ROCARBON

NGINEERING

May 2014

http://hiq.li nde -gas.com

-,....

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~

contents
(03) Comment
(05) WorLd News

(57) Formulation flexibility

Contract awards. project updates. industry latest, news digest,

diary dates. mergers and acquisitions

Charles Radcliffe. Tom Ventham and Ray Fletcher, Johnson

Matthey Process Technologies Inc., Europe, discuss
continuous catalyst replacement as a means to increased
profitability

(12) Hydrocarbons in Sub-Saharan Africa

(63) Accelerated catalyst evaluation

Elizabeth Stephens, Jardine Lloyd Thompson, UK, discusses risk

Florian Huber. Sven K. Weber. Jochen Berg. Tilman Sauer and

Alfred Haas, hte GmbH, Germany. and Karl Hutter, Anton
Purgstaller, OMV Refining & Marketing GmbH, Austria. discuss
how hydroprocessing full size commercial catalyst evaluation
can be accelerated for improved efficiency

and the protection of investments in Sub-Saharan Africa

(20) I<eep up the pace

Mark Schott and NeH Eckersley, UOP LLC. A Honeywelt

Company, explain why rapid project deployment is needed

to ensu re the oil and gas industry keeps up with shale

(69) It's electric

Roly Juliano, Watlow, Germany, di scusses the use of electric
heaters in refineries and petrochemical plants

production levels

(25) (EMS compliance

Eric WHey and Hung-Ming Sung. Trinity Consultants, USA. and
Arun Kanchan, Trinity Consultants, Qatar, discuss best practice
in emissions monitoring

(30) Driving refining change: Part two

Stephen Harrison, linde, USA, takes a look at how automotive
emissions legislation and the drive for energy sustainability
are impacting the refining industry

(37) Slime control

Taeko Nakamura, Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Japan, and Bjorn
Hansen, Kurita Europe GmbH. Germany. discuss slime control
as a biofouling preventative measure

(74) Upwards spiral

Stefan Gavelin and Volker Beermann, Tranter GmbH, discuss
how spiral heat exchangers can help to maximise throughput
of profitable products, and minimise operating expenditures

(81) Beyond basic efficiency

Bart van den Berg. HeatMatrix Group. The Netherlands,
discusses how polymer air preheaters can contribute to
improved energy efficiency

(85) Right temperature

Anton Gurman, BARTEC Rus GmbH, Russia, discusses
temperature management in crude oil terminals

(44) Middle East flaring solution

(87) Simplicity is key

Clayton A. Francis. Zeeco, USA, discusses how high pressure

air assist system flaring technology can resolve the challenges
posed by a Middle Eastern environment

Chris James, SKF Condition Monitoring, Asia Pacific, discusses

advances and challenges to wireless condition monitoring for
balance of plant equipment

(91) Maintenance review 1-

(51) A catalyst solution

Patrick Gripka, Opinder Bhan, Wes Whitecotton and James
Esteban. Criterion Catalysts and Technologies, USA, take a
look at Tier 3 capital avoidance with the help of catalyst
solutions

Hydrocarbon Engineering provides an overview of

maintenance projects undertaken around the world over the
past 12 months

(120) 15 facts on ...

This month we give you 15 facts on Sub-Saharan Africa

Join
the .
conversation.

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comment
Claira LLoyd Editor
t can't be denied that the oil and gas industry is male dominated and
casting your eye around any trade show, conference or works pace

will confirm this. Occupations w ithin our industry, and engineering

as a whole, have always been considered as male career paths,

however, is the industry losing out by not tapping into a large
portion of the talent pool and does more need to be done to draw
women to the sector? I've asked myself these questions frequently
over the last month or so as there has been an influx of comments and
reports on the oil and gas gender gap. female employment and the
general position of women in the oil and gas industry.
A recent report from NES Global Talent was initially encouraging
as it reported that 75% of women felt welcome working in the oil and
gas industry' and it also found that '82%of the respondents planned to
stay in the oil and gas industry for the next 2 - 5 years.' The IHS report
Minority and Female Employment in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical
Industries stated that 'women will share in the growth of more skilled
white collar jobs and more opportunities are likely to become available
for female petroleum engineers. managers ete. and is expected to
increase by almost 70 000 up to 2030' and this was also heartening
news. As the discussion of the skills gap continues, it is great to see that
there is enthusiasm and growth potential for women to enter and build
a career within such a male dominated sector that is in need of support
and fresh recruits.
However, there is still work to be done if the oil and gas industry
is to attract and retain women. The NES report found that almost
half of the female respoodents didn't believe that they got the same

recognition as male colleagues, also. the

lack of female mentors was flagged as
something that the industry needs to
rectify if it is to guarantee female employee
retention. career development and
confidence. The IHS report also pointed
out that there are roles within the industry
that are known as 'traditional' female jobs
and they usually fall in to the Office and Administration Support (OAS)
departments. This can deter women from exploring other careers in the
sector and clearly needs to be rectified. Averil Macdonald. Professor
of Science Engagement, University of Reading, UK. said, 'oil and gas
sector companies should focus on engaging with young women both
at school and at university, providing role models and an opportunity
to see for themselves what the sector has to offer through visits and
paid internships.'
The female portion of the oil and gas industry is eVidently strong,
but small, as discussed above and I do agree with report findings that
more needs to be done to allow the industry to benefit from the
seas of female talent that are available. The next steps to take, in my
opinion, reqUire the issue of worker equality to be addressed and a
stronger leadership and support network needs to be developed within
companies. However, the foundations to attract female students to
STEM subjects at school and university need to be laid first, so that
these talents are brought into and made available to our industry in the
first place.

contact info
WEB MANAGER Tom fullerton

MANAGING EDITOR lames Little

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EDITOR Clairil Lloyd

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callum.oreilly@hydrocarbonengineering.com

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Pak istan!

GROWING GASOLINE DEMAND

OP llC a Honeywell company, has

announced that Pakistan Refinery

limited (PRL) will use process

technology and modular equipment
from Honeywell 's UOP to help PRL meet

growing domestic demand for gasoline.

The technology will help PRL convert
naphtha, which it currently exports, to

high octane gasoline. PRL will use

Honeywelt's UOP Penex'" process

technology to produce isomerate, a high

value gasoline blending component. The
use of isomerate wi ll also help PRL's

efforts to produce environmentally

friendlier fuels that enable reduced

passenger car emissions.

Refinery process units are usually

built in the field by third party

engineering, procurements and

construction companies. UOP modular

units are built at an offsite fabrication
shop where adverse weather and wind

Metso!

rldnews

conditions do not cause delays. The

modular units are fully inspected prior
to del ivery to the customer to help
ensure quality and compliance to
specifications. Reduced onsite
installation time can potentially result in
earlier start up, further optimising
customer project economies. UOP
offers modularised eqUipment for
refining, petrochemical and gas
processing units. The offering provides
single point responsibility for
dependable project execution in a
variety of applications.
In addition to licenSing the modular
equipment, UOP will provide catalyst,
adsorbent. engineering, technical
support and a drier regeneration control
system for extended catalyst life for
PRL's Penex unit, which will process

SOOO bpd of light naphtha. The unit is

expected to start by mid 2015.

DOUBLE ANNOUNCEMENT

ontral valve specialist Severn

Glocon is using Metso's
intelligent positioners to help meet
demanding anti surge valve
requirements for a natural gas
liqUids (NGL) project. The two firms
wo rked collaboratively to overcome
technical challenges, such as ensuring
the valves opened in less than one
second following receipt of signal.
Customisat ion of Metso's Neles
ND9000~ positioners enhanced
reliability and repeatability of
performance. enabling valves to meet
rigorous in factory testing and
calib rati on requirements.
Escalating operational demands
in the NGL sector are driving more
sophisticated approaches to valve
calibration. Accessories such as smart
positioners need to be fine tuned for
optimum performance. This requires

dedicated expertise and intelligent

engineering.
The anti surge application is crUCial
for successful and safe compressor
operation. A surge can occur when
process flow momentarily reverses due
to pressure instability. This can damage
eqUipment, potentially creating a
hazardous situation and resulting in
costly plant downtime. To avoid this, a
highly engineered anti surge control
valve is installed between the discharge
of the compressor and the inlet.
Metso has also announced that its
biomass moisture analyser has received
the esteemed iF design award in one of
the world's top product design
competitions. The jury recognised the
product for its design quality, degree of
innovation, environmental impact,
functionality. safety and branding,
among others.

CONTRACTS
AWARDED
CB&I!

B&I has been awarded a contract

valued in excess of USS 100 million
by Enterprise Products Partners L.P. The
project scope will include pipe
fabrication for new propane
dehydrogenation unit in Mont Belvieu.
Texas. The company has experience of
successfully providing pipe fabr ication
projects along the Gulf Coast. and this
award builds on that experience.
C8&1 has also been awarded a
contract by Bechtel valued in excess of
USS 625 million to provide structural,
mechanical and piping construction
work for all outside battery limits
modules and associated units for the
Chevron operated Wheatstone project
in Ashburton North, Western Australia.
CB&I has a 75 year history in Australia
and has an excellent safety
performance and LNG record.
Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum
Industries Company (ORPIC) has also
awarded a contract to CB&I. The
contract is valued in excess of
USS 40 million and is for the provision
of ethylene technology and front end
engineering and design services for the
Liwa Plastics project in the Sultanate
of Oman.
CB&l's project scope includes FEED
services for a grassroots 800 000 tpy
ethylene plant, pygas unit, MTBE and
butene 1 unit, two polymer plants. a
gas plant and pipeline as well as the
related off sites and utilities. The

ethylene plant will employ CB&I's

latest, proven ethylene technology,
including highly selective SRToII
cracking heaters and its innovative
recovery section deSign, featuring low
pressure separation and mixed
refrigeration to minimise investment
costs.

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

2014

......-.

rldnews

INBRIEF
Malaysia

WORLDWIDE
The llnde Group has entered into
an enterprise frame work agreement

(EFA) with Shell Global Solutions

International B.V. to build ethane cracking
untts on a global basis. The EFA is for
10 years, with an option to be extended.
The EFA covers the licensing, engineering,

procurement and construction services,

as well as the supply of proprietary
equipment of ethane cracking un its.

BELGIUM
Marie Tecnimont.s ['l.A has announced

t hat its subsidiary KinetiCS Technology

S.p.A. has been awarded by Total
Olefins Antwerpen two contracts for
the implementation of the refinery off
gas (ROG) project at Total 's Antwerp
refinery. The overall value of the
two cont racts will be approx imately
190 million.

CANADA
ENN Canada has achieved an important
miles ton as the company fueled up
the lOOO,h customer at ENN's new LNG
stat ion In Ch dliwack. The fuelling stat ion
IS located on one of the busiest trucking
corndors In British Colombia., Highway 1.

GERMANY
Curtlss-Wright Corporation has
announced that Its industrial division
has opened a new office near Munich
to provide sales and technical support
and customer servles to its OEM
customers and distributors In Europe.
The move follows Curtiss-Wright's recent
acquisitions of Arens Controls, PG Drives
Technology and Wlllia ms Contorls: and
the merging of its existing Penny + Giles
busi ness into a newly formed Industrial
group.

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

I SEVEN YEAR GLOBAL AGREEMENT

E ha s Signed a new seve n year

global frame agreemen t w ith
Petronas, The agreement, which
includes an opt ion to renew for a
further three years, calls for GE to
supply gas turbine packages for
Petronas' onshore and offshore
projects in Malaysia and elsewhe re.
The signing follows the
successful completion of the firs t
frame agreement between GE and
Petronas Signed in 2009, under
which GE provided advanced turbo
compression and tu rbo generation
technol ogy for Petronils' LNG train 9
project in Bintu lu, Sa rawak. Another
major milestone was the award of
Petronas' floating LNG project,

Ch ina

for 2016.
To optimise project deadlines
and reduce costs, all terms and
conditions under the agreement have
been negotiated for the duration of
the relationship, avoiding t he need
to negotiate on a project by project
basis. The equipment supplied is also
standa rdised whenever applicable so
that specifications, techn ical
solu tions and documentation are
sha red , resulting in lower
engineering costs and quality
improvements.

I MEETING GROWING DEMAND

oneywell has announced that

PetroChina Company Limited will
expand the use of Honeywell advanced
information management and process
modelling software tools to 17
additional refining and petrochemical
sites across China, to help meet the
country's growing demand for
chemicals and transportation fuels.
PetroCh ina currently uses Honeywell's
information solutions at 13 locations.

Schneider Elect ric

Honeywell's Refining and

Petrochemical Modeling
System (RPMS) and its IntuitionExecutive advanced information
management software will give
PetroChina plant operators the ability
to monitor operations across its entire
organisation t o help provide the real
t ime information they need to better
improve the profitability and effiCiency
of thei r plants,

I CYBERSECURITY CAPABILITY

chneider Electric and McAfee are

partnering to provide cybersecuri ty
solutions for the utility and critical
infrastructure market. This
collaboration will enable Schneider
Electric customers to add tested and
centrified application white listing
capabilities in the management of core
offerings in water, oil and gas, electric
networks and transportation
infrastructures. This wi l l strengthen
cutomers' operations technology (OT)

which is targeted to be the world's

first offshore LNG plant. Designed
to produce 1 mi1tion tpy of LNG, the
sta rtup of the facility is scheduled

security and lower ownership costs

without significantly impacting the
performance of critical solutions. The
supported portfolio of products
includes leading SCADA and energy
management solutions.
The partnership will allow Schneider
Electric customers to combine dynamic
whitelisting capabilities and change
control technology to ensure that only
trusted applications run on critical
infrastructure systems.

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~--.

INBRIEF

UJ(
Lontra has secured the first global license
for Its Blade Compressor- technology.
The deal signed with Sulzer. will see
aeration equipment incorporating the
British technology sold across

150 countries. The Blade Compressor's

novel design means the compact double
acting rotary compressor is simple to
manufacture.

GERMANY
Clanant and Ashland Inc, have announced
that they ha ve entered into a definitive
agreement to sell their joint venture, ASK
Chemicals head quartered In Hilden. The
venture is bemg sold to Investment funds
affiliated with Rhone, a pnvate equity
Investment firm.

EL SALVADOR
Intertek has acquired a petroleum
testing laboratory in El Salvador. The lab
acquisition provides a testing solution
to local and regional businesses In
and around El Salvador. tntertek has
purchased the laboratory, wh ich is
strategICally located inside the AcaJutla
RASA term inal.

SCOTLAND
Petrofac Training Services ha s celebrated
the offi cial reopen ing of its Montrose fire
and emergency response training facil ity
m Scotland follow ing a 1.5 million
upgrade. Tramees will benefit from the
most real istic and credible fire tra ining
at one of the world's most advanced
oi l and gas training centres. The 16
acre site includes nine state of the art
training modules, three hell decks and
vast practical fire grounds to ensure
trainees are prepared for a wide range of
emergency response scenarios.

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

rldnews

Nigeria I EXPANDING

THE PRESENCE

entair Valves & Control has

announced its continued expansion

into emerging markets with the

completion of a new distribution
agreement with Plant Engineering
Nigeria (PEN). This new partnership will
provide customers with local service
for Pentair's safety relief valve
technology in the Nigerian oil and gas

market.
Nigeria was identified by Penta ir for
its rapid growth potential and this
partnership brings together Pentair's

Lewa GmbH

I INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

ewa GmbH has been awarded a five

year globa l framework agreement by
BP to supply Chemical Injection
Packages for BP's Global Projects
Organisation. This agreement
establishes BP's global project teams
(including the EPMS/EPC contractors)

Taiwan

global installed base with PEN 's

expertise in the oil and gas industry
through its facilities in Port Harcourt,
Lagos and its Houston office, US.
PEN will begin servicing Pentair's
safety relief valve installed base in the
co ming months. The two are also
working together on a specification
sales initiative in the region to identify
and take advantage of the additional
opportunities in the local market,
supported by Penta ir's experienced
product speC ialists.

to access Lewa international resources

to supply chemical injection packages.
lewa have demonstrated technica l
and commercial capabilities that
increase product quality, reliability and
drive standardisation within the process
packaged equipment category.

I WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

eolia, through its specialised oil and

gas solutions and technologies unit,
has been awarded a contract with
Formosa Petrochemical
Corporation (FPCC). The contract, worth
over 15 million, is yet another
demonstration of Veolia's leading edge in
technologies for water recycllng in the oil
and gas industry.
As per FPCe request to e xpand the
production capacity of its Mai Liao
petrochemical complex, south west coast
of Taiwan, and also, further reducing its
surface water consumption, Veolia will
proceed to an upgrade of
the water treatment plant of the complex.
This solution and the technologies
implemented by Veolia on this site will
provide for an important decrease in raw
water consumption of the plant
(from 60 000 rn' / d down to 25 000 rn' / d,

of which 5000 m 3/d of water reused),

yet higher treatment of effluents and
protection of the environment in this
region, in particular of a rare and unique
species of pink dolphins.
In the framework of this contract,
the result of a cooperation between
the companies to layout the most
appropriate technology, Veolia wil l
design the water treatment plant
upgrade, supply the technology and
equipment and guarantee performance
on the upgraded plant. Solutions used
at FPCC Mai Uoa site include in house
technologies such as AnoxKaldnes
MBBR (mOVing bed bio reactor), which
maximise water reuse.
The complex is the largest in
Taiwan with a refin ing capaCity of
540000 bpd and ethylene capacity of

2.9 mill ion tpy.

www.fmctechnologies.com

-FMCTechnologies
We put you first.
And keep you ahead.

r.

w--- rldnews
......

I DIARYDATES
UK I 2030
14 - 16 May
HACE European Corrosion Conference
San Lorenzo de E! Escorial
Tel: +1 281 2286223
Email: ilona.naceJormacion@gmail.com

18-21May
Middle East Petrotech 2014
Bahrain International Exhibition &
Convention Centre

Tel: +44 (0)20 7840 2137

Email: about@oesallword.com

20 - 23 May
AFPM ReliabiUty & Maintenance
Convention Centre
San Antonio. Texas. USA
Tel: ---1 202 457 0480
Email: info@afpm.org

2 - 4June
ILTA 34t l> Annual International Conference
& Trade Show

Hilton Americas
Houston, Texas, USA
Tel: +1 703 875 2011
Email: info@ilta.org

18 - 20 June
China International Sulphur & Sulphuric
Acid 2014
The Longemont Hotel

EMISSIONS TARGETS

ommenting on talks at the

European Council meeting in
Brussels, Nicola Walker, CBI Director
for Business Environment said, 'progress

will help to deliver a more robust

carbon price at EU level and drive vital
investment.
'Industrial competitiveness is at the

towards setting an ambitious but

heart of the 2030 package but EU

credible emissions reduction target of

40% for 2030 is crucial for British
businesses at the European CounciL
Alongside long term reform of the
Emissions Trading System, this target

support for energy intensive industries

must be improved to ensure low
carbon ambition translates into real
market opportunites for all sectors of
the economy.'

API I METHANE

EMISSIONS

ndustry is substantially reducing

methane emissions from oil and
natural gas production through its own
leadership and investments, and new
regulations would place unnecessary
burdens on the development of
America's natural gas, API Director of
Regulatory and Scientific Affairs,
Howard Feldman, said in reaction to
the climate action plan released by the
White House.
'The industry has led efforts to
reduce em issions of methane by
developing new technologies and
equipment, and recent studies show
emissions are far lower than EPA
projected just a few years ago.
Additional regulations are not
necessary and could have a chilling

APGA

effect on the American energy

renaissance, our economy, and our
national security,' Feldman said.
'While we continue to make
substantial progress to reduce
emissions voluntarily and in
compliance with EPA em issions
standards, we're also focused on
creating jobs and growing our
economy. Thanks in large part to
innovations like hydraulic fracturing
and horizontal drilling, America is
leading the world in producing natural
gas and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions.
'Methane is natural gas that
operators can bring to the market.
There is a built in incentive to capture
these em issions.'

I WATERS DEFINITION

Shanghai, China
Tel: + 44 (0}20 7903 2444
Email: conferences@crugroupcom

22 - 25 September
Turbomachinery Pumps Symposia
George R. Brown Convention Centre
Houston, Texas. USA

Tel: +1979 845 7417

Email: Info@turbo-Iab.tamu.edu

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

he Environmenta l Protection

Agency (EPA) has released a

proposed rulemaking redefining the

definition of the 'waters of the US'. The
new proposed definition would greatly
expand federal as well as any state's
environmental agency with delegation
from the EPA, jurisdiction over
previously unregulated US waters. The
EPA's proposed definition of the waters
of the US is vague and the text of
definition confuses already defined

terms. This is critical because it is these

terms that determine if and what type
of reviews and permits are required
under the Clean Water Act. As
proposed, the new definition will add
more uncertainty and will only further
delay permitting processes while
increasing site specific determinations
and project costs. This proposal affects
a wide range of industries and will
definately impact any construction
activity near water features.

UK

Tel +44(0)1642 553601

Fax +44(0)1642522542

IJMC~]

Johnson Matthey
wwwjmprotech.com

Process Technologies

Kenya may prove t he exception to this negative outlook

with President Uhuru Kenyatta prioritising the development of

takes precedence. Great emphasis is being placed on local

content requirements as a means to deter terrorist incidents or

infrastruct ure to support natural resources projects and the

protests in Turkana region, an area of impoverishment and

cultivation of positive relationships with neighbouring states

home to the nation's oil wealth.

necessary to develop the economies of scale for new

pipelines and refineries. Pipeline routes to export oil from

Ghana's oi l sector will continue to be impacted by local

content pressures and significant pushback should be expected,

Turkana in northeastern Kenya are the subject of debate. The

limiting the implementation of quotas and forCing regulatory

consorti um has studied th ree different pipeline routes to t he

mandates to be imposed slowly over a number of years.

coast. two through Kenya and one through Tanzania's port in

Dar es Salaam. The Kenya routes, one via the existing oil

Security risks

terminal in Mombasa, the other through a yet to be developed

Lamu terminal, are favoured over Tanzania as both paths are

Terrorism

shorter and would be more convenient for exploiting Tullow's

Terrorism risk is rapidly spreading across Sub-Saharan Africa.

interests in northwestern Kenya. The economics of the two

Terrorist groups that have gained a foothold in states with weak

Kenyan routes depend in large part on political wi ll in Nairobi

sovereign authority are expanding their cross border activities,

to deal either with the congestion in Mombasa or a

while the flow of cheap weaponry from Libya is proViding

commitment to the necessary infrastructure build out in Lamu.

armaments for criminal and terrorist groups.

The Lamu development was a major component of Kenyatta's

Failed, war ravaged states prOVide a fertile breeding ground

2013 presidential election campaign.

for terrorist networks. In lawless Somalia, al-Shabaab, an Islamic

Legislative hurdles

excluding the capit al. Mogadishu, and has waged a war against

Lack of government capacity and lagging regulatory reforms

Somalia's transitional government. In 2010 the organisation

w il l undermine the development of natural gas deposits in

carried out its first transnational attack in Uganda and in 2011

organisation, controls much of the south of the country,

Tanzania and in Mozambique ahead of October's general

al-Shabaab was accused of kidnapping a number of foreign

election. The interests of competing politica l factions are less

nationals in Kenya. The kidnappings became the catalyst for a

pronounced within Mozambique's Libe ration Front (Frelimo)

Kenyan milit ary intervention in Somalia, to push al-Shabaab back

and 10Cs are aligned to swifter development than in

from the border area to protect its tourist trade. The risk of

neighbouring Tanzania, but legislation has been delayed by a

terrorist attacks will remain heightened during Kenya's military

lack of government capacity and uncertainty within Frelimo

involvement in Somalia, the activities o f Islamic fundamentalists

about President Armando GlIebU7" '~ succession. As a

present a persistent security threat to the region and will

consequence, the new petroleum code has been blocked

continue while the fa iled state of Somalia acts as a safe haven.

along with t he accompanying fiscal framework. The bill's

In Nigeria, a potent mix of communal tensions, radical

passage will remain hostage to a decision on Guebuza's

Islamism, relative economic decline and anti Americanism has

successor, which coul d delay the fifth offshore bid round until

produced a fertile breeding ground for militancy. The act ivities

after the election.

of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a

In Tanzania, the country's natural gas policy has been

loose web of armed groups in Nigeria's oi l produCing Niger Delta

released and a bid round is underway. While these are

region. have cut Nigeria's oil production by a third. These gangs

significant posit ives, draft natural gas legislation is unlikely to

have spent years kidnapping oil workers, attacking oilfields,

be passed unti! the second quarter at the earliest. Bureaucratic

bloWing up pipelines and fighting Nigeria's army.

and pol itical inertia has caused BG and Statoil to postpone

final investment decisions. Terms of the production sharing

Boko Haram, a shadowy radical Islamist movement that

advocates the imposition of Sharia law across Nigeria, has

agreement (PSA) on taxation (70 - 90%) and government profit

attacked the police, rival clerics, politicians, and public

shares is more negative than in neighbouring Mozambique

inst itutions with increasing violence since 2009. It claimed

where the stat e shares petroleum profits at a rate of 10 - 60%.

responsibility for the August 2011 bomb attack on the United

Capital gains disputes should be anticipated later in 2014 as

Nations headquarters in Abuja, killing 23 people and injuring 81

the respective governments try to enforce the new rules.

more. W hile the emergence of Boko Haram is a symptom of the

Muslim north's alienation from the Christian south, its suspected

Local content requirements

links to regional and international terrorist organisations may

Regulatory wrangling, polit ical infighting and corruption have

spark a stronger response.

thwarted product ion in Uganda's Lake Albert and serves as a

warning of the challenges of developing hydrocarbons industries

In West and Central Africa the terrorist threat comes less

from religion and politics than from the lack of sovereign

in territories that lack the requisite legal and regulatory

control. Poverty, weak inst itutions and corruption creates a

infrastructure and independent judiciaries. The government

hospitable environment for crimina l networks to launder cash

awarded China National Offshore Oil Corporation the fi rst

from illicit trade in diamonds, joining forces with corrupt local

production licence in September 2013, yet Total and Tullow, its

leaders to form lawless bazaars that are increasingly exploited by

consortium partners, remain immersed in negotiations over value

al-Qaeda affi liates to shelter their assets.

addition and the state's profit shares.

The drafting of local content laws in Kenya will encounter

Local protests and civil commotion

delays in the first ha lf o f 2014 as the Kenyatta International

A common characteristic across Sub-Saharan Africa is the

Criminal Court (ICC) trial and the inaugural Eurobond launch

potentia l for loca l populations to create debilitating

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ENGINEERING

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SMARTER
CADWorxo2014
Plant Professional

chatlengesto

Table 1. Kidnap hots pots

Nigeria

kidnappings of fore ign nationals in Lagos that abated with the

hydrocarbons

disruption of two kidnapping gangs in Lekki and Agbara. An

projects. The launch

upturn in incidents should be expect ed as 2014 progresses

Kenya

2
3

of the Mtwara-Dar
es Salaam pipeline

given the upcoming elections, the limited capacity of security

South Africa

from Mnazi Bay in

AIQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (QIM) and its affiliates

the Mtwara region

kidnap activities continue, wi th the groups claiming

and Senga Songe in

responsibility for kidnappings in Mali and Niger.

Mozambique

Sudan

forces and the financial incentives of kidnapping foreigners.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Cameroon

Oar es Salaam has

kidnap targets has expanded from members of the South Asian

Somalia

caused controversy
and protests have

community to include foreign nationals and expatriates

the Ki[wa District, to

Mozambique remains a kidnap hotspot. The profile of

working in the country.

erupted among local communities in the gas producing

region. Power has become the rallying cry of the opposition

Politica.1 risk management

strategIes

and the expectations that shortages and outages will be

resolved by the gas discoveries have been overplayed. As a

For investors in Sub-Saharan Africa's hydrocarbons sector,

consequence, violence has broken out among poor local

there is rarely such a thing as a 'good' or 'bad' country. In

communit ies who oppose the pipeline and the shipment of

reality it is more appropriate to think in terms of a good or

gas to the capital and beyond, causing millions of dollars of

bad risk. While historically, management of political risk by

damage to date.

corporations was considered an oxymoron , today we

In Turkana, protestors triggered a two week shutdown in

operations in response to a politically inspired dispute over

recognise that companies change and influence the

pol itical risk environment they operate w ithin. As such,

service contracts. The question over project influence and

there are several strategies compan ies can adopt to manage

the locus of control between the central government and

and m itigate the impact of political risk on their

local leaders is exemplified by the protests. Investment by

investments.

Nairobi in the region is minimal and in response Turkana

The first step is to understand that all risk is local and that

claims it should control the new hydrocarbons finds. Until a

an integral part of the due diligence process is to review the

resolution is reached protests and political disagreements

specific environment in the specific region of the country for

have the potential to blight the project.

The Niger Delta epitomises the d,mger!> that arise when

their specific project. A review of security on the ground,

legacy issues, reputat ional risk. socia l impact. environmental

local communities and the central government disagree over

impact and relations with the current and potentially future

the allocation of resource wealth. Although agreements

political decision makers in the host country is essential.

between MEND and the Jonathan administration have

reduced the terrorism threat, oil bunkering continues to
impact Nigeria's crude oil production.

The second step to reduce country risk is to identify the

range of stake holders and their respective interests.
Stakeholders are not l imited to those entities that finance the
project and include the host government, local government,

Cross border d is putes

community groups or t ribes, project sponsors, lenders,

Cross border disputes that will impact the development of

offtakers and NGOs.

hydrocarbons projects on the continent are plentiful.

Disputes between Tanzania and Zanzibar will continue to
block natural gas exploration in the disputed northern blocks.

participants. A major driver for resource nati onalism has been

Relations between Sudan and South Sudan remain precarious.

perceived inequality in returns when commodity prices rise.

Oil exports have resumed but the eventual referendum ofthe

One way to address this is to link government royalties to

disputed territory of Abyei could proVide the catalyst for

profitability and commodity prices. Direct government equity

new production delays. Security risks in Jonglei state, South

participation in projects can also be a risk management tool

Sudan, will hamper exploration of Total's Block B, crucial for

and may be an alternative to the royalty structure.

the rejuvenation of )uba's declining reserves and the viabi lity

The third step is to ensure equitable reward sharing

between project sponsors, the host government and other

The fourth step is to engage with non-governmental

of a new pipeline route. Further West, the dispute between

stakehol ders. Many operational NGOs are more appreciative

Ghana and Cote d'lvoire ove r a shared maritime border

of the developmental benefits of investing in the resources

cont inues and may impact the development of hydrocarbons

sector and are wil l ing to work with foreign investors. Their

resources.

local expertise may prevent the project company from

inadvertently creating new risks and, for example, in

Kidnap for ransom

developing local infrastructure can advise on balancing the

Kidnappings. particularly of foreign nationals, is a risk in many

interests of competing tribes, employing from across ethnic

African territories. The threat disproportionately affects

groups and sensitivities to such things as religious and

workers of hydrocarbon companies as these types of

historical sites.

businesses operate in the most volatile regions. Nigeria

retains the top spot as the African country most affected by

The fifth step is to consider the benefits engagement with

multinationals may bring. As a preferred sovereign creditor, the

kidnappi ng, accounting for over half of incidents on the

World Bank wields considerable influence in the event of

continent. Between March and July 2013, there was a spate of

contractual disputes and defaults w ith emerging governments.

NE
LICK

This influence is reinforced by the World Banks's role as a

key source of liquidity when a country is in turmoil.
The sixth step is to consider recourse under bilateral

and receive a share of the revenue derived from natural

resources, not an ownership right over those resources.
This means that the fundamental peril for investors in and

investment treaties (BITs) whic h have long provided a

lenders to resources projects is often the repudiation of

valuable source of risk mitigation and valuable safety net to

the operating agreement by the host government and not

counter the worst excesses of government behav iour.

The seventh step is to provide adequate protection for
personnel. In con junction with ensuring operational

the conf iscation of the mineral assets. This is crucial in an

era where government action may take different forms that
are not of the character of expropriation as has been

continuity, companies owe a basic duty of care to their

traditionally understood but do constitute a repudiation of

employees and must ensure that suitable secur ity plans are

existing operating agreements, often through a process of

implemented and regularly reviewed to minimise the risks

'creeping expropriation'.

of an incident occurring. Risk cannot be complete ly

The private PRI market, comprising of nearly SO

removed from a project and should an event happen the

syndicates and companies, has theoretical capacity for a

company needs to have an effective cr isis plan in place.

Sing le project in excess of USS 1 billion. Securing this

which will include access to specia li st third party service

capacity and agreeing conditions and a competitive price is

providers for medical or political evacuation or kidnap

most successfully achieved by demonstrating clear

response .

identification of the underlying perils and appropriate risk

The eighth step in the risk management process is to

management. Political risk underwriters of resource

insure these risks. Political risk insurance (PRI) can insure

projects pay careful attention to due diligence and do

against loss to foreign lenders, investors, suppliers and

d istinguish between the qualities of similar projects in the

traders with mining compan ies. There are a range of perils

same ter ritories.

that these risk participants may be exposed to depending

on the specific project. the basis on which it t rades, the

Conclusion

location and associated contractual agreements.

PRI will not fix a bad deal or contract but when a project is

A key issue that is often misunderstood when looking at

well structured and the correct PRI coverage purchased, it

political risk in the hydrocarbons sector is the idea that the

effectively neutralises country risk and prOVides an

key asset to be insured is the mineral reserves. In the

effective safe.!! net for Sub-Saharan Africa hydrocarbon

private sector the asset is in fact the right to explore for

investments.

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i!'7I

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Or choose the UOP-Twister' Supersonic Gas Separation System, with a small
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For more information about UOP Russell solutions, visit www.uop.com!uoprussell or

visit www.uop.com to learn about all of the UOP hydrocarbon management solutions.
2014 Honeywell International, Inc. All rights reserved.

May 2014

Shale gas in the US has rap idly increased as a source of

natural gas. Led by new applications of hydraul ic fracturing
technology and horizontal drilling, shale gas new source
development has offset declines in production from
conventional gas reservoirs and has led to major increases in
reserves of US natural gas. Largely due to shale gas
discoveries, US dry natural gas proved reserves have more
than doubled from 164 000 ft' in 1998 to 334 000 ft' in 2011,
with more than 70% of this increase due to additions after
2006. The economic success of shale gas in the US has led

Figure 1. UOP Russell modular fractionation plant

in the Marcellus gas basin.

to development of shale gas in Canada. and more recen t ly,

has spurred interest in shale gas possibilities in China,
Europe, Asia, and Australia. US shale gas continues to change
the energy mix within the country and has a substant ial

distribution infrastructure. This can be part icularly true of

shale gas, as the composition can vary significantly from one

impact on US energy self suffiCiency.

The rapid growth in shale production, especially in

field to another. Additionally, shale gas resources can exist

geographically diverse locations from traditional

in remote regions challenged by limited water,

infrastructure, and other logistical challenges requiring

production, has led to the need for a rapid expansion of

innovative processing solutions. As in the

us shale gas

revolution, exploration and production (E&P) companies

need to partner with solution prOViders to assure they can

midstream asset s. This rapid expansion required a strong

partnership between operators and supplie rs to focus a
large portion of the

us eqUipment production capacity on

designing, installing and operating these new plants in

monetise their resources in a timely, capital efficient

parallel with field developments and gas production

manner. Project success often hinges on executing gas

estimates.

projects qUickly at reduced cost compared to traditional

methods, as well as ensuring the projects can maximise the

The parallel processing of production assets and gas

processing facilities made it particularly challeng ing to

recovery of high value NGL products at low production

design new facilities based on gas quality information from

costs and downtime.

a few initial wells. It was also challenging to be flexible

while dealing with potential variations as more wells were

pipeline distribution networks. The most prevalent solutions for

dril led in the same area. In addition, operators often wanted

pipeline gas is contacting the gas with 99"/0 triethylene glycol (TEG) to

to design gas processing plants before they had detailed gas

dry the gas to below 7 Ibs/OOO ft'. Cryogenic NGL recovery wilt

compositions from pilot wells. This uncertainty in future gas

require deeper drying in a molecular sieve unit to dry the gas to

quality adds to the complexity of plant design and can

below 100 ppmv.

increase the risks assoc iated with the profitabilit y of overall

NGLs contained in shale gas provide an economic incentive

field development.

for recovery beyond just treating for pipeline sale. These NGLs

Gas processing options

fuel uses where their value exceeds what is recoverable on a

are recovered for refinery, petrochemical or other distributed

Unconventional gas is often contaminated with COl' and

strictly British thermal units (Btu) basis than if the NGLs are left in

removal is required when the produced gas contains higher

the natural gas stream. Local market conditions can vary

levels than the downstream pipeline wilt accept, which is

Significantly with regard to ethane and liquid petroleum gas (LPG)

typically 2 - 3 %. In addition, when NGL recovery is desirable,

values. In many new shale gasfields, there can be Significant local

cryogenic systems will require CO 2 concentrations to be

price dislocations due to lack of takeaway capacity for specific

lowered to approximately 0.5 -1%, depending on the richness

products. This requires a flexible cryogenic plant design if the

of the gas and the level of NGL recovery desired. High levels

operator wants to react to local market conditions and maximise

of CO 2 can lead to freeze out at the normal operating

profitabi lity from shale production.

temperatures below -125 OF. Y-Grade NGL specifications for

cryogenic liquid production normally limits CO 2 to 0.35 LV%

The modular plant solution

CO 2/C 2 or 1000 ppmw. The right technology for acid gas

The 'fast gas' rapid NGL recovery model has enabled the

removal depends on the amount of acid gas in the feed and

shale gas revolution by align ing supplier capabilities and

the desired contaminant level in the product. The most

operators' needs for rapid and economical development of

common processes for removing CO 2 are amine treating,

new shale production. The rapid increase in dry shale gas

membranes and a molecular sieve.

Conventional and unconventional gas will be water

production placed downward pricing pressure on natural gas

to the point that dry natural gas was 'borderline' economical

saturated at the temperature pressure where the well is

for operators. At this point, attention shifted to 'wet gas', or

produced. This water vapour must be reduced to avoid

shale gas that contained Significant volumes of NGLs that

corrosion and freezing in downstream processing units and

command a market price tied to crude oil that is higher than


natural gas prices. The traditional plant delivery model, wh ich

customers face. For example, flat topography in t he Eagle

takes two or more years to implement, created a costly delay.

This formed a barrier to develop these vital resources.

Ford might be replaced by more mountainous terra in in the

Just as George Mitchell developed hydraulic fracturing, an

entrepreneur emerged with a solution. This entrepreneur was

be contrasted with lower lying areas in Louisiana. Some areas

Tom Russell. He developed a model of providing

some areas have high levels of NGL that demand more

preengineered, factory built modular plants that enabled the

recovery with associated equipment.

Marcellus. High altitude areas such as the San Juan Basin can
produce lean gas with low to moderate levels of NGL. and

delivery and installation of NGL recovery plants at least six

months faster than the stick built alternatives. In addition, the

Case study one

Russe ll approach did not require the operator to know exactly

how rich his gas stream was upfront Plant fabrication CQuld

120000 ft 3/d cryogenic unit with a refrigeration package to

In the Marcel lus Shale Basin, an operator acquired a

occur in parallel to drilling, fracturing and well testing. For

process natural gas co ntaini ng 6 - 7 gal./min. After sta rtup,

operators developing new resources, these new capabilities

the customer determined that they had higher gas rates than

to parallel the field and plant development processes were

anticipated. The equipment supplier worked with the

critical to bringing on new assets quickly. They also provided

customer to find a so lution. design ing a Aexible system that

a rap id return on the large capital outlays required to meet

would meet their gas specifications. The customer was then

growi ng shale development.

able to push gas vo lume throughput to 115% of design and

Speed is of the essence in the midstream bus iness mode l,

and the typical stick built project timeline can run 24 months

process 138 000 ft 3/d. Th is enabled the client to secure more

gas contracts.

from plaCing the order to seeing plant startup. In part, this is

Since the installation of the first plant, the site has

because a sequential process is required, from a completed

increased f rom 138 000 ft 3/d capacity to 660 000 ft 3/d by

gas analysis to the design of equipment starts in front end

adding two. 200 000 ft 3/d cryogenic un its with refrigeration

engineering and design (FEED). After design is completed in

and a 120 000 ft 3/d cryogenic unit with refrigeration. Because

FEED, procurement can order long lead equipment. FEED and

of this. the customer was able to break ground in a green field

procurement are sequential steps in the stick built project.

site and then expand into a major gas process ing hub for the

However, modular plants provide a faster alternative by

Marcellus area. The customer has returned to modular

integrating FEED and procurement activities to optimise

solutions for additional gas processing needs.

ove rall project schedule and profitability. Some equipment is

preengineered to start procurement from day one, even

Case study two

before gas analysis is necessarily available. Once gas ana lysis is

In the Eag le Ford Shale. an operator was aware that he had to

process up to 600 000 ft 3/d of g<lS within u two year

known, important value added equipment is optimised for the

project. Efficient value added optimisation allows FEED and

timeframe. The operator partne red with the equ ipment

procurement to be integrated in a single, seamless process.

supplier to make certain that they cou ld achieve this w ithout

These modular plant project innovations enable starting a

cons uming the time it would take to construct a stick built

plant's 'first gas' up to six months sooner than with stick built

plant. Adopting a modular approach saved time in project

solutions.

t imeline execution and made rapid NGL extraction a real ity.

The sk id mounted equipment can provide greater mobility

The first 200 000 h 3/d cryogeniC plant installation was

in challenging locations. Remote locations with limited

finalised in the thi rd quarter of 2012. The second

resources. restricted access and other difficulties are more

200000 ft 3/d cryogeniC installation was finalised in the fi rst

eaSily overcome. Ideal candidates for modularisation are

quarter of 2013, and the final cryogeniC 200 000

packaged units sized for up to 300 000 ft 3/ d of volume. with

instaHation will be finalised in the first quarter of 2014. One

even larger plants accommodated by mu ltiple trai ns. These

benefit of this schedule was that equ ipment was installed as

systems are integrated in a shop setting before being shipped

gas demand ramped up, which only a modular approach can

to the plant sit e. This provides assurance that equipment will

do. Another benefit was that t he operator had th ree identical

ft3/ d

assemble qUickly, fit up properly at the field site, and ensure a

plants with the same list of common spare parts. This signifies

smooth and rapid installation, commiss ioning and startup.

a greater mai ntenance fam il iarity as more plants came on line.

PlaCing the plant on stream faster and recovering NGLs

sooner is quite valuable . A typical example of a 200 000 ft 3/d
plant with a moderate NGL content (3 gal./min) will generate
more than US$ 10 million of additional value each month in

The operator could then purchase common compression for

each trai n. leading to a more homogenous operation.

Conclusion

recovering the NGLs at current prices as opposed to leaving

Whe n delivered by an experienced sol ution provider,

them in the gas and receiving heating value. Earl ier delivery by

solutions for CO 2 removal. dewpointing and NGL recovery

six months cou ld potentially be worth more than

can be delivered as prefabricated, skid mounted modules that

US$ 60 million. which can be 50% of the total installed cost of

provide feed composit ion flexibi lity and rapid NGL recovery.

the full plant. Rapid NGL recovery is vital in improving the

This lowers fabrication costs, speeds installation and provides

overall process economics of the shale gas and li quid

high onstream effiCiency. Modular, prefabr icated solutions

hydrocarbon value stream.

enable economic development of sha le gas resources that

Modularised plants in action

given thei r inherent variabi li ty in gas compos ition. Operators

would otherwise pose as daunting processing challenges

Some of the rea l life applications seen across the US shale

using this modular approach truly benefit throu~ more

basins in the last few years showcase the unique challenges

efficient operations and optimal monetisation. 1

"!iI

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

Eric Wiley and Hung-Ming Sung, Trinity Consultants,

USA, and Arun Kanchan, Trinity Consultants, Qatar,
discuss best practice in emissions monitoring.

ndustrial facilities subject to regulatory

acquisition and handling system (DAHS) that

emissions limits and air quality permit

processes the voluminous data and outputs to the

conditions must frequently implement

facility's reporting system.

sophisticated continuous emissions monitoring

Regulatory agencies reqUire that the (EMS data

systems ((EMS) to demonstrate compliance with the

demonstrate compliance with monitoring, record

applicable limits. Data from the monitoring equipment is

keeping. and reporting requirements. Prior to

used to demonstrate compliance with applicable

specifying, installing, and implementing a (EMS, the

emissions limits and standards, either concentration

operator should have a firm understanding of the

based limits/ standards (e.g., ppm. ppb) or mass based

applicable regulatory requirements. Ongoing

limits/standards (e.g. ,/hr, /d) for pollutants such as

sulfur dioxide (S02)' oxides of nitrogen (NO), carbon
monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons [THC)/vOC - 0 "
lead, carbon dioxide (CO,), and particulate marter (PM),
Including PM1Q and PM2.5.

operation of an effective (EMS program that

consistently meets compliance requirements also
requires significant effort related to quality control,
maintenance. training. auditing, and reporting. The
level of effort associated with these tasks requires
speCialised expertise and an organised, well defined

CEMS essentials

approach.

The (EMS sampling system continuously extracts a

representative sample of stack gas from a process
unit to the monitoring equipment that includes
various analysers. Once the gas sample has been
analysed, the associated results are fed into a data

There are four major types of (EMS systems. each

Available CEMS technology

with benefits and drawbacks depending on the
industrial scenario. Dry extractive systems are used in

a variety of industries including petrochemical, refining, power,

preventive maintenance (PM) program should be organised,

steel , and cement. Approximately 55% of (EMS which measure

scheduled, and efficient. Tasks are scheduled by frequency

NO x are dry extractive (EMS. Although this equipment

(daily, weekly, etc.) and should include logging of the status of

performs well at both high and low concentrations, is versatile,

tasks (completed/not completed) and the responsible person.

and easily maintained, it is relatively expensive to purchase

In the case of daily calibrations, the operator should ensure a

and to maintain. Dilution extractive systems have been

quick response to failed calibrations, monitor and record

historica lly used largely for monitoring 502 on coal fired units

calibration t rends, and for facilities with multiple CEMS,

and on dusty emissions sources with high PM in the sample,

such as cement plants. These systems are easily maintained

maintenance tasks should be scheduled to avoid conflict with

and sometimes less expensive however they are less effective

auto calibrations, to maximise data collection, and to minimise

stagger the schedu led daily calibration times. Other

for lower concentrations, require more maintenance on the

downtime. Prior to initiating any preventative or maintenance

stack, can be difficult to troubleshoot, and cannot measure

acti vity, it is important to place the sy stem into maintenance

oxygen levels.

mode. This will mark the associated data with a maintenance

With wet extractive CEMS, the sample is delivered to the

flag, thus preventing the data from being used in hourly

analyser above dew point useful for incinerators where acid

averages. likewise, the system must be taken out of

gases are present (HCI, HF). These systems are relatively easy

maintenance mode immediately following any maintenance

to calibrate and require minimal sample conditioning.

activity.

However. performance of these units at low concentrations is

As part of the PM maintenance activities, the CEMS

challenging. In situ CEMS are located at the source of the

operator should visit each (EMS shelter daily and record the

exhaust (on the stack). These units analyse the exhaust in or

following parameters in the log book, where applicable:

across the stack or duct without extracting and treating a

Outlet pump pressure.

sample for analysis.

Sample system vacuum.

Examples of in situ systems include fourier transform

Sample flow to analysers.

infrared (FTIR) systems, flow measurement systems using

Temperature.

ultrasonic technology, and thermal senSing. Fast response

Presence of alarms or faults.

time, lower cost and lower maintenance requirements for

Cooler temperature.

these units are offset by shorter life spans due to

Peristaltic pump status (on or off).

environmental exposure, maintenance difficulty, poor

accuracy. and calibration difficulty.
A qualified CEMS supplier can aSSIst with the selection of

The log book provides a perfo rmance history of the

system, information on previous issues, and how those issues

the most suitable equipment as well as its installation and

were resolved. It also provides a record of trends in flow,

certification, however the development of an adequate

vacuum, pressure, and temperature. Some facilities maintain

quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) and

CEMS performance history through the use of digital

maintenance plan, ongOing training, reporting, and auditing

maintenance forms which are often more detailed and can

remain largely the responsibility of the facility.

be enabled on mobile devices.

CEMS data quality management

readings, such as slope and offset, recording calibration gas

Environmental permits that requi re CEMS to demonstrate

bottle pressures, replaci ng calibration gas bottles if pressure

Weekly activities include recording analyser test function

compliance include provisions for ensuring data quality. In

is less than 150 - 200 psi, and monitoring for trends in daily

fact. QA/QC programs are the backbone for CEMS

calibrations, adjusting zero and span if needed. Monthly PM

compliance with regulatory requi rements. While quality

includes all of the daily and weekly tasks as well as prepa ring

assurance pertains to ensuring the accuracy and reliability of

for any upcoming audits such as RAT As, (GAs, or linearity

the emissions data (via proper planning and frequent audits),

tests. It is also a good interval to check the status of air

quality control includes the activities involved in maintaining

conditioning filters and plant air filters and to make sure the

or improving the accuracy and reliability of the emissions data

ai r conditioning unit is in good working order, especially in

(via routine calibrations and preventative maintenance).

warmer areas or times of the year.

Developing appropriate QA/QC procedures, establishing

missing data substitution provisions, and specifying DAHS

Quarterly requirements for CEMS include the completion

calculation procedures are just a few key elements of an

of linearity tests, (GAs, and N02 converter tests. The results

of these tests can be used to improve accuracy and

effective QA/QC program. Regulatory requirements for

reliability, thus improving data availability. Annually, many

CEMS QA/QC vary, but all include tasks such as daily

(EMS consumables have reached the end of their 'service

calibration, linearity tests or calibration gas audits (CGAs), and

life' and must be replaced. Activities include probe

relative accuracy test aud its (RATAs). Furthermore, data must

maintenance (replaCing o-rings and bushings) and replacing

be accurate, representative, reliable, complete. and precise, as

peristaltic pump tubing as we ll as the pump diaphragm and

defined by applicable regulations.

gaskets.

CEMS maintenance programs

frequent basis to ensure that they comprise the appropriate

CEMs maintenance programs should be reviewed on a

An effective CEMS maintenance program that prevents

tasks. An audit of the program can assist in improving

breakdowns is essential to provide accurate and reliable data

effectiveness and effiCiency as well as highlighting areas of

for compliance with applicable air quality regulations. The

positive achievement. Annual or bi annual auditing is useful

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

_".,.CEMS~ ....

"' , .... 1140<.,.

to identify deficiencies in compliance or provide assurance

,,
,

of continuing compliance.

SO."T..

Primary performance testing for (EMS is conducted via the

1.0.:....

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RATA on a schedule agreed upon with the regulatory

agency. The RATA is a comparative evaluation of the (EM

system performance aga inst an independent reference
CEMS

method.

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The US EPA reference methods typically used are as

..

fol lows:
Method 2 (reference method for determination of stack
gas velocity and volumetric flow).
Method 6( (instrumental reference method for SOJ

Method 7E (instrumental method for N OJ

In a RATA, a minimum of nine sets of paired monitoring

M~:..,~"

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RTOS

j"'--r

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and system-bIases

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Figure 1. CEMS data validation, calculation and

reporting with a fully integrated RTDB.

system and reference method test data are obtained. Data

from the RATA are used t o determine both the relative

Dilution extractive system biases.

accuracy and bias, jf any, of a (EM system.

Source level extractive biases.

Systematic and random errors can occur in a!l of the

In si tu gas and f low monitor biases.

subsyst ems and components of a (EM system. The ski!l and

Pollutant and diluent analyser biases.

experience of the (EM system manufacturer, integrator, and

Data acqu isition and handling system problems

operator are requi red to minimise biases and obtain the best
possible accuracy and prec ision. It is then the responsibility

Compliance report ing

of the (EM system owner and ope rator to maintain the

In (EMS, the data acquisition and handling system (DAHS) is

system to specified levels of accuracy and precision.

Specifically, bias problems can be associated with the
following:
Sampl ing location and stratification,

the brains of the ope ration. The DAH5 receives emissions

data from the programmable logic controller (PLC) or data
logger and arranges it according to programs demands. Some
compan ies. subject to acid rain reporting requirements,

We support the energy industry from every angle to ensure effective

air quality strategy and streamlined EH&S data management

install DAHS for reporting, However, many companies

introduce the (EMS data to their existing plant real time
database (RTDB), such as the OSlsoft PI system, to enable real
time monitoring of the (EMS. These RTDB systems normally do
not perform data substitution, calcu late emissions, or create
compl iance reports. This is the area of the (EMS in which most
non-compl iance issues are discovered.
Data acquisition and handling is not a 'do it yourself' task;
rat her, the facil ity should purchase and/or implement a
system with proven reliab ility and capabilities to generate
proper reports. The typical DAHS is designed to handle
missing data and calculations within the (EMS data. Using an
RTDB with process data, (EMS data can be further validated
with the process operation conditions and can generate

It's what we do.

emission calculations when the (EMS is down. Figu re 1 shows

a fu ll y integrated RTDB wit h real time data validation and
reconciliation process, The shaded boxes represent typ ical
RTDB calculations . The validation steps are added to
generate accurate reconc iled data. These data treatment
processes are critical for ensuring reported emissions are
accurate, assess ing data availability calculations, and
affirming data substitution procedures.
Additionally, while reporting to the regulatory agency,
the results from the bias test conducted as part of the RATA
must be considered. The bias test determines whether a
monitoring system is biased low with respect to the
reference method, based on the RATA results. This test is
required only for S02' NO x' and flow monitoring systems. If a

Rotoform single-step
sulphur solidification

low bias is found, a bias adjustment factor (BAF) must be

ca lculated and applied to the subsequent hourly emissio ns
data.

Essential training
A final element necessary for proper operation of (EMS is
train ing. Both environmental managers and facility operators
should understand applicable air quality requirements including
how to effectively and appropriately operate (EMS units.
Nearly all analyser manufacturers offer training for their
equipment. Although this traini ng may be costly, it should be
considered for any technician who will be responsible for a
(EMS as the inSight and knowledge gained will assist in
increasing (EMS data availabil ity. When a new (EMS is installed,
it is important to ensure the (EMS manufacturer provides

Unrivalled reliability, direct-from-th e-mclt solidification

and environmentally friend ly operation have made
Ro ro fo rm the world's favourite su lphur solidification
process . Add end-to-end process capab ility - from receipt
of liquid sul phur to sto rage, handlin g and loading - and
it's clear why the refinery world chooses Sandvik.

training on proper operation of the (EMS to all personnel who

will have a ro le in the CEMS operation, maintenance and
reporting.

Conclusion
As regulatory requirements are increasing the use of (EMS to
demonstrate compliance, creating and maintaining a successful

Ou tstanding reliability - on-stream factor of 96%

Premium Rotoform past illes - low dust, low moisture
Clea n, indirect cooling - no cross-contaminatio n
Single so urce, end-to-end capability

(EMS program can be a daunting task for any environmental

profeSSional. Ensuring the most appropriate type of (EMS is being
used, from among the various types that are available, is essential to
demonstrating compliance with applicable regulations. (reating a
structured and well defined (EMS QA/Q( program is also
important for complying with applicable regu lat ions. A well
organised and executed PM program will assist in maximising the
performance and reliability of the (EMS and the data availabi lity.
Understanding t he results of RA TA tests and the implications of
using bias adjustment factors while reporting emissions to

Sandvik Process Systems

Division of Sandvik Mat erials Technology Deutschland GmbH

Salierstr. 35. 70736 Fellbach. Germany

Tel: +49 71 1 510$-0 ' Fax: +49 711 5105-152 . info.spsde:@sand"ikcom

www.processsystems.sandvik.com

regulatory agencies is a must. Finally, having a welt trained and

knowledgeable (EMS team is essential to the accuracy and
reliability of the (EMS data. i'!'I!I

,
.. With laser scanning, we were able to
minimize occurrences in the field to just a
handful. With safety an utmost importance,
the number of individuals entering the
plant was also drastically reduced ...
We were able to provide an enormous amount of data that
would not have been available through a conventional
survey effort. That same data provided benefit through

Leica ScanStation P15

construction with the creation of isometrics and the

resolution of field issues and will provide a solid foundation
for lifecycle maintenance of the facility. "
- David Stevens
Wood Group Mustang, Piping Designer and Laser Scan Coordinator
Mustang laser Scanning/Special Projects Group in reference to the the HessTIoga natural gas processing plant (TGP) in northwestern North Dakota

3dplant@leica-geosystems.com

HEXAGON

;leiU!
Geosystems

IVNG

CH NGE:

generations. There are also economic benefits associated

with the issue of fuel economy, as the more economic it is
to move people and goods, the more competitive a market
will be. The other key goal of legislation is to mitigate the
effects of damaging automotive emiss ions, such as carbon
dioxide, on climate change. This is also closely linked to the
goal of fuel economy, as the less fuel we burn, the fewer
em issions are released into the atmosphere.

Environmental impact
In terms of climate change the industry also looks at other
greenhouse gases with global warming potential (GWP). An
example is nitrous oxide, which has a much higher GWP than

Figure 1. Both global automotive emissions

legislation and the drive for energy sustain ability
are having an impact on refinery end products.

CO 2, but because it exists in relatively low quantities in the

atmosphere, it attracts less headline press. Other issues exist
around particu late matter and soot and there is a more
recent focus on minimising the emission of any substance
that has stratospheric ozone depleting potential, since

In this industry, R&D to improve the environmental

performance of vehicles demands substantial investment, A

high level of technical complexity is involved, with great

stratospheric ozone's role is to absorb potentially harmful

ultraviolet rays from the sun.
For the first time, greenhouse gases such as CO 2 and

reliance on first and second tier suppliers, who are among a

nitrous oxide are being included into US EPA protocol gases.

vast number of partners in the automotive value chain.

Not that long ago, these greenhouse gases were introduced

Therefore, when all these technology partners work towards

in addition to what was previous ly referred to as the criteria

a clear and common target, such as limiting the amount of

pollutants, the six most common air pollutants of concern:

CO 2 or nitric oxide emitted from a car, the fragmented value

ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxides,

chain aligns all its resources to achieve this common

particulate matter and lead. This is a significant step forward

objective.
Another common benefit of legislation is that it creates

that could even be described as a fundamental evolution in

an enabl ing envi ronment for cost effective transfer of

those which contribute to global warming.

technology, by broadly communicating best practice to

legislation, not on ly towards controlling toxic gases, but al so

Automotive emissions such as nitrogen dioxide and

achieve the required changes, for example, offering

sulfur dioxide must also be controlled to prot ect our

gUidance on the latest analytical measurement

phys ical envi ronment. These emissions can react with

instrumentation.

rainwater and create acid rain that damages forests and

An excellent example of technology transfer is the

Euro IV, V and VI emission standards developed for European

bU il dings, since it reacts with limestone and concrete to

corrode structures. Ground water contamination is another

markets that have been adopted elsewhere in the world, for

concern, since the chemicals benzene and methyl tertiary

example South Korea and China. Europe has successfully

butyl ether (MTBE), added to improve engine combustion,

prescribed targets and adopted relevant and useful

are also damaging when they are washed down in rainfall.

technology to achieve targets, and this effective approach is

being replicated elsewhere.
Today there are three main global legislation groups

Public health
W ith a strong historic US EPA focus on so called criteria

related to automotive emissions coming out of Europe, the

pollutants, much automotive legislation has been structured

USA and Japan. European legislation is already progressing

around public health issues, resu lting in tightening emission

towards Euro VII, while in the USA, the Environmental

targets. It is noticeable that there has been a tangible move

Protection Agency (EPA) takes a leading ro le. The USA also

from purely monitoring automotive emissions, to

has federal environmental legislation, as well as certain

monitoring the ambient environment, including detecting

state specific regu lations and one of the most common

the presence of chemicals in the air that the public is

terms, ultra low emissions vehicle (ULEV), in fact. derives

breath ing. A Significant section of legislation is moving into

from Ca lifornia state legislation. There is also a formidable

prescribing exactly what should be measured in the ambient

legislative movement in Japan, since a large number of

environment, how often it shou ld be measured and in which

automot ive producers originate in that country. China,

locations. And there is more data transparency around these

however, which also has a substantial automotive industry

findings than ever before, giving the public real time access

in terms of the number of production centres, tends t o take

to this important information.

its cue from European legislation.

So, what are the common goals of all this disparate
geographical legislation? Firstly, legislation seeks to drive

Improving public health by controlling air quality is a key

focus of automotive legislation. Air quality must be
maintained at a level t hat ensures it does not cause disease.

fuel economy by developing more economical ways to

With this in mind, there is a contemporary focus on

move people and goods from A to B, in order to conserve

minimising ground level ozone that has the potential to

the world's dwindl ing fossil fuel resources for future

damage the human respiratory tract and is produced

May 2014

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

They turned to Elliott

for planning and execution.

The customer turned to Elliott because they understood that planning is everything and that few companies can match Elliott in turnaround planning and execution.
Who will you turn to?

(l)EUIOIT'(fJJ)1JJfJfJ
8ARA CORPORATION
VNM.eIIion-turbo.com

COMPRESSORS

TURBINES

GLOBAL

SERVICE

The world turns to Elliott.

principally by a reaction between nitric oxide and volatile

is likely to create and to Simultaneously mitigate secondary

organic compounds (VOCs),

outcomes.

Carbon monoxide is a prevalent gas in automotive exhaust

An example is the ambition to reduce nitrous oxide

systems that, in enough quantity. can damage the nervous

emissions from car engines by converting oxides of nitrogen

system, while formaldehyde gas is categorised as a 'probable

simply into nitrogen itself. One way to achieve this is to

carcinogen' and, like ozone, has the potential to cause

harness a technology called selective catalytiC reduction (SCR)

respiratory problems. Benzene is a vac that not only

that converts nitrogen oxides back to harmless nitrogen gas,

contributes to t he ground level ozone problem. but is a toxic

using ammonia in the catalysers. However, in trying to resolve

chemical and pollutant in its own right. It is a known

the problem of nitrogen oxide emissions, urea is being added

carcinogen that can be inhaled from the atmosphere or

to create ammonia in the cata lyser and this could potentially

absorbed into the human body by eating contaminated fish

lead to the secondary negative impact of ammonia as an

and crops. N itrogen d ioxide, ammonia and sulfur dioxide are

automotive emiSSion gas. Ammonia must now also be added

other examples of gases that can cause health problems by

to the list of emissions that must be monitored.

weakening the respiratory system and rendering humans more

susceptible to illness. Chemicals like this must be reduced or
completely eliminated from automotive emissions.

Cohesion of the issues

Any legislation framework must address these problems

Another secondary impact of emission legislation involves

carbon monoxide. The principle reduction of carbon
monoxide is achieved through catalytic converters to oxidise it
to CO2, which is potentially a problem in its own right in terms
of global warming, but is considered preferable to emitting
carbon monoxide. These catalyt iC converters in turn reduce

effectively, but how do these issues all cohere in a matrix?

the overall fuel economy of the engine, so there a

On the issue of fuel economy, the USA has two sets, or

compensating increase in overall engine effiCiency is needed

'tiers', of emission standards for light duty vehicles, defined

to ensure that t he introduction of the catalytiC converter is

as a res ult of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.

having an overall beneficial effect.

Within the Tier II ranking, there is a subranking ranging from

It is evident that this is a complex legislative area that

BIN 1 - 10, with 1 being the cleanest (zero emission

highlights the delicate balance at play. Well intentioned

vehicle) and 10 being the dirtiest. These standards

legislation may be able to solve one problem, but could also

specifically restrict emissions of carbon monoxide,

introduce an unanticipated secondary risk that needs to be

oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter. formaldehyde and

compensated for. Legislators must find a way to arrive at a

non-methane organic gases (non-methane hydrocarbons).

careful balance by trading off one chemical consequence

against another.

President Barack Obama has recenLly called for America's

fleet of trucks, lorr ies and cars to be elevated into the next
BIN 4. This target cascades down to automotive producers

Recent or imminent legislative

changes

to incentivise them to make sure that the average vehicle

In addition to greenhouse gases now being included in the US

being sold is moving to a progreSSively more fuel efficient

future,

formaldehyde and ammonia have now been introduced.

category of environmental cleanliness and fuel economy,

The changing legislative environment relat ing to fuel

economy is enabling the introduction of new generation fuel

EPA protocol, for the fi rst time protocol standards for

Ammonia is being included at an emissions level of 10 ppm in
the Euro VI legislation that will come into force in 2014 in

types in a safe and consumer friendly manner. In the US all

Europe, with the automotive industry already aligning itself to

eyes are on E15, fuel with a 15% ethanol blend, which will

those requirements, elevating the subject of ammonia

soon be commercially introduced to that market This could

emissions from diesel engines. Another impact of Eura VI will

herald in a new era, enabling the production and sale of a

be the reduction of oxides of nitrogen emissions, bringing

new generation of environmentally friendly fuels.

diesel oxides of nitrogen em issions more closely in line with

Many years ago it was decided to transition to un leaded

fuels, a decision principally taken to protect the catalysers

petrol engine emission standards.

An interesting change is the move from, in UK terminology,

installed in cars for the enablement of nitric ox ide, nitrogen

'miles / gaL', to 'grams of CO 2 emitted/km travelled' as an

dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions reduction. With

em issions standard. Miles per gallon refers to the amount of

catalysers becoming prevalent, legislation was needed to

fuel required to travel a certa in distance, regardless of fuel

facilitate the introduction of unleaded. And, to limit the

type and the amount of CO 2 emitted by that fuel. With the

sulfur dioxide emissions that react with rain to create acid

move to grams of CO 2 em itted/km, there is a clear Signal that

rain, ultra low sulfur diesel was introduced.

CO2 is becoming the ultimate goal of measurement. It also

However, legislation always needs to look ahead

recognises that hybrid vehicles running on electricity, and

holistically to possible consequences. so that the totality

therefore emitting no CO 2, can also fit into these legislative

and end result of changes is truly beneficial, This is because,

measures.

inevitably, as one problem is solved, there are consequences

of changes and in some cases it might even become a case of

Another significant development with regard to Euro VI

legislation refers to a trend called 'speciation' that focuses on

'out of the frying pan and into the fire'. Legislation wou ld not

the various chemical species present in the automotive

be effective if it had this effect on automotive producers.

emissions. An example of th is is the split of total

Therefore in seeking to create change in a particular area, it

hydrocarbons {THC} into methane, which is a hydrocarbon,

is essential to look at any secondary implications the change

and non-methane total hydrocarbons (NMTHC). Historically,

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

emissions were measured in terms of total hydrocarbons, but in

it is simply bringing diesel engines in line with the measurements

future we will increasingly see a spl it between methane and

currently required for petrol engines.

NMTHC and this recognises that methane has its own issues with
regard t o GWP. However, it is the NMTHC that relates to public

The future

health issues and this intensified focus will allow for better control

Against this background of robust legislative change, it is

of such emissions.
Chinese legislation is moving forward very rapidly in this major
market for auto producers and consumers alike. Here the changes
include a nationwide move from Euro IV for diesel engines in 2011

interest ing to speculate what the future might hold by

examining past trends and extrapolating them to determine
future legislative direction.
For the first time in the USA, the EPA protocol has issued

a move to Euro IV for combustion engines in 2013. Similar to the

standards for zero air. This is important, because when setting

USA, legislation in China exists both at a national level and a more

up an analyser, a calibration gas is needed to calibrate at the

specific, geographically targeted level, and in Beijing the legislation

high end of the scale, as well as a zero gas to determine the

will move to Euro V in 2013.

zero of that instrument. Both these gases are equally critical in

Analytical techniques

regulated on the calibration gas mixture required for the high

setting up the instrument. For many years, the EPA protocol has

Euro VI legislation specifies that ammonia must be measured at a

end of t he scale, but this is the first time that standards for zero

maximum level of 10 ppm in diesel and petrol engine emissions

air have been set. At present, the requirement to use this zero

and this effectively requires the measurement of a new molecule

air standard is voluntary, but industry stakeholders can

in our exhaust emissions. Legislation is only as good as its

speculate that it w ill become mandatory in the near future.

enforcement and this enforcement relies on effectively applying

On the issue of speciation, with the increasing concern

analytical techniques to measure automotive emissions. One of

about nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide and nitric oxide emissions

the hidden benefits of this legislation is that it points the industry

it is very likely that future legislation might mandate

in the direction of the most suitable technology to accomplish

measurement and control for each one, instead of for the total

this task.

oxides of nitrogen that is in place at the moment. With more

Legislative requirement s to measure new emission molecules

must bring with them a requirement for reliable, repeatable

speciation taking place within the total hydrocarbons, there is

likely to be further speciation within the total hydrocarbons

technology to conduct these measurements. Legislation also

element, looking speCifically for molecules such as ethanol and

explains to the industry how to perform this measurement in a

formaldehyde, the new potential pollutants arising from the

consistent and dependable way, for example. providing two types

move towards biofuels and LNG. The industry could therefore

of technology deemed to be suitable for ammonia measurement

also be moving towards a reqUirement to measure particular

in exhaust emissions.

chemical species within automotive emissions going in the

Both these technologies are described in detail in Euro VI

legislatiOn. The first technology uses laser light tuned to a certain
light frequency designed to be absorbed by ammonia and other

direction of ethanol, formaldehyde and specific oxides of

nitrogen.
Exhaust after treatment is perhaps one of the most dynamiC

exhaust chemicals. In other words, a laser light is shone through an

parts of the auto industry right now. The companies involved in

exhaust emission to measure the chemical levels present. The

prodUCing the catalysers and the overall after treatment

other type of technology for measuring ammonia in exhaust

systems are facing an enormous technological challenge to

emissions is Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, based

keep up with the pace of change. Here, in addition to SCR,

on the principle of shining infrared light through the exhaust gas

exhaust gas recycling (EGR) is coming to the fore, representing

mixture and determining at which frequencies light is being

two very fundamental changes in exhaust gas treatment

absorbed in order to assess which chemicals are present and at

technology to reduce harmful emissions from the engine.

what concentration they occur. The principle is the same for both
technologies, absorption of light by chemicals.
Legislation also prescribes the types, traceability and degree
of accuracy of calibration gas mixtures needed to calibrate

The other area of considerable change is the sophistication

of engine management systems (EMS) or on board diagnostic
systems (OBD). Emissions are now being controlled by these
micro computers which rely on multiple engine sensors

instruments used for these measurements. This clarifies for

responsible for ensuring the engine is working at optimum fuel

suppliers of calibration mixtures, such as Unde Gases Division,

effiCiency and releasing minimum emissions. In this regard the

which mixtures they should be developing for this particular

industry is seeing a whole new suite of regulations being

market. Detailed specifications for pure gases which are used for

targeted to ensure these systems are stable and that they

gas chromatography or to zero instruments and for fuel and

function correctly.

oxidant gases which are used for flame based analytical detection
methods are also prescribed in the Euro VI legislation.

Finally, the increasing use within the industry of gases that

comply with US EPA protocols, or relevant ISO standards

The other area of legislative change is the reduction in

relating to the traceabilit y and accuracy of calibration gas

nitrogen oxide levels. also prescribed in Euro VI. The technology

mixtures, such as 15017025 will be of great consequence to

referred to in this regard is chemiluminescence, an analytical

companies like Linde. which support measurement technology

technique based on the emission of light spectra by the chemical

with accurate and consistent calibration gas mixtu res across the

molecules. The industry is now seeing the reduction of nitrogen

EU and other legislative groups. Applicable worldwide, these

oxide levels in diesel to a similar level that exists for petrol

standa rds will make sure that international automotive

engines. It could therefore be argued from an analytical techniques

producers and environmental agencies working in this arena

perspective, that this technology shift is not all that onerous, since

are working from a uniform base.

i!I
HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

2014

OSEA2014
The 20th International Oil & Gas Industry Exhibition & Conference
SINCE

1976

THE

PLATJJ\JUM
EDITION

Usually non-ox idising biocides such as CI -MtT or

to avoid oxidative deterioration of the sensitive

DBNPA, as we ll as oxidising biocides like sodium

membranes. In some cases application o f sodium

hypochlorite or chloramines are ut ilised to control

hypochlorite will even cause additiona l biofouling

biofouling problems. These biocides are qUite effective in

potential for RO membranes by oxidati ve destruction of

some cases, but do not always provide the expected

high molecular weight organic substances in t he feed

results . Furthermore, when raw water is treated with

sodium hypochlorite, sodium bisulfite has to be applied as
reducing agent upstream of the polyamide RO membranes

water. The formed low molecular weight substances can

serve much better as nutrients for existing bacteria on the
membranes and as a consequence bacteria growth as well
as biofoul ing risk on the RO membranes will increase.
Even with application of above mentioned biocides. it

Table 1. Res ults of pilot plant test

is st ill likely that biofouling is gradually accumula ted on

Run 1

Run 2

Run 3

Run 4

Blank

10

40

20

removed by an RO membrane cleaning procedure for

DO,Sing time, hrs/d

24

which RO system operation needs to be stopped. If

Dosing amount rate

1.0

0.50

0 .25

Concentration, mg/ltr

Salt rejection

..
9"7 .,;.
7 ___9;,,,8;;,.0...._

98.4

the RO membranes and the accumulated layer can only be

removal of the accumulated biofouling becomes possible

without shut down of RO operation, it w ill be very
beneficial for the prolongation of RO operation periods
and RO membrane life.
As a so lution f or all the described problems, Kurita has
developed a new slime control agent, having the
capabili t y to peel off bio fouling material from the
membranes during operation of the RO plant. The new
product, Kuriverte r JK -llO. has the following outstanding
features:
It will peel off o rgani c fouling grad ually from the RO
membrane surf ace during operation.

Figure 1. Flat sheet membrane performance test

cell utilised for measuring peel off time.

It does not damage polyamide membranes.

It inhibits biofouling throughout the whole RO plant.

The product is added to the raw water tank in order to

treat t he whole RO system. As a consequence the who le
RO system is protected against biofouling by only one
product: the concept of water t reatment becomes simple

...

""

and the risk of membrane deteri orat ion is almost zero.

This new technology has been already applied to many
RO systems and as a result, all problems described above
were encountered Significant ly. Differential pressure was
decreased, the loss of flux was inhibited, and salt

....

,."

rejection was improved and maintained. In addition, the

interval of RO clea ni ng was st retched. Furthermore. RO
membrane autop sy has been pe rformed and a sign ifi cant
decrease of biofouling on the RO membrane by the use of
the new slime cont rol agent was confirmed.
Recently, the number of RO plants that incorporate a
ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system to stabilise the
pretreatment, has increased. However. it is reported from

Figure 2. Flow diagram: pilot plant.

time to time that the UF membranes also start to foul

with organiC substances in spite of the automatic

Figure 3. From left to right: Blank, continuous dosing. intermittent dosing.

backwashing sequence. The new technology is also

applicable to UF membrane systems and it effectively
reduces biofouling for both. UF and RO membranes. at the
same time.
In the follow ing case study the application of the new
technology to an actual sea water reverse osmosis (5WRO)
sys tem is described. As a first step, the most suitable
application method was evaluated by laboratory and pilot
plant tests. After that the developed concept was applied
to one line of a three lines SWRO plant. enabling a direct
comparison and confirmation of the treatment effect.

140

o!;

:'E
~

-+- WiUlOut

Cl

120

80

60 1)

~ WithIK-110
T ~~ ~~_~~

100 .0:

40
20
0

20

40

100

9J

Ell

Operation time (day)

Laboratory test
A flat sheet membrane performance tes t system, as shown
in Figure 1, was used as a first step of the development. A
RO flat sheet membrane with slime deposits from the
actual plant on its surface was placed into the
perfo rmance test cell. The applied pressure was set
closely to 0 MPa so that the processing water stayed
mainly on the concentrate side. Ultra pure water was
processed to the cell for 24 hrs as init ial treatment to get
rid of existing loosen fouling material. After that. water
contain ing 200 mgllt r of Kuriverter IK-110 was processed
through the cell and the concentrate water was filtrated
through a 20 ~.m membrane filter to collect the peeled off
substance. The filters were exchanged in certain intervals.
The amount of the peeled off substance on the individual
filters was measured versus elapsed time and the surface
of the 20 J.lm memb rane filters was investigated by a
stereoscopic microscope.

Comparison of permeate flow.

('CIP = cleaning in place)

Figure 4 .

Result of the investigation

One to two hours afte r the injection of the product had
been sta rted. 'peeled off substance' appeared significantly
on the surface of the 20 ~m membrane filter. After these
two hours the accumulation reduced with time and after
four hours it became almost zero. This tendency was
repeatedly observed and from that fact it was conside red
that intermittent dosing with a dosing period of three
hours will be the most effective and economical
treatment program. The dosi ng interval in the actual plant
will depend on the raw water quality and the
corresponding speed of slime formation on the
membranes. The necessary dosing interval was determined

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350

20 mg/ltr for 3 hrs/d. This dosage of 20 mg/ltr complies

-+- Without

300

'"

with the dosing limit given by the NSF certification for the

-S
i:>

~
"
E

product.

Plant conditions before the

trial

150

'E"
"

100

The plant performance had been already largely

deteriorated during 4 yea rs of operation, which was

50

&1

ma inl y caused by high pollution of the seawate r and an

40

100

00

insufficient pretreatment of t he polluted feed. Membrane

main t enance workload was very high with an average

Operation time (day)

cleaning frequency of once per month and additional

random membrane replacement.

Figure 5. Comparison of permeate conductivity.

('CIP = cleaning in place)

Test conditions
The app lication was carr ied out in the following way by
an agreement with the plant owner.
Kuriverter IK-110 is only dosed to one line with
20 mg/ltr during 3 hrs/d while no dosing is applied to
the other 2 lines to observe the difference.

0.4

&"

0.3

0.2

::<
~

0.1

Other chemicals such as PAC, NaClO, sodium bisulfite

and antiscalant are applied to all three lines as before.

Observatory period is 3 months.

As shown in the following figures, the SWRO line

without Kuri t a treatment showed continuous loss of

0.0

10

00

40

ro m

00

00

100

operation time (days)

productivity. First pass permeate flow decreased from

87m 3/hr down to 30m 3/hr during 60 days since the sta rt
of the observation with the need of two times chemical

Figure 6. Changes in module differential pressure.

cleaning during that period. On the other hand, the SWRO

Hne with Kuri ta treatment experienced a much lower
decline from 92m 3/hr to 60m)/hr during 90 days without

to be once per day for the worst raw water quality and it
can be prolonged for raw water with less biofouling
potential.

Pilot plant test before

application
A pilot plant test using contaminated wastewater as feed
was carried out to confirm the results of the laboratory
tests. Figure 2 shows the flow diagram of the pilot plant.

any chemical cleaning being necessary.

In total, the cleaning frequency was reduced to less
than one t hird. At the same time sa lt rejection and
permeate water quality of the treated line were improving
while getting wo rse for the untreated line, which can be
clearly seen from the increasi ng permeate conductivity at
the later one. Obv iously, concentration polarisation due
to slime deposits was causing increasing permeate
conductivity on the non -treated line, while on the othe r

A 2.5 in. diameter SWRO membrane was used to optimise

hand the new treatment could mitigate the slime

ope rating condi ti on and the following ope ra tional

fo rmation on the membranes and prevented the resu lting

conditions have been compared:

pola risation.

Blank.
Continuous dosing. 10 mg/ltr.

twice, on the 35 th and 58 th day, caused by a drop in the

Intermittent high dosing, 40 mg/ltr, 3 hrs/d .

permeate flow. The line to which Kuriverter IK -110 was

Intermittent medium dosing. 20 mg/ltr, 3 hrs/d.

added could be operated continuously w ithout cleaning

As shown in Figure 4 the blank line had to be cleaned

for 90 days or more. As an evidence for the above results,

Results were obtained after 27 days operation and are
summa rised in Table 1.
Figure 3 shows the appea rance of RO membrane

the app lication of the new sl ime control agent enabled a

permeate flow in the treated line that maintained twice as
high as for the line without such treatment. Within t wo

surface after testing. It is obvious that the intermittent

months after t he start of operation, the frequency of

dosing at higher concentration resulted in a better

cleaning could be reduced to one third.

cleaning performance compared to 10 mg/ltr continuous

FolloWing the permeate flow trend, the re cove ry ratio

dosing. Moreover, the chemical consumption for

decreased from 40% to 30% within 3S days for the

intermittent dosing was only half or one quarter of the

untreated line and was maintained at t he design value of

one for contin uous dosing.

From the fact that the intermittent dosing had shown

40% for the One wit h addition of the new slime contro l
agent. After the first cleaning in place (ClP) was conducted

better resu lts, the application to the commercial SWRO

on the untreated line, the recovery rate was still

plant was determined to be intermittent dosing of

decreas ing and finally d ropped to 18% after 60 days of

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

The new treatment can be considered as an effect ive way to

further stabilised over another pe riod of 30 days. In other

suppress adhesion of microbes to the surface of RO

words, in spite of high load conditions the slime control agent

membranes and to break away any adhering m icrobes and

suppressed adhesion of slime and helped to maintain high

the ir metabo li c products. Even in case of contaminated

recovery and efficient operation of the RO system.

feedwater and insufficient pretreatment systems the problem

In case of biofouling material accumulating on the RO

membranes, the salt rejection is often decreased due to the

Conclusion

operation. After the same period the treated line still

maintained a recovery rate of approximately 30% which was

solving ability of the new product is coming along without

additional capita l investment cost. NSF certification has

concentration polarisation effect on the membrane surface. This

enabled Kuriverter IK-110 to be applied to drinking water

is resulting in lower permeate quality with higher conductivity. In

producing RO plants. One of the keys to success is to know

Figure 5 this effect can be dearly seen for the untreated line of

th e fluctuation range of bio substance concentration and to

the SWRO plant. Although cleaning procedure to remove fouling

determine the application l imits. The method to find the

material had been applied for this line after 35 days of operation,

applicable lim it for various kinds of raw water has already

the conductivity of the permeate increased further from

been established.
The benefits prov ided by applying Kuriverter IK -110 can be

150 - 200 mS/m after 60 days of operation. On the other hand.

the permeate conductivity of the treated line decreased over the
same period and reached 40 mS/m after 60 days operation.

evaluated by easily measurable factors:

Cost reduction related to reduced chemical cleanings.
Less cleaning chemicals.

Figure 6 shows changes in differential pressure. Differential

pressure inc reased gradually in both lines and no remarkable
difference could be observed in differential pressure during a 3S

Reduced cleaning workload.

day period. However. due to a decrease in permeate flow

Increased membrane lifetime due to less deterioration

by chemical cleaning.

clean ing became necessary on the 35 t h day for the untreated line.
Although this cleaning obviously removed fouling material from

Energy cost saving.

Reduced water consumption and wastewater generation.

the channels and caused recovery of the differential pressure to

the initial value, it did not recover the permeate flow. The

Reduced membrane replacement cost.

Lower power consumption for high pressure pumps ete.

probable cause could be failure to remove materials adhering

Less chemical cleanings.

closely to the membrane surface like microbes' metabolic

Higher recovery ratio.

products, such as glycoproteins with several ten thousands in

molecular weight. In other words, the cleaning proved to be
insufficient .

Higher stability and reliability of plant operation.

Keeping high flux and recovery ratio.
Maintaining high permeate quality.

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This change is coming qUickly and steadily to the Middle

East. While limitations on emissions and smoking flares
legislated around the world may not apply to all locations in
this region, other influencers may have a similar, nearer term
effect. International and financial institutions have formed
coalitions to incentivise the operational changes. Some of the
most influential companies in the industry have enacted internal
protocols that exceed government or international standards to
demonstrate their commitment to environmental concerns. It is
conceivable that additional operators in the Middle East will
necessarily revise flare design and operation protocols in the
near term whether driven by regulation, incentive, or their own
initiative.
PreViously, the second revision of The Royal Commission
for Environmental Regulations (RCERP issued operational
protocols and standards for the Jubail and Yanbu industrial
areas to specifically address emissions and air quality. The
initiative requires normal flare operation to be completely free

... Relatively
large
stack
diameter

from smoke emissions and Significantly restricts the allowed

frequency and length of permitted process upsets. In these
industrial areas, dozens upon dozens of flare tips are in constant
service. When a regulation such as RCER is enacted, the
conversion of existing non-smokeless flares becomes a priority
for the operators. In the common case where a flare is already
in existence, retrofitting a smokeless technology in a cost and
utility efficient manner can be a challenging endeavor. Failure to
do so, however. can result in penalty by fines. These range in
magnitude from minor charges of USS 1000 to one time
penalties in excess of USS 100 000. 9
The drivers for change do not have to come from w ithin a
country's borders. An international initiative by the World Bank
seeks to minimise the loss of natural resources and reduce the
environmental and dimatological impact of flaring and venting
associated with the production of crude oil. 2 The Global

Figure 1. Typical air flare configuration.

Initiative on Natural Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR) was formed

with the purpose of changing public policy via monetary
incentives within prodUCing countries with active flaring

technology specifically targeted to eliminate smoke in an

practices. The combination of monetary incentives and

efficient, economical manner in areas without access to steam

aforementioned legislative penalties are targeted to bring about

and without the need for a new flare stack. The new HPAAS

the desired change in operational procedures and parameters.8

technology utilises super sonic air injection in a manner that can

Part of the initiative recognises that the formation of smoke

be easily adapted to retrofit and upgrade outdated. smoking

when flaring represents incompleteness in combustion. and as a

technologies. The appl ication of HPAAS is proven to bring

result the environmental impact of a smoky flare is greater than

exceptional value to the user in both operational and monetary

that of a smokeless one. While varying from country to country.

terms.

the result of the GGFR initiatives could lead to more stringent

Drivers for change

Operational standards throughout the petroleum industry are

smokeless requirements. These procedural changes become

complex and expensive to retrofit to existing equipment.
Either as a result of the aforementioned external influences

continuously evaluated and updated in favour of practices that

or by their own internal prerogatives. company operational

relieve environmental impacts. This is true of flaring and is

procedures often require improved smokeless performance for

especially true in the case of smoking flares. The impetus for

flares. To be congruent w ith the RCER and other internal

change often comes in the form of environmental regulations,

initiatives, Saudi Aramco has publi shed stri ngent flare operation

but it can also stem from monetary drivers or public perception.

protocols in their engineering standards specifications

SAES-A-102.s According to th is standard. all flares with a

Visible for kilometers and omnipresent, elevat ed flares are a

billboard that cannot be turned off. Due to this high visibility,

throughput of up to 1 million ft2/d are required to be smokeless

the fire and any smoke emitted from flares attract the acute

for all normal operations. Flares exceeding that flow rate are

attention and concern of all parties who wish to mitigate

required to have a flare gas recovery system installed to

inefficiencies and emissions in the industry. Whether or not the

mitigate flaring almost entirely. The enactment of this

level of attention given to flares is justifiable. the flare is

specification has massive implications when applied to the

becoming a lightning rod driving change in flaring technology.

numerous flares already in existence without the necessary

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

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structure is larger than the gas riser itself. This is deSigned to

reduce the velocity within the stack. minimise the pressure drop
within the system and ultimately conserve the capital cost of
the blower by minimising its power requirements (Figure 1).
By utilising much higher pressure air than typical deSigns,
HPAAS flare tips uti lise air in a manner comparable to steam
injection tips. Instead of injecting most of the air required for
smokeless flaring. highly kinetic jet streams of air aspirate

Figure 2. The HPAAS initial design was developed

using computational fluid dynamics (CFO) analysis
and field testing.

ambient air into the combustion zone. This configuration is

highly efficient in the volume of air used; less than one tenth of
the airflow is required compared to low pressure technologies.
Additionally, since this minute air volume is injected at high
pressures. the delivery of air occurs in a much smaller pipe

utilities installed to achieve smokeless combustion. When an

often of only 2 or 3 in. nominal diameter.1 The smaller pipe

international company implements a similar initiative, the

generates several cost savings to the user; the large diameter air

impact is felt on operations in multiple countries.

ducting stack is eliminated completely, the weight and forces of

All three drivers of change, regulatory, incentivised, and

internal, apply to most of the Middle East including the

countries of Egypt. Iraq, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait. Oman,
Pakistan, and Qatar. Even

if such operational requirements are

not affecting a particular site yet. it is a reasonable assumption

that they will be in the near future.
The initiatives to reduce smoki ng flares are greatly

impacting the Middle East; however, nowhere in the world is it

the stack are minimal and therefore structural considerations

such as civil work or guy wires are minimised.
The patented design and layout of the HPAAS injection tips
are the crucial elements for delivering the benefits discussed.
For the first time in the industry. proprietary supersonic air
injection nozzles were developed to maximise the efficiency of
the air injected through the system. The jet of air produced by
the nozzle creates a turbu lent wake, inducing ambient air into

more challenging to accommodate inc reasing smokeless flaring

the combustion zone. In this manner. the effect of the relatively

capacities. Steam injection is used worldwide for the smoke

tiny flow of compressed air is multiplied so that a significant

suppression of heavy hydrocarbon flares. In these applications.

portion of the air required for complete combustion is available

steam is injected as a transport media to inspi rate and mix air at

at the flare tip exit prior to the formation smoke. In conjunction

the insipient region of the combustion zone. However, since

with using these advanced air noules, the correct placement

water is a premium commod ity in the Middle East. a need exists

and mixing set up by these t ips is paramount to the success of

for a suitable alternative to steam assisted flaring. The

the design. When the combination of induced and injected air

mechanical injection of air by means of fan or pressure blower

reach the flare tip exit, the veloCity, angle of approach. and

is well known and proven smokeless technology in the industry.

volume have been optimised for interaction with the gases and

Though typical air assisted flares do not require water, a scarce

shaping of the flame. The nozzle placement is refined to ensure

resource. the initial capital cost of the equipment is comparably

the induced air is also fully mixed with the waste gas stream and

quite high since the configuration normally requires axial flow

complete, smokeless combustion occurs (Figure 3).

of the air and gas. i.e. a stack within a stack. This makes retrofit

A specialised windshield is integral to the induction of

applications nearly impossible; upgrading a smoking flare to air

ambient air. By enhancing the upward draft around the

assisted often requires an entirely new flare system with an

perimeter of the flare tip. the momentum of the air within the

installed weight nominally three to four times greater than the

windshield overcomes the tendency for flame pull down on the

unassisted alternative.

downwi nd side of the flare. In effect. it shepherds the flame in

M any valid technological options for smokeless flaring exist

for capital projects, but what kind of financial commitment will
it take to upgrade the hundreds upon hundreds of flares in

an upward column and prevents the impingement on the flare

tip barrel common to uti lity flares.
The initial design was conceived by Saudi Aramco through

existence? Until HPAAS was developed. the financial burden of

advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses (Figure 2)

meeting the revised operational standards was perceived as too

and field testing in select southern area gas oil separation

steep to enact wholly.

plant (GOSP) locations. 1 Finalisation of the nozzle and

HPAAS technology

at Zeeco's Research and Development Facility in Broken Arrow.

windshield layout occurred through extensive full scale testing

The basis of the HPAAS technology is to transport the injection

Oklahoma. under the observation of Saudi Aramco personnel.

media in the most compact means and inspirate air as efficiently

The combination of live testing validation and CFD modelling

as possible. Following a brief discussion of the configuration and

rendered a proprietary layout that optimises the overall

requi rements of a typical low pressure air assisted smokeless

performance, reliability, and longevity of the flare system.

flare system, this article will examine the differences in a HPAAS

configuration. For low pressure systems typical in the industry.

The supply of air for these systems is most often generated

by an air compressor. This is typically welcomed by the user

vast amounts of air are utilised to prevent smoking in the flare.

si nce it is a familiar technology with competitive selection

Airflow rates ranging from 30 - SO% of the stoichiometric air

opportunities between many vendors. In tight turnaround

are required for complete combustion and must be

situations, temporary air capacity is achievable through portable

mechanically induced. Due to the large air flow required in a

natural gas or diesel driven compressors. Compressors are eaSily

standard configuration, the diameter of the air delivery

run in parallel configurations for increased online performance,

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

and if the continuous air requirements of the flare are less

than the capacity of the compressor the difference can be
piped to the plant for other uses.! In ideal circumstances, the
location has sufficient plant air to negate the need and cost of
the compressor entirely.

Application of HPAAS
The greatest distinction between HPAAS and all other
smokeless technologies is the ability to easily retrofit the
technology to upgrade existing flares. Previously, integrating
an air assist technology was mostly achieved by replacing the
flare entirely. In the Middle East o r other installations where
sufficient steam was not available, new smokeless operation
was also unobtainable. Smoking flares subject to scrutiny,
sanction, and suspicion were either left in service as is or
replaced at a crippling cost since no adequate solution existed
in the market.

Figure 3. Left: Without HPAAS. Right: The same

flare, after retrofitting with HPAAS Smokeless Flare
Technology. HPAAS uses supersonic air injection
nozzles to inspirate combustion air at a much
higher efficiency than any previous air assisted
smokeless flaring technology.

With the advent of a small bore air utility line and a

HPAAS flare tip of equitable size to the old tip, existing flare

flare tip exit, and similarly require a minimum flow to prevent

stacks can be reused with no structural modifications. The t ips

mechanical harm to the equipment. In both configurations,

are configured to be direct bolted replacements to their

running without the smokeless assist media even for

predecessors; the only welding required is simple utility

momentary periods of time can thermally stress and crack the

bracketing along the flare stack. If the compressor is located

equipment. Only the HPAAS technology injection nozzles are

near the flare stack, horizontal piping and supports are

located below the flame sufficiently far to allow brief upsets

minimised. Power, piping and controls to the compressor,

to the air supply without instantaneous harm.

buffering tank and control valve are simplistic and inexpensive.

With all of the simplifications to the equipment, turnaround

Conclusion

installations have been achieved in as little as two days

To date, there are dozens of HPAAS tips in use throughout the

providing significant down time savings to the user.

When compared to the alternative configuration of

Kingdom of Saud i Arabia, allOWing operators to meet the

objectives of smokeless flaring. In add ition to the ultimate

non-assisted smoking flares, the HPAAS technology can bring

objective of improving the environmental impact of their

added robustness and longevity to the flare tip. Unassisted

operations, this technology helps erase the visual stigma of a

utility tips often have a flame profile that is dominated by the

smoking flare from the horizon. Operators now have a tool to

effects of crosswind. As the diameter of a flare tip increases, a

address the immediate need to satisfy the latest in

more severe low pressure zone is formed along the downwind

environmental protocols and standards with manageable

side of the tip. Th is pulls the flare gas down into the zone and

resource requirements. This tool is versatile enough to rectify

allows the flare flame to stagnate on the tip barrel and

the primary problem of smoking while proViding advantages

ancillary equipment. Prolonged operation in this state

over other technologies at the initial installation, operation,

commonly damages pilot and thermocouples beyond use as

and replacement costs. Fortunately, the HPAAS upgrade is

well as cracking or buckling the barrel. As mentioned

becoming widely available just as environmental practices and

previously regarding the combined effects of the windshield

regu lations tighten across the Middle East.

I"!!

and injection nozzles, the aspi rated air momentum overcomes

the crosswind effects. The flame shape is controlled to flow

References

up and away from the flare tip exit, thus protecting the

1.

equipment and adding operational life to the tip. In some

services, non-assisted utility flares often receive sufficient

2.

damage to render the pilots and/or tip inoperable within two

to three years. In contrast, when HPAAS tips were used to
replace them. the same flares operated at the same

3.
4.

installation for five years without damage to the pilots or a

reduction in service life. The additional expected lifetime

5.

brings further monetary savings to the user in yet another way

6.

by redUCing replacement cycles and required turnarounds.

Unlike steam and axial airflow, the HPAAS can run
momentarily without air with no immediate mechanical

7.

degradation. 1 However, in a steam assisted flare, the steam

injection equipment is located very near to the combustion
zone, so a continuous minimum flow rate is required to
remove the heat of the flare flame. Other low pressure air
assist technologies introduce the air and flare gas aXially at the

8.
9.

MASHOUR, M., SMITH, S., PALFREEMAN, N., SEEFELDT, G., AFRC

2010, 'Success Stories: Saudi Aramco High Pressure Air Assist
System (HPAAS) for Smokeless Flaring.'
World Bank, 2004, Regulation of associated gas flaring and venting:
a global overview and lessons from international experience. Global
gas flaring reduction - a public-private partnership: No. 3.
The Royal Commission For Jubail and Yanbu, 2004, Royal
Commission Environmental Regulations 2004, Section I.
Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) website: http://

www.pme.gov.sa/en/envJegul.asp
Saudi Aramco Environmental Standards Committee. 31st July 2012.
SAES-AI02 Ambient Air Quality and Source Emissions Standards.
AL-Tl]ANI, A.H., Saudi Aramco, 2010, Flare Minimization
Roadmap in Saudi Aramco, http://spatia1co.com/download!
benchmarking2010/KuwaiCGasFlaring_Reduction_Abdulaziz_
Aramco.pdf
Saudi Aramco Corporate Flaring Task Team, Flaring Minimization
Roadmap, http://www.saudiaramco.com/contenUdam/Publications/

EnvironewslEnvironews%20Winter%202008/SA]laring.pdf
FARINA, M.F., GE Energy, 2010, Flare Gas Reduction: Recent Global
Trends and Policy Considerations.
The Royal Commission For Jubail and Yanbu, 2010, Royal
Commission Environmental Regulations 2010, Penalty System,

Section Ill.

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ENGINEERING

May 2014

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Patrick Gripka, Opinder Bhan, Wes Whitecotton

and James Esteban, Criterion Catalysts and
Technologies, USA, take a look at Tier 3 capital
avoidance with the help of catalyst solutions.

he US Environmental Protect ion Agency (EPA)

has fina lised new regulations designed to

reduce air pollution from passenger cars and

trucks. The regulations (commonly referred to

as Tier 3) set new vehicle emisSion standards and lower

the annual average su lfur content of gasoline from

30 to 10 ppm. Additionally. the regulations maintain the

current 80 ppm refinery gate and 95 ppm downstream

caps. The implementation date is January pt, 2017.
These Tier 3 gasoline sulfur specifications are simi lar to
levels already being achieved in California, Europe,

Japan, South Korea and several other countries.

Implications of Tier 3 on
refinery processing
The gasoline pool is composed of gasoline bOiling
range hydrocarbons from several sou rces in the
refinery. Typical gasoline pool blending components
include butanes. ethano l, light stra ight run naphtha,
iso merate, reformate, alkylate, fluid cata lytic
cracker (Fee) gasoline and hyd rocracker gasoline. In
addition , purchased blending components may also

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

2014

Catalyst developments in FCC

pretreatment

350

300

To meet the demand for improved catalysts in FCC

pretreatment se rvice to meet Tier 2 regulations, Criterion
Catalysts & Techno logies l.P. (Criterion) developed and
commercialised the ASCENT'" family of catalysts with
DN-3551 NiMo and OC -2551 CoMo. Criterion has continued
to invest heavily in R&O and has developed and

-so - -

commercialised the CENTERA" fam ily of catalysts for Fee

pretreatment: ON-3651 NiMo and OC-2650 CoMo.
Figure 2 highlights the continuing evolution of FCe

10

pretreatment NiMo catalyst development by Criterion.

3

Max Content

Refiners were able to take advantage of the increased

activity of DN-3551 to meet Tier 2 regulations and st ill

Cor porate Average

Refinery Gate Max

achieve long catalyst l ife; sim il arly, the increased act ivity of

Annual Average

the recent ly commercialised CENTERA DN-3651 will assist

refiners in meeting the proposed Tier 3 regulations.
Criterion's newest CoMo FCC pretreatment catalyst,

Figure 1. US gasoline sulfur requirements.

CENTERA DC-2650, is often used in conjunction with

CENTERA DN-3651, especially in lower pressure units to

".

'"

."

optimise hydrodesulfurisation (H05) and hydrodenitrification

(HDN) performance .
These new catalytic developments allow current Fec

.~

...
~
~

pretreatment units to produce lower product su lfur at the

no

... 0

same operating conditions and minimise the investments

required to meet Tier 3 requirements.

...''"
".

Capital avoidance

,.

Many refiners have invested heavily in robust Fec

pretrcutmcnt units to meet Tier 2 regulations as well as

r' ..... 'o"."'Mo r' ''''....'' .. ,Mo

p, ,,, ...., ''''''0

I'I'H'\

h .. ~ l'''~

. RI/AIIOS

. RVAtlDN

MACT standards for FCC emissions. Leveraging ad vanced

catalyst technologies with existing assets can, in many

" lt ~ComO<>I I .

cases, provide attractive so lutions to both minimise

capital investment as well as improve refinery

Figure 2. Criterion FCC PT continued catalyst

evolution.

profitability. The FCC pretreatmen t unit plays a critical

role in optimis ing FCC performance. Removal of sulfur
from FCC feed improves FCC product quality while the
remov al of nitrogen and contaminant metals improves

be present. Most of t hese components are very low in

sulfu r (typ ically <1 ppm) exce pt for the Fee gasoline. Not
only does the Fee gaso li ne have th e highest sulfur
con tent, but it is typically also the largest volume
component o f t he gasoline pooL As a resu lt,

Fee gasoline

FCC ca tal yst performance and reduces catalyst usage.

Additionally, hydrogenation of the Fec feed improves
conversion by reduc ing the concentration of polynuc lear
aromatic species. In many applicat ions , drop in catalyt ic
solut ions for FCC pretreatment units can achieve higher

sulfur will have to be reduced t o 20 30 ppm in order for

severity wi th little to no capital investment and minimal

a typical refine ry to meet the proposed Tier 3 regulations.

change in cycle life.

At present few, if any , refineries are able to blend

Fee gasoline into the gasoline pool
without employing hydrotreating t o reduce sui fur.
Options refiners are currently utilising to meet cu rrent
Tier 2 regulations includ e:

significant amounts of

The re are several key factors to consider when

evaluating FCC pret reatment units for higher severity
operations:

Hyd rogen availability including recycle gas capacity to

account for add itiona l consumption.

Pretreatment of Fee feed: Pretreatment reduces the

sulfur of the Fec feed, which in turn lowers the sulfur
of the FCC products including FeC gasoline.

Heat balance fo r ope ra tion at higher rea ctor

temperatures.

Cycle life targets.

Post treat FCC gasoline: Post treatment directly

reduces FCC gasoline sul fur.

Current and future capacity targets as it relates to

reactor space velocity.

Combination of FCC feed pretreatment and Fee

gasoline post treatment.

Operating constraints such as fractionation

limitations.

Current unit constraints and relative economics of the

available options will determine the technology selectio n
for meeting Tier 3 regulations.

For a medium pressure unit with average feed

properties and a typical 36 month cycle life cu rrently

IIlndustrial and academic research

the best of both worlds."

Meet Thomas Weber:

Knowledge Seeker, POylng it Forword
You might say that Thomas Weber, a lead scientist at CRITERION, is a know-it-all . Not because he's
proud , but because he sincerely wants to know it all. Ta satisfy his insatiable drive to understand
the whys behind every reaction , Weber immersed himself in academia. While eorning his postdoctorate, a professor land former Shell scientist) exposed Thomas to the world of catalyst
reseorch, leading him to a coreer with CRITE RION. Today, when Thomas isn't in the laboratory,
he's likely teaching chemistry at one of the top universities in catalysis in the Netherlands.
like his mentor before , Thomas is developing the next generation of catalysts - and next generation
of scientists os well.

Leading minds. Advanc d

5.

o ~B!r.~~LQ~
www.CRITERIONCatalysts.cam

removed. The number of unsaturated rings

adjacent to each other is critical in

~
OH' 0 "H,

Fee Crac k ing.

determining the boiling range of the final

Fee product. Molecules with one ring end

C'H.~S/

up in the

Fee napht ha cut, 2 and some

3 ring

mo lec ules go to the Leo cut whi le most 3

ring and greater mo lecu les are either fou nd

Figure 3. Impact of untreated aromatic molecule on Fee

products.

in the HCO and cla rifi ed oil st ream s o r

deposit as coke. Saturation of aromatics
results in h igher value products and greater
conve rsion in the

Fee.

Saturation of

aromati c ring s sta rts from the cent re of the

molecule wi th a decrease in relative

Ben;tothiophene i. In
gaeoline boiling ,ang..

rea ction rate as polynuclear aromatics are

hyd rogenated.
The cr iti cal o perating para mete rs that
influence these reaction rates are hydrogen

Figure 4. Impact of low severity aromatic treatment on Fee

products .

partial pressure and operating temperature.

In order to maximise aromati cs satu ration
for a given uni t, it is important to maximise
hydrogen purity and hydrogen avai labili t y to
optimise hydrogen partial pressure,
part icularly at t he reactor outlet. In addition
to maximising hydrogen part ial pressure,
operat ing temperatures must be increased

H~S

or sulfides are nOI

in gasoline boiting range

Figure 5. Impact of higher severity aromatic treatment on Fee

products.
... ...... .......................

r'

H,

cS. "\i,R,

Ui>'

"" 0

C,H,,

maximum saturat io n. Thi s optimum

plateau. Operating in the kinetic region

prOVides the best quality feed for the Fee.

CH,
FCC Cracking

is an o pt imum temperature range for

kinetic region or the aromatics satu rat ion

Hf '

constant hydrogen part ial pressure so there

temperature range is often referred to as t he

"n
CH,

C,",

to maximise sa turation. However, saturation

of aromatics is equilibrium limited at

When evaluating an increase in severity of a

AND f OA

Fec pretreatment unit, there is typically a

Hfi. . R

c,H,

CA,

Hp

synergy between the additional temperat ure

CH,

C.H,~

required and maximum aromatics saturation

operating mode. The elevated desulfurisation

Hfi-,R,

severity drives the unit closer to maximum

CH,

aromatics saturation mode, which resul ts in

Figure 6. Impact of basic nitrogen inhibition on Fee products.

improved yields in the FCC product slate.

Additiona l ly, the elevated desulfurisation
severity early in the cycle capitalises on the
maximum aromatic saturation activi ty of the

producing 1000 ppm product sulfur, the more severe Fec

pretreatment opera ti on t o produce FCC gasoline su lfur in

catalyst system throughout the cycle which maximises overall

the 20 - 30 ppm range requires FCC pretreatment prod uct

yields.

sulfur to be in the 300 ppm range and cycle l ife is still

Increased aromati c sa turation has an impact on the

more than 24 months when using CENTERA catalyst. In

distribution of the sulfur containing aromatic molecules in

addition, the product nitrogen is reduced significan tly and

Fce products. The following discussion illustrates the impact

hydrogen consumption, FCC pretreatment vo lume gain

of FCC pretreatment severity on a typical polynuclear

and Fec conversion are increased .

aromatic species and the impacts on product sulf ur

The improvemen t s in Fee performance and y ields

distribution.

from higher severity opera t ion of the Fec pretreatment

unit are linked to the increased saturation of po lynuclear
aromatics. The saturation of aromatic rings in these

Untreated feed (no FCC

pretreatment)

comp lex molecules determines both the product

For an untreated aromatic molecule, the FCC simply removes

distribution and the relative sulfur distribution in the Fee

the functional group chains attached to the compound and

products. In the FCC, aroma tic r ings do not crack whil e

leaves the majority of t he molecule unconverted, resulting in

functional groups attached to the aromatic rings can be

higher coke and or cycle oil yield. This results in higher sulfur

in the unconverted cycle oils or higher sax in the fiue gas after

In conclusion, the increased HDS achieved by

coke is burned off the catalyst. There is a low probabi lity of

increased FCC pretreatment severity along with the higher

seconda ry thiophene cracking in the Fee. thus the suI fur in

saturation and denitrification are critical in reducing FCC

this molecule ends up in the cycle oil or coke (Figure 3).

gasoline sulfu r while still achieving reasonable cycle life.

Low severity FCC pretreatment

door to improved product quality and maximum

When the same molecule is treated, but in a low severity

profitability.

Applying best available catalyst technologies opens the

operation, the resulting aromatic saturation result is an

Several US refiners are already using Criterion's

increase in gasoline yield. But because the sulfur atom

industry leading catalysts to increase severity and are

remains integrated with the aromatic benzothi ophe ne, the

capturing the yield improvements while also producing

probability of secondary cracking is low and it remains in

low sulfur FCC gasoline streams that are suitable for

the gasoline boiling range (Figure 4).

blending to Tier 3 specifications. With the increased

severity, the diesel side stream off the FCC pretreatment

Higher severity FCC

pretrea tmen t
Increased aromatic satu rat ion by increasing severity in
the FCC pretreatment unit conve rts the polynuclear
aromatic (PNA) to a single ring compound. Secondary

unit has, in several cases, been of ultra low sulfur diesel

(ULSD) quality, thereby further improving the economics.

Catalyst developments in FCC

post treatment

cracking of the thiophene yields H1S, which removes the

Likewise Criterion has continued R&D development of

sulfur from the gasoline boiling range (Figure 5).

FCC gasoline post treatment catalysts with focus on

This secondary thiophene cracking in the FCC is

maximising desulfurisation activity and selectivity w ith

inhibited by the basic nitrogen in the Fce feed and, in the

minimal olefin saturation. Criterion curren tl y produces a

presence of basic nitrogen. the inhibition decreases the

Generation 1 FeC post treatment catalyst that is

amount of sulfur removed from the gasoline fraction

(Figure 6).
The higher severity FeC pretreatment operation thus
provides additional advantages by increasing the nitrogen
and basic nitrogen removal from FCC feed. This impacts FCC
cracking react ions and influences the distribution of sui fur
in the FCC products. Thus, improved nitrogen removal also
leads to a reduction in gasoline sulfur.

employed in Fee gasoline post treatment with a new

catalyst in the development stage. The new catalyst is
designed for maximum sulfur reduction while minimising
octane loss.
The key challenge has been to develop catalyst
nanostructures that selectively maximise desulfurisation
sites, whi le minimising active sites associated with
hydrogenation of olefins.

Gene rally. conventional metal sites (Co-Mo-S) on alumina

favour both thiophenic compound desulfurisation and
saturation of the olefinic species present. This type of
processing results in high octane loss and hydrogen
consumption. Increasing selectivity for desulfurisation, whi le
suppressing olefin saturation, is key to increasing process
effiCiency, thus reducing costs, and making post treatment
processing economically effective under the more stringent
sui fur reduction specifications.
Selective post treatment hydrodesulfurisation is generally
conducted in multiple stage reactors: in the first stage. some
diolefins are removed and high mercaptan and high sui fur
compounds are converted to heavier sulfur compounds. The
effluent is fractionated to produce an olefin rich light naphtha
stream and a sulfur rich heavy naphtha stream. In the second
stage. the heavy naphtha fraction is desulfurised using selective
catalysts. Depending on the process employed, effluent sui fur
from this section can vary from tens to hundreds of ppm. Post

Table 1. Polishing reactor feed properties

Total sulfur. ppmw

159

Mercaptan sul fur, ppmw

52

Bromine number

24

API

47,0

PIONA ana lysis, wt%

Napthenes
Iso paraffins
n Paraffins
Cyclic olefins
ISO oleffns
n o lefins
Aromatics

14.55
2U2
8.47
4,62
4,37
2,86
44.12

Conclusion
Proposed Tier 3 regulatiOns redUcing average gasoline
sulfu r content to 10 ppm wi ll require further reduction of
the FCC gasoline su lfur. Refiners are currently evaluating
their opt ions which include increasing FCC pretreatment
severity or expanding FCC pretreatment assets, increas ing
FCC gasoline post treatment severity or expanding FCC
post treatment assets or a combinat ion of the two.
Opportu ni ties exist to minimise or eliminate these
investments by use of advanced catalyst technologies to
attain the longest possible cycle life at the increased
desulfurisation requ ire ments in the FCC pretreatment unit
or to red uce the FCC gasoline sulfur in the FCC gasoline
post treatment unit while minimising octane loss. i!'I

Simulated d istillation D-3710C-7890

IBP, F

140

5, wt%

164

10

183

30

230

50

287

70

340

90

395

99

438

FBP

446

treatment processing in fixed bed units is employed in

some processes to further reduce sui fur content of t his
effluent.
Cata lyst development for the finishing catalyst was
conducted at Criterion's R&D centres, where enhanced
experimentation eqUipment were employed. This
experimentation technique allows multiple experiments to
be cond ucted simultaneously, while analysing and
statistically organising data, thus enhanCing the chances of
a significant catalyst development breakthrough. The focus
in the development of this catalyst was to reduce the sites
involved in hydrogenat ion and enhance the sites involved
in the direct desulfurisation route. This involved both the
development of new support material and enhanced
surface metal chemistry to maximise selective
desulfuri sat ion, while minimis ing undesirable reactions.
Table 1 shows the properties of the feed used for post
treatment catalyst testing. This feed was collected from a
Gulf Coast refiner and represented feed to a pol ishing
reactor to reduce sulfur content.
Table 2 shows the product properties for two catalyst
generations collected at various process operating
conditions. Va rious studies were conducted where process
parameters such as catalyst temperature, hydrogen partial
pressure, gas circulation rate and system pressure were
varied over an applicable range. Under all process
conditions, the new generation catalyst showed superior
activity for sulfur removal and olefin retent ion compared
to the previous catalyst generation.

References
1.

EPA, 'EPA Proposes Tier 3 Tailpipe and Evaporative Emission

and Vehicle Fuel Sta nd ards', May 2013.
2.

Driven CQtalyst Developments in

Table 2. Product properties

Temp, F

Pressure.

psig

LH5V, 1/
hr

Fee Pretreatment Service', AIChE

Gas rate,
ft' /bbl

Gen 1 catalyst

Gen 2 catalyst

S ppm

Br No

5 ppm

Br. No

Base

Base

Base

Base

Base

Base

s....

Base

Base-

Base

Base

Base

Base ...

Base

Base.

Base

Base

Base

&a!>e+

Bas..

Base

Base

Base

Base

Base ..

Base ..

Base

Bas.

Base

Base

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

BAVARO, V" GRIPKA, P.,

GABRIELOV. A" ZHANG, C, 'Value

Spring Annual Meeting. April 2006.

3. CARLSON, K.D., DE HAAN, D.}.,
JONGKIND, H.H., SHIVARAM, A.,

'Continued Gains in Fee Pretreat

Performance - Gains in Process
Capability Used Effectively in Clean
Fuels Production', ERTC, November
2008,
4. GILLESPIE, B., GABRIELOV, A.,

WEBER, T., KRAUS, L., 'Advances

in Fee pretreatment catalysis', PTQ
Catalysis, 2013 , vol 18, No. 2.

ong term trends in refined products market demand are calling for less gasoline, but for more
diesel and light olefins. The fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) process has inherent flexibilit y

to crack different types of feed and shift the yield pattern among the various products, and

this has resulted in the primary focus of the process moving from producing maximum

gasoline from vacuum distillate towards cracking heavier more contaminated res idual feeds to make
light olefms. However the unit's flexibility also allows short term changes in the feed and product
values to be exploited.

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

2014

A major factor in this flexibility is that, unlike fixed bed

margin, thereby exploiting the value of formulation

catalytic processes, the FCCU catalyst has to be continually

replaced, therefore there is an opportunity to dynamically
adjust the catalyst formulation to meet changing feed and

flexibility.

product economics.

To meet the many and conflicting demands described above,

Residua l oil feeds that are becoming more prevalent

have higher contaminant levels than traditional feeds, most

Logistics issues
va rious add itives may comprise nearly one third of the total
makeup in some FCCUs. The large volumes of additives

notably vanadium, nickel. sodium, calcium, iron. 5ulfur, and

involved can create logistical and administrative difficulties

nitrogen (V, Ni , Na, Ca, Fe, S, N respectively). This has

if not managed appropriately. These include:

Freq uent fork lift truck movements in constricted areas.

collided with the need for high conversion and selectivity.

while meeting tighter environmental emissions standards for

Increased Fce operator work load.

both refineries and vehicles. Feed metals (V, Ni, Na, Ca and

Increased raw material management and controL

Fe). which primarily accelerate the catalyst deactivation rate

Multiple suppliers.

and compromise selectivity, have required the development

Multiple addition systems.

of more active and tolerant catalysts and new addit ives to

maintain the desired level of cracking while minimising

Dis~qvantages

of preblending

undesirable side reactions. Higher heteroatoms (S and N) in

addItIves

feed have required more active and selective additives to

Some suppliers preblend additives with the base catalyst.

reduce flue gas emissions, while the increased levels in Fee

either to ease these logistics issues, or to modify the base

gasoline have necessitated hydrotreatment with a

catalyst selectivity, although this is not always known by the

consequential loss of octane. This has enhanced the value of

refiner. Preblending is most commonly implemented for

light olefms, not just for petrochem icals but also, as feed for

ZSM-S and CO promoter, but SOx reduction, active matrix,

alky lation and etherification units to compensate for lost

and metals trap additives have also been preblended.

octane.

Nonetheless, there are a number of disadvantages when

Many refiners only undertake Fee catalyst selections

additives are preblended, which add to costs and reduce

FCCU by up to 6 - 12 months. Meanwhile, process economics

margins. The major disadvantages include:

Excessive additive usage to cope with extremes forces
suboptimal operation and/or rai sed emissions, thereby
risking permit infringements.

are changing on a daily basis and refineries processing

Additives are an operating cost. They are gener<llly much

more expensive than fresh catalyst. It is therefore
extremely important not to over add, which equates to
wasting money.

An inhomogeneous product due to a poorly controlled

blending process can cause erratic over and under
addition, resulting in suboptimal operation and/or
raised emissions risking permit infringements.

Refiners are unable to independently monitor/audit

additive quality. Standard practice under ISO-9001 is to
retain random samples of fresh catalyst and additive
deliveries for spot checking and reference in the event
of a problem. This aids trouble shooting and helps
eliminate 'finger pointing', alloWing the root cause to be
qUickly addressed.

Refiners are tied to their base catalyst supplier and not

free to choose a better additive from a competitor. For
example, lohnson Matthey does not supply base catalyst
but has a wide range of industry leading INTERCATJM"
add itives, such as Super Z" Exceed, with the highest
activity ZSM-S additive commerCially available; Super
SOXGETTER-II - and LoSOx-PS" proven to be the most
effective
reduction additives in full and partial burn
FeC's; and COP-NP"", the number one selling nonplat inum combustion promoter.

every 2 - 4 years, sometimes using testing and sometimes

not. However, long supply chains and working inventory
reqUirements usually delay getting the new catalyst into the

multiple opportunity crudes and supplementary feedstocks

can see major swings in feed quality on a similar frequency.
Usually feed and product demand are radically different by
the time the newly selected Fec catalyst is established in
the unit.
Furthermore catalyst and additive suppliers are
continually proactively developing novel products, often
tailored for specific requirements, as well as responding to
customer requirements and disruptions in raw material costs
such as rare earths. Being locked into using a particular
catalyst or additive inevitably leads to missed opportunities.
Some refiners do reformulate their catalyst to try and
respond to shifts in feed quality and product demand.
However, the range of available catalyst properties and
working inventories limits the ability to make significant
moves on a reasonable time scale and the catalyst
formulation is never properly optimised to extract the
maximum possible value. Just as a refiner would never dream
of running down alkylate mixed with other gasoline blend
components because it would compromise its high value,
stemming from high octane, low vapour pressure and low
contaminant content, to maximise the benefits of FCCU
flexibility refiners need to segregate individual components
in the catalytiC system. With accurately controlled use of

sax

Examples of the opportunities

the best available catalysts and additives, they are in a

position to rapidly optim ise catalytiC systems.
This article describes how the refiner can achieve a level

Zeolite to matrix optimisation

Figure 1 illustrates how one feed property (density) can vary

of catalyst formulation flexibility that better matches the

in contrasting situations. Normally the base catalyst is

market time scales, while still meeting the environmental

deSigned for the most common feed. However, when the

and process constraints. This lowers risks and increases

feed lightens there is an opportunity to increase V-zeolite to

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

)
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The only word you need to remember
in the world of specialty gases.
High purity gases, ISO accredited ca librati on gas mixtures and precision gas contro l equipmen t for
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HiQ' Precision matters in everything we do.

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Phone +49.89.74 46-166 1, hiQ@linde-gas.com, hltp:/lhiQ.linde-gas.com

80

70

60

1\
I \
I \
I \

50
40
30

I~

I
.
o

10

YA

./ v

40

./

20

much more advanced than many peop le realise w ith

featu res including:
Highly reliable and precise, fully automated additions.

60

Matthey at no extra cost for leased loaders.

1\

[,

.....

r--...
80

100

120

Regenerator After burn F

Before New COP -NP loader

With New COP-NP Loader

Figure 5. Improved afterbum .

70
60

~
~
~o
z

--

SO

'-\"

40

IN

30
20

I
rJ

10

o
20

30

Refilling can be manual or fully automatic.

Skid mounted for easy installation.

Provide independent, aud itable addition records for

Government compl iance where required.

Mu ltiple independent catalyst component options

available.

Automat ic inventory management (AIM) option.

Si ntered metal filters for zero particulate emissions.

Extensive DCS interface capability.

Table 1 illustrates the reliability of JNTERCAT)M loaders,

the key to which is the simp le design with a Single, speCial

\ 1\

design add ition valve in contact with cata lyst. (Has

\~ '-J\.II

40

Loaders can be refilled from drums, big bags, tote bins,

transportable hoppers, road and rail tankers, and
refi nery hoppers.

I~ _\

100% maint enance support proVided by Johnson

50

60

70

demonstrated over 500 000 cydes w ith no measurable

wear). The design combined with the patented control
80

90

NOK Emissions ppm

system achieves the high degree of precision shown in

Table 2.
Johnson Matthey can complement this reliability and

Before New COP-NP Loader

With New COP -NP Loader

accuracy with a supply chain system that combines an

appropriately sized loader with one of multiple options for

Figure 6. Improved NO, control.

additive delivery mode. The AIM TECHNOLOGY makes sure

that this runs smoothly, with minimal input from the renner.
Small systems are normally reloaded by vacuum from sealed,

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analys is w ith

elemental mapping can be used to detect the presence

of phosphorus rich discrete particles and this provides

reusable bulk bins (1000 kg capacity/bin) or big bags, or

drums. La rge systems are normally pressure loaded from
pneumatic trucks or rail cars (24 - 100 t per refill). Intermediate

conclusive evidence of ZSM-5 additive being present in

sizes can use the new 15 t capacity transport hoppers, which

Feat or Ecat.

are delivered full, tilted, connected tothe INTERCAT)M

addition system, emptied by daily consumption, and when

Combustion promoter

empty, picked up and replaced by truck.

Many refiners use prepromoted catalysts that have a

fixed amou nt of combustion promoter added. In order to

All systems can also be refilled from an existing catalyst

hopper.

ensure they always have enough CO promoter to avoid

afterburn excursions these catalysts usually have excess

The AIM TECHNOLOGY option allows add ition system

to 'phone home' to Johnson Matthey's secure network once

promoter. However, excessive usage of CO promote rs

a day using fixed telephone line or GSM network. Additive

causes unnecessary increases in NO x emissions. Figure 4

usage, and onsite additive inventory is monitored

is an examp le where a large quantity of a low NO x

automatically to ensure t hat refi nery does not run out of

non-platinum promoter was added in error: as can be

additive, and reordering can be automated, or reminders

seen it caused a large spike in NO x emissions. As

issued eliminating increased costs from panic reordering,

environmental regulations on NO x become tighter

etc.

refiners need to control their CO promoter additions to

Inventory and usage statistics are available to refiner

the bare minimum. Figure 5 and Figure 6 show how one

from a secure web site 24 hours a day minimising workload

refiner reduced afterburn and NO x' wh ile Simultaneously

for operations group and budget holders and can be used in

tightening their control by using an INTERCAT)M loader

place of connection to the refi nery DCS.

for precisely controlled CO promoter add itions.

Conclusion

Controlling multiple additive and

catalyst additions

There is Significant value available to refiners in utilising the

Many refineries have poor control and rel ia bility of base

continuous catalyst replacement. To exploi t this value the

catalyst additions, and often ask how they can manage

refiner needs to employ a combination of var ious additives

inherent flexibility conferred on the FCC process by

these let alone three or four addit ives. Johnson

in a preCisely controlled way and avoid preblending these

Matthey's latest INTERCAT)M additive addition systems are

additives with the base catalyst.

1ft

Testing at different scales

bed reactor,
catalyst packing, gas and liquid flow distribution and heat
management need to be controlled properly. With an optimised
reactor configuration. the catalyst is the remaining degree of
In order to obtain optimum performance in a trickle

freedom that can be tuned to further improve the performance.

Depending on the scope of the catalyst testing. different types of
trickle bed reactor system can be used. from nanoflow type

reactors (typically 1ml catalyst volume scale), right up to pilot scale

(typically 1000 ml catalyst volume scale) (Figure 1).
Catalyst development and comparative long term stability
testing with basic product analysis, as well as optimisation of
stacking configurations or basic reactor operation conditions call

for small catalyst amounts (typically 1ml scale) and a high degree of
parallelisation (typically 16 - 48 fold). It is a low risk and cost
effective approach for catalyst preselection compared to paper
study based pre selection. Ranking of pre selected commercial
catalysts focusing on catalyst performance as well as sufficient
product quantities for detailed analysis of product fractions require
larger catalyst amounts (typically 10 -100 ml scale) and a moderate
degree of parallelisation (typically 4 - 8 fold). Basic process studies
such as 2 stage processing (e.g. mild hydrocracking) are performed
at this scale as well. Pilot tests (typically 1000 ml sca le or higher and
1fold) are used to predict the detailed performance of the

preferred catalyst in a commercial unit under realistic process

conditions (testing recycles, adiabatic operation and integration of
product separation), as well as being able to deliver enough of the
product for fleet tests.
Testing at smaller scales only makes sense if the obtained
performance data can be transferred to larger and, finally, to
industrial scale. An important prerequisite for proper scalability are
well defined reaction conditions in bench scale systems by means
of well known lab reactor design criteria.1.2.3 Proper temperature
control and reactor heating concepts ensure isothermal operation
and thus enable well defined temperature performance
correlations. Control of reactor length to diameter to catalyst
particle size ratio as well as optimised catalyst packing concepts
are needed to obtain an even gas and liqUid flow distribution over
the reactor cross section, and hence efficient catalyst wetting
throughout the entire catalyst bed (defined as plug flow
conditions).

Catalyst packing

A proper packing procedure is an important prerequisite for

reproducible catalyst testing. The structure of the packed bed
determines the fluid dynamiCS in the tricklebed reactor, affects the
catalyst wetting and hence has a strong impact on the absolute
reaction rate measured for a given catalyst4
Packing configurations with an inner reactor diameter to
particle size ratio (aspect ratio) of less than 25, which are typical for
full size commercial shapes packed in bench scale reactors, suffer
from uneven liquid and gas flow distribution over the reactor cross
section.1.3 The reactor wall has an ordering effect on the catalyst
particles resulting in an increasing void fraction close to the reactor
wall. As a consequence, channeling and bypass close to the reactor
wall can occur, leading to inefficient catalyst wetting throughout
the catalyst bed.
Embedding futl size commercial catalysts into a matrix of small
,
1(kri
100TIl
lOOm'
"""'"'"'
diluent
particles in bench scale reactors with low aspect ratio can
4~
H
"
l.IIbcJlIlr) TncI"Je.fled Reactor
suppress these phenomena.5 The small diluent particles dominate
the fluid dynamics and help meet the reactor design criteria for
plug flow behaviour and efficient catalyst wetting. This results in
Figure 1. Trickle bed reactor scaling w ith typical
better comparability to pilot and industrial scale reactor packings
c atalyst volume and degree of parallelisation.
with a larger aspect ratio.2The embedding approach has led to the
costly pilot plants used traditionally gradually
being replaced by bench scale reactors.6
Table 1. Typical dim ensions and superficial velocities of hte and OMV
trickle bed reactors at differen t scales

1- 1_ -

....

_.......
hr.

ht.

OMV

OMV

Nanoflow

Benchscale

Pilot scale

Industrial

Catalyst particle dp, mm

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

Reactor inner D, m

0.004

0.019

0.055

2.500

D/dp. -

37

1667

13

Reactor length L, m

0.20

0.40

0.90

20.00

Udp. -

267

600

Bm

L/D, -

50

21

16

Cross section, m2

0.000013

0.000281

0 .002376

4.908739

Dilution ratio, %

50

50

50

Catalyst volume, !

0.0013

0.0498

1.0549

98174.7704

Superficial liquid velocity, 0.020

mm/s

0.035

0.089

4.000

SuperfiCial gas velOCity,

Nm/s

O.Otl

0.027

1.200

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

0.006

Reactor scales at hte and

OMV

For case study, hydroprocessing units with

different reactor scales at hte (16 fold nanoflow
high throughput unit to four fold bench scale) and
OMV (two fold pilot plant and fina ily a
commercial plant) (Figure 2) were used. The
catalyst volume of these units spans from 1 ml,
through 100 ml and 1000 ml, right up to 100 m3
(Table 1). Comparison of the superficial velocities
(defined as flow rates over reactor cross section)
clearly shows that for a given liquid hourly space
velOCity (LHSV) and gas to oil ratio (GTO) the
industrial scale units typically operate at higher
cross sectional load and hence most likely in a
different fluid dynamiC regime than the test
units.u The test units do not show a Similarly

dramatic difference among each other with respect to superficial

velocities. They lie within a range of factor four. Alignment is
possible by adjusting the reactor length to diameter ratio.
Testing units typically work with smaller diluent particles to
improve isothermal operation and fi ll up the void space for better
gas and liqUid distribution. A decrease in void space results in an
increase in the actual interstitial velocities. Nonetheless, this further
increase by smaller diluent particles cannot compensate reaching
the much higher cross sectional load of industrial scale.
Consequently, the strategy for test units is not necessarily to
reproduce the exact same fluid dynamiC profile as in the
commercial unit Instead, techniques such as catalyst embedding
are applied to assure an even flow distribution throughout the
entire reactor cross section. This plug flow profile in the trickle bed
reactor and the resulting efficient catalyst wetting ensure optimum
catalyst utilisation and avoid masking artefacts from poor fluid
dynamiCS.

Hydroprocessing case studies

Figure 2. Reactors at different scales (from left

to right): 16 fold high throughput unit at hte
(nanoflow). 4 fold bench scale unit at hte, 2 fold
pilot at OMV, commercial plant at OMV.
120
100

.
iii

80
60
40

- A powder

. _.- .

900

hydrodesulphurisation (HDS) and hydrodenitrification (HDN) of

- 8 exlrudates

sso

800

Two fu ll size commercial quadrilobe extrudate catalysts A and B

were ranked in the nanoflow system and in the bench scale unit
according to defined test protocols for combined

/
- A exlrudates

GTO 300 NI/ltr). The ranking was performed in a hte 16 fold high

Downscaling from hte bench

scale to hte nanoflow scale

~
~

20

throughput system (nanoflow), as well as in an hte four fold bench

scale unit. The setup comparison was done to prove the possibility
of reasonable downscaling of full size commercial catalyst ranking
rlOIn lypical bench scale lo lml scale. In the second case study, the
base case MHC catalyst system A was utilised to compare the hte
bench scale unit with the OMV pilot plant for the combined two
300 NI/ltr). In all cases, the apparent rate constants were obtained
with irreversible, ideal plug flow kinetics with reaction order n = 1.67

;<

The case studies presented here comprise an independent catalyst

ranking of two full size commercial catalyst systems A and Bfor
two stage mild hydrocracking (MHq of vacuum gas oil (VGO) with
1wt"/o sulfur and 1000 ppm nitrogen. In the first case study, the
HDS/HDN catalysts A and B in the first MHC reactor stage were
ranked against each other (reactor pressure 60 bar(gl, LHSV l.5l/hr,

stage MHC ofVGO (reactor pressure 60 bar(g), LHSV 0.7211h, GTO

~
E

700 -

~c 600
0

u
~
~

620
640
Temperature I K J

200

- A exlrudates

/
/
/ /

/
~~

100

o
580

680

8 exlrudates

400
300

660

A powder

500

~
~

600

600

620
640
Temperature I K J

./

_._-

660

680

Figure 3. Comparison of HDS kinetics: conversion

(left) and apparent rate constant (right), for full
size commercial catalysts A and B, as well as base
case A in crushed powder form.

VG0. Some difference exists between both tests due to somewhat

different run modes. The bench scale unit was operated in a

constant MHC conversion mode, i.e. the temperature was adjusted
to maintain a certain conversion. The high throughput unit was
operated in a temperature scan mode, i.e. the temperature was
increased stepwise over defined time intervals in order to produce
a temperature history and run time close to the one in the bench
scale unit. Thus, the test protocols for the two units were not
identical but close enough to ensure a reasonable level of
comparability. The catalyst activation protocol was identical.
The high throughput unit was additionally used to measure the
HDS/HDN kinetics over a broader temperature range than that
offered by the catalyst ranking protocol. Figure 3 shows HDS
conversion and the corresponding apparent rate constant for full
size extrudate catalysts A and Bas well as catalyst A crushed to a
powder fraction as a function of temperature.
Commercial catalyst ranking is typically performed under
industrially relevant conditions, i.e. often at high conversion levels

far in excess of 90% conversion for HDS/HDN. As can be seen in

Figure 3, the measured conversion differences are very small in this
domain, while the calculated apparent rate constants expand the
difference. As a consequence, the conversions in this domain must
be determined with absolute preciSion in order to accurately
distinguish even slight conversion differences and avoid
experimental artefacts that are blown up when converted to rate
constants. An imperative prerequisite for this is a reprodUCible
catalyst packing protocol ensuring plug flow since artefacts from
uneven flow distribution and incomplete catalyst utilisation may
significantty corrupt the catalyst ranking.
The result of the comparative catalyst ranking in the nanoflow
and bench scale unit (Figure 4) shows that catalyst B is
approximately 2.5 times more active than catalyst A. Although
there is a slight deviation between both setups due to different run
modes, the catalyst ranking on both scales lead to the same

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

2014

)n

D esigning and manufacturing complete thermal systems is

Watlow's expertise. We have over 20 years' experience working
vith our energy process customers to determine optimum thermal
utions for process heating applications.

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atlow supplies engineering deSign,

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_........ _..

.. T....... ....

,.,.loI\... r...

,.... r - . a

B-- SI

EL-

""'.... Pi

Figure 1. SRU Claus process.

is becoming the preferred heating method to protect t he
environment/support an environmentally friendly future.
If an upg rade of the t hermal loop is needed. electric
heaters are a more cost effective choice. Upgrading the
heat sou rce of an existing process, such as a hot oil
system, with a non-electric option can add expense and
cause unnecessary downtime. Adding electric heat can
reduce costs and minim ise disruptions on an existing
thermal system.
Typically. an electri c heating system is a safer option,
espec ially in haza rdous environments. Electric heaters have
no open flames, which may be a safety requirement.
Unlike indirect heat exchangers, electrical heaters
reduce the risk of catalyst contamination if a tube ruptures
or fails causing the leaking fluids to interfe re with the
process.
Significant load variations can be an issue for thermal
syste ms, especial ly if tighter tempe rature band widths are
requi red. The combination of an electric heater with a
silicon controlled rectifier power controller will solve this
issue and is best suited for these performance
requirements.
Some common applications of electric heaters include:
Continuous catalyst reforming (CCR).
Isomerisation catalyst regeneration.
Propane dehydrogenation (PDH).
5ulfur recovery units {SRUs)/tail gas units (TGUs).
Knock out drums (KO drums).
Reactor start up using heat transfer salt (HTS).
CCR is a chemical process used to convert petroleum
refinery naphthas. typically having low octane ratings, into
high octane liquid products ca lled reformates which are
components of high oc tane gaso line (also known as high
octane petrol). Basically, the process rearranges or
restructures the hydrocarbon molecules in the naphtha
feedstocks as well as breaking some of the molecules into
smaller molecules. Electric heaters play a critical role in
the chemical process. There are two major owners of the
CCR process: UOP and Axens. UOP reactor towers are
stacked, whe reas Axens uses sta ndalone towers.
At t he reactor towe r, catalysts flow due to their
gravity reaction with naphtha. Nea r the end of this process,
at t he lowest reactor tower, coke will build up and the
catalyst is in need of regeneration.

These spent catalysts are pneumatically lifted with

nitrogen to the regeneration tower, where a set of electric
heaters is used to perform speCific functions.
In the CCR regenerator, three out of the four basic steps
of the catalyst regeneration take place:
Burning the coke.
Oxidation/chlorination.

Drying.

Burning the coke

Burning off the coke can be accomplished by a set of air
heaters. The air enters the process at a temperature of
approx imately 300 ' C (572 ' F) and is heated up to
approx imately 570 C (1058 F). This is done at an operating
pressure of 0.241 Mpag (35 psig). The hot air will burn the
coke that has developed on the catalyst at the reactor
tower. Due to the requirements of low operating pressures
and high tempe ratures, this is typically accomplished using
multiple heaters in series. The construction and material of
air heaters are chosen and designed to withstand high
oxidation. Typically, these heating elements use an
Incoloy 840 or 32155 sheath material, while the rest of the
wetted parts are built with 30455.

Oxidation/ chlorination
The chlorination of gas is typica lly done by inject ing o rganic
chloride into the dry air. In order to restore the chloride
level of the catalyst, it needs to achieve a chloride level of
approximately 1.2 % by weight. Typically, this gas mixtu re is
then heated up from approximately 47SC (887 OF) to
530 C (986 OF) by using a Single heater. To prevent stress
corrosion cracking failures, which can occur due to the
chloride content and high temperatures, the material of
choice for all wetted parts is Inconel 600.

Drying
The medium contains nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases,
which will enter the heated section at approximately
445 ' C (833 OF) and emerge at approximately 480 ' C (896 OF),
at an operating pressure of 0.241 Mpag (35 psi g). This can be
achieved by one or two heaters connected in series. The hot
gas will then d ry the catalyst afte r the chlorination
processes. Typical heating element materials are
Incoloy 800 or 32155 for the sheath and 30455 for the rest
of the wetted parts.
The last and final step to complete the regeneration
process of the catalyst is to reduce its oxidation. This is
accomplished by a change of atmosphere aher the
regeneration tower. using hydrogen rich and hydrocarbon
mixture gas. This gas mixture is heated from approximately
200 C (392 OF) to 400 C (752 OF) and introduced to the catalyst
before it enters the reactor towers.
Add itional processes which can include electric heaters
include:
The isomerisation process also uses e lectric heaters for
catalyst regeneration. But unli ke CCR, the process may
not be continuously reforming.

The PDH process by UOP uses the same set of CCR

heaters. In addition to these heaters, there are heaters
for each reactor tower and sulfur stripping.

Pressu re vessels typically require a design to meet the

requirements of and be stamped as ASME VI II Div 1.

Heater bundles shou ld be designed without segmental

baffles to minimise pressure drops and avoid possible
hot spots from dead flow areas.

Heating elements need to be made from seamless

t ubing with minimum wall thickness of
1.25 mm (0.049 in.) to eliminate failures at the tube
seams and serve with reliable high performance.
100000 hrs of continuous operation are a typical life
cycle for these elements.

Heate rs should be produced to meet tighter

resistance tolerances (within 5%) and are required to
deliver deSigned wattages at minimum voltage.

Heaters should be used in combination with SCR

controllers, typically two leg burst fire.
Heating elements need to be seal welded to the
flange. The use of 'bite coupling' or soldered
connections is not allowed.

Materials of construction
To avoid stress ch loride cracking fai lure due to traces of
HCI in the gas mixture, most chlorinat ion heaters require
the wetted parts (heater bundle, flange a nd vessel) to be
made of Incone' - 600. Air heaters use sta inless steel
vessel and flanges with 321 SS or Incoloy* 840 elements.
Regeneration heaters use stainless steel vessel and
flanges with Inco loy* 800 elements.

Care and maintenance of

heaters and controllers

Figure 2. Electric heater for heat transfer salt for a

petrochemical plant in Korea.

SRUs and TGUs play a vital role in reducing the sulfur

emisSion into the atmosphere. The quality of crude
being refined is getting dirtier whereas the
requirement for allowable sulfur emission is getting
tighter (USA New Source Performance

Standards (NSPS) for Petroleum Refineries, subparts J

and Ja. 40 CFR 60.100). This combination is creating
new breeds of SRUs and TGUs.
The traditional shell and tube heat exchangers are now
being replaced by electric heaters due to the benefits
stated earlie r. This also applies to TGUs.
Knock out drums are used to separate fluids and
liquids before another process or flare. The fluids are
heated to lower the viscosity fo r handling. Di rect
immersion heaters are typical fo r this application.

Other petrochem ical processes use HTS for heating

reactor towers. Electr ic heate rs are used to heat the HTS
during start up.

Typi~al heater design

req Ulremen ts

Heaters can be a single unit or several units in series,

depending on the required outlet temperature.

Electrica l enclosures need to be explosion proof and

certified to perform in hazardous locations.

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

Electric heaters for the mentioned applications are major

investments. These heaters are typ ically ordered and
delivered several months ahead of the installation and
startup process. These heaters should be kept in a d ry
place, cove red and preferably in a low humidi t y
environment.
If the site has no storage room, the heaters should be
kept in a crate and covered wit h tarp to protect them
from ra in or sun.
If the heater element has been deformed during
handling, it should be straightened to avoid touching
other elements. Otherwise, hot spots will be c reated,
which result in failure.
When the heate rs are installed and running, a good
regular monthly check of the e lectr ical enclosure cooling
fan filters should be done to ensure good air flow and
cooling of the thyristors in the panel. For heaters that are
used for startup only and will be on standby for a few
months, a good nitrogen or dry air pu rge in the enclosure
box will ens ure a good isolation of the heater fo r the next
usage.
Finally, it is recommended to perform maintenance or
inspections of the heater's electrical enclosure at least
once a year to make sure the connections are tight and
show no signs of overheating.

Conclusion
When properly operated and maintained, electric heaters
have been proven to be in service of refineries and
petrochemical plants well above the required 100 000 hrs
of continuous service,

i1'I

exchange technology is not the easiest task. However, through

some innovative thinking it can eaSily be understood that there is
money to save on cutting OPEX and CAPEX. One way of being
innovative is to steer away from old Shell & Tube heat exchangers
and replace these with more reliable spiral heat exchangers (SHE).

The desalting process

Figure 1. Process flow scheme of a typical crude

oil desalting process.

In the US alone, the cost for crude oil fouling in refinery pre

heat trains is estimated at USS 1.2 billion/y, excluding casts for

increased CO2 emissions.

The cost of pre heat train fouling in a 160 000 bpd refinery in

France was estimated at US$ 1.5 million over a 3 month period.

When reading these numbers it becomes apparent that

increasing uptime of heat exchangers by reducing fouling can lead
to ma5Sive cost savings for individual refineries. The costs

associated with fouling in crude pre heat trains can be categorised

as follows:
Energy costs associated with the additional fuel required for
the furnace due to the reduced heat recovery and excessive
pressure drop (pumping power) in the crude pre heat train

heat exchangers.

Production loss due to fouling. If the pre heat train throughput

is limited by the furnace capacity (firing limit), the crude oil
throughput must be throttled back with serious economic
consequences.
capital expenditure ((APEX). This includes excess surface area
of the heat exchangers to account for fouling, real estate costs
to handle larger and heavier eqUipment, and increased
transportation and installation costs.
Maintenance costs. This includes labour and other costs for
removing fouling deposits and the cost of chemicals or other
operating costs of anti foul ing equipment and environmental
penalties associated with disposal of cleaning chemicals.

In the refinery, the crude oil distillation unit (CDU) is literally the
heart of the refinery. The crude distillation unit uses both an
atmospheric tower and a vacuum tower to fractionate crude oiL
The products, also called distillates, from the (DU unit are then
further processed and refined into products that can be sold on the
market and thus generate profit for the refinery. Hence, operating
problems in the CDU unit can have huge consequences for the
refinery's operating margin.
An important component of most CDUs is the desalter. Raw
crude contains salts, metals, solids, water and various organic
compounds that can cause fouling, corrosion and catalyst
deactivation in downstream equipment. These undesirable
components are removed to acceptable levels by adding water
and separating the aqueous and Oily phases in a piece of equipment
called a desalter.
Heat exchangers play a crucial role in the operation of a
desalter. As severe fouling can be expected due to the various
types of crudes processed in a desalter, chooSing the right heat

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

Upstream the desalter, the crude is mixed with a water stream

(wash water/dilution water). Intense mixing takes place over a
static mixer to improve the contact between the salts in the
crude oil and the wash water injected in the line.
Before entering the desalter, the crude oil is further emulSified
in an emulsifying device. The desalter uses an electric field
(electrostatic coalescence) to separate the crude from the
water droplets. The desalter operates best at 130 150 C
After the separation in the desalter, the produced water, also
called effluent water (water separated from the crude oil), is
discharged to the water treatment system. The salts being
dissolved in these water droplets, is entrained in the effluent
stream along with suspended solids and other undesirable
components.
The effluent water generally contains chlorides and is
therefore very corrosive. Hence, corrosion resistant alloys, or
carbon steel with some corrosion allowance, should be used
for the equipment in contact with the effluent water.
The separated crude oil from the desatter is sent to the
distillation column where it will be fractionated into the
desired products. Since the crude oil is now desalted, the
fractioning can be done without excessive problems with
corrosion, plugging, scaling, coking of heat exchangers and
furnaces, etc.

Spiral heat exchangers

The SHE is constructed by rolling two long metal strips around a
cylindrical centre core to form two concentric spiral channels with
rectangular cross sections. The channels are then alternately
welded on opposite edges to form a hot and cold channel. The
welding of the channels eliminates the potential for any cross
contamination of the fluids.
On one side, the hot fluid enters the centre nozzle of the hot
cover and spirals its way out to a nozzle on a distribution manifold
attached on the shell. The cold fluid Simultaneously enters a
distributing manifold and flows counter currently to the hot fluid
to the centre nozzle on the cold side cover. Removable cover
plates with full face gaskets are used to seal the open end of the
channels and prevent external leakage and bypassing of a
respective fluid from the distribution manifold to the centre
nozzles.
What is unique about the SHE is that it has a Single flow
passage for each fluid which diversifies it from other heat
exchanger technologies where multiple parallel channels are
common. The benefit with the Single channel design is that it
minimises the potential for fouling to occur since any build up in
the channel results in an increase in local velocity at that pOint,
which increases the turbulence and the fluid shear stress on the
heat exchanger surface, thereby limiting the fouling build up or in
some cases even removing it. Due to this effect, SHEs are said to be
self cleaning which means that a SHE typically operates two to
three times longer between cleaning than a Shell & Tube exchanger
for the same duty. The fouling that does occur in the heat
exchanger generally tends to be a thin layer which is evenly
distributed across the width of the channel. These characteristics

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exchanger can be cleaned and put back in service within a regular

8 hr working shift. If chemical cleaning is used, the bowed
channels of the spiral enhance the fouting removal rate. In Shell &
Tube heat exchangers, chemical cleaning is often not effective
because the chemical simply bypasses any plugged tubes.

Heat exch ange r dutie s

Figure 2, Illustration of the single channe l design

in a spiral heat exchanger.

The desalting process rel ies heavily on efficient and reliable heat
transfer. As heat exchangers play a vital role in the process much
effort is dedicated to maintain their reliability and promote long
service cycles between cleanings. As described in Figure 1the two
key heat exchanger duties in the desalter process are the
following:
Item 1: Pre heating of the wash water stream while cooling
the effluent water coming from the desalter. Below is an example
of a typical duty:
Process side (effluent water): 140 - 10S 0c.
Service side (wash water): 6S - 9S 0c.
Item 2: Cooling of the effluent water down to the desired
temperature for the waste water treatment process. Below is an
example of a typical duty:
Process side (effluent water): 105 - 4S C.
Service side (CW): 30 - SO

'c.

Some key design criteria for flawless operation to consider

when selecting a proper heat exchanger technology is to the
exchanger's ability to resolve problems with fouling, flow
maldistribution and erosion. Therefore, some of the obvious
advantages of the SHE come well into place in the desalter
process, which is described below.

Figure 3, Illustration of a horizontally mount ed

spiral heat exchan ger with hinged covers for ease
of mainte nance.
maintain an even flow distribut ion in the spiral and reduce

erosion as the channel velocity is maintained at the set design

limit.

In for example, a Shell & Tube heat exchanger, which is a

multiple channel heat exchanger, fouling decreases velocity as
the flow is diverted to other channels with lesser flow resistance.

As a result, the fouling build up in the channels with low

velocities is accelerated. These velocity gradients cause
extreme ly uneven flow distributi on across the heat exchanger,

leading to reduced heat transfer and often severe erosion.

Eventually, with low velocity, channels will become so heavily
fouled that they will completely plug the flow leading to costly

downtime for cleaning.

When the SHE ultimately does require cleaning, all heat
transfer surfaces are full y accessible by simply removing the
cover plates. When required, or for scheduled maintenance, both
sides of the spiral are easily cleaned by opening the cover and
using a pressure wash to remove the deposits. By removing the
covers of the heat exchanger, the entire length of the passages
are easily accessible for inspection and mechanical cleaning. One
maintenance engineer can open the unit without heavy
equipment and considerable health and safety risks. The channels
are a maximum of 2 m deep, allowing a high pressure water lance
to easily reach into the entire chamber. Typically a spiral heat

Shell & Tube heat exchangers

Great fouling potential on the effluent water side. Fouling

occurs in the form of salt build up over time.
Frequent cleaning/maintenance required.
Shell and tube often in series arrangement due to
temperature cross.
Vibration problems caused by impingement plates.
Erosion issues due to the presence of solids.

Spiral heat exchangers

Ohen lower CAPEX (primari ly insta1!ation costs).

Lower OPEX: The single channel self cleaning effect reduces
the cleaning frequency to once/y or once per refinery shut
down.
Less fouling means lower energy consumption thus lower
fuel/ele ctricity costs.
Vibration free design.
Less sensitive to erosion if channel velocities are kept within
established guidelines.

Clearly, the SHE technology demonstrates some obvious

differences in deSign, operational reliability and overall cost of
ownership. All of these features could be main decision criteria
for a reliability engineer when making the selection of the most
appropriate heat exchanger for a specific heat transfer job.

Case stud y

A major US refinery decided to revamp its crude unit as it had had

severe fouling and erosion problems in the existing Shell & Tube

heat exchangers for many years. Due to the bad experience

with the Shell & Tube heat exchangers that technology was
not considered viable going forward due to the tendenc y for
plugging and erosion damage. Basically, due to the fouling the
exchangers had to be cleaned once every month and due to
the erosion the tube bundles were replaced annually, leading
to massive spending on OPE X and CAPEX.
Instead SHEs were selected because the Single channel
design was deemed the most suitable technolo gy for
handling the effluent water fluid. which containe d excessive
amounts of solids and was heavily fouled. Also, due to the
higher effiCiency of the spiral and the even flow distribution
in the channel the technolo gy allowed for a doser
tempera ture approach and more precise tempera ture control
that was critical in this heat recovery application. In summary,
Tranter was able to save the custome r the following:
Annual cleaning cost savings of USS 66 000.
Annual cost savings on fuel consum ption USS 52 000.
Annual cost savings due to lower loss of product ion
U5$ 250 000.

Although the cost upfront for the SHE was quite high the
investment is likely to be paid off within 1 - 2 years.
However, it was not without doubt that the refinery
selected the spiral technology. The benefits of the spiral heat
exchanger were known but the equipme nt had never been
used at this location before, so the maintenance team was
concern ed with how to dean the exchangers. However, when
they did the first cleaning they realised that cleaning a spiral

was easy compare d to cleaning the tubular exchangers as it

could be done without the hassle of removing the tube
bundles, which is a major health and safety concern at the
site.
The refinery is now extremely pleased with the spiral heat
exchangers. They no longer have to clean the heat exchanger
as often as they did with the Shell & Tube heat exchanges.
which enabled huge savings on OPEX costs.

Conc lusio n
Heat conserv ation and trouble free heat exchange is of
extreme importance in a refinery and directly affects the
refinery's operatin g margin. Therefore, selecting the proper
type of heat exchanger technology is indeed an importa nt
task for a reliability engineer responsible for the crude
distillation unit. Instead of allOWing for fouling in the process
by the use of anti fouling equipment, over deSigned heat
exchangers, cleaning chemicals, etc. the focus should be on
fundamentally preventing fouling from occurring.
Due to the unique features of the SHE, the technolo gy
has. over the years, proven to have the effiCiency and
reliability that is needed in a critical refinery process. The
heat exchangers have proven to maximise uptime thus saving
OPEX and are also more favourable when it comes to cutting
CAPEX (installation and eqUipment cost). Just as many studies
that are done on how to limit or mitigate foul ing should be
made on investigating whether SHEs could be the answer to
a refinery's fouling problems. I!!

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5% can be realised at all kinds of industrial steam boilers,

Rate of corrosion

furnaces and fired heaters even in the case when air pre
heating is already applied to some extent.
The current metal air preheaters are designed for a
minimum flue gas exit temperature of approximately
160 C in order to prevent corrosion and subsequent high

Water dew point

Acid dew point

maintenance cost. Flue gas originating from sulfur

containing fuel (e .g. refinery gas, fuel) has an acid dew
point at approximately 130

'c.

For this reason , many

existing air preheater systems incorporate a steam heater

in order to preheat ambient combustion air to a minimum
temperature that prevents corrosion in the air preheater.

'c
40

60

100

80

The Dutch company HeatMatrix Group recent ly

140

120

developed a new generation air preheater that enables

Metal surface temperature

heat recovery from corrosive and/or fou l ing flue gas

streams. This exchanger contains polymer tube bundles

Figure 1. Relative corrosiveness of sulfuric acid

along the boiling curve .

that are corrosion resistant to concentrated sulfuric acid

at elevated temperature, The characteristics of this
exchange r and case study based performance are outlined

~tI1 1'Y

below.

(O.13mm/ y )

,....----------~~----~--~
,.

Acid d~w point related

corrOSIon

~! f)O

I~

11111

During combustion the sulfur component of sul fur

contamina ted fuel is converted into sulfur dioxide and
trioxide . The sulfur trioxide condenses in the presence of

r -=::::;;;=

water vapour at a dew point temperature, wh ich is as

function of the partial pressure of sulfur trioxide and

'"

water (acid dew point). At this dew point a f irst smal l

10

!~

Jlf

~I

00

"U

00

100

H,SO.Conctntration Iwt%)

amount of highly concent rat ed sulfuric acid preCipitates,

for example on the air preheater surface. In an air
preheater the skin temperature of the heat exchanging

Figure 2. Relative corrosiveness of sulfuric acid

along the boiling curve.'

surface at the flue gas side (wall temperature) is leading in

this process. The bulk temperature of the flue gas can still
be signi f icantly higher. Detailed information on acid dew
point temperature calculations can be found in the article
of Huijbregts and Leferink (2004).\
When the temperature of the flue gas is further
reduced beyond the acid dew point the concentration of
sulfuric acid is also reduced as well as the corrosiveness.
Below 90 C the corrosiveness of the flue gas is
significantly less compared t o the corrosiveness just
below the acid dew point temperature (Figure 1). From a
variety of exotic metals only tantalum can withstand acid
dew point corrosion at acid dew points higher than 150 C
(Figure 2). The polymer that is app!ied for the HeatMatrix
polymer tubes is resistant to acid dew point
concent rations up to 150 C and has a design temperature

of 200 C
High temperature acidic flue gas crosses the acid dew
point close to the tip of the stack as a result of cooling by
ambient air. This lost energy can be recovered when the
right heat exchanger materials are applied leading to an
improved energy efficiency.

Polymer heat exchanging tube

bundles
Figure 3. Cross section of Heatmatrix air
preheater.

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

The HeatMatrix air preheater consists of multiple

corrosion res istant tube bundles contained in a single
metal shell or housing, which is made corrosion resistant

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smaller size exchangers have a cylindrical shape as shown

in Figure 3 and the larger size air preheaters have a
conta iner shape to accommodate flue gas flows up to
500000 kg/hr.

Installation options
For grass root installations with a flue gas temperature
below 200 C, integration of the polymer air preheate r is
straightforward. For installations with a flue gas
temperature above 200 C a combination between a
metal air preheater and po lymer air preheater in series is
required. This hybrid design has the following advantages:
Increased heat recovery over a wide temperature
range.

Figure 4. HeatMatrix air preheater equipped with

an in situ cleaning system.

The polymer air preheater protects the metal air

preheater against low air temperatures that lead to
cold spot corrosion problems.

The metal air preheater protects the polymer air

preheater against high temperatures.

A steam air preheater for raising the temperature of

the combustion air is no longer necessary with this hybrid
air preheater design.
Addition of a polyme r air preheate r to existing
installations will be a profitable investment as wetl.
Existing civil and steel structures frequently have
sufficient over design to accommodate an add itional
lightweight exchanger. Also for boilers with a large
distance between stack and combustion air induced draft
fan solutions can be prov ided. For this case a twin coil
system comprising a polymer flue gas exchanger and a
simple finned tube exchanger is recommended.

Case study
Figure 5. Large scale polymer air preheater.
th rough a coating or polymer liner. The propr ietary
polymer bundle design consists of multiple tubes that are

connected to each other over almost the full length of

the tube. Th is structure creates a strong rigid matrix grid

that is able to resist high gas velocities and thermo

shocks. As opposed to polymer hose or glass tube

designs, the connected polymer tube bundles are not
sensitive to breakage or rupture . The connector between

the individual tubes creates simultaneously a counter

current flow configuration between the two fluids. This
configuration improves the heat transfer by up to 20%

compared to cross flow type exchangers (Figure 3).

The inlets and outlets of the exchanger are located at
the side of the heat exchanger in order to allow easy
access to the polymer tube bundles. These lightweight
bundles are retractable from the top and can be cleaned
or replaced without demounting the complete exchanger.
In the case of fouling flue gas each bundle can be
eqUipped with a spraying nozzle, which thoroughly cleans
each bundle in an alternating cleaning sequence
(Figure 4).
The capacity of the air preheater is fully scalable by
placing severa l polyme r bundles in parallel in a shel l. The

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

The follOWing typical case is based on the performance

of multiple projects that have been realised over the past
years. A flue gas flow from a large steam boiler of
100000 kg/hr and 170 ' C enters the polymer air
preheater and is cooled to 85 C by 95 000 kg/hr
combustion air of 15 C. The recovered energy is 2.6 MW ,
which is approximately 5 % of the steam boiler duty.

Conclusion
Energy effiCiency and carbon abatement are currently hot
t opics and energy efficiency is seen as the most
important contributor in every governmental strategy to
reduce fossil fuel consumption. In that light flue gases
should be seen as an important source of hidden energy
because flue gas still contains 5 - 10 % of the primary
energy used to drive the combustion process. New
technologies like this polymer air preheater can
contribute to improve energy efficiency throughout the
industry.

i!'I

References
1.

2.

HILBRECHTS, W.M.M., and LEFERINK, R., 'Latest advances

in the understanding of acid dew point corrosion: Corrosion
and stress corrosion cracking in combustion gas condensates',
Anti-corrosion methods and materials, 2004 VoL 5 Issue 3 pp.
173 - 188.
GAMBALE, 0 ., 'Heat exchangers for hot acids: material
selection', Chemical Engineering, July 2011.

ANTG> GURMAN,
BARTEC RUS GMBH,
RUSSIA, DISCUSSES
TEMPERATURE
MANAGEMENT IN
CRUDE OIL

Application
In order to remain on a state of the art level of technology, IPP
permanently invests in the modernisation of the crude oil
terminaL Furthermore the company aims for a consequent

increase of the tank farm capacity and reconstruction of the

fuel pipeline in accordance with European ecological standards
of safety_ In this context, BARTEC succeeded in convincing IPP

of its technical know how and competence. The safety

technology provider recei ved the order for the engineering,

manufacturing and supply of trace heating for the plant. The

implemented cable was the self limiting parallel heating cable
PSB as well as the self limiting parallel heating cable HSB. PSB is
used for the heating of the fire figh t ing water lines and the
technological water lines to avoid the pipes getting frozen. HSB
is used for the heating of crude oil and ship fuel. The target here
is to maintain t he technological temperature. The convincing
advantage of these two kinds of cables is their ability to be used
in exploSive atmospheres without any temperature limiter.
Consequently, costs for further components could be saved.
More than 22 000 m of the cables are used in total. They are
divided into 870 heating sections.

Installation
The PSB and the HSB heating cables have a temperature
dependant resistive element between two parallel copper
conductors that regulates and limits the heat output of the
heating cable according to the ambient temperature. This
output regulation is carried out automatically along the entire
length of the heating cable according to the prevailing ambient
temperature. Ac:. the ambient temperature rises, the heat output
of the cable is reduced. This self limiting property prevents

Figure 1. The self limiting heating cables can be

used without any limiter in explosive atmospheres.

HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING

overheating even when the cables are overlapped. A

temperature limiter is not required, not even in explOSion
hazardous zones as in Novorossi jsk crude oil terminal.
Thanks to the parallel power supply the heating cable can
be cut to any required length. Th is feature considerably
simplifies project planning and installation. The heating cable is
cut and terminat ed in accordance with the local requirements
directly on the construction site. In cases where the cable may
become damaged, it is not necessary to replace the whole
circuit but only the affected part. The protective outer jacket of
either fluor polymer or polyolefin protects the inner copper
braiding from corrosion and chemical attack. The copper
braiding serves as an earth conductor in accordance with
VDE 0100 and also increases the mechanical stability of the
cable. Under the protective braiding are two synthetiC jackets
proViding electrical insulation. The inner of the two jackets is
thermally fused to the heating element (bonded jacket).
Because the related equipment to the heating pipes also
has to be certified for applications in Ex areas, the PLEXO
connection system, the connection technology heat shrink 'Ex'
as well as cold applied sets have been used to connect the
heating cables. PLEXO, the first plug in connection system for
heating cables used in potentially explOSive atmospheres, offers
substantial reductions in installation time and expense.
Ma intenance work for future modifications of the heating
ci rcuit can be carried out more effiCiently. The connection
system is well suited for self limiting parallel heating cables.
The heat ing cable and power supply connection cable are
connected via safe spring creating the requisi te pressure,
eliminrlting any need for unravelling or twisting. A sophisticated
sealing system offers safe and rel iable protection against
adverse weather conditions. The flexibility of the syst em allows
direct connection of the heating cable to a supply cable or an
Ex junction box. Two similar heating cables can be joined to
each other by means of a 'splice' plug and socket connection
sleeve. The heating tape remote end termination can be
eqUipped with plug in contacts fo r future extensions of the
heating Ci rcuit.
The connection technology heat shrink 'Ex' is a reliable
technology for connecting heating cables. The principle is easy.
After stripping the heating tape, insulat ion tubes are shrunk over
the supply lines and the twisted protective braiding and wire
end sleeves are put on. As a basic rule, the heating cable is
connected to terminals in an enclosure that has increased
safety or fiameproof encapsulation protection class. The
heating circuit end is also closed with shrinkable tubes. For
direct connection of the self limiting heating cables into the
junction box cold applied sets have been used. The easy
assembling with silicone cold applied technology offers
connection and termination in one set. It is a small place saving
and economic solution.
93 temperature sensors as well as seven control and
distribution panels were also part of the application . The
system to control the heat t racing was deSigned by BARTEC
Russia and is based on t he Russian controllers OWEN, fully
featured programmable devices for automation tasks. The
software for the touch screens on the control panels was a
customer specific development by BARTEC Russia.
By competently handling this project, BARTEC succeeded in
laying the foundations for further cooperation.

i!!I

ndition monitoring of rotating equipment is a well

established practice in many hydrocarbon processing

[ants with a goal to detect. analyse and correct

machinery faults to optimise maintenance intervals,

extend production schedules and avoid unplanned dOwl l l il ne.

Critical machinery (turbines, compressors, large motors) is

normally equipped with online condition monitoring and

protection systems but the balance of plant equipment (motors,

pumps, and fans) generally is not. This machine category
represents well over half of the rotating machine population and

consumes a significant percentage of a maintenance budget.

Often, these machines are monitored with portable data

collectors as, hi storically, it has been either impractical or

uneconomical to insta ll and maintain a permanently wired
system. However a new breed of wireless condition
monitoring systems proposes to bridge the gap between
the cost of wired and portable systems.

Wireless condition
monitoring
developments
The promise of ubiquitous, low cost
sensors operating over a plant wide
wireless network has fuelled massive
investments by leading technology companies in
various wireless applications. As a result, developments in
industrial wireless technologies are happening at a frenetic pace.
Wireless condition monitoring devices have been available for several
years, however widespread market adoption has not taken place due to
technical issues (including proprietary protocols) and cost barriers. With
recent advances in networking, radios, processors, sensors, and power
sources it is now possible to overcome these obstacles.
Conditio n monitoring (using dynamic data e.g. vibration) makes unique
demands on wi reless sensors, networks and associated components, such
as high bandwidth, good dynamic range, low noise, higher level processing
capabilities and the ability to capture data at the right time. When

2014

Comparing methodologies

Balance..af-Plant
(80%)

Walk around systems have been traditionally wired between

the portable instrument and the sensor. Advances in the
availability of such protocols as bluetooth have meant that
we can now use a wireless connection from the vibration
sensor to the portable vibration data collecto r, which has
been requested by users on the grounds of health and safety.
Portable systems are still a Widely used option for the bulk
of condition monitoring of balance of plant but there are
many areas that would benefit from a wireless transmitter.
Examples include areas where it may be considered too
dangerous to take data, o r machinery that may be running
intermittently and is often not available during the time that
the operator takes readings.
A brief comparison of wireless systems includes:

Wifi
Figure 1. Balance of plant equipment represents
well over half of the rotating machine population
of a typical plant and consumes a significant
percentage of a maintenance budget.

Uses IEEE 802.11g radio standa rd.

Commonplace in offices, hotels and homes, and well
understood. It is not so com mon in industrial plants, but
voice over internet protocol (VOIP) and webcam
surveillance are driving its deployment forward.

High data rates but high power consumption.

Low to moderate point to point range (e.g. 100 m).

operating as self conta ined units, which are typically battery

900 MHz

powered, options are further challenged by the limitations of

Uses the 900 MHz public radio band.

No radio standard, but offered by many smaller
companies using a proprietary protocol and methodology.

Low data rates with medium power consumption.

Longer point to point range (e.g. 300 m).

available power and requirements for long service life. The

devices or sensors as well as the wireless network

components must also be equipped to cope wi th the
aggressive conditions found in the industrial environment,

such as exposure to water and/or elevated temperatures,

electrical interference, hazardous area classifications,

Mesh networks

obstructions, and physical location/distance.

Some lS years ago interest emerged about the possibi lity

Uses IEEE 802.15.4 radio standa rd.

WirelessHART protocol or ISA 100.11a.
Early adoption phase in industrial plants (mainly oil and
gas) at sensor data level.

Self generating network reduces installation cost.

Low data rates but low power consumption.
Low to moderate point to point range (e.g. 50 - 100 m).

to measure a moving asset such as a machining head on a large

metalworking machine tool and the axle bearings of a

locomotive. Soon after, the first SKF totally wireless system
was developed and the knowledge of how to use wireless
technology in condition monitoring was enhanced. In the
years that followed, wireless protocols became available and
increaSingly advanced systems have since been developed to
offer effective wireless monitoring systems to enhance
equipment reliability.
Traditionally the implementation of wireless based
surveillance systems has been accomplished by the use of off
the shelf wi reless network solutions that replace wired
'backbone' systems such as Ethernet. Often the system
comprises a signal acquisition system that can take inputs
from 16, 32 or even up to 48 sensors wired locally. The
acquisition system manages the conversion of the data into a
digital fo rm and then transmits the data to host software
wirelessly. This works well and there are thousands of
channels of vibration data being managed in this way.
Wireless standards currently in deve lopment will shape
the infrastructure in which the wireless condition monitoring
systems need to operate and condition monitoring systems
must be compatible with the dominant standards in order to
gain wide acceptance.

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

Integrating condition
momtoring and process control
data
An important development has been the ability to share data
with process control systems. Changes in vibration levels may
be due to a change in operating conditions, and without that
knowledge an incorrect d iagnosis could be costly in terms of
wasted time and lost production output.
In the past, passing data such as temperature, flow and
load, between the condition monitoring system and the
process control system was time consuming and complex,
involVing dedicated serial communication links and
cumbersome data protocol programming. Today, the
emergence of object linking and embedding for process
control (OPC (OLE for process control) has reduced thi s task
to a few 'click and drag' operations between networked
computers. This has had a Significant impact on the analyst's
ability to correlate vibration changes with process conditions.

A solution for hazardous environments

r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-- I

The potential to improve efficiency through condition

monitoring has driven the development of a new wireless
solution from SKF. The SKF Wireless Machine Condition
Sensor is ideal for monitoring machine components in

locations that are difficult to access, and uses its wireless

technology to solve a series of issues that could not be

addressed with wired systems. CrUCially, the product has ATEX
Zone 0 certification, which means that it can be used in
hazardous environments, and has significant benefits in many

applications throughout the petrochemical, oil and gas

sectors.
The SKF Wireless Machine Condition Sensor collects data
on three key machine conditions: temperature (indicative of
lubrication issues, increased friction, rubbing. etc.); overall
machine condition (vibrations caused by misalignment.
imbalance. mechanical looseness. etc.); and rol ling element
bearing condition (allows damage detection and diagnosis of

SKFCWI>ILd&~1
W"'sa5el1sorCleiceM~ICIfho,...

source as ball/ roller. cage. inner or outer raceway).

A rough estimate for the cost of installation of online
sensors in onshore applications can be as high as 15 times the

Figure 2. Mesh networks can relay data from point

to point and to the gateway.

cost of the accelerometer and for offshore installations it can

be higher than 20 - 30 times the cost of the accelerometer.
The use of a wireless device could equate to an approximate

suite that integrates data from a wide range of SKF portable and

saving of approximately USS 1500/ measurement point.

online data acquisition devices.

With this new technology, users can benefit from an

SKF Wireless Machine Condition Sensors communicate with

improved maintenance programme, reduced maintenance

each other, and with a wireless gateway, creating a mesh network.

costs. reduced installation costs and enhanced employee and

This type of network and communication protocol is ideal for

machine safety. The sensor also offers compatibility with the

monitoring rotating machinery because it can function in areas

where traditional WiFi communications are not present.

SKF @ptitude Monitoring Suite, a comprehensive software

..
1
~
....... LTH<5'1.COM

11 CC;:;:;

Fertilizer jlndustrial I Oil I Gas I Metallurgy

T""

C\I

China International
Sulphur & Sulphuric Acid
4th International Conference & Exhibition

Official publications

Sponsors:

CHEMTRADE
AGIOtlS

..:leveo

la FERllUZERWEEK

Media partners

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~~

Figure 4. The SKF Wireless Machine Condition

Sensor collects data on three key machine
conditions: temperature, overall machine
condition , and rolling element bearing, and has
ATEX Zone 0 certific ation .

Communicating via a mesh

network
Communication capabilities of the SKF device include relaying data
fro m one node to another, relaying data back to the gateway, and
receiving automated commands from the Wireless Sensor Device

Manager software that initiates the measurement and processing

circuits to take data and transmit it back over the network. If a
node is unable to receive signals directly from the WirelessHART

gateway. it will instead send and receive its data through a nearby
node that can pass the data to and from the gateway, ultimately
creating the mesh network.
Once data is collected, the WirelessHART gateway
communicates with the Wireless Sensor Device Manager software

supplied by SKF. Data can then be automatically exported into

SKFs comprehensive diagnostic and analytic software package,
where a maintenance manager can analyse the data and determine
a course of action. In parallel, the WirelessHART gateway can also
send applicable data directly to the process control system for
visual isation and trending by operators.
This is the first SKF product to use the Wireless HART
communication protocol which was unanimously approved by the
Intemational Electrotechnical Commission (lEe) in 2010, and to
prOVide a battery powered wireless condition monitoring solution
suitable for use in an ATEX Zone environment. The 'mesh
network' and excellent battery management gives the device a long
operating life, making it a practical alternative to 'wi red' online
systems for monitoring balance of plant machinery.

::l

Case study
A newly built refinery in Asia Pacific with an annual capacity of
12 million tpy (275 000 bpd) installed the SKF Wireless Machine

Condition Sensor. The single train plant is designed to process high

acid heavy offshore crude.

All critical machinery was fitted with protection systems

(API-670) by the EPC but there was no onHne machinery condition
monitoring system. The plant had no portable vibration analyser
programme in place; instead, equipment was monitored using
biweekly operator rounds, collecting vibration and other data using
simple hand held devices and industrial PDAs.
After several unplanned outages on pumps, a reliability centred
maintenance (RCM) study determined the need to add a
surveillance system on all pumps above 500 kW. Requirement was
for more frequent data collection of vibration and temperature at
pump bearing locations.
The solution was to provide a sensor system for machine
condition monitoring that could monitor plant areas uneconomical
to cover by wired or walk around solutions, avoid cable trays and
wiring, reduce installation t ime, and minimise project engineering
and documentation. Deploying a network of wireless field sensors
using WirelessHART protocol, engineers achieved open and
interoperable communications, while the mesh network offered
the capability to naVigate data around obstacles and cover
distances greater than the devices' innate range.
Within three months of installation, the extended monitoring
proVided by the wireless sensor network found a pump problem
that would have gone undetected by the previous portable
programme: extremely high but intermittent vibrations were
recorded at the pump bearings. These vibrations were most likely
process induced, and had led to bearing damage that was clearly
identified in the spectra sent back from the wireless sensor. The
maintenance team was able to plan a bearing change at the next
convenient window, and the plant avoided an unexpected failure
on this important pump. The downtime cost saving of this incident
alone justified the investment in the wireless sensor network.

Conclusion
Wireless systems will change the way we approach machine
condition parameter data collection. Wireless sensors will no
doubt result in much more data being acquired and therefore there
will be an increasing need to analyse and store this data. Further
data interpretation using decision support systems and data
reduction methods will need to be developed and deployed.
Ease of deployment of wi reless systems connected to process
control systems will be driven by users, not by suppliers of
technology solutions, and performance monitoring will become
more closely integrated to condition monitoring. Using
manufacturing and control system information will enhance the
way vibration data is analysed. This will allow maintenance
personnel to determine the cause of the fai lure of a machine or
system component not just change a defective component
without knoWing why it failed. Also, fully integrated embedded
sensors, using standard industrial protocols to share data, will be
offered by ~EMs, which will bring the benefit of low installation
costs.
The stage has passed when early adopters installed simple
systems on an experimental basis. For wireless condition
monitoring, this is the end of the beginning. What engineers are
looking for is a system that is simple to install and easy to configure
and uses existing knowledge and decision support systems to
manage the configuration and interpretation of the data. This will
give real value to plant managers in managing plant uptime and
effiCiency. i'!'II

-t

GLOBAL

MAIN I ENANCE

I
HYDROCARBON

ENGINEERING
provides an overview of maintenance
projects undertaken around the world
over the past 12 months.

AFRICA
AFRICA
(ihafHi!I
It was announced at the e nd of February 2014 that PetroSaud i
International and Ghana are looki ng to sign a jOint ventu re for
the revival of the Tema Oil Refinery. The plant has been shut

maintena nce work was done in 2005 and t his new project has
been approved by the Federal Government.

SQuth .Af.riC9..

In September 2013. Li bya's National Oil Corporatio n

In t he midd le of last year. National Oil Company PetroSA

anno unced that in an effo rt to improve e ffi ciency it was going
to suspend operations at the Mossel Bay facilities for 37 days
fo r a planned statutory maintenance shutdown. The shutdown
was scheduled to st art on
September and affect t he

announced maintenance at its Zawiya refinery. The lengt h of

M ossel Bay gas to liquids (GTL) refinery and offshore FA

the mainte nance p roject was not disclosed but one unit was
part of the project. The plant has a processing capacity of

platfo rm. During the 37 day perIod, PetroSA ceased all

product ion act ivities. Products that were not available during
the maintenance period includ ed liquefied petroleum gas,
propane. CO2, liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen.
PetroSA made cont ingency plans fo r t he availability of
other products such as diesel and petrol for the Southern
Cape area. PetroSA also informed its other customers in a
t ime ly manner about t he shutdown and encouraged t hem t o
make alternative supply a rrangements.

on numerous occasions ove r the past four years due t o lack of

fu nds.

Libya

120000 bpd.

Nigeria
Kad una Petrochemical Company. towards t he end of last year
proposed a maintenance turnaround that will Increase annual
income to N 1 trill ion. The mai ntenance will be carried out by
t he origina l builders of the pl ant, Chiyota of Japi'ln. The last

nnd

W CASE SI UDY In July 2013 Engen Pet roleum, the African downstream
petroleum multinat ional , announced that It had plans to
signi ficantly inc rease its supply capacIty to southern African
count ries. after it acquired seven In country operations from
competitor Chevron in the region and the Indian Ocean
Islands. The company is currently undergoing firs t phase
revamp work on Bei ra Terminal. an Import and storage
faCility in th..e Port of Belra, Mozambique. When comp lete.
t he terminal will be able to supply Mozambique. Zimbabwe.
Zambia. Botswana and southern ORe.

Strategy and investment

The depot forms part of the Mozamblcan compotent of the
acquiSi tion and predated all others. It was aimed at
strategICally boosting security of supply in the region. given
Engen's increasing market share in southern and Sub-Saharan
Africa. The depot required a significant cap ital Investment t o
overhaul and extend and the terminal was not o peratio nal
for a conSiderable time. The project involved the cleaning
and safe dismant ling of redundant piping and two unusable
tanks; revamping of three tanks and admln offices; and
Installation of new tanks. road tanker loading facilities.

___-I MBY

GLOBAL
\ANTll~:

REVEW

import and export piping. a firefight ing system and security

system.

Phased supply and progress

The first phase of proceedings was aimed at readying the
fadilty for import and supply of petro l and d iesel in
Mozambique {20% of t he . . olume requirement, and Zimbabwe
(80%). The wo rk was done via the ex isting pipeline to Masasa
Depot in Harare. The termInal's designed capacity of
18 million Itrs of diesel and 7 million ltrs of petrol is expected
to be sufficient fo r this purpose.
Once phase one projected products demands were
achieved, Engen had plans for second phase construction
which was planned to involve Increasing tank and road loading
capacit y. and the const ruction of a new rail loading facility to
cater for Engen's other southern African sister companies.
In July of last year the project was on track w ith the
target of reaching 90% mechan ical completion by the end of
December 2013. The company planned to have the depot

fully operational in the first quarter of 2014 and hopes to

becom~

2016.

the leading Sub-Saharan African oil company by

AFRICA
ASIA AND

nfEPACIFIC
The shutdown was aimed at ensuring the integrity of
equ ipment and systems at the two facilites, in compliance
with the Mine Health and Safety Act and the Occupational
Health and Safety Act. PetroSA's operating permit also
requ ired that the company undergo routine statutory
shutdowns In order to inspect and repaIr critical
equipment in order to ensure their integrity. Over the
years. PetroSA has set a proud record of executtng
shutdowns within budget and safely. The four yearly
scheduled shutdown is expected to involve a combined
workforce of app roximately 4000. The number is inclusive

of temporary employees sourced from the Mosse l Bay

community. During the 2009 shutdown, 80% of the total
workforce was made up of people from the Mossel Bay
area.
In May of last year. the SAPREF refinery shut one of its
secondary un its for planned maintenance which was
anticipated to take three weeks. The Durban refinery shut
its vis breaker unit which is used to reduce viscosity when
distill ing crude oil. The SAPREF refinery is jOintly owned by
Shell and BP.

ASIA AND DIE PAClRC

4lJsqjJlj~
In November last year, ASS signed a long term service agreement
with QGCm a wholly owned subsidiary of SG Group. to provide
planned and unplanned maIntenance for the up and mid stream
facilities at Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNq The project, located
in Queensland. Australia, is the world's first to convert gas from
coal seam into LNG.
The contract value is AUSS 33 million over four years. booked
in the third and fourth quarter of 2013, with potential for extending
the service term up to a period of 10 years. ASS is to provide
comprehensive se/Vices including an onsite tream to maintain ABS's
Extended Automation System 800 A Integrated Control and Safety
System. The contract also covers spare parts management for
QCLNG's upstream collection and transportation facility as well as
for the midstream liquefaction and export facility.

Cl1in~
ASS signed a long term Preventative Service'" agreement with China
LNG Shipping International Co. Lld (Cl5ICO) in May last year, to
proVide maintenance services to all ASS equipment onboard of its
six LNG vessels In the next five years.
The new service agreement helps CLSICO with optimised
vessels performance at a predicted minimum level of budget. ASS
will provide annual site survey and on call services to the six vessels
covered by the agreement, as well as dry dock selVice every
2S years. The scope of the agreement covers preventitive
maintenance onboard. power generation plant and mechanical and
electrical systems.4

I.o.di~
Mid 2013, Alfa Laval won an order to supply Alfa Laval Packinox heat
exchangers to a petrochemical p ant in India. The order was booked

In the Process Industry segment with a value of

SEK 185 million. Deliveries were scheduled for 2013 and 2014.
Last November Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL) bagan partially
shutting secondary units at three of its refineries for maintenance.
Work on the Kochi refinery began in mid November. This was
foHowed by the Mumbai refinery in December and the Numalrgarh
refinery in January of this year. Each shutdown was scheduled to
last 25 - 30 days.
At the start of this year BPCL made an announcement that it
was to shut a crude unit at the Mumbal refinery for approximately
two weeks between Apnl and May as part of the 40 day
maintenance plan at the facility for the catalytic cracker unit.
Heurtey Petrochem announced the Signature of a
31 million contract in the petrochemical sector with Reliance
Industries limited in May last year. The contract concerned the
turnkey delivery of six furnaces for a petrochemical complex within
the Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat Sate, West India. The delivery of
the equipment is scheduled for January 2015.
Reliance Industries announced In March of this year that it was to
shut one of the four crude distillation units at the Jamnagar refinery
for maintenance. The work was scheduled to begin on 20th March
and was expected to last three and a half weeks. The company also
planned to use the scheduled shutdown to replace catalyst in the
plant's vacuum gas oil and naphtha hydrotreater.

J.~pan
Turraround \york at the Nansei Sekiyu refinery will be carried
out this year from 3rd February to rn March. The main objective
of the shutdown and mamtenance routine is to overhaul and

GLOBAL
~

REVIEW

ASIA AND

THE PACIFIC

Inspect a'l! the refinery's equipment. This will be the most

extensive maintenance project carried out at the facility in
10 years and represents a significant investment in the
refinery's operational safey and will see an increase of over
800 in the workforce.

t<azakh~tan
At the end of January t his yea r. PetroKazakhstan Oil
Products. LLP and Chinese company (PECC entered mto a
contract for the detai led engineering, procurement of
equipment and materials and implementat ion of
construction and inst allation work, as part of PKOP's
transition to practical implementation of the Shymkent
refinery modernisation project.
The naphtha isome risation unit is being constructed at
PKOP LLP tn accordance with the complex development plan
of oil refineries for the Repub lic of Kazakhstan, as well as
within the framework of the RK State Program for Forced
Ind ustrial and Innovative Development. Implementation of
t he first startup complex incl udes construction of the
naphtha isomerisation unit with u capacity of 600000 tpy.
which will allow reducing an environmental impact by
enhancing the high octane gasoline production process and
applying up to date technologies in operations. It is
expected that by doing so PKOP will make a transition to
production of top quality and safe high octane gasoline
meeting environmetnal classes K4 and K5 as per requirements
of the Customs Union Technical Regu lation as ea rly as 2016.
The licensor company (UOP) stated that the
isomerisation unit designed for the refinery is technology
intenSive and meets the latest requirements of the world
standards.
Rominserv. part of the Rompetro\ group. is performing wo rks
for modernisation and enhancement of process capacity at
the Pavlodar refinery in Kazakhstan. The value of the contract

is USS 1.072 billion.

The modernisation program targets an inc rease In
processing capacity by 7 million tpy. an inc rease in the
refining yield . the improvement of product quality and the
reduction of environmenta l impact. 10 units are Included in
the revamp: crude distillation unit. vacuum d istillat ion unit,
kero hyd rotreater, diesel hydrotreater unit, merox, naphtha
hydrotreater, vacuum gas oil, catalyt ic c racking unit, catalytic
reforming unit. utilities and off sites. New facilities wilt be
built in addition, including a Penex isomerisation unit, sulfur
recovery unit. sour wat er stripping, amine regeneration unit
and diesel hyd rotreater and dew ax ing.
According to the contract. In the first st age the Romanian
company is to ensure the project and the procuring of
materials and equipment for the construct ion of new

GLOBAl

MI'I'ITB'WU

REVEW

installations, as well as for the upgrading of existent

ones.
During 2014, the Pavlodar refinery will analyse the
launching of the second phase of the project. which aims to
im prove t he yield of crude and the increased production of
high quality fuels. Th is phase is anticipated to be completed

in 2018.

p~puC!.Ne.\N

Guine.a (PNG)

Wood Group PSN (WGPSN) was awarded a contract by Esso

Highlands limited, a subsidia ry of ExxonMobil Corporat ion. to
provide engineering procurement, construction and
ma intenance services to support its PNG LNG operations.
Under the contract. WGPSN w1ll provide brownfield
engineering and procurement support to ExxonMobil's
operat ions in PNG, including construction and maintenance
services to bot h the Hides gas conditioning plant in t he
highlands. and the LNG plant northwest of Port Moresby. It
was effect ive from pt August 2013.

The.

Philip'pin~s

Petron Corp. announced towards the end of 2013 that it

would be shutting a crude d istillation unit at the 180 000 bpd
Bataan refinery for planned ma intenance in the first quarte r of
2014. The plant has three crude distillation units but only one
Is expected to be closed for up to 20 days as part of this
work . The impact on fuel supplies is expected to be minimal
as the refine ry will ramp up production as at the time of
announcement it was only running at 80% capacity.

Si"g~pore
Plans for upgrade work at Singapore's smallest refinery was
announced at the begin ning of the year after a year's delay on
the project. Singapore Refining Company are planning to
spend over USS 500 million on installing new facilities in the
plant on Jurong Island and is particularly interested In add ing
clean fuels and cogeneration facilities to the plant.

$C)l!tt!

K.Qr~~

In March 2014 Foster Wheeler AG announced that subsidiaries

of its Global Engineering and Construct ion Group were
awarded contracts by S-Oil Corporation for the front end
engineering design (FEED) for a residue upgrading project at
S-Oil's Onsan refinery in Ulsan. South Korea. Foster Wheeler
contract values were not disclosed and were included in the
co mpany's first quarter 2014 bookings.
The upgrade of the refinery includes the addition of a
res idue hydrodesulfurisat ion unit, a residue fluid catalytic
cracker and multiple downstream upgrading units to enable
the refinery to produce more higher val ue products. and in
particular, max imise production of polymer grade propylene.

ASIA AND

THE PACIFIC

In addition to executing the FEED. Foster Wheeler

will also prepare the tender for the engineering,
procurement and construction (EPC) phase, procure
long lead items. evaluate the EP( bids. and prepare a
cost estimate to support S-Oil's final investment
decision.

Mailio refinery for planned maintenance in October

20ll.
The plant's 80 000 bpd vacuum distillation unit and
84 000 bpd residual fluid catalytic cracking unit were
the units in question and work was expected to last up
to four weeks.

Sr..i...I,,~.fI ~~

Yi~t!:lalT!.

In May of last year, Sri Lanka's sole refinery faced

temporary closure for up to four weeks due to
delayed crude deliveries. This closure coincided with a
period of planned maintenance at the facility. In the
July of last year further maintenance was carried out at
the plant for a period of t hree days as part of a
decarbonisation period.

At the end of 2013, Gazprom Neft signed an

agreement with PetroVietnam to acquire a stake in
the Dung Quat refinery and to participate in the
modernisation of the plant. The modernisation
program will include increaSing production
capacity at the plant from 6.5 million tpy of
processing capacity to 12 million tpy within a year.
Improvements to the plant's technica l efficiency of
motor fuel production will also be undertaken to
ensure the facility's products meet Euro 5
standa rds.

T~iwC!!.l
In August last year, Formosa Petrochemical announced
its intensions to shut two secondary units at the

A global indust:r:YHt"'-, -u..

requires a glf!~~l .

publication

PEINEMANN
E QU I PM E N T

'=''1' .:1+ ';>

For more information visit www.peinemannequipmenl.com

or contact us al equipmenl@peinemann.nl

HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING

www.pe.nt!. mannt!.qulpment.com

EUROPE
Belgil!m
In May of 2013. TOTAL announced that it was to invest
1billion in its Belgian refining and petrochemical complex, in
order to boost its diesel making capacity and cut costs. Plant
refurbishment was scheduled to include the construction of a new
20 000 bpd hydrocracking unit to transform high sulfur heavy fuels
into low sulfur diesel and heating oil from early 2016.
Simultaneously, TOTAL announced plans to shutdown
uncompetitive units. including a 240 000 t oil based naphtha
cracker unit and two polyethylene making units.

It!illy
Sunday 21~t July 2013 marked the beginning of the closure of the
production systems of the ENI Venice refinery in order to carry out

modifica tion operations which would enable production of

biofuels as part of the green refinery project. During the transition

period between closure and reclamation, it was warned that the

visibility of the flare and chimney may undergo variations but they
were not deemed critical. The transition period ended within the
nrst 10 days of August and system modincation and maintenance

interventions began in September last year. Initiation of production

of the new biofuel was expected at the start of this year.
In October last year, ENI announced plans to invest
USS 895 million in updating the Gela refinery, southern Italy. The
investment is being made as in its current state, the facility is lOSing
money. The refurbished rennery is expected to be online and fully
operational by 2017.

t-4P rwa.y
Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global
Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract
by StatoHASA to undertake a feasibility study for the upgrade of
Statoil's Mongstad refinery in Norway. The value was not disclosed
and was included in the company's second quarter 2013 bookings.
Foster Wheelers scope includes performing high level process
simulations to identify the optimum technical solution for the
refinery upgrade, and production of a detailed study report and a
total installed cost estimate. The study is scheduled for completion

at the end of 2013.

W CASE SIUDY
In order to meet changing environmental rules and standards,
Total Grandpuits refinery (near Paris) Implemented a plan to
reduce nitrogen oxide (NO,) emiSSions from the refinery.
The plan aimed to reduce the NO. emissions from the
refinery. from a variable 280 to 3S0 mg/Nm) at 3% 0 2 to below
the new annual limit set by locallegrslatlon and ministerial
decree, which was set at 300 mg/Nm~ at 3% 0 2'
The 612F1 furnace. for atmospheric distillation (AD) is one of
the major contributors of NOx emissions from the refinery and
therefore, Total dedded to reduce the emissions of this furnace.
On the basis of internal procedures several optTons were

inItIally considered and studied. but finally. Total checked that

the low NO, burner technique would allow at least a 25%
reduction of nitrogen OXides in order to meet the required
performance.
FIves Pillard proposed the LONOlLAM Dual burners with air
staging. The technology of low NO. burners is recognised as the
best available technique IBAT) for liqUid and gaseous fuels.
The project. which was added to a programmed shutdown
phase managed to meet the following criteria:

_ _ _+ Ma y

600

0
~

'"

@)

E
'"
Z

0,

SIlO

300
200
100

0-

Gaz seul

5O%gaz
50% fuel o~

Uax/ fuel 011

mini gas

NO, measured by Total Cres.

The delivery time was met. the deadline was oflglnally

imposed by the imt!al shutdown.
The furnace operation specification was followed.
NO, performance. especially when firing gas were beyond
guaranteed values.

Safety In all work phases. wit hout any accident report

The change to low NOl bumer firing made a Significant

environmental impact weH as an Improvement in the furnace

Incidence.
The costs were as per the budget.

operating conditIons. and with this contract Foves f'lllard shows its
added value fex combustion dedicated to refinery furnaces.

GLOBAl
~
REVEW

a.,

The refi nery upgrade project by StatoH aims to address crude

feedstock flex ibility requirements and to increase diesel
production, Including the production of ultra low sulfur diesel. The
upgrade is expected to include the installation of a new vacuum
distillation unit, together with new diesel hydrotreaters.

polC!.I'!.p
The Polish company Grupa LOTOS S.A. selected Axens to
provide t he technology lteense for a new coker naphtha
hydrotreater at it s Gdansk refinery. This contract is part of the

Gdansk refine ry deve lopment and mode rnisation program

based on heavy residue coking technology.
The two step coker naphtha hydrotreating unit, with a capacity

of 152 000 tpy Is being designed to produce naphtha quality for

petrochemical use.
Axens has extensive experience in the diolefin hydrogenation
and hydrodesulfu nsation of cracked naphtha (Fee. coker,
visbreaker, steam cracker). Drawing on this large expertise,
Axens offers a very efficient and comme rcially proven process
with a choice of specific catalysts and operating conditions to

W CASE SIUDY
000 Kirishinefteargslntez (000 KINEF) is the only 0 11
refinery in Northw'st@rn Russia. The history of the Kirishi
operation. located in close proximity to the Baltic Sea ports.
dates back to March 1966. when the first batches of petroleum
derivatives were shipped to customers. Since then. the
refinery has been supplyIng petroleum products to the entire
region.
With an installed refining capacIty of 19.8 million tpy. the
000 KINEF refinery is stable player within the OAO
Surgutneftegaz holding. which it merged with in 1993. In recent
years. the refinery has constantly e xceeded its design crude
throughput.
000 KINEF is a recognised leader in wholesale petroleum
products distribution in Northwestern Russia, producing all
kinds of fuel as well as products highly demanded by the
petrochemical industry, paint manufacturers, household
chemicals producers and the construction industry.

well as anti surge control and compressor equipment

protection. Honeywell engineers also performed equipment
implementation and commissioning.

The benefits of Implementing the Honeywell process

control platform included:

Increased reliability and overall performance

improvement.
Maximised equipment utilisation rate.

Targeted ROI.

Faster project implementation and Interoperability with

e xisting systems.

Challenge
In order to improve its financial and operational efficlencles,

the 000 KINEF refinery not only needed to bring its

process control system up to date, but also to e nsure
complete interoperability between e Xisting systems and
Experion PKS.

Benefits
In selecting Honeywell's Experion Process Knowledge

Solution

System (PKS) to be implemented on two process units. the gas

fractionating unit (GFU) and the crude distillatIon unit (AT-1).

000 KINEF believes t he Experion PKS platform prOVides an

effective answer to Its process automation needs. In
addition, the company plans to equip its process units with
a specialised Honeywell Advanced Alarm Manager system
to enable effective early inCident detection and response,
alarm initiation analysis and task specific reporting. These
solutions will help opttmise the refining process and
improve oo.lnes. results.
With Honeywell's solutions. 000 KINEF can fully utilise
the benefits Of integrated process control and safety
systems through a single interface to enhance the overall
operating performance of the refinery.

000 KINEF Site was seeking to upgrade its control systems

and improve the financial and operational performance of the
refinery.

With Honeywell having supplied modern automation

technology to 000 KINEF in the past, the cOc:J.lP.jlR)l's
management
turned to Honeywell. exP,efts to
help choose a
to ~rade P!ocess

GLOBAL
~
REVEW

EUROPE
W CASE SIUDY
Preem AB, is the largest oil company In Sweden, with a
crude oil refining capacity of more than 18 million ml/y.
Preem's two refineries (Lysekil and Goteborg), operated as
one joint refinery named Preemraff, are among the most

modern and environmentally friendly In Europe and the

world.

Benefits
Production and the facilities at Preemraff Lysekll and
Preemraff Goteborg are managed and optimlsed as one

system with shared management. strategy, development and

future. Intensive effort is under way to work together to
achieve the common objective of being one of Europe's

most efficient refinery systems.

Honeywell's Experion Blend Controller (EBC) was

selected by Preem for its Preemraff Lysekil Eco Diesel

Blender to replace an older Honeywell application that was
ber-oming more difficult to support. Experion Blend
Controller was initially installed in 2005 and recently
upgraded. ensuring that Preem continues to achieve the
following benefits for its ECO Oiesel Blender
Improved blend ing efficiency.
Stable and reliable blender operation
Meeting all return on investment (ROI) targets .

Challenge
Preemraff Lysekil faced several challenges associated with its
ECa Diesel blending operations.
First. Preemraff Lysekil had employed Honeywell's Blend

Ratio Control (BRC) application on their TotalPlant System,

and it had become more difficult to support because of its
ageing infrastructure. This challenge required a new DCS
system (Honeywe\l 's Experlone PKS platform). along with a
new !O line blending control system.
In addition, ECO Diesel, which is a key product for
Preemraff Lysekil. is blended primarily to ships. so the ECO
Diesel blender faced additional challenges:

Using the ECa Diesel Blender to load ships requires the

loading arm to have very steady operation. The pressure
control valve for the ECO ~iesel Blender IS located near
the jetty, while the pressure indicator Is located near the
component streams. This situation means there Is
signIficant elevation difference between the two, thus It
is possible the pressure in the header can drop too low
or even dram completely. If a blend Is started under
these conditions. then the loading of the ship can be
dangerous.
Additionally. the ECO Diesel Blender is controlled by one

of two pressure controllers. The pressure controllers. In

.:

GLOBAL

IEVEW

Preem AB Lysekil refinery.

reality. however . have the same pressure sensor and only
the control valve is dual. Therefore, the operator must
choose the correct pressure control valve at blend
setup.

All blends that go directly to the harbour are used to fill

ships moored at the jetties. If there is a problem in the

harbour. then the pumps feeding the blender are shut
down by the harbour operators through a digital tag. In
line blending systems must stop on the same signal to
bring the blender to a state equIvalent to the pumps.

In general. the blender blends directly to the ship.

ensuring the blended volume Is accurate. Immediate

shutdown is always used 10 stop the blend. When this
shutdown occurs. the in line blendIng system needs to
stop the pumps ftrst prior to closing the flow controller
value. Finally, during the blend. the operator needs the
ability to change the pressure setpomt.

So lu~jon
Preem chose HoneyweU's EBC because of Its ability to
address these unique challenges of the EeO Diesel blender
and also because of their past success with Honeywell's
blending solutions.
EBC is Experion$ based software that controls the
operation of in line blenders for gasoline. distillate. fuel oil.
crude. bitumen and chemical blending applications. EBC
ensures that components are blended in accordance With
blend recipe specifications by controlling the pumps and
flow controHers associated with the blending applicatIon.
EBC IS part of Honeywell's Blending and Movement
Management solution that delivers complete planning.
execution and performance monitoring of off sites blending
and movement operatIons.

t-telpiV\c.3 re.f"iV\erS trQ.V\s.f"or~

di.f".f"icult .f"eeds iV\to ~e cleQ.V\est
products pOSSible.

1t..e 9/010./ \..'IcjrO?fOUSSiV'l9 po.ri"V\er o.r c.."'oiU.

~V'lt po.rlv\efS"'ipS iV'ldude:
So.udi Aro.l'lco-"fo1"o.l: ju'r>o.il, So.udi AroJ,io., ISoCRACI(.ING
GS-Co.ltex: Yeosu,

~reo., LL-RNING

RDsNE"F-r: NO\)o'f-<J'Ib'ls\-.e\),

"fec.~l\olo~,/

"fec.\-'l\olo9'1

~USSio., IsoC.~C.~ING, ISo!>~AxING o.nd ISoRNIStllNG "fec.~I\Olo9ieS

\JY~ o.l\d \j~S

'.
l"etroC\-.il\o.: Si'-~Uo.l\, C.Nl\o.,

-rec.\-.noI0Sles
.

Chevron Lummus Global

Hydroprocessing Technologies and Catalysts
www.chevronlummus.com

ensure meeting the proouct specifications while maximising the

catalyst cycle length.
The Axens technology turned out to be the best one among
those evaluated by Grupa LOTOS. lt meets both the specifications
set by the company as it is simple and highly energy efficient.

ROITlc:!nia
OMV Petrom. commissioned in July 2013 a new unit for gas
desulfurisation within the Petrobrazi refinery, as part of the
modernisation program initiated in 2010. The new unit determines

investments of approximately 600 million and as of August

2013, 500 million had already been invested.
Anot her stage in the modernisation process o f t he above
refinery was marked earlie r in 2013, when the coker unit
modernisat ion was completed follow ing an investment of
ap proximately 45 million . The next steps consist of
e xpanding the capacity of t he gas oil hydrotreat ing unit and
fluid catalytic cracker unit as t he last stage in the efficiency
increase process of t he refinery and improvement of white
product yie lds .

a reduction in the refinery pollut ing emissions. in line with

European levels. thus contributing to a cleaner environment. In

additton. the new unit Will have a positive Impact on the energy
efficiency of the refinery.

The project to implement a new desulfurisation unit started at

the end of 2010 and entailed investments of approximately
40 million. For the modernisation and efficiency increase of
Pet robrazi refi nery, O MY Pet rom has fo reseen its budget

Rompetrol Rafi nare, a member company of The Rompetrol

Group announced last year that it had completed the
revamp of t he coke r unit within the Pet romidia refine ry.
following an investment of US$ 53 million. The invest ment
prOVided the unit operation wit h high standards of
performance according to the assumed commitments on
enviro nmenta l compliance.

W CASE SIUDY
The challenge
At a European refinery. TA Cook Identified opportunities
across all phases of turnaround (TAR) preparation, from
productiV ity to overall performance Improvements. Initial
assessment identified a savings potential of 23% on d irect
labour far a scope exceeding 200 000 hrs.
During an tnltlal three week analysis, a number of key
areas for Improvement around the preparation and execution
ofthe TAR were identtfied. These included:

Low level of execution productivity compared to

industry good practice. Only 35% of the paid available
time was spent on va lue adding actiVities versus the
60 - 65% recognised Industry best practice.

InsuffiCIent management and coordination of the TAR

execution schedule teadmg to overtime, delays and poor
productivity.

The planning base (the time and effort required to carry

out a mechanical task) had been overestimated by up to
100% in comparison to the Industry average.
Absence of adequate TAR scope challenge processes.
Inadequate work permit process leading to loss of
productiVity at the start of the day.

mechanical resources but a roughly similar scope was to be

achieved. Negotiation with mechanical contractors was also
vital and required the team to begin working on the key
improvement tevers one year before the actual execution

date.
An improved permit system with predefined clusters, such
as area, equipment. systems. entry and special, was developed
in order ta move from an administrative and time consuming
process to a leaner and safer one. This was vital in order to
meet the safety reqUirements for work ing In a 'cold plant'
environment.
AdditIonally. by defining a management control and
reporting system, including KPls. performance review meetlOgs
and next day preparation standards, the client's decision
making and problem solv(ng abilities were va stly improved
Activities could then be planned and scheduled correctly and
according to priority.

Results

The solution

By promoting one single line of report and reVIewing and

Improving the planning base. 18% of mechanical hours were
reduced. AlongSide the key levers needed to achieve
productivity Improvements, additional solutions were
developed to optimise the client's current practices in a

Defining and developing operational improvements during the

preparation phase was essential if execution with fewer

number of different fields. such as logistics. mater,.1

management and scope processes.

___-t MaY

EUROPE
Developed in partnership with Rominse rv and
ConocoPhillips, unit revamp began in 2008 and benefited
from the American co mpany with regards to tec hno logy
and basic engineering and consulting. Its construct ion and
startup took place in the 2010 - 2013 period. The updating
pro cess determined a 90% reduction of technolog ical
consumpt ion, an annual decrease of tech nological losses by
USS 3 mill ion, as well as a significant reduction o f energy

cons umption. At the same time, such updating has provided

t he increase of the re liability and safety leve l o f the unit
and the protectio n level of the emp loyees.
With a ca pa city of 1.17 mill ion tpy. the coke r un it wil l
prov ide a superior processing of the vacuum residue
derived from vacuum distillation to obtain integ rated
products such as: gas. gaso line, light gasoil, heavy gasoit and
coke.

W CASE SIUDY
Customers of Metso's Device Management Business Service have
commented that It provides the valuable expertise in device
management that they do not have in house. The LOTOS refinel}'
in Gdansk. Poland is a good example.

Device and part management

Managing a valve or process field measurement devICe spare parts
Inventory for a large Industrial complex like an oil refinery IS a
daunting task for a plant maintenance group. There may be
thousands of valves and other devices of various vintages from
many marufaJCturer; Lack of a detailed and accurate parts
inventory. IJ'ICertaln lfifer>tanding of the critical parts required.
overstocking of some obsolete or out of wanranty parts. all add up
to increased costs and. In the worst cases, plant production may be
interrupted by lack of parts at the nght time. To streamline parts
management for valves. ensure parts availability, and lower the
inventory costs Metso has implemented its Device Management
Business Solution in a variety of industries including hydrocarbon
processing. The results can be substantial, as the costs of the
inventory can be taken off the plant's books and the expertise of
Metso is utilised to ensure day to day and long term parts
management for high availability and low costs. This Metso
soiutlon has been used for all manufacturers' products. not just
Metso's,
The business soiutlon starts with an audit of current parts
inventories and actual device needs. as there can be a substantial
gap between what is needed for critical device maintenance and
what actually exists. ThIS provides a dear view of the current
installed base so the spare part inventory can be streamlined.
harmonised and costs lowered The critICality of Me\sO and other
manufacturers' devlCliS Is iSiiised with plant prridUct~ integrity,
safety and environmental comP.J\ance In mind. Next, Metso
develops a lifecyde plari to...,...., an optim81 device nilx and
inventoi}' for ""'iInd into the fUture. Ow!r time, it allows
redundancJes ancljhoIescence Of sparep.rts invent~ to be

Grupa LOrOS Refinery. Gdansk. Poland.

lowered. Customers of this servke comment that Metso provides
the expertise of device management that they do not have In

house.

Grupa LOTOS refinery

Just such a case has been implemented at the Gdansk Poland

refinery of Grupa LOTOS. Metso has been contracted to look after

the parts management of 3600 valves some of which have been
working for 30 years. Approximately
of the valves are MeISo's,
Gregory 81edowski. Technical director at the LOTOS refinery.
appreciates the help from Metso's local office, and has said that it
IS Important that a supplier has a very strong local office and is abie
to offer support. The engineering facility proVides the refinery with
""'Y strong support in its day to day activities. It is important to
icnqw that the response is helpful. quick and at a reasonable cost
MetsoandtOTOS have been working together since
September 2013: Bledowskl is positive about the agreement but
feels it will tab! a year to see the full effect since the stock

20""

Inventory has;been transferred from LOTOS to Metso, however. it

is expected to tie a win/ win agJ eet i M!I'lt.

GLOBAL
~
AEVEW

EUROPE
W CASE SIUDY
Man<;\gin,g c pntractor
Responsibility for coordinatrng all main and subcontractors in
preparations and planning, quality, schedules and safety was
Bilfinger Maintenance Nord's remit for the autumn 2013
turnaround of a refinery operated by Kuwait Petroleum

Europoort in Rotterdam. Planning the project took one year,

with the refinery turnaround lasting two months. At times~ up to
3500 o peratives were Simultaneously deployed at the site.

~f

The refinery was familiar terrain for the Silfinger experts. The
IndustrIal services provider has been a partner to Kuwait
Petroleum Europoort since 2006, having executed a total of four

turnarounds at the site. As the managing contractor. the

company was the customer's sole contact partner in the past.
assuming full responsibilIty for the entire project.
In the interests of minimising production loss and costs, it is
generally more effic1ent to dose down the entire plant and to
perform all necessary work in a single large turnaround. Instead
of the partial turnarounds every two years in lIne with the
previOUS practice, the refinery Is now to undergo a full scale
turnaround in roughly five year intervals. The second trend
concerns the selection of the contractual partner. Potential
service prOViders for a turnaround are audited by the customer
well in advance of the actual contract award these days.
References are also obtained for this purpose.
Whereas 350 operatives work on the entire site dUring
normal refinery operations. the workforce required for the
turnaround of all facilities number 2500 and, at times. as many as
3500. Silfinger alone had 800 employees at the site from SIX
Silfinger companies in Germany, Austria. the Netherlands and
Slovakia. ln addition to its tasks as managing contractor, SHfinger
handled scaffolding. insulation, coating, trace heating and piping
activities.
Ahead of the turnaround, up to 80 employees were involved
in planning the mechanical work and piping, rackIng up some
50 000 work hours. They were responsible for managing,
monitoring and coordinating 18000 work packets, transporting.
storing and coordinating materials and transporting tools and the
necessary speCial vehICles to and from the site. As managing
contractor, Bilfinger was also in charge of site safety. This entailed
planning all precautions in consultation with the customer's top
level management. As well as this, it was necessary to coordinate
the safety team stationed at the site. Consequently, no
reportable incidents arose, resulting in an lost time Injury (LTI)
ratio of zero.
The turnaround was to be completed within two months at
the end of 2013. This involved executing 80 individual projects
and coordinating 15 other service cornpanles participating in the
project, The turnaround materially owed its success to the

___-t May

GLOBAL
REVEW

Bilfinger Maintenance Nord managed the

turnaround of the refinery operated by
Kuwait Petroleum Europoort in Rotterdam.
Bilfinger experts' high technical skills and broad experience In all
main turnaround areas. In addition. Si/finger benefited from its
intematlonal network via which it IS able to access a large
number of activities and qualified resources, allowing it to
complete complex projects with its own staff.
In addftion to the turnaround at Kuwait Petroleum
Europoort. Bllfinger completed other projects In Germany, the
Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic for Total Bitumen
Deutschland, BASF, PCK Raffinerie Schwedt. Boreahs as well as
Ceska Rafinerska and Unipetrol in 2013. The total value was
around SO million. The largest ones were the turnarounds at
the BASF synthesis gas plant In Ludwlgshafen, at Borealis In Linz,
Austrla and Kuwait Petroleum Europoort in Rotterdam in the
Netherlands.

combustion leader

Callidus Technologies, LLC is an established world leader in

process burner, flare and thermal oxidizer technology.
We have earned that reputation by providing solutions that set new
standards in performance and reliability. Our approach to combustion
science continues to break new ground every day with innovative new
products and solutions for the worlds most difficult combustion
challenges. This commitment to technical excellence is driven by our
focus to provide a custom designed solution for every project based on each customer's specific
requirements. One example is our flare gas recovery system, designed to achieve zero flaring, reducing
process fuel costs while eliminating visi ble flame, odors and auxiliary flare utilities.

Having one of the largest installed bases of process burners, production flares and thermal oxidizers in
refining and petrochemical facilities around the world. Callidus should be your choice for next generation
combustion eq uipment and solutions for new construction or retrofit operations with installation
capabilities anywhere in the world.

Callidus Technologies, LLC

A Honeywell Company
7130 South Lewis, Suite 335, Tutsa, OK 74136, call 1-918-496-7599 or visit our website www.callidus.com
(;) 2014 Honeywelllnternational Inc. All rights reserved.

EUROPE
R",~~iii!

AVEVA announced at t he start of this year, that

Burgasnefteproekt, an engineering company in the field of
petrochem icals, had achieved significant cost savings using

catalytic reforming unit with naphtha hydrotreatment and

hydrogen recovery by pressure swing adsorption, a diesel
hydrotreater including a dewaxing section. a gas planJ with a
LPG sweetening unit and common utilities.

3D laser scanning technologies and processing the scan

LUKOil commissioned a diesel fuel hydrotreatment unit at t he

Perm refinery towards the end of 2013. The commissioned
technology is reequipped as pa rt of the quadripartite
agreement signed in July of 2011 by the company. the Federa l
Antimonopoly Service. Rostekhnadzor and Rosstandart. As a
result of the technical reequipment. t he unit will increase the

data using AVEVA Laser Modeller and AVEVA PDMS,

output of Eu ro 5 ult ra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel by

Burgasnefteproekt achieved approximately 80% savings in

325 000 tpy. In addition. the specific energy intensity of the

hydrotreatment process has been considerably reduced.
which enhances the production efficiency. The expected 2014
ULSD fuel output at the Perm refinery is to exceed 4 million t.

AVEVA Laser Modeller. Burgasnefteproekt recently acquired

the AVEVA software and used it to capture the as built

asset and create a 3D model of an existing flaring system.
This is part of a revamp project to rebuild the system and
ensure up to date. accurate project documentation. Using

design man hours.

The laser scan data captured from the faciltiy was

imported into AVEVA Laser Modeller, where the modelling
process is d riven by the high resolut ion. photo realistic
Bubb leVlew. On completion the new model was t rasferred to
AVEVA PDMS. The resu lt is an accu rate 3D as built model that
Burgasnefteproekt used fo r the revamp project, as well as
providing a valuable digital asset for future design and
maintenance activities. Any future plant modifications can be
easily compared with the as built 3D model as the LFM Server
technology can be used to reference the laser scan data
d irectly inside AVEVA PDMS.
The use of laser scanning technology on this project had
a Significant impact on the overall labour costs by making the
process faster and more efficient. Using AVEVA technologies,
Burgasnefteproekt was able to complete the documentation
in only 136 man hours. Using traditional ways of working, the
same task would have taken between 700 and 900 man hours.
As a result'. the company rapidly ga ined an accurate as built
3D mode l which can be used fo r redesign.
Foster Wheeler AG announced that a subsidiary of its Global
Engineering and Construction Group was awarded a contract
by OJSC Gazpromneft Moscow refinery to provide front end
engineering design (FEED) and design documentation in
accordance with Russian Norms. for a major investment,
termed the combined oil refinery unit (CORU) project, at the
Moscow refinery. The value of the award was not disclosed
and will be included in Foster Wheeler's first quarter 2013
bookings.
The CORU project is part of the implementation of
Gazpromneft's OJSC Moscow refinery revamping and
upgrading program. under which the refinery will be
expanded up to 2020 to process an additional 6 million tpy
of crude oil and produce transportation fuels to Euro V
standards.
The CORU facilities are planned to include crude
distillation and vacuum d istillation units. a continuous

GLOBAL

MAM13'IANCE

REVEW

Roseneft announced in October 2013 that subsidia ry Saratov

refinery would undergo a modernisation and technological
upgrade as part of the planned overhaul of the facility that
lasted from 2nd October - Mid November 2013. This was one
of the largest investment initiati ves as part of the program is
to raise the production efficiency of the ELOU-AVT-6 primary
refining unit to 7 million tpy to ensure an Increase in the
extraction of vacuum gas oil. Ot her tasks included the
upgrade of processing units to meet the latest industrial
safety reqUirements.
The overhaul was predicted to be the largest in scale ever
since the company's foundation, with more than 1500 workers
employed at the apex of the program. With the job done, the
facility enjoys a d ramatic increase in oil refining volumes. not
to mention t he improvement of processing equipment safety.
and the gene ra! progress reached as part of the continuous
effort to put In action the wide ranging plans for
development.
In addition to the above work, the refinery made a reserve
stock of petroleum products and reached agreements on
additional deliveries from other Rosneft refineries in order to
ensure uninterruupted supplies of fuels to consumers during
the overhau l period.
The Saratov refinery was founded in 1934. The enterprise
produces engine fuels meeting the most stringent Euro 5
ecological standards, as well as fuel oil. bitumen, vacuum gas
oil and technical sulfur.

S~rb.ia
In the summer of 2013. NIS completed the investment
activities at the Pancevo oil refi nery worth approximate ly 6
billion RSD. The process of permanent improvement of the
refming capacities has been continued after the successful
start up of t he MHC&DHT complex for producing Euro 5

petroleum products. Since then the company has comp leted

the modernisation of the terminal at the river Danube and
continued to modernise loading terminals. In addition, the
biggest refining complex for the production of gasoline and
gasoline components has been reconstructed. Numerous
Investments have been completed to reduce the production
costs and achieve the level of energy efficiency. includ ing
thermal insulation In 24 tanks which implies the application
of a special liquid ceramic insulation material.
In the two months following th is announcement. all
requirements for the production of blodiese l with the
appropriate components content was expected to be met
and the investment was expected to allow NIS to export
petroleum products to countries within the EU.
Further work at the Pancevo refinery was carried out in
October 2013 and included the replacement of worn out
relay protection in substation C and analyser installation at
the platformmg unit in the refinery block S. These
investments were expected to increase operational
reliabil ity and energy efficiency and achieve financial savings
in the refining process.
Within the above process, three analysers were installed
at each of the four furnaces of the platforming unit.
generating data which enables optimal combustion In the
furnaces. In addition. this investment, the value of which
exceeded 53 million RSD. ensured lower heavy fuel
consumption and a longer life cycle of the equipment. On an
annual basis. savings in heavy fuel consumption will range
from 1630 - 2160 t.
In June 2013 new automatic compressor systems were
commissioned for the Novi Sad refinery with a 22 kW
capacity. Putting a modern compressor system in the Novi
Sad facility allowed it to cease using the outdated machine
and was expected to result in the reduction in electricity
costs by 85% as well as four times lower maintenance costs.
Replacement of the obsolete compressor system at the
refinery represented one of the stages of a comprehensive
program of increased energy efficiency in the operation of all
organisational units of the company.

$w~~~n
Honeywell has announced that it has been selected by
Preem AB to modernise one of Europe's largest refineries.
Preemraf Lysekil, with Honeywell's enhanced high
performance process manager (EH PM) industrial process
controllers. The project should Significantly extend the ljfe of
the existing control.system at the refinery, located in
southern Swedep. Preem AB, is the country' argest oil
producer and will use the enhanced high performa~ce
process manager to as much as trip{e the capacity of the
refinery's eXIsting controllers.

Preem has an annual refining capacity of more than

18 million t, accounting for 75% of refining capacity in Sweden
and approximately one third of the entire Nordic region.
Preem is the largest supplier of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel in
Sweden, with a sulfur content of less than 5 ppm, Significantly
lower than the Euro 4 requirement of 50 ppm.
The upgrade will be completed during planned
maintenance at the refinery and will not require any
additional downtime. It is scheduled to be completed before
the end of the year.

VK
Flexitallic has secured a new three year contract with Total
lindsey oil refinery for the supply and servicing of standard
gaskets and exchangers at the refinery in North Lincolnshire.
The contract was secured through a competitive tender
process and continues a relationship in excess of 20 years
between Flexitallic and the refinery at North Killingholme.
As part of the new agreement. Flexitallic, which has its UK
headquarters in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. will contmue to
deliver a range of its gasket technologies to the site.
Total Lindsey oil refinery is currently Britain's third largest.
with a processing capacIty of 200 000 bpd.
Teeside based construction and maintenance services
company, Hertel won a three year maintenance contract with
TOTAL UK in the middle of 2013. The contract is related to
the Lindsey refinery in Immingham. Hertel has worked in
partnership with the refiner for nine years already. supporting
turnarounds and projects and under the new contract the
company will also be providing access services. therma l
insulation and painting.

1;1~~w..b~r~jn I;yrop'~
In July 2013, one of the four industrial gas production leaders
worldwide and Burckhardt Compression Signed a field services
and valves maintenance framework supply agreement for the
European territory. Under the agreement. Burckhardt
Compression will provide onsite field service and valve
service on all types of reciprocating compressors for more
than 40 industrial gas plants in Europe. The agreement is valid
for three years.
The agreement builds upon the excellent cooperation
between the two companies. The industrial gas production
company is a longstanding global partner of Burckhardt
Compressi.on in areas of new compressor systems and
compressor components and services. Further. the agreement
draws upon the strong service network of Burckhardt
Compression. its enhanced service capabilities and
comprehenSIve know how.

GLOBAL

MAMENANCE

REVIEW

MIDDLE

EAST
MIDDLE EAST
Ap .~

pl:!abi

Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge) LLC, a subsidiary

of Adnot, awarded Kentech International Limited Abu

Dhabi a three year contract in December last year.

The contract was for the operation, maintenance and
repair services for HVAC equipment at Ruwa is plant.
Kentech will carry out operations, predictive and
pre ve ntative maintenance. repairs and overhauls for
all heating, ventilation, refrigeration and air cond itioning
systems on the Borouge pe t rochemIcal facility at Ruwais.
approximat ely 250 km west o f Abu Dhabi city in the UAE.

SGS OGC's UEA regional offic e in Jebe l Ali as a focal point

and is headed by the International sales hubs in Geneva,
Houston, London, or Singapore.
SGS OGC intervent io n under this contract will
include expertise being deployed from both upst ream
and downstream working groups. The scope of work
includes metering. sampling. calibration and trade
inspection. In addition to the basic prov iSion of
profeSS ional serVICes, SGS OGC is com mitted to working
with SOMO to optimise all aspects of the operations fo r
stake holde rs.

Borouge is a jo int venture between the Abu Dhabi

National Oil Company (ADNOC). one of the world's major

Kuwa.i~

oil and gas compa ni es, and Aust ria based Boralis. a leading
prov ider of chemical and innovative plastiCS solutions.
The Production facility at Ruwai s is ce ntral to Borouge's
ope rat ions and by mid 2014 will have an annual
productoin capacity of 4.5 mill ion t and will be home to
the world 's largest integrated polyolefins plant.
This is Kentech's fi rst HVAC O&M contract in the
UAE and followed the recent award of a similar contract
in Qatar for She ll. These contracts build on the rapidly
developing operations and maintenance capability within
the Kentech Group, and provides a solid founda t io n for
our long term ambit ions in the Middle East.

Hydrop rocessing Associates LLC carried out work for

KNPC. The company completed retrofits , internal
mod ifications and repa irs o n the hyd rocrackers for five
beds. Two large vesse ls we re completely removed with
one bed having been lowered and new Chevron design
trays installed and we lded in safely ahead of sche dule
with quality to the highest standards.

Qahraill
Bahrain Pet roleum Co. (Bapco) expects to complete an
upgrade of its only refinery in 2019, that will increase
processing capacity by 35%.
Bapco plans to start work on upgrading the Sitra
refinery in 2015 in order to boost its capacity to
360000 bpd from 267 000 bpd currently.

Bapco and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saud i Aramco) are in

the final stages of approving work on enlarg ing a pipe line
that carries Saudi light crude to the Sitra refinery by
120000 bbl to 350 000 bb l to feed the expa nsion. The

two compan ies a re expected to sign the contract for the

pipeline work by the end of th is year.

Iraq
SGS Oil, Gas & Chemica ls Services (OGe) announced in
September 2013 the award by Iraq's Ministry of Oil. Oil
Marketing Company (SOMO). fo r third party metering and
inspection services at Al Basrah oil terminal , Khor Alamava
oil terminal and Single pOint moorings. SGS OGC was
expected to commense operations towards the end of
September. The opertations are coordinated through

GLOBAL
w.NTENANCE

REVEW

At the end of 2013, Technip was awa rded by Kuwait Oil

Company (KOC) a cont ract worth over US$ 400 million.
for consultancy services for project management and
enginee ring. This deals with the construction of new oil
and gas infrast ructure faci lities. as well as the upg rad ing
of ex ist ing facilit ies, in Kuwait. Technip will prOV ide
services for the next five years with an option for an
add it io nal period of one year .

.Om.ao.
Petrofac in a 50/50 jo int ventu re with Korean based
Daelim Industr ia l Co Ltd was awarded a 36 month
engineering. procurement and construction (EPC)
contract by Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industr ies
Company (ORPIC). The contract value is usS 2.1 billion.
Located in the Soha r Industria l Area, 230 km North West
of Muscat, the scope of work encompasses engineering,
procurement, construction, startup and commissioning
services at the refinery . The contract includes
improvements at the eXisting facility as well as the
addition of new refining units.
The refinery was originally constructed and
commissioned 10 2006 and ORPIC IS now investi ng in
improveme nts at the site to enhance the current
production capacity. When complete. it is anticipated
that the revamped facility will inc rease current output
by more than 70%.

HEAT EXCHANGE
ENGINEERING

MANAMA
THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
19TH- 21ST OCTOBER 2014

MIDDLE EAST 2014

CONFERENCE, TRAINING & EXHIBITION

Optimising Processes & Improving Efficiency
Why should you attend?
Heat

Exchange

Engineering

will

Who should attend?

provide

delegates with a dedicated event where they

can connect with experts and peers through

technical

presentations,

discussions

and

networking opportunities to gain knowledge and

an understanding of best practice in industrial
heat exchange.
The event is focused on advances in heat

exchange technology which deliver:

Improved energy efficiency
Reduced emissions
Increased throughput
Better reliability

To find out more about

the event, please visit
heatexchangeengineering.com

I\?

HEE EVENT ORGANISERS:

TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER
MANAGEMENT

The conference will bring together a range

of technical practitioners including:
Technical management
Design engineers
Energy efficiency managers
Plant engineers
Maintenance specialists
Equipment suppliers
Service providers
Researchers

MIDDLE

EAST
W CASE SIUDY
Abo Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd (GASCO) is the operating company
in Abu Dhabl responsible for processing on5hore natural gas and
associated gas from onshore oil production fields. With a process
capability of 8 billion ft' of feed gas / d and producing
280 000 bbls of condensate, 6800 t of sulfur, and 44 000 t of NGL
pel day, GASCO is currently one of the largest gas processIng
companies in the world.

GASCO's industrial complex, one of the biggest in the UAE. is

composed of four desert plants, Asab, Bu Hasa, Habshan, and Bab
and Ruwals, and a plpehne network which process and deliver a
range of p<oducts exported all over the world.
GASCO's priOrity Ts to maximise production In the most cost
effective mamer, while maintaining the highest possible standards
of industrial safety and protection of the environment To ensure
that Its production meets growing energy demand, Gasco decided
to invest in building a robust. centralised. and integrated plant
engineering management system for informatfon Integrity and to
ensure that all plant drawings are as built.
Gasco adopted Intergraph fl SmartPlan~ EnterprISe as a
standard to:

Consolidate three plants into one centralised enterprise

system. using, SmartPlant Foundation (SPF) and an
engineering applicat ions database.
Create a robust SPF Integrated with SmartPlant engineenng
applications infrastructure with high availabi lity.
Standardise SmartPlant Enterprise latest release and
SmartPlant engineering applications.
Unrfy SPF Schema and SmartPlant P&ID (SPP&ID), SmartPlant
Instrumentation (SPI), and Smart 3D Data Dictionary.
Create new standard Major Projects/B-13 Automation Plan
Enable the integration of SPF, Maximo, and Open Text ECM

Overcoming chall~nges
Ensuring a successful migration to SmartPlant Enterpnse
required some infrastructure and organisational changes. An
engineering numbering procedure (plant breakdown structure.
documents and tags) was estabHshed to ensure accuracy and
consistency of data and documents. lIfecyde Information
requirements were listed (documentation for operations) and
the contractors' scope of work was defined. It was Important to
identify one EPC responsible to deliver the SmartPlant
Enterprise deliverables. This ensured leadership and appropriate
coordinat ion. It also provIded early access to handover of data
and documentation, with early access to compliance review
and validatton and venfication of dellverables. The
implementation of the Major Projects Automation Plan was
executed by establishing data and document standards.
procedures, and worl<flows, These Included data validation
before handover, plant testIng, and security audit conducted

,_ _ _., May,_-_ .... -

GASCO gas tanks,

before handover. as well as creating a proper ba.ckup. Follow up
with EPC contractors during the project was essential to
success.

Realising results
Currently, all plants are standardised and unified on SPF and
related SmartPlant Engineering Applications. The PBS hierarchy
structure for the new system is complete and a unified
SCHEMA file for SPF has been created, A new files database
was created for SPPID. SPI, and Smart 3D. All SPE hardware and
software infrastructure setup was completed. The company's
major projects automation plan is up and running. enabled by
upgraded SPP&ID and SPI engineering applicatIOns and
publishing systems.
The business benefits include quicker and easier retrieving
of information; engineering data 1s shared between applications
and users; and the company has better control of aU plant
modifications requests through SPF Engineenng Change
Management. as wen as better control of the engineering
processes workflow. Intelligent 3D models. data. draWings. and
documents are up to date and naVigation between 20
documents and 3D models Is easler and faster. Consolidated
and aggregated data from multiple heterogeneous sources
provIde a 'single reliable source of the truth: which increases
efficiency and ultimately reduces costs.
Gasco Is currently working on optimising projects and
operations workflows to enable smoother decision making and
increase productivity. All existing plant drawings will be
converted to 5martPlant Enterprise. providing as built models of
existing assets. An increasing number of projects wJII be brought
Into the system, aIming to achieve fully automated and
rnte1ligent plant operations.