The coking process has been around since the early days of the refining industry. Over the years it has undergone continuous improvements to make it a ...

Enhancing energy efficiency in the CDU

Apr-2015

Revisiting your crude distillation unit may expose hidden potential for major energy savings

Passivation of ethylene cracker transfer line heat exchangers

Jul-2009

Case study based on fours years of applying DEHA-based passivation treatment technology to the TLEs of Egyptian Petrochemicals’ ethylene crackers

Mitigating corrosion from naphthenic acid streams

Jan-2003

The authors describe how crude and side-cut analysis, laboratory and field data lead to strategies for managing high severity operating conditions needed ...

Monitoring and controlling corrosion in steam generation

Oct-2010

At-temperature oxidation reduction potential (ORP) technology enables 
real-time measurement and control of corrosion potential in steam generat ...

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.

Preventing ingress of HCN into 
amine systems

Jul-2013

Simulation studies provide guidelines on how to avoid contamination of refinery amine systems by hydrogen cyanide

Microbiological causes of corrosion

Jul-2014

Many of the most serious problems with corrosion of refinery equipment have a microbiological basis

Anti-fouling additives to improve heavy oil processing

Apr-2023

A continuous pilot testing evaluation shows how magnesium sulphonated-based nano-additive is highly effective in mitigating and reducing upgrader/refinery ...

Sulphidation corrosion in a claus waste heat boiler

Aug-2021

Simulation enabled a refiner to avoid potentially dangerous operating conditions in a sulphur recovery unit.

Controlling corrosion in amine treatment units

Apr-2011

A range of measures can be taken to minimise corrosion in amine units. The amine unit plays a vital role in the petroleum refining, gas processing, coal ...

Stripping sour water: the effect of heat stable salts

Oct-2012

Mass transfer rate-based simulation models sour water stripping and assesses the distribution of ammonia in conventional amine treating systems

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 ...

Avoiding unplanned reactor shutdowns

Feb-2019

In hydroprocessing operations, prevention is better than just dealing with the effects of corrosion and fouling problems.

Choose the right hose: a practical guide to hose selection

Mar-2013

The right hose keeps your process performing safely and cost effectively. The wrong hose could undermine your process, put personnel at risk and compromise ...

Foaming in fractionation columns

Oct-2015

By understanding the foaming process and its root causes, steps can be taken to eliminate or minimise the formation of foaming.

Mitigating corrosion from naphthenic acid streams

Jan-2003

The authors describe how crude and side-cut analysis, laboratory and field data lead to strategies for managing high severity operating conditions needed ...

Control of foaming in amine systems

Sep-2007

Amine solutions foam. Solution foaming causes plant upsets. It is the disengagement or break time that differentiates normal, desirable froth from undesirable ...

Reactor effluent air cooler safety 
through design

Oct-2013

Quality-controlled replacement of carbon steel with Duplex 2205 for revamps can increase the service life and reliability of the REAC in the high-pressure ...

Tube alloy degradation in a steam cracking furnace

Apr-2015

Understanding catalytic coke growth mechanisms to better predict and optimise furnace service times with tube alloy degradation

Dealing with column fouling

Feb-2016

An understanding of process basics and fouling mechanisms enables increased run length in problem columns.

Monitoring and simulation resolves overhead corrosion

Mar-2016

Online corrosion monitoring in tandem with simulation modelling identified the root cause of corrosion in a crude unit overhead

Opening the crude flexibility window: enhancing crude unit capabilities

Mar-2018

Innovative online analysers help refiners to mitigate crude unit threats in real time and provide new insights into existing problems.

Operational challenges in sour 
water stripping

Jul-2019

How to keep a sour water stripper at optimum performance between shutdowns.

Automated level measurement cuts desalter upsets (TIA)

Aug-2020

The path from crude oil to high quality, usable products involves complex technical production and processing procedures in refineries, whereby several ...

PackView™ liquid retention scale is a quantitative analysis of packing maldistribution

Sep-2020

PackView™ can be used to compare operational parameters with engineering design

Our cheaper crude intake has relatively high chloride levels at the cost of increased preheat exchanger fouling. What measures can we take to minimise the problem? (PTQ Q&A)

Oct-2020

Responses to a question in the Q3 2020 issue of PTQ

Mitigating corrosion with a digital twin

Nov-2020

Data-driven engineering helps engineers to identify ways to improve predictions of corrosion. Processing plants depend on assorted metallic equipment and ...

Processing lower cost crudes with greater confidence and improved reliability

Dec-2020

For more than 100 years, it has been understood in the petroleum refining industry that certain crude oils or, more accurately, crude oil fractions contain ...

Our desalting rate drops away quickly when we use heavier feeds. What is the problem here?

Feb-2021

Responses to a question in the Q1 2021 issues Q&A Feature

Retrofitting the thermal stage of a SRU unit (TiA)

Nov-2021

The original burner at a site was a multi-flame burner with low pressure drop on the Claus gas side.

Modelling and optimising bitumen hydrocracking

Nov-2021

A rigorous hydrocracking model for the quoted catalysts is used for predicting hydrogen consumption and product yields to maximise operating revenues.

Olefin purification: Why selecting the right adsorbent matters

Nov-2023

(White Paper) - Removing difficult-to-detect contaminants helps minimise adsorbent reactivity while avoiding side reactions and excessive heat release.