Hydrocarbon Processing - August 2021 - 7

Editorial
Comment
LEE NICHOLS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Lee.Nichols@HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Advancing ideas and best practices
by learning from others
For 99 yr, Hydrocarbon Processing has
provided hydrocarbon processing industry
(HPI) professionals around the world
with the latest technologies, best practices,
know-how and case studies. The primary
goal of this material is to keep our
global audience up-to-date on the latest
solutions to help optimize the plant environment
for safer, more efficient and
more profitable operations.
Due to the nature of refining and petrochemical
plant operations, it is imperative
that these new technologies and practices
are explained by those engrained
within the industry. Whether these come
in the form of a technical article or column,
whitepaper, webcast or social media
post, ideas and know-how must be distributed
throughout these industries to
ensure frontline engineers, technologists/
licensors, engineering/construction and
plant personnel are effectively informed
on critical issues that can affect plant operations.
These values are the basis of this
publication and the ideals of this industry-learning
from others.
A virtual path. With many challenges
affecting the global refining and petrochemical
industries, a venue to discuss
solutions
and advance ideas
is paramount.
For this reason, Hydrocarbon Processing
launched two virtual events under
the name International Refining and Petrochemical
Conference (IRPC). These
events bring together more than 1,500
people in nearly 70 countries to discuss
the latest technologies, case studies and
best practices to improve facility operations,
processing units, workflows, safety
and supply chains.
IRPC Operations. Modeled after a successful
IRPC Process Technology event,
IRPC Operations will be held virtually
September 21-22. This global, virtual
event will feature three tracks that focus
on optimizing refining and petrochemical
plant operations. Nearly 70% of the
event's presentations will be led by owner-operator
organizations from nearly 20
countries around the world.
The event's keynote presentations will
provide viewers the latest technologies and
project information on key themes affecting
the HPI, such as carbon capture, the increasing
production of petrochemicals and
using available tools (e.g., digital technologies)
to increase reliability and operational
excellence. These keynotes include:
* Decarbonizing Shell Pernis:
Porthos CCS and other projects:
Andy Goose, President, Shell
Catalysts and Technologies
* A critical analysis on CO2
capture technologies: Ajay Jha,
Senior Scientist, Refining R&D,
Reliance Industries Ltd.
* Wading through the perfect
storm-Delivering performance
excellence in a digital era:
Walter Pesenti, Global
Operational Excellence Manager,
INEOS Aromatics
* The future of petrochemicals:
An outlook: Dr. Thomas Kevin
Smith, Chief Economist and
Managing Director, American
Chemistry Council.
The keynote presentations will be followed
by tracks on the following topics:
alternative fuels, biofuels and clean fuels;
catalysts; digital transformation; engineering
and construction; environment and
safety; maintenance and reliability; process
controls, instrumentation and automation;
process optimization; refining-petrochemical
integration; valves, pumps and turbomachinery;
and water management.
IRPC Operations is a free, online
event; however, you must register to
attend. To register, access the agenda or
view sponsorship opportunities, visit
www.IRPC-Operations.com.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
8 HP Construction.
This month's Business Trends
details major capital project construction
contract awards around the world.
14 Special Focus.
Any disruption in a plant's
fluid flow system can severely impact
operations. This month's Special Focus
section details several technologies
and services to ensure proper fluid
flow systems.
39 Process Optimization.
Kuwait National Petroleum Co.'s
Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery conducted
several feasibility and pilot studies to
determine strategies for bunker fuel
oil production. This article provides a
comprehensive analysis of very-lowsulfur
fuel oil (VLSFO) quality constraints
and the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery's
experience in VLSFO production.
53 Refining-Petrochemical
Integration.
As petrochemicals demand is forecast
to increase to 2050, refiners are
incorporating petrochemical production
units into existing refining assets and/
or building grassroots integrated
processes. Part 1, published in the July
issue, reviewed several possible refinery/
petrochemical complex configurations
around a residual fluid catalytic cracking
unit. Part 2 evaluates the impact of
a CO2
tax and crude source/pricing on
the internal rate of return.
65 Maintenance
and Reliability.
This article discusses the development
of a customized program to monitor
creep in vessels and piping at the
Raffineria di Milazzo in Milazzo, Italy.
Hydrocarbon Processing | AUGUST 2021 7
http://www.IRPC-Operations.com
Hydrocarbon Processing - August 2021

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