Processing NH3 acid gas in a sulphur recovery unit

Apr-2010

The feasability and economics of a two-stage sour water stripper with an SRU for NH3 contents of 25% and higher are discussed

Steam reforming natural gas containing higher hydrocarbons

Apr-2013

A method is described for estimating reformed gas composition in a primary reformer when the feed is a natural gas containing higher hydrocarbons

The design temperature of flare systems

Apr-2017

A key objective when setting flare system design conditions is to maintain the integrity of the system during fire relief

Relative economics of mixed C4 processing routes

Jan-1998

Ethylene producers are seeking ways to upgrade the mixed C4 stream from ethylene plants to improve operating economics

Advanced propane dehydrogenation

Jan-2008

Oxdehydrogenation-based on-purpose propane dehydrogenation can close the propylene supply-demand gap. Reactor design and the effect of thermodynamic equilibrium ...

Optimising pumparound reflux for zero-cost energy savings

Apr-2012

By increasing pumparound ratios in principal units, refinery engineers were able to recover energy for process heating and reduce stack emissions

GC-MS: an ideal tool for forensic analysis

Mar-2011

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) presents the ideal analytical tool for forensic analysis in the petrochemical industry.

The petrochemistry of paraxylene

Feb-2015

Understanding the basics of the paraxylene manufacturing process.

Combating green oil formation in a CCR reformer

Jul-2013

The addition of a chloride adsorber guard bed solved a refiner’s issues with contamination affecting a CCR reformer’s rich gas compressor

Refinery power failures: causes, costs and solutions

Aug-2013

Power outages typically lead to damaging costs for refiners. Strategies are needed to minimise them.

Microbiological causes of corrosion

Jul-2014

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

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 ...

Assessment of crude oil blends

Oct-2011

A refiner’s assessment of the compatibility of opportunity crudes in blends aims to avoid the processing problems introduced by lower-quality feedst ...

Cost estimating for turnarounds

Jan-2012

Cost estimates for refinery turnarounds can lack accuracy, but lessons learned from capital project estimating could improve matters

Recovery of olefins from refinery offgases

Oct-1998

The Lummus process eliminates the multi-stage feed gas compressor yet maintains over 90 per cent recovery of ethylene while cutting capital cost and reducing ...

Troubleshooting a FCC unit

Mar-2012

The source of a fouling problem in a FCC CO boiler was identified by systematic analysis of fresh catalysts, additives and equilibrium catalysts

Operating vacuum distillation ejector systems

Oct-2016

Best practices and opportunities to deliver reliable ejector system performance and reduce performance risk.

Bioethers impact on the gasoline pool

Feb-2007

Benefits of producing bioethers compared to blending bioethanol are examined for the total European gasoline pool. The result of maximising ethanol use ...

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

FCC air/steam rings

Oct-2011

Ring distributors are a simple yet effective means of improving air/steam distribution within the FCC unit

Ambient conditions impact CO and NOx emissions: part II

Jul-2009

Effects of air temperature and humidity on burner NOx emissions are discussed, including considerations for factoring in these effects

Simulation of a visbreaking unit

Apr-2011

Simulation of a commercial visbreaking unit supports optimisation of the unit’s performance. The visbreaking unit utilises vacuum residue as a feed and ...

Installing a power recovery system on FCC or RFCC units

Jan-2010

Full examination of the design options and operating issues related to the installation of a PRS on a FCC or RFCC unit will increase energy efficiency ...

Mercury treatment options for natural gas plants

Jan-2014

Removing mercury as close as is practicable to the front end of a natural gas processing system is the best choice

Delayed coking and LC-Fining technology - a winning combination

Apr-2008

The high price of oil and increasing global demand for refined products have resulted in unprecedented refining margins, especially for those refiners ...

Pricing licences for gas processing units

Mar-2021

How technologies can be selected on the best licensing terms.

What is sintering in relation to catalyst deactivation and how can it be avoided? (PTQ Q&A)

Oct-2020

Response to a question in the Q3 2020 issue of PTQ

Pre-reformer catalyst in a hydrogen plant

Apr-2020

Good operation following recommended practice with technical support highlight the successful performance of a pre-reformer catalyst.

Managing petcoke slurry

Jun-2017

There is a good economic case for petcoke slurry as a refinery fuel, but first you need to deal with the rheology

How refiners can capitalise on the petrochemical industry

Aug-2020

As the demand for refined products is falling and demand for petrochemical products is increasing, it is vital that refiners consider petrochemical integration, ...

Improving turnarounds and operations with online cleaning

Sep-2020

Case histories illustrate the financial and operational gains achieved by replacing mechanical cleaning with online, closed-loop operations. The conventional ...

Modelling ensures a successful revamp

Nov-2020

Pre-turnaround computational modelling built confidence in the benefits of introducing design changes to a FCC regenerator revamp.

FCC catalyst boosts bottoms upgrade

Nov-2020

A combination of novel matrix technologies in a new FCC catalyst increased bottoms upgrading of residual feeds and improved profitability.

More from the barrel

Apr-2021

An alumina-supported catalyst for ULSD production or hydrocracking pretreat provides longer catalyst cycles, higher throughput, and better product qua ...

Energy network monitoring and optimisation

Jun-2021

A software program for optimisation of an energy network supports decisions on equipment use in refineries that produce and import power.

Increase reliability and profitability in delayed coking units

Sep-2021

Global refiners are always seeking new techniques to optimise their refinery assets with the purpose of maximising their profitability.

Carbon capture with least opex and capex

Jan-2022

Recommendations on how to optimise the mass and heat balance of the process and equipment designs of a typical post-combustion CO2 capture unit.

From bench scale to commercial unit

Apr-2022

A road map for designing and commercialising novel processes

An introduction to fouling in fired heaters: part 1

Apr-2022

Fouling is the accumulation and formation of unwanted materials on the surfaces of processing equipment.

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.

Production optimisation for refining and olefins: how best to achieve it

Aug-2022

To suceed, companies must decisively implement production optimisation strategies using the latest AI-driven technologies, like digital twins and prescriptive ...

Tools for FCC unit troubleshooting

Nov-2022

Strategies, resources, and technology can help to rapidly identify potential operational problems in FCC units targeted for upgrading and optimisation ...

Refinery protection with gas detection

Apr-2020

Based on several recent M&A transaction valuations it is fair to say that the price tag of a medium-sized, medium-complexity refinery in Europe is in the ...

A novel approach to cleaning furnace coils

Jul-2013

A modified pigging operation aims to greatly reduce the time required for coke removal from furnace coils

Achieving 95% direct CO2 reduction for hydrogen plants

Jun-2022

Decarbonisation solutions targeting existing refinery hydrogen plants enable refiners to achieve long-term CO2 capture while minimising site space requirements ...

Coker naphtha hydrotreating

Jan-2008

Highly exothermic olefins saturation and silica contamination can occur when hydrotreating coker naphtha.

Importance of testing for vacuum ejectors in refinery service

Jun-2022

Efforts should be made to identify and avoid errors in the specification, engineering, and manufacturing of vacuum system equipment before they manifest ...

Role of FCC process and catalysts in the energy transition

Aug-2022

In the evolving circular economy, proper leveraging of FCC technology and operations can deliver value for refiners in the decades going forward.

On-demand propylene from naphtha

Jun-2017

A new catalytic process targets economic production of propylene from naphtha at relatively low capital and operating costs

Reducing NOx emissions from an FCC unit (TIA)

Aug-2018

Refinery processes account for a considerable share of the overall emissions of air pollutants in Europe. The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) is the ...

A comparative analysis of vacuum PMT and SiPM

Apr-2025

(White Paper) - Radiometric measurements have become indispensable tools across various industrial applications, serving critical roles as level, density, ...

The strategic value of an industrial data and AI platform

Apr-2025

(White Paper) - For organisations looking to stay competitive, the choice is clear: data must be treated as a critical, strategic asset.

Despite ...

Can pyrolysis oil unlock greater plastic circularity?

Apr-2025

(White Paper) - Combining pyrolysis and vapour-phase catalytic upgrading offers lower temperature and energy requirements, higher yields, and optimised ...

Control points during the lifecycle of precious metal catalysts

Mar-2025

(White Paper) - Key contractual factors can greatly influence metal value returns for precious metals spent catalysts.

More and more petroleum ...