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  • A single integrated vacuum system

    Failure to design the vacuum unit as an integrated system will invariably result in unsatisfactory yield and poor product quality (high vanadium, nickel, microcarbon, or asphaltenes), and ultimately, an unscheduled shutdown. To avoid these revamp problems the charge pump, fired heater, transfer line, column internals and ejector system must all be evaluated and designed as a unified whole so that critical variables – heater outlet temperature, coil steam injection rate, ...

  • A time for grass roots thinking ?

    Within the past year or two spiking crude prices and surging refinery margins have led to overheated talk about increasing refinery capacity worldwide. Plans for construction of as many 60 grass roots refineries have been discussed. But stretched out lead times for major equipment and inflated prices, as well as declining margins and a final realization that there is not enough crude to meet demand, have brought sober thinking to the table. Recent societal changes in India and ...

  • About Axens

    Axens is a group providing a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates as well as all of natural gas' treatment and conversion options. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. Axens is ideally positioned to cover the entire value chain, from feasibility study to unit start-up and follow-up throughout ...

  • All about excellence in the energy and chemical industry

    KBC exists to help you achieve and sustain excellent operational performance, through the actions of our people, fused with the application of our digitalization technology and best practices, powered by the Cloud.Better decisions - faster, Flawless execution - every time and  Superior results - sustained. Deliver value: Performance assurance Organizations that perform at their best are able to adjust to changing dynamics without compromising competitiveness. KBC ...

  • Avoid fired heater coking

    For many refiners, heater coking in Crude and Vacuum Distillation Units (CDU/VDUs) is a common occurrence. Many units around the world are shut down every two years, every year, or even every six months to deal with chronic heater coking. However, with the right design features driven by a solid understanding of heater coking mechanisms, fired heater run length can be extended beyond five years, even with relatively challenging crudes. The two primary drivers of heater tube ...

  • Axens overview

    Axens is a group providing a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates as well as all of natural gas' treatment and conversion options. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. Axens is ideally positioned to cover the entire value chain, from feasibility study to unit start-up and follow-up ...

  • Condensate is crude

    Ultra-light crudes and condensates are here to stay. These streams have flooded the market in recent years, and many of them are deeply discounted against reference crudes. Refiners have been processing increasing percentages of this light material through their Crude Distillation Units (CDUs) up against unit naphtha handling limits. On the surface, processing condensate and other ultra-light crudes with high API gravity and low sulfur should be easy. In reality, many refiners ...

  • Designing deepcut vacuum units that really work

    Every barrel of vacuum gas oil (VGO) you can save from being reduced to coke in the delayed coker unit is a barrel more that can go to the FCCU. That’s a good reason to raise HVGO cutpoint. But how to do it? Some people think the job can be done just by running computer models in the engineering office, relying on vendors and their data sheets for a clue to true equipment performance. Experience, however, shows it just ain't so. For either a grass roots project or a revamp, ...

  • Equipment design matters

    Many attractive projects fail to meet expectations at startup. Disappointing performance often results from bad simulation practices and/or poor equipment design rather than faulty execution. Refineries are currently considering FCC revamps to increase olefins for more alky unit feed, maximize LCO product recovery, and minimize slurry product by producing HCO for hydrocracker feed. These changes raise fractionator operating temperature. Higher temperatures require better process ...

  • Interface measurement in desalters

    Interface measurements in desalters are often regarded as not being very critical, even though every drop of oil, to be refined, passes through the desalter. As refineries try to maximize their margins, so-called opportunity crudes are often used. These crude oils generally contain increased levels of sulphur, oil sands, bitumen, heavy oils and oils with high TAN. This can lead to problems with the proper operation of the desalter. In addition, refineries are increasingly confronted ...

  • Is pinch enough?

    Back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s when fuel gas prices were high, energy utilization assumed major importance. A new method of calculating heat exchanger networks was developed. It was called Pinch Technology. Today pinch has been rediscovered by engineers who have access to fast computer simulation models. But as occurs with any older method that is rediscovered by a newer generation, enthusiasm generated by the rediscovery tends to obscure the deficiencies ...

  • ITW Online Cleaning

    Will revolutionize turnaround operations and operational excellence by optimizing: productivity, operability, safety health and environment, reliability, product quality, energy efficiency, CO2 SOX NOX VOC emissions, maintenance and repair and operational requirements. An entire Unit can be ITW Online Cleaned in as low as 24 hours on an oil-to-oil basis, including all the equipment and not only the relevant one, without the need of opening it. ITW Online Cleaning a Unit in ...

  • Maximize reliability in grassroots crude units

    Crude unit operators are far too familiar with a long list of crude unit reliability problems including fouling in heat exchangers and fired heaters, poor desalting, corrosion of piping and equipment, and coking in the vacuum column wash zone. Many millions of dollars have been spent fighting these problems, yet they continue to force unplanned shutdowns with depressing regularity. Revamps must address reliability issues, but project scope is hindered by the limitations of existing ...

  • A new perspective on improving process and operational efficiencies

    Presented with ageing equipment and ever-increasing environmental restrictions, process engineers are challenged with maximizing efficiency and mitigating problems. Without the necessary information, facing this challenge can be difficult or impossible. Tracerco provides you with the insights you need to help troubleshoot production problems and optimise processes. With the widest range of scanning and tracer diagnostic services on the market, Tracerco helps the refining and ...

  • CDU desalter processing with interface control

    In this webinar, you will find out how Tracerco’s advanced multi-phase nucleonic instrumentation can analyse desalter performance and improve crude blending capacity. Discover opportunities to: - Improve environmental impact, compliance and energy usage - Reduce unplanned trips and downtime - Optimise chemical dosing (demulsifiers/neutralisers) - Reduce overhead corrosion, as well as catalyst deactivation in FCC - Improve process control enabling data driven insights With ...

  • Simplify crude assay importing in UniSim design by utilizing H/CAMS

    Haverly H/CAMS is the industry leading assay crude management software with over 2000 assays. Honeywell's UniSim Design software links to Haverly H/CAMS via a COM interface and allows you to import proprietary assays with just a few clicks. This functionality increases engineering effectiveness, eliminates the need for manual data entry, and makes it easier to model crude storage facilities and refining processes. Presenters: Jagdish Rachh - Honeywell David Alexander - Haverly Moderator: Ken ...