The May issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering includes a lead feature on the topic of maintenance and reliability. Other topics include filtration systems, gas analysers, pumps and refactories. This month’s regional report provides an update on the latest developments in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia: a downward spiral
Ng Weng Hoong, Contributing Editor, explores why Southeast Asia’s oil self-sufficiency is in decline.
The flexibility factor
Frank Capristo, Matrix Service Inc., USA, discusses how a collaborative, integrated approach to maintenance can help oil, gas and chemical facilities achieve operational excellence during changing market conditions.
Entering an augmented and virtual reality
Annemarie Diepenbroek, Honeywell Process Solutions, Australia, explores how augmented and virtual reality is helping to train field specialists.
A digital age
Håvard Devold, ABB, Norway, considers how digitalisation and big data can help to reduce maintenance costs.
Direct data, reliable plant
Andrew Normand, KBC, UK, shares the advantage of providing information directly to decision makers in improving plant reliability.
Mind your blind spots
Gary Knight, Mark Wright and Richard Föcke, Rosen, explain how electromagnetic acoustic transducer technologies present opportunities for non-destructive examination solutions.
Predicting the future
James R. Widrig and Brian Rose, Quest Integrity, USA, outline methods of assessing and preventing creep in high temperature piping.
The best laid plans
Steve Gillott and Tony Paulin, Hexagon PPM, UK, outline the difficulties of complying with petrochemical design code requirements and explain how screening at an early stage can help overcome these issues.
Face up to the challenge
New regulatory requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency are set to bring operating and compliance challenges to refinery flares. K. Herman Holm, Spectrum Environmental Solutions LLC, USA, and Andy Shurtleff, Airgas, an Air Liquide company, explain.
Music to your ears
Lance Zier and Jerry McBride, Industrial Specialists LLC, a Brand/Safway Company, explore ways of reducing FCC refractory lining inspection, installation and repair time.
Time for a change
Michael Clements, Eaton Corp., USA, describes how optimised amine filtration helps to improve plant productivity and operator safety.
Fighting fog, salt and hydrocarbons
Rose Avedissian and Joshua Kohn, Camfil Power Systems, Canada, report on the field test of four filters at the Watson Cogeneration Plant, located within the Los Angeles refinery complex.
Pick a pump
Paul Davis, Wanner International Ltd, UK, explains why pump selection should not be an automatic process.
A smorgasbord of measurements
Dr Peter Geiser and Dr Viacheslav Avetisov, NEO Monitors AS, Norway, discuss the benefits of in-situ gas concentration measurements in refineries.
Protecting quality for polyethylene
David Fahle, Servomex, UK, explains why improved sensing technologies can help to protect polyethylene production quality.