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Maximising ethane in liquids crackers
Jan-2013
Economics for energy and feedstock supply favour ethane feed cracking, but plant constraints must be examined rigorously before maximum ethane feeds are ...
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Conversion of syngas to diesel
Apr-2008
An overview of Fischer-Tropsch technologies for the production of diesel from syngas using a variety of feedstocks
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Novel processing ideas for a 
condensate refinery
Apr-2016
Synergised unit flow schemes for a condensate refinery aim for high value refined products.
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Oct-2011
Stochastic simulation provides a refinery operator with the information needed to optimise storage in the tank farm
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Paraffins isomerisation options
Apr-2005
Isomerisation technologies are available, from once-through and deisohexaniser recycle processes to recycle schemes involving molecular separation pro ...
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Optimisation of energy consumption
Apr-2015
The true values of fuel, power and steam costs are needed for reliable estimation of energy saving projects
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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 ... -
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 ...
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Optimisation of a diesel 
hydrotreating unit
Jan-2015
A model based on operating data is used to meet sulphur product specifications at lower DHT reactor temperatures with longer catalyst life
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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 ...
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Optimised hydrogen production by 
steam reforming: part 2
Jul-2013
Emerging technologies for hydrogen production from steam reforming 
are modelled
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Jan-2006
How much CO2 can a refinery release into the atmosphere? This is one of the many challenges facing refineries when it comes to reducing CO2 emmisions
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Simulation of bitumen upgrading processes
Apr-2013
Two bitumen upgrading processes currently used in the Canadian oil sands industry were investigated using modelling and simulation techniques
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Apr-2011
Microchannel reactor technology is on trial for the small-scale production of liquids from stranded gas
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Troubleshooting a C3 splitter tower Part 1: evaluation
Oct-2014
Distillation trays are prone to channelling and multi-pass maldistribution in large diameter towers. Multichordal gamma scanning is key for solving such ...
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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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Improving heat transfer in reboilers and condensers
Mar-2016
Guidelines and experience on how to deal with a loss of condensing or reboiling capacity
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Nov-2017
A line-up featuring ebullated bed hydrocracking delivers full conversion of bitumen, including production of premium diesel fuel
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Hydrocracker revamp for Grangemouth refinery
Jul-1998
BP Oil’s Grangemouth refinery has completed an extensive revamp of its hydrocracker and FCC, reducing production of fuel oil and upgrading to middle ...
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Thermodynamic model of sediment deposition in the LC-Fining process
Apr-2008
The LC-Fining ebullated bed hydrocracking process is used to hydrocrack residuum. In this process, sediment deposition in the downstream equipment sometimes ...
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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 ...
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Heat recovery from corrosive flue gas
Apr-2015
For improvements to energy efficiency in the petrochemical industry, waste heat recovery from corrosive flue gas is the most cost effective source to ...
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SMR integration with increased CO2 production
Feb-2020
Optimising the efficiency of a plant producing hydrogen by natural gas reforming reduces CO2 emissions and lowers fossil fuel consumption.
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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 ...
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Tube and pipe fitting considerations for reliable, leak-tight process lines
Mar-2008
Unreliable process lines create excessive costs for industry in the form of higher operating expenditures, increased downtime and potentially negative ...
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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.
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Developments in hydrotreating catalyst
Sep-2016
How a second generation hydrotreating catalyst was developed for high pressure ultra-low sulphur diesel units and hydrocracker pretreaters.
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Processing shale oil in an FCC unit: 
catalyst and profit optimisation
Aug-2015
Adjustments in base catalyst, use of ZSM-5 additives and metal traps enable efficient processing of paraffinic and heavy crude in the presence of metals ...
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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.
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Rapid and accurate analysis of sulphur and chlorine in biofuels by XRF
Nov--0001
(White Paper) -Biofuels are fuels produced from feedstocks such as vegetable oil, animal fat, used cooking oil, biomass, or a blend of these. They are ...
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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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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 ...
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Mercury removal in hydrocarbon streams
Mar-2009
The presence of mercury in refinery hydrocarbon streams results in detrimental effects, including catalyst poisoning, corriosion and safety issues
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Reliability vs recovery for delayed coking fractionators
Apr-2009
When selecting tower internals, numerous choices are available for coker main fractionator configurations, each offering benefits and trade-offs. Some ...
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New flare technology utilising low pressure steam
Sep-2009
The American Petroleum Institute defines a flare to be a “device or system used to safely dispose of relief fluids in an environmentally compliant manner ...
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Optimising steam systems: part II
Jul-2010
A second article on steam system optimisation addresses steam at point of use and good engineering practice to remove and return condensate
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Real-time downstream dashboard
Oct-2010
Real-time infrastructure enabled an organisational transformation to achieve integration in a highly complex downstream supply chain
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Cost estimating for turnarounds
Jan-2012
Cost estimates for refinery turnarounds can lack accuracy, but lessons learned 
from capital project estimating could improve matters
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Crude oil vapour pressure testing
Jan-2012
Vapour pressure testing is an important safety check in the transport, storage and blending of crude oil
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Natural gas fuels the integration of refining and petrochemicals
Jul-2012
Maximising the use of natural gas in a refinery-petrochemicals complex offers higher margins and lower carbon emissions
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Optimising sweep gas flow in a flare header
Oct-2012
How to calculate the minimum flow of flare header sweep gas needed to maintain safe conditions
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Production of biolubricant base stock
Oct-2012
Using microwave technology in biolubricants production enhances product yields and reduces reaction time
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Simulating and monitoring H2 plant operations
Oct-2012
A computer program was developed to enable a refinery to monitor its hydrogen production daily to foresee potential operating problems
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Naphtha catalytic cracking for propylene production
Mar-2013
Investment in on-purpose propylene production technology based on 
naphtha-based feedstock is taking on various process configurations
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Refinery power failures: causes, costs 
and solutions
Aug-2013
Power outages typically lead to damaging costs for refiners. Strategies are 
needed to minimise them.
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Refining/petrochemical integration: a new paradigm
Sep-2013
The global trend in motor fuel consumption favours diesel over gasoline. There is a simultaneous increase in demand for various petrochemicals such as ...
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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 ...
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Increase refinery profitability using Innovative FCC catalysts to process residue feedstock (1)
Oct-2013
Use catalyst fundamentals to select the best catalysts. Globally, around 35% of FCC units’ process predominantly vacuum gasoil (VGO) feedstock and 65% ...
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Overcoming high conductivity in process condensate
Jan-2014
Analysis of design and operations enabled a refiner to eliminate contaminants from hydrogen plant process condensate by installing a high pressure str ...
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Enhance processing with capacity control of reciprocating compressors
Apr-2014
Improvements to refinery, petrochemical and gas processing are available from the full-range stepless capacity control of reciprocating compressors
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Artificial intelligence for sustainable development
Jun-2022
AI and machine learning technologies support the modern hydrocarbon processing industry by adopting business strategies and developing artificial solu ...
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Meeting future Indian gasoline market demands
Jun-2022
The role Indian oil refiners can take in meeting gasoline demand with production of clean burning components.
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Digital twin optimises FCC operations for real separator behaviour
Jun-2022
Digital twins based on process simulation models are invaluable for overcoming limitations in the design or operations phases to optimise plant profit ...
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Rejuvenated catalysts optimise refinery margins in high severity ULSD applications
Jun-2022
Rejuvenated catalysts compare well with fresh catalysts for performance in high pressure ULSD applications with added cost savings.
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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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Sustainability rankings matter
Jun-2022
From the workers on the production floor to corporate management pursuing higher returns, the common bond in the 100+ year old refining business is cultivation ...
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The optimum installation torque (TIA)
Jun-2022
Determining the required installation torque for a tight flange system is a daily challenge for industrial valve manufacturers and plant operators alike. ...
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A circular solution to plastic waste (TIA)
Jun-2022
Sulzer Chemtech has finalised an agreement with Encina Development Group, LLC. Sulzer will provide technology to recover high purity circular aromatics ...
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Producing renewable liquid products from different lipid feedstocks (TIA)
Jun-2022
The refining landscape is shifting dramatically, and refiners are looking to adapt. This process often involves revamps or retrofits of existing asset ...
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Ceramic coating application in a refinery steam methane reformer furnace
Jun-2022
Increase an SMR’s thermal efficiency by applying a high emissivity ceramic coating on the furnace box walls.
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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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Worldwide gas industry goes full throttle
Jun-2022
As the world transitions to low-carbon energy sources like LNG, gas markets are diversifying further into hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and petrochemica ...
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Digital twins heat up the capabilities of energy storage plants
Jun-2022
How to support future energy security by enhancing energy storage with automated digital twins.
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The enduring role of natural gas
Jun-2022
Conflict, energy independence goals, and the onus on diversifying the energy industry value chain rely on natural gas to serve as a stable platform during ...
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Jun-2022
How digital solutions help energy companies achieve short and long-term sustainability.
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Part 1: structural analysis concepts for beginner mechanical engineers
May-2022
Admittedly, this blog post will be geared toward a small audience. It’s for a recent (or maybe not so recent) graduate with a Mechanical Engineering ...
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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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May-2022
Fired heaters, also called furnaces, use the heat from combustion of hydrocarbons to increase the temperature of a fluid. Direct-fired heaters are common ...
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Transition to net zero: steps to decarbonise the oil refining industry
May-2022
A review of the solutions being employed by oil refineries to reduce their Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.
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Accelerating the digital transformation
May-2022
The energy and utilities (E&U) industry constantly changes and transforms to comply with government regulations, implement new technologies, and satisfy ...
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The keys to successfully revamping a fired heater: how to maximise value
May-2022
Fired heaters are facing scrutiny because they contribute to the global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). For refineries and ...
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Maximising crude-to-olefins pathways
May-2022
Considering that high-purity olefins are necessary for maximum conversion of polymerisation reactions, selective hydrogenation is crucial for purifying ...
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Refiner’s future role in the energy industry
May-2022
With the global population swelling and industrialization on the rise in developing nations, humanity’s hunger for energy has reached unprecedented ...
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Taking hydroprocessing reactor cooling off the critical path
May-2022
Rapid cool-down of a typical hydroprocessing unit’s recycle gas compressor offgas can be used to cool spent reactor catalyst while avoiding the need ...
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Digital twins expanding across the downstream industry
May-2022
Advances in new-generation information technologies including big data, digital twins and smart manufacturing are becoming the focus of global manufacturing ...
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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 ...