January 2024

Our first issue of the year begins with a report from Wood Mackenzie assessing the refining, petrochemicals and oil market outlook for 2024. This issue also includes features on mass transfer technology, flaring, digitalisation, simulation, and our annual Catalyst Review.

This month's front cover is brought to you by Zeeco.

Calmer waters, but risk of a coming storm
2023 proved the power of global markets. Alan Gelder, Wood Mackenzie, UK, presents the company’s refining, petrochemicals and oil market outlook for the new year ahead.

Lowering river levels, rising uncertainty
Andreas Essmann, Aggreko Europe, Germany, explores how German plants and refineries reliant on waterways for cooling processes can adapt in the face of increasing water scarcity.

Alleviating desalter challenges - part one
In the first part of this two part article, Michael Dion and Rob Gutierrez, Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, provide a best practice guide for alleviating desalter challenges while processing opportunity crudes, with a focus on mechanical and operational parameters.

Innovative design, advanced performance
Qibing Ma and Yanhua Cheng, Beijing Zehua Chemical Engineering Co. Ltd, China, alongside Jason Lyu and Fred Tahmassi, AMT International Inc., USA, explain how innovative tray solutions can enhance raffinate column performance.

Demountable flare stack systems in North America
Nikki Ebert, Zeeco, USA, discusses how demountable flare stack systems work and reveals the advantages that they can offer in refining, petrochemical, and LNG facilities.

Fighting VOC emissions
Stefano Zanfini, Aereon, Italy, reveals the importance of vapour combustion technologies in regulating the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in petrochemical and refining processes.

Maintaining control
Lenny Shraver, Advanced Energy, USA, explains how advanced imaging technologies can ensure effective monitoring of flare-stack processes.

Precise measurement for reliable analysis
Alan Garza and Sam Miller, Endress+Hauser, discuss the advantages of using new TDLAS analysers to provide high accuracy and reliability when measuring water content in natural gas.

AI for refineries is anything but crude
Jason Chadee, Spark Cognition, USA, highlights the important role that artificial intelligence (AI) can play in the optimisation and decarbonisation of refineries.

Speed, efficiency and security
Thomas Fahland and Sabrina Hilmer, Implico, Germany, discuss the role of digitalisation in driving a successful energy transition and reveal how implementing modern cloud technology transformed operations at one tank farm.

Dynamic simulation of fire reliefs
Harry Z. Ha, Fluor Canada Ltd, details why dynamic simulation is a powerful tool in process relief system design.

Catalyst review
Hydrocarbon Engineering presents a selection of the most advanced catalyst technologies and services that are currently available to the downstream sector.

Q&A with...
Hydrocarbon Engineering talks to Luis Cirihal, President, Refining Technologies, Grace.

January 2024

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