The March issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering includes features on safety & security, catalysts, heating technology, blending, opportunity crudes and corrosion protection. This month’s regional report focuses on the changes in US oil trade brought on by the shale boom and the relaxing of crude export restrictions.
The US: changing oil trade
Dr Nancy Yamaguchi, Contributing Editor, discusses the massive changes in US oil trade brought on by the shale boom and the relaxing of crude export restrictions.
A strong defence
Gert Lessing, Hallwood Modular Buildings, USA, outlines practical security measures for high-risk facilities.
Blast protection
Natasa Kobal, RedGuard Specialist Services, UAE, considers the options available to protect people and equipment in the event of an explosion.
Going beyond training
Tibor Szabó, MOL Group, Hungary, explains how operator training simulation is helping to optimise energy and process efficiency at the Danube Refinery.
Weighing up the options
Ilan Toledano, Wattco, USA, explores the differences between circulation heaters and heat exchangers.
Unblocking the bottleneck
Peter Ellerby, CALGAVIN Ltd, UK, examines the challenges of vaporiser design and explains how to remove a common bottleneck.
The cost of corrosion
David Astles, Ionix Advanced Technologies Ltd, UK, evaluates the practical challenges of high temperature permanent corrosion monitoring in the refinery environment.
Unlocking profit potential
A comprehensive monitoring and mitigation programme minimises the overhead corrosion risks that newer crudes can bring. Febronio Panarello, Stefano Corti and Giuseppe Satta, Sarlux, along with Marco Respini and Andrea Bighi, Baker Hughes, a GE company, Italy, explain how.
A costly mystery
From underground tanks to big rig engines, Jack Burgazli and Rick Chapman, Innospec Fuel Specialties, USA, explore the known and unknowns of ultra-low sulfur diesel corrosion.
Facing the threat
Ingo Königs, Christophe Foret, Wolfgang Hater and Jürgen Matheis, Kurita Europe, introduce a corrosion inhibition programme based on the application of film forming amines.
Cause and effect
Fabrice Cuoq, Jérôme Vachon and Anthoni W. van Zijl, SABIC Technology & Innovation, the Netherlands, along with Theodore Arnst, Nalco Champion, an Ecolab Company, USA, investigate the relationship between fouling and phase integrity in dilution systems.
Conquer the challenges
Steven Zink, Honeywell UOP, USA, explains how petroleum refineries can meet today’s challenges with improved performance catalysts.
Combatting wax content
Rainer Rakoczy, Clariant, Germany, outlines the process of catalytic dewaxing for improving the cold flow properties of diesel.
Active and stable
George Anderson, Brian Muegge and Luca Moraca, Albemarle, USA, explain how high-activity, high-stability catalysts can help refiners meet Tier 3 challenges.
Cracking the shale problem
Bart de Graaf, Ray Fletcher, Herman van den Bold and Niels van Buuren, InovaCat B.V., the Netherlands, introduce a catalytic process to help refiners convert paraffinic naphthas.
Building blocks of robust hydroprocessing operations
Patrick Gripka and Amit Kelkar, Criterion Catalysts & Technologies, USA, explore ways of mitigating threats to catalyst systems to ensure maximum profitability.
A dry run
Benoit Padoan, Quadrimex Chemical, France, discusses technologies for liquid hydrocarbon drying.
Benchmarking fuel blending systems (part one)
Dr Suresh S. Agrawal and Meena S. Agrawal, Offsite Management Systems LLC, USA, outline how to benchmark the state of a refinery’s fuel blending system.
Intelligent blending
Gregory Shahnovsky, Ariel Kigel and Ronny McMurray, Modcon Systems, UK, outline an artificial intelligence based technology for blending automotive fuels.
A suitable substitute
Mark Whittle, Quadrise Fuels International plc, UK, discusses blending technology for the production of oil-in-water emulsion synthetic fuel oil, which can be used as a substitute for conventional HFO.
Grab the opportunity
As opportunity crudes are on the up, Duncan Baillie, LUX Assure, UK, explains how refiners can make the most of the benefits that they offer.
A strategic solution
As the industry prepares for the impending IMO sulfur regulations, Robert Giglio, Sumitomo SHI FW, USA, explains how refiners can find opportunity in a disrupted heavy sulfur fuel oil market.