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RENTECH breaks new trails in the

boiler industry with its focus on custom


engineering and design.
Theres no on the shelf inventory at RENTECH because we design and build each and every
boiler to operate at peak efficiency in its own unique conditions. As an industry leader, RENTECH
provides solutions to your most demanding specifications for safe, reliable boilers. From design and
manufacture to installation and service, we are breaking new trails.
JULY 2011

HPIMPACT SPECIALREPORT BONUSREPORT

Canadian oil sands LIQUIFIED NATURAL MAINTENANCE AND


China overtakes US in GAS DEVELOPMENTS RELIABILITY
energy consumption Innovative design New methods solve
improves efficiency equipment upkeep

www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com
RENTECH breaks new trails in the
boiler industry with its focus on custom
engineering and design.
Theres no on the shelf inventory at RENTECH because we design and build each and every
boiler to operate at peak efciency in its own unique conditions. As an industry leader, RENTECH
provides solutions to your most demanding specications for safe, reliable boilers. From design and
manufacture to installation and service, we are breaking new trails.
Select 52 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
JULY 2011 VOL. 90 NO. 7
www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com

SPECIAL REPORT: LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS

37 Two-phase fluid cycle efficiently recovers power from FSRUs


Compact design is efficient and economical Cover A tanker with a cargo of
liquid energy moored at Chenier
A. Goswami and H. E. Kimmel Energys Sabine Pass liquefied natural
gas (LNG) receiving terminal in
43 What are the benefits from mass transfer rate-based simulation?
Models are highly detailed and predictive
Cameron, Louisiana. Bechtel built
one of the worlds largest facilities
R. H. Weiland and N. A. Hatcher for turning LNG back into natural
gas. Phase 1 began operations in
the second quarter of 2008. The
51 Improve decision-making for LNG projects
via an integrated technology
facility, now complete, is capable
of regasifying 4 billion cubic feet of
This approach to modeling and economics cuts through natural gas per day. Photo courtesy
the complexity of project capital investment of Bechtel.
R. Beck

BONUS REPORT: MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY


HPIMPACT
57 Run your pumps like a pro
Follow these tips to boost efficiency and avoid failures 17 Canadian oil sands
D. Kernan in the US market
18 NOx control market
61 Seal off costly refinery leaks
Older refinery seeks better method to be leak-free to reach $7.6 billion
J. Paterson 20 China overtakes US as
top energy consumer
65 Rethink lubrication and steam issues on emergency equipment
Best available technology is a must for backup systems
H. P. Bloch

PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS
COLUMNS
71 Prevent fouling in 1-butene storage vessels
Investigation finds root cause for polymer formation in Horton spheres 9 HPIN RELIABILITY
G. Sivalingam, J. D. Divey, S. M. Vakil and N. Bokde Pump switching:
What is the best
PLANT DESIGN practice?
11 HPIN EUROPE
75 Use glycerol to dehydrate supercritical carbon dioxide
This technology increases hydrocarbon recovery Lesson learned from
the US is being
M. Swadener, J. Lundeen, K. Fisher and C. Beitler
applied in Europes
cap and trade system
PROCESS CONTROL
13 HPINTEGRATION

79 What is the outlook for advanced control engineering?


New view strips away the myths over automation technology
STRATEGIES
Future of hydraulic
J. Wang fracturing depends
on effective water
treatment
ENGINEERING CASE HISTORIES
15 HPIN ASSOCIATIONS
85 Case 63: Analyzing off resonance amplitudes
It is important to know the amplitudes of vibration away from resonance
Useful news floats
downstream
T. Sofronas
90 HPIN CONTROL
Lose the pyramid
DEPARTMENTS (and find process
7 HPIN BRIEF 21 HPINNOVATIONS 27 HPIN CONSTRUCTION control success)
34 HPI CONSTRUCTION BOXSCORE UPDATE
86 HPI MARKETPLACE 89 ADVERTISER INDEX
Dollinger Filtration & www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com

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EDITORIAL
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Automated continuous ltration with Online Editor Ben DuBose
uninterrupted process ow Associate Editor Helen Meche
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Contributing Editor Loraine A. Huchler
Contributing Editor William M. Goble
Contributing Editor Y. Zak Friedman
Contributing Editor ARC Advisory Group

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HPIN BRIEF
BILLY THINNES, TECHNICAL EDITOR

BT@HydrocarbonProcessing.com

A storage tank explosion at Chevrons Pembroke refinery in south- US biodiesel


west Wales, UK, caused a fire, killing four contractors and seriously injuring another
on June 2. The refinery itself remained fully operational following the blast, company market
officials said. Police representatives said the explosion occurred amid maintenance work
at the refinery, and that an investigation was underway. The US biodiesel industry will grow
We will take every step possible to determine the series of events that led to this to support more than 74,000 jobs
tragic incident and ensure that any lessons learned from it will be integrated into the throughout the economy by 2015 while
creating some $4 billion in household
business and shared with our industry partners, said Greg Hanggi, the refinerys gen- income, more than doubling current
eral manager. levels, according to an economic study
Earlier this year, Chevron agreed to sell the 220,000-bpd Pembroke refinery as well released by the National Biodiesel
as other marketing and logistics assets in the UK and Ireland to Valero for $1.73 billion. Board (NBB). The report also found
Valero officials said the explosion will not halt the companys acquisition of the refinery. that the industry will grow to generate
nearly $1.6 billion in local, state and
Dow Water & Process Solutions has opened its Global Water federal tax revenues in 2015.
Technology Development Center in Tarragona, Spain. The center is designed to accel- The study, conducted by Cardno
ENTRIX, an international consulting
erate the commercialization of Dows technologies that make possible the production firm that specializes in environment
of clean water, officials said. The center was funded through a $15 million Dow invest- and natural resources economics, doc-
ment, along with grant subsidies from Spains Ministry of Science and Innovation for uments the difficulties the industry
research programs in this area, which is in line with the Spanish governments commit- faced when the US Congress allowed
ment to research and development in the field of sustainable water supplies, the compa- a key tax incentive to expire in 2010.
ny said. Dow said that initial research efforts will be directed to areas such as improving It found that the expiration of the
the quality of desalinated water, minimizing costs and reducing energy consumption. tax credit and the accompanying 42%
drop in production resulted in the loss
of nearly 8,900 jobs, a drop in house-
LyondellBasell signed a deal to purchase approximately 200 miles hold income of $485 million, and a
of pipeline near Houston from BP. The pipelines and metering stations comprise a reduction in real GDP of $879 million.
Houston-area olefins distribution system transporting ethylene and propylene from But the industry is seeing a sharp
Channelview, Texas, to Equistars storage terminal at Mont Belvieu, Texas, and facilities turnaround in 2011 with the tax credit
in Deer Park, La Porte and the Bayport Industrial District in Pasadena, Texas. The pur- reinstated and the supporting regu-
chase also includes a natural gas liquids (NGL) feedstock supply line into Channelview. latory framework of the EPAs 2010
Renewable Fuel Standard, which desig-
The US Department of Health and Human Services has added eight nated biodiesel as an advanced biofuel.
Production jumped 69% in January and
substances to its report on carcinogens, a document that identifies chemicals and bio- has been steadily climbing since. The
logical agents that may put people at increased risk for cancer. The industrial chemical study predicts the industry will support
formaldehyde and a botanical known as aristolochic acids are listed as known human more than 31,000 jobs in 2011, gener-
carcinogens. Six other substancescaptafol, cobalt-tungsten carbide (in powder or ate income of nearly $1.7 billion to be
hard-metal form), certain inhalable glass-wool fibers, o-nitrotoluene, riddelliine and circulated throughout the economy,
styreneare added as substances that are reasonably anticipated to be human carcino- and create more than $3 billion in GDP.
gens. With these additions, the carcinogens report now includes 240 listings. Under projected expansion by
2015, that economic impact would
grow even further to supporting more
AkzoNobel has opened a 7 million fire-protection laboratory at its than 74,000 jobs, $4 billion in income,
Felling site in the UK, part of a 10 million investment in research, development and and some $7.3 billion in GDP.
innovation (RD&I) that will create around 40 new jobs. The lab will be operated by However, the US Congress is still
the companys Marine and Protective Coatings business, which supplies fire-protection skeptical of the industrys need for
coatings used to protect steel structures such as buildings and oil and gas installations. continued tax credits and subsidies.
The global market is growing rapidly due to increasingly stringent fire-protection regu- In mid-June, the US Senate voted to
lations worldwide, with forecasters expecting demand to double by 2018. end the ethanol blender credit and
ethanol import tariff set to expire at
the end of the year. On the same day,
The world pipe market is projected to expand 5.8% per year to 31.5 the US House voted to prevent future
billion meters in 2015, a mild deceleration relative to the 20052010 period. This allocation of funds for ethanol blender
slowdown can be almost entirely attributed to China, the worlds largest consumer of pumps and storage facilities. It will be
pipe. After increasing rapidly from 20002010, Chinese pipe demand is expected to interesting see how weakening gov-
rise at about the average worldwide rate through 2015. Advances in North America, ernment support for this industry will
Eastern Europe and Western Europe are expected to accelerate through 2015, as these affect its future growth. HP
regions recover from the global financial crisis. HP

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


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HPIN RELIABILITY
HEINZ P. BLOCH, RELIABILITY/EQUIPMENT EDITOR

HB@HydrocarbonProcessing.com

Pump switching: What is the best practice?


From a recent sequence of correspondence, we discern that
certain rulings were being made years ago, although the rationale
used to make these rulings has not been explained. This example
involves a reliability engineer in Australia. He works for a polyeth-
ylene manufacturer that formerly belonged to MNXC, a leading
multinational corporation. The plant inherited operating and
maintenance manuals from MNXC.
The reliability engineer was aware that MNXC in its mainte-
nance practices manual had documented proven-best practices
for spare-pump operation. MNXC was said to have claimed that
the more frequently a pump is started, the lower its mean-time-
FIG. 1 False brinelling caused by vibration of non-running
between-repairs (MTBR). This, MNXC explained, was attribut- equipment
able to pump startup being the most severe or stressful transient
operation to which pump seal(s) and bearings are subjected.
One action is micro-vibration transmitted from adjacent
Maintenance schedule. The Australian reader informed us running equipment; such vibratory motion causes the oil film to
that MNXCs maintenance practices manual advocated a four- be wiped off. The result is metal-to-metal contact and false brinel-
category criticality ranking of all pumps and to then swap the ling (Fig. 1), usually at the race near the lowermost bearing balls.
pumps as follows: The second typical action results from corrosive damage,
Emergency: Every 4 weeks unless, of course, dry-sump oil mist is used for both lubrication
Vital: Every 12 weeks and stand-still protection.
Normal: Every 52 weeks c) Whoever made the rules is inexperienced and/or bases this
Low: Never. advice on the premise that one has to do something in order to
The reader also notedquite correctlythat the MNXC justify being on the companys payroll.
maintenance practices manual recommendation does not seem d) The owner company is planning to save money and will
to follow logic. It was apparent to this reliability professional that, later sell the asset to some unsuspecting buyer. The enterprise will
for its most critical equipment, MNXC applied a frequent start look goodlow operating cost, high profits. Two years later, the
strategy which, as they correctly inferred, would yield the shortest facility will be well on its way to becoming maintenance-intensive
MTBR. The Australian engineer summarized his correspondence and unprofitable.
by recalling that we at HP were rather familiar with MNXCs Personally, I believe what a leading producer of petrochemicals
practices and asked for our opinion on the matter. (LPC) advocated and practiced in 1986 is still correct: Swapping
every four weeks will protect the bearings and will keep the stag-
Answer. Well, the manual didnt exist at MNXC when I opted nant liquid product in the piping and seal regions from partially
for early retirement in 1986. In the intervening years, I have had vaporizing. Periodically swapping pumps will also serve as a train-
ample opportunity to research the issue and to observe prevail- ing exercise to keep operators knowledgeable and alert.
ing practices in many countries. I subsequently alluded to pump An LPC engineer told us, at a conference in 2008, that LPC is
swap-over topics in books and articles on many occasions. now swapping pumps every six weeks. Thats sufficiently close to
As to the issue raised by the reader, there are several possibili- our old four-week rule, and I can live with that. The new rule
ties. Some, I will admit, are alluded to with a twist of irony, but that the reader mentioned in his note makes no sense, but Im
they deserve to be mentioned here: past arguing.
a) There is confusion with the terminology swap vs. test The wheel is being reinvented even as we speak. Interestingly,
run. The old manual might advocate a swap once a year, but pump MTBFs at some plants have declined since 2002. The new
(elsewhere) asks the operators to test run the second pump for at rule undoubtedly contributes to the MTBF decline. In any event,
least four hours every month. the important answer and technical explanation is found in b),
b) The old owner company, MNXC and the person(s) compil- above. You can disregard the rest. HP
ing the manual have overlooked the fact that letting a pump sit idle
The author is Hydrocarbon Processings Reliability/Equipment Editor. As the
for 52 weeks and to then expect it to run flawlessly is stunningly author of 18 textbooks and over 490 papers or articles, he advises process plants
naive and willultimatelycost the owner dearly. Experienced worldwide on reliability improvement and maintenance cost-reduction opportunities.
reliability professionals know well that, after a year, the bearings of His latest text, Pump Wisdom: Problem Solving for Operators and Specialists, John
the stand-still spare pump will have degraded due to two actions: Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2011, sheds additional light on the matter.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


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HPIN EUROPE
TIM LLOYD WRIGHT, EUROPEAN EDITOR

tim.wright@gulfpub.com

Lesson learned from the US is being applied


in Europes cap and trade system
The economic pressures that have progressively ring-fenced taxi-out from the Washington Dulles airport, for every pound
oil products for the transportation sector over the last 40 years of jet fuel the aircraft burns, the airline will now be required to
are about to get a significant boost from Europes new world- surrender 3.15 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission credits.
spanning carbon-trading system. The extraordinary, energy-dense When this plane lands in Europe, a trans-Atlantic jet may have
liquids that the oil industry mines and refines are going to find burned some 16,600 US gallons of jet fuel. At 60F, thats about
their way to applications in which there really is no alternative. 50 metric tons. For the sake of argument, approximately $50,000
Thats now particularly so for the global long-haul aviation indus- in revenue is disposed of.
try, a concentration of large-volume refining industry end-users, From Jan. 1, 2012, the airline will need to submit 157.5 EU
which joins the European Emissions Trading System (ETS) on allowances for that flight, and if it complied with its ETS report-
Jan. 1, 2012. ing deadline of March 31, the airline will be getting some 70%
or so of those permits for free. The permits (credits) are presently
US example. This cap and trade, a smart way to incentivize valued at about 18, or $25, and each one covers a ton of CO2
cheap and rapid environmental improvement taught to Europe by emissions. To get that aircraft and its 300 weary passengers to
US officials following its successful deployment in the Acid Rain Amsterdam, at current prices, will cost an additional $1,200.
Program. With the Chicago Board of Trades sulfur oxide (SOx ) That doesnt sound like much, but using the $25/one-ton-
market as a precedent, the US persuaded its international partners allowance carbon price above, and assuming that an airline
to adopt trading as the main instrument of the Kyoto Protocol receives 70% of its emissions permits free from the scheme, an
in 1997. Of course, Congress ultimately rejected that protocol. airline with a fuel burn of one million tons on such flights would
Emissions trading is going to force a further premium onto be paying $23.6 million/yr for carbon allowances.
liquid fuels and, aside from its intended environmental impact. Globally, airlines will not reduce their emissions. They will con-
Its going to balance any growth in fossil fuels use, with equivalent tinue to grow them! And from the start, airline carriers will
amounts of alternatives. receive much of their needs for free; the industry will still be
short by some 5090 million tons, which is worth $1.25 bil-
Tough market. But as oil products are substituted where they lion$2.25 billion.
can be, the oil market is going to be a harder place. A certain elas- As this market tightens, the reward to other companies with
ticity will be gone once the low-hanging fruit are plucked. Thats this scheme, such as generators, for avoiding emitting a ton of
to say, it will be more difficult once the easy ways to respond to emissions will gradually grow. Effectively, airline passengers
high oil prices by doing the obvious things differently or more will be paying power companies to abandon fossil fuels and to
efficiently, are used. build wind turbines along the Atlantic and North Sea coasts
For this latter observation, I should credit Amrita Sen, the of Europe.
Barclays Capital economist, who said in a recent presentation in As the marine sector enters the scheme, it will discover that
Singapore that I attended, that the oil shock of 2011 (the run-up this business has incentives to reduce speeds, dramatically cutting
in prices associated with political dissent in North Africa and the fuel use, and to pay more in wages to its crews instead. And when
Middle East) has been more pronounced because of this. road transport fuels join, well see fleets fuel-switching and profit-
ably selling unused allowances to the airlines as well.
Pricing effects. Since the 1970s, Amrita said, high oil prices There really are few industries where its as challenging to
have seen oil liquids migrate from power and industry, where change out fossil fuels as aviation. But in the New Year, a new
there are alternatives such as gas, nuclear and renewables, to the value will be placed on using our precious resource of distillates,
transportation fuels sector. The oil-fired power station that you and a new migration will see them concentrated in applications
could once switch off when prices got high has long since been of last resort. HP
mothballed or demolished. Against a backdrop of high oil prices,
in which Goldman Sachs is currently calling for $140/bbl of oil by
December 2012, the first major transport user of middle distillates
are joining the emissions cap and trade system. The author is HPs European Editor and is also a specialist in European distillate
markets. He has been active as a reporter and conference chair in the European
Subject to a small threshold and some exceptions (military and downstream industry since 1997, before which he was a feature writer and
diplomatic), all flights bound for, or within, the European Union reporter for the UK broadsheet press and BBC radio. Mr. Wright lives in Sweden
(EU), including corporate flights, are covered by the system. and is the founder of a local climate and sustainability initiative. The author is a
Consider a trans-Atlantic flight. As a pilot starts the auxiliary co-author of a recent white paper on carbon and fuel management; it can be
downloaded from http://cleanjet.opisnet.com.
that will get the Boeing 747s turbines spinning, and starts the

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


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HPINTEGRATION STRATEGIES
PAUL MILLER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

PMiller@Arcweb.com

Future of hydraulic fracturing depends


on effective water treatment
The benefits of using hydraulic fracturing (HF) to stimulate companies have developed best-management practices for water
gas and oil flow from both new and existing wells are obvious. conservation. The goal is to keep the pace of drilling and production
However, the downside is that this technique consumes huge activities within the bounds of sustainable water usage. Producers in
quantities (along the lines of millions of gallons per well) of often Marcellus Shale gas production areas have had similar discussions.
regionally scarce water. Opponents to HF also claim this process
can contaminate drinking water supplies. The US Environmental Reduce, reuse and recycle. Water treatment solutions
Protection Agency recently initiated a new, science-based study to enable water reuse to reduce freshwater and transportation require-
determine if the (HF) practice does indeed pose a risk to human ments. Produced water from HF operations is typically disposed
health or the environment. of in three ways:
1. Transported offsite for disposal in permitted underground
Meeting the challenge. To help address some of the water- wells
related issues, several leading water-technologies companies have 2. Transported offsite for treatment before disposal to surface
introduced mobile water treatment solutions. These mobile units waters
are designed to treat and to recycle both HF flowback and brine 3. Treated onsite for reuse in HF or drilling operations
water produced during drilling, HF and other industrial opera- The unique nature of the flowback water produced from HF
tions. Such efforts reduce the strain on freshwater supplies. Onsite operations located in different geographic regions (and different
water treatment also lowers the need to transport HF flowback and chemicals used) requires different water-treatment solutions. For
produced water offsite for safe disposal. Water technology com- example, water treatment operations in the Marcellus Shale region
panies are also building permanent treatment facilities designed in the eastern US must be able to deal with the extremely high-
to lower the percentage of total dissolved solids from the HF brine content of the HF flowback water.
flowback produced water before processing at municipal waste- Several companies, including both Siemens Water Technolo-
water treatment facilities that often are not equipped to handle gies and GE Power & Water, have introduced mobile treatment
this effluent type. units that can treat produced water onsite for reuse via a variety
of different technologies. The onsite approach both reduces the
R&D efforts. In addition, several universities, including Texas strain on local water resources and minimizes the cost, wear on
A&M, Carnegie Mellon University and West Virginia University roads and greenhouse-gas emissions associated with hauling large
have initiated research projects (often involving substantial fund- quantities of flowback and produced water to distant disposal
ing from the US Department of Energy) intended to develop new, wells or offsite treatment facilities in tank trucks. The Siemens
more effective technologies for treating effluents from oil and gas solution utilizes flotation/filtration technology, while the GE solu-
drilling and HF operations. tion utilizes evaporation methodology. As with most technology
approaches, each has its pros and cons.
HF consume huge quantities of water. With HF, water Clearly, the limited availability of water appropriate for HF
under high pressure forms fractures in the rock, which are propped operations constrains the oil and gas industrys ability to produce
open by sand or other materials thus providing pathways for gas shale gas and other unconventional energy sources. Furthermore,
(and oil) to move to the well. Petroleum engineers refer to this the present high cost of treating and/or transporting and disposing
fracturing process as stimulation. A variety of different chemi- of both produced water and HF flowback water represents a con-
cals, typically representing less than 0.5% of the total volume, are siderable cost. The current concerted effort by leading water indus-
also used to facilitate this process. The tremendous volumes of try suppliers, government and academia to develop, commercialize
water required (typically two to five million gallons per well), of and deploy new mobile and fixed technologies for cost-effectively
which 25% to 100% may be returned to the surface as flowback treating produced water and HF flowback water will provide sig-
water, must be recovered and disposed of responsibly (or recycled nificant benefit to the oil and gas industry and the general public.
for further industrial usage) before gas production can commence. ARC Advisory Group is preparing a series of reports on indus-
For western US states, in particular, freshwater supplies are trial water management for its Advisory Service clients. These
already extremely scarce; thus, HF can further strain existing water reports will include approaches and success stories. HP
resources. Water used for drilling and fracking active wells in the
Barnett Shale area can equal the typical water usage for 185,000 Paul Miller is a senior editor/analyst at ARC Advisory Group and has 25 years
households (or more). of experience in industrial automation industry. He has published numerous articles
According to a US Geological Survey (USGS) fact sheet, Texas in industry trade publications. Mr. Miller follows both the terminal automation and
state and county agencies now closely monitor volumes of water water/wastewater sectors for ARC. For more information, readers can contact the
author at pmiller@arcweb.com.
used during drilling, and a consortium of Barnett Shale drilling

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 13
Last minute project changes?
Forget the pain. Calculate the gain.
The DeltaV systems breakthrough I/O on Demand takes the time, expense and risk out of last
minute project changes. Wireless, FOUNDATION fieldbus, Electronically Marshalled or traditional I/O
the choice is yours. I/O on Demand eliminates steps and gives you the flexibility to easily handle
unforeseen changes. Prove it to yourself. Plug in your projects parameters and see the savings
possible across the life of the project at: IOonDemandCalculator.com

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Select 75 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
HPIN ASSOCIATIONS
BILLY THINNES, TECHNICAL EDITOR

BT@HydrocarbonProcessing.com

Useful news floats downstream


The mega-gathering known as the Off- all for meeting global demand, said Ali supply disruptions now and in the future.
shore Technology Conference (OTC) is Moshiri, president of Chevron Africa and Renewables are an important part of the
primarily focused upstream and offshore, Latin America Exploration and Produc- mix, but only a part, he said.
but there are nuggets of information that tion Co., during a panel discussion.
seep out from its yearly proceedings that Hydrocarbons are here to stay for FPSO vessel classification. It has
have relevance to the downstream sector. years to come, he said. Looking for become essential to develop rules and clas-
During the four day conference that took alternatives is the right thing to do, but sifications for the various components and
place in early May in Houston, Texas, thinking it will replace oil and gas is unre- technologies aboard LNG floating, pro-
Hydrocarbon Processings sister publication alistic. We can never turn our backs on duction, storage and offloading (FPSO)
World Oil produced the official show daily hydrocarbons. vessels. The rules and classifications aim
newspaper for the show. I sifted through The panelists of the session were tasked to clarify the set of standards by which
the vast amounts of data that World Oils with pondering the biggest surprise next on technologies are independently verified
staff culled to bring some information that the world energy stage. According to Ste- for the increasing number of LNG offtak-
will be of interest to refiners, gas proces- phen Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil ers, FPSO operators and designers, marine
sors, chemical creators and the like. Exploration Co., the biggest surprise is engineers, energy companies and systems
going to be that the world is in no danger providers and financiers.
Israels gas boom. To make full use of running out of exploitable resources. Frances Bureau Veritas, which issued
of the nearly 26 Tcf of natural gas recently Oil, gas and coal will account for new classification rules in January,
discovered off its western coast, Israel upwards of 80% of all future require- explained the procedure for classifying tech-
plans to double its electrical production in ments, and the good news is we have the nologies and performing functional analy-
gas over the next 10 years, increase indus- resources to meet the future demand. In ses of systems during a technical session.
try gas use and possibly export the surplus, fact, the growth of the global resource base FPSOs often cross international waters
according to Shaul Zemach, Israels direc- is the biggest surprise to me, he said. into regions with varying regulations.
tor general of the Ministry of National There is no physical shortage of oil, Given this reality, Bureau Veritas has been
Infrastructures. During a luncheon, Mr. said Zuhair Hussain, Saudi Aramco vice conducting a series of analyses, in order
Zemach said that the country has under- president of drilling and workover. The to develop an LNG FPSO qualification
taken a major fuel-switching initiative peak-oil purists have been discredited. We program based on risk qualification, func-
from coal to natural gas in the two years have enormous potential for increasing tionality, failure and criticality elements.
since the discovery of the 8-Tcf Tamar production from existing fields and devel- The company aims to share the clas-
field in the Mediterranean Sea. This has oping unexplored resources, which could sification and verification standards as it
resulted in about 12,000 MW of currently continue to increase production of many examines more LNG FPSOs, eventually
installed electrical capacity (40% of the decades to come. developing a global benchmarking pro-
countrys total) coming from gas. Tamar As a case-in-point, he said that OPEC gram that can be used in the facilitation
was followed by the 1-Tcf Dalit field and and Saudi Arabia, in particular, have no of new LNG FPSO projects. HP
the 16-Tcf Leviathan field (the biggest difficulty maintaining a 1.5 million to 2 With reporting from David Michael
deepwater discovery globally in the last million bbl/d spare capacity to meet any Cohen, Nell Lukasovich and Jim Redden.
10 years).
Mr. Zemach said that energy indepen-
dence is a major driver for development of
the fields, especially given political uncer-
tainty in Egypt, Israels main gas supplier.
Self-reliance is something one must
appreciate in the Middle East, especially
given Israels unique geopolitical circum-
stances, he said.

A new energy future. Advancing


research on alternative energy sources is
certainly a prudent strategy going forward, A panel pondered the worlds energy future during OTC.
but it should not be viewed as the cure-

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 15
Our contribution to clean energy is cleaning energy.
Natural gas is one of the most important energy sources. Presently, one quarter of the
worlds energy demand is supplied by natural gas which is predominantly transported via
pipeline. However, rising demand combined with waning reserves calls for the exploration
of new natural gas sources. Given in most instances the remote location of new sources,
transport is frequently only possible by ship.

As a consequence, LNG (liqueed natural gas) is becoming an increasingly important


transport option. Although LNG is a very clean energy source, liquefaction requires refrig-
eration to a temperature of 160 C before transport is possible. In this condition, the gas
has only 1/600 of its original volume and can be transported more economically. To ensure
the cleanest possible energy source the natural gas can be puried using Lurgis Omnisulf
process prior to liquefaction. This process involves a combination of various technologies
designed to meet even the most stringent purity requirements. Contact us and we will be
pleased to deliver a solution tailored to your specic needs.

Build on our technologies.


Call us: +49 (0) 69 58 08-0
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Select 80 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
HPIMPACT
BILLY THINNES, TECHNICAL EDITOR

BT@HydrocarbonProcessing.com

Canadian oil sands 10% since 2007. Consequently, with ample the world. WTI, priced at Cushing, Okla-
in the US market and growing light domestic crude supplies homa, is the oil price that appears in the
in the region, it is unclear whether refin- daily news. Historically, WTI has been
A recent report from IHS CERA ana- ers would make costly upgrades to process priced at a premium to other crude oils.
lyzed the role of Canadian oil sands in the more heavy crude supply from Canada. The US Midwest was short of crude oil,
US market. Currently, the US is practically Pricing. A sign of the need to expand and a higher price was needed to attract
the only market for Canadian crude oil. pipeline capacity out of the Midwest, and supply to refineries in the region and to
Although Canadian oil is exported to many of the oversupply of light crude in the reflect the high quality of WTI. Conse-
US regions, the majority of exports, includ- region, is a lower price for West Texas Inter- quently, pipeline infrastructure was built to
ing oil sands, go to the US Midwest. With mediate (WTI) crude oil relative to other transport oil to the Midwest, but not from
the two recent pipeline expansions from major crude oils, including those traded the Midwest. Cushing pipeline connections
western Canada to the US Midwest commis- on the US Gulf Coast and elsewhere in do not flow south to the US Gulf.
sioned in 2010 (Enbridges Alberta Clipper
at 450,000 bpd and TransCanadas Keystone
at 590,000 bpd), new oil sands supply will From Western
be consumed in this region (Fig. 1). Canada
Crude supply. Crude oil supply in the Enbridge
US Midwest is nearing a saturation point. system
Bakken To Sarnia
2.4
IHS CERA projects that the bulk of oil market link and other
sands export growth to the US Midwest 0.1 points east
will be a product called dilbit (diluted
bitumen), a heavy crude oil. To prepare for Keystone XL Keystone
increasing heavy crude supplies, a number market link 0.5*
of Midwest refiners are adding sophisti- 0.7
cated coking upgrading units to their
Platte
refineries, enabling them to accept grow- 0.2
ing dilbit volumes. The combination of
new pipeline capacity and additional refin- Chicago, IL
ing capacity geared to accept dilbit means To other
Keystone extension Midwest
that, in the near term, the Midwest market to Cushing reneries
can absorb additional oil sands production. 0.2*
Spearhead
However, considering the potential for oil Patoka, IL
0.2
sands production to double in the next
decade, by 2015 oil sands dilbit exports Cushing
will likely exceed the Midwest refiners abil- market link
0.15 Cushing, OK
ity to process the heavy crude. Its possible
that some Midwest refiners could further Pegasus
0.1
upgrade their refineries, increasing the
market for dilbit. But growing Canadian
supplies to the US Midwest have coincided
with a renaissance in light crude oil pro-
duction in the region, led by the Bakken
tight oil play, mainly in North Dakota but Houston, TX
also extending into Montana. Total produc-
Existing pipeline
tion from the formation has grown from
less than 10,000 bd in 2003 to an esti- Proposed pipeline
mated 400,000 bd in 2011, making North Pipeline capacity, MMbd
Dakota the fourth-largest oil-producing Source: IHS CERA, company information
state in the US. Note: Distances not drawn to scale. Pipeline capacities are rounded.
IHS CERA estimates that production *Keystone Cushing extension will be taken over by the Keystone XL, when XL is operational.
from the play could reach at least 800,000 The Keystone pipeline will run at 0.3 MMbd (down from the current 0.5 MMbd) when this occurs.
bd by 20162018. Production elsewhere in
the Midwest is also rising: output in Okla- FIG. 1 Current and proposed crude flow from Western Canada to the US Midwest and Gulf
homa and Kansas has increased by about Coast.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 17
HPIMPACT
In a break from historical trends, there able to significant discounts to other crude Second, the project could transport some
were times from 2006 to 2010 when WTI oils until more export capacity is developed US domestic production from both Cush-
was priced several dollars below Light to transport crude out of the Midwest to ing and the Bakken to the US Gulf Coast.
Louisiana Sweet (a crude oil produced in the US Gulf Coast. What if increased oil sands access to the
the US Gulf Coast) and Brent crude oil (a The Keystone XL project could pro- US market is derailed? Apart from the loss
global price benchmark produced in the vide some relief for the oversupply of light to consumers of a more dynamic pipeline
UK sector of the North Sea). But, in recent crudes in the US Midwest. First, some network, Canadian oil sands producers
months, the WTI discount has ballooned Canadian light synthetic crude oil (SCO) would likely turn to Asia as a new export
to as much as $18 per barrel as landlocked could bypass oversupplied light crude mar- market, and US Gulf Coast refiners would
supply growth overwhelmed the Midwest kets in the Midwest and go directly to the continue to draw on current suppliers.
crude oil market. WTI will remain vulner- US Gulf Coast. However, some current suppliers, such as
Mexico and Venezuela, are struggling to
maintain production, and other suppliers
are needed.

NOx control market to


reach $7.6 billion
The market for selective catalytic reduc-
tion (SCR) systems and replacement cata-
lyst will reach a record $7.6 billion this year
(Fig. 2). This is according to the latest fore-
cast published by the McIlvaine Co.
Sales of systems are projected at $6.1
billion. This includes the ammonia-injec-
tion system, the catalyst, housing and
all the ductwork and other components
contracted with SCR system suppliers.
McIlvaine says sales of catalyst are rising
Improved Wellpad Automation, steadily. They will exceed $1.5 billion in
2011 mainly due to the replacement needs.
Shipped Quickly The largest application is coal-fired boilers
where catalyst life is less than five years.
Gas turbines are another large application.
Recently there has been a big market in the
US for SCR systems for peaking turbines.
VEGA Americas VEGAFLEX guided wave
This has created a need for high-tempera-
and VEGAPULS through-air radar sensors
ture catalyst. Several catalyst suppliers have
developed a product to meet this need.
are ideal for measuring the total level
However, many purchasers are avoiding
and/or interface in storage tanks. When
the risk by using conventional catalyst and
used in conjunction with a VEGASWING
bleeding in air to reduce temperatures.
vibration switch for overll protection,
a truly redundant system is developed. 2011 worldwide SCR systems and
catalyst revenue, million/$
VEGA measurement instruments supply the
following benets:
Catalyst,
Removes issues associated with mechanical $1,509.50

oat style measurements


Standard lead times of only 10 days
Easy setup and useno recalibration is
necessary after initial conguration SCR systems,
$6,104.80

Will Bailey
National Sales Manager
w.bailey@vega.com
FIG. 2 The market for selective catalytic
www.vega-americas.com reduction (SCR) systems and
replacement catalyst will reach a
record $7.6 billion this year.

Select 152 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


18
Bringing energy and the environment into harmony.

LIQUEFYING NATURAL GAS


GREATLY REDUCES ITS VOLUME.
WE DO THE SAME FOR YOUR RISKS.
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your investment decision. Well help you reduce the uncertainties, speed project execution and
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the rst compressors used in liquefaction plants driven by large, heavy-duty gas turbines. We
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HPIMPACT
China overtakes US fuel consumption suggest that global car- There were both structural and cyclical
as top energy consumer bon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions from energy factors at work, said Bob Dudley, BP chief
use rose at their fastest rate since 1969. executive. The cyclical factor is reflected
China became the worlds largest The growth in energy consumption was in the fact that industrial production
energy consumer in 2010, overtaking the broad-based, with both mature Organi- rebounded very sharply as the world recov-
US during a year that saw the rebound zation for Economic Cooperation and ered from the global downturn. Structur-
in the global economy drive consump- Development (OECD) economies and ally, the increase reflects the continuing
tion higher and at a rate not seen since the non-OECD countries growing at above- rapid economic growth in the developing
aftermath of the 1973 oil price shocks. average rates. The figures come from the world. I was in China a couple of weeks
Demand for all forms of energy grew publication of the 60th annual BP Statisti- ago and I came away with a very clear
strongly in 2010 and increases in fossil cal Review of World Energy. sense of how rigorously China is think-
ing about these issues. Growth is by no
means the only game in town. They want

COMPLIANCE!
to maintain social cohesion and they want
to make their growth more sustainable. In
sum, they are worried about energy secu-
rity and climate changejust as we are.
Overview. The strong rebound of
global energy consumption in 2010 fol-
lowed the recent global recession. Con-
sumption growth reached 5.6%, the high-
est rate since 1973. It increased strongly
for all forms of energy and in all regions.
Total consumption of energy in 2010
easily surpassed the pre-recession peak
reached in 2008.
Economic growth was led by the non-
OECD economies which had suffered least
during the crisis. By year-end, economic
activity for the world as a whole exceeded
pre-crisis levels driven by the so-called
developing world, said Christof Rhl, BPs
group chief economist.
Globally, energy consumption grew
more rapidly than the economy, meaning
that the energy intensity of economic activ-
ity increased for a second consecutive year.

Emissions accomplished! The data imply that global CO2 emissions


from fossil fuel consumption will also have
grown strongly last year.
Meet todays low leakage regulatory requirements with Chesterton Demand in OECD countries grew by
1622 low emission valve packing. 1622 is an easy-to-install, single 3.5%, the strongest growth rate since 1984,
although the level of OECD consumption
spool block valve packing designed to reduce fugitive emissions to
remains roughly in line with that seen 10
below 100ppm. years ago. Non-OECD consumption grew
by 7.5% and was 63% above the 2000
Q Certified Low Leaking Valve Packing Technology
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Q Independently emissions tested to API 622 and 2010 for all regions, and growth was above
Chevron standards average in all regions. Chinese energy con-
sumption grew by 11.2%, and China sur-
Q Fire safe, passed API 607 Fire Test passed the US as the worlds largest energy
consumer. Oil remains the worlds leading
Achieve your low emissions goalschoose Chesterton. fuel, at 33.6% of global energy consump-
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Global oil consumption grew by 2.7
For more information go to million bpd, or 3.1%, the strongest growth
www.chesterton.com/1622 since 2004. HP
Expanded versions of these items can be
22726 A.W. Chesterton Company, 2011. All rights reserved.
found online at HydrocarbonProcessing.com.
Select 153 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
20
HPINNOVATIONS
SELECTED BY HYDROCARBON PROCESSING EDITORS

Editorial@HydrocarbonProcessing.com

Kink-resistant hose New CO2 management system petroleum and most other biofuel options
provides longer service life for algae fuel production cannot match. Sapphires technology rep-
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics The Linde Group and Sapphire Energy, resents an approximate 70% reduction in
(SGPPL) has introduced a high-perfor- Inc., a world leader in algae-based crude life-cycle carbon emissions compared to
mance solution for transferring bulk cor- oil, announced that they have entered into petroleum-based equivalents.
rosive chemicals. A superior flexible and a multi-year agreement to co-develop a A single commercial algae-fuel produc-
kink-resistant hose, the Chemfluor Convo- low-cost system to deliver carbon dioxide tion facility is estimated to require approx-
flex WCSR multipurpose chemical transfer (CO2 ) to commercial-scale, open-pond, imately 10,000 metric tons of CO2 per
hose is designed to solve the issue in bulk algae-to-fuel cultivation systems. day, which is comparable to approximately
chemical transfer process where corrosive Linde, the leading merchant CO2 sup- 30% of the current merchant market for
chemicals such as acids may damage the plier in the US, will partner with Sapphire CO2 in the US.
stainless-steel braid commonly used as a Energy, to reduce the costs associated with The Linde Group has a wealth of
cover on transfer hoses. Saint-Gobains the delivery of anthropogenic CO 2 for experience in the cost-efficient supply of
solution provides a longer service life while commercial-scale open-pond algae cultiva- CO2 for climate- and eco-friendly CO2
enhancing plant and worker safety. tion. In addition, Linde will supply all of recycling applications. The Organic CO2
The Chemfluor Convoflex WCSR is the the CO2 to Sapphire`s commercial demon- for Assimilation by Plants (OCAP) proj-
newest addition to Saint-Gobains grow- stration facility in Columbus, New Mexico. ect in The Netherlands is a case in point.
ing portfolio of versatile critical connection Producing fuel by algae using CO 2 Here, Linde supplies, via an 85-km pipe-
solutions for chemical applications. These from large emitters like power stations and line, around 550 greenhouses with CO2,
solutions are engineered to maintain safety chemical plants is a very promising way of which is a byproduct from a nearby refin-
during chemical processes, while reducing reducing greenhouse gas emissions, said ery. Linde also develops, designs, plans
total systems cost. Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the executive and constructs pilot and commercial
From solvents to bulk chemical trans- board of Linde AG. We are delighted to be facilities for capturing CO2 from various
fer, the Chemfluor Convoflex WCSR hose a key partner in Sapphires algae-to-biofuel sources, such as power plants, chemical
can withstand highly aggressive chemicals activities. This is one of the many examples plants, natural gas processing, biofuel and
during chemical processing. Its highly for innovative clean energy projects that other plants.
engineered low profile helical convoluted Linde is involved in. Select 2 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
inner core design provides superior flex- The need for new sources of fuel, as
ibility while maintaining plant opera- dependency on oil becomes more and more Software helps reliably
tion productivity by preventing kinking, problematic, is clear. To produce algal oil, analyze unknown samples
a common cause of downtime for such or green crude, at the scale to meet grow- X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) has
demanding applications. ing demand, we need great partners who established itself as a fast and simple ana-
The Chemfluor Convoflex WCSR hose can supply sufficient and low-cost access lytical procedure. But the method can only
is constructed with a chemically resistant, to CO 2, said Cynthia (C. J.) Warner, fully take advantage of its strengths when
high-purity Chemfluor PTFE inner-core, president, Sapphire Energy. Linde has the matrix of the sample is known. If this
and is reinforced with 304 high tensile unequalled knowledge in how to efficiently is not the case, then the TurboQuant soft-
strength stainless steel braids and an acid- manage the distribution process. Through ware for automatic matrix-effect correc-
resistant ethylene propylene diene mono- this collaboration, we are closer to deliver- tion, developed by SPECTRO Analyti-
mer (EPDM) outer-cover. Extremely ing a domestically produced, cost efficient cal Instruments, can help. A new video at
hard-wearing and durable, the vulcanized source of algae-based green crude. www.spectro.com demonstrates the power
EPDM outer-cover protects the integrity Sapphire Energy has developed propri- of the software solution.
of the hose when acid or other corrosive etary technology along the entire algae-to-
chemicals are accidentally exposed to the energy value chain from biology, cultiva-
outer surface. tion, harvest and extraction, to refining, As HP editors, we hear about
We are pleased to introduce this new resulting in a highly scalable process to new products, patents, software,
processes, services, etc., that are true
product to our critical connection solutions produce a renewable and low carbon sub-
industry innovationsa cut above
portfolio, which is aimed at connecting our stitute for fossil-based crude oil. Sapphires
the typical product offerings. This
customers processes, operations and prod- green crude produces drop-in fuelsjet,
section enables us to highlight these
ucts to what matters to them most: safety, diesel and gasolinethat are completely significant developments. For more
performance and brand assurance, stated compatible with existing infrastructure information from these companies,
Lily Lei, global market leader for chemicals and engines. Algae are grown in salty, non- please go to our website at
in the Process Systems division of Saint- potable water, using lands not suitable for www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/rs
Gobain Performance Plastics. agriculture, and require only sunlight and and select the reader service number.
Select 1 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS CO2 to grow, all sustainable features that
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 21
HPINNOVATIONS
A great advantage to XRF screenings is Whether a liquid is oily or aqueous, who- conditionsolid, powder or liquidof
the possibility of measuring the samples ever tries to analyze without any previous the sample, to achieve acceptable accuracy
with minimal sample preparation. Unfor- knowledge of the sample must expect large for even completely unknown samples,
tunately, a number of sample-dependent deviations. Wissmann reports. For environment analy-
matrix effects influences the accuracy The TurboQuant software developed sis, for example, the software is used in the
of the analytical results. The measure- by SPECTRO makes exact knowledge of SPECTRO XEPOS XRF flagship for the
ment results are only truly reliable if the the composition of the matrix unnecessary. examination of soil samples, electronics
instrument recognizes the matrix of the The software recognizes the matrix-specific scrap or alternative fuels.
sample and can take it into account dur- backscatter from the sample and automati- Select 3 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
ing the analysis, explains Dirk Wissmann, cally determines the sample matrix. Tur-
product manager for XRF at SPECTRO. boQuant only needs to know the physical Recent developments of
rare-earth-free FCC catalysts
Due to Chinas recent export quota
restrictions of rare-earth metals, Grace
AdvAmine & AdvaSulf Davison has developed several rare-earth-
free fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) cata-

your best tools lysts. Grace has provided innovation that


includes the addition of rare earth metals
to stabilize the zeolite Y component of the

in sour gas treatment FCC catalystrevolutionary for catalytic


cracking. In the 1990s, Grace developed
Z-21, a rare-earth-free stabilized zeolite
Y. Based on this technology, the NEXUS
catalyst family was commercialized as a
Prosernat offers rare-earth-free catalyst family for low-
a global range metal feed applications.
of advanced technical solutions
Grace has further developed the rare-
for sour gas treatment
earth-free catalysts by combining the rare-
and sulphur recovery
earth-free Z-21 zeolite with new matrices,
resulting in the new families of REsolution
catalysts and REBEL catalysts. Rare-earth-
free REsolution catalysts are intended for
low-metal feed applications and represent
further improvements on NEXUS catalyst
performance.
Within each family of REsolution cata-
lysts, the ability to independently adjust
the activity and selectivities of zeolite and
the matrix, as well as the ratio of zeolite/
AdvAmine matrix activity allow for a tremendous
I HiLoadDEA degree of formulation flexibility. For
low-metal applications, REsolution will
I MDEAmax
match/improve the performance of stan-
I energizedMDEA
dard rare-earth-based catalysts. REsolu-
AdvaSulf tion provides higher conversion and liquid
I Claus petroleum gas (LPG) olefins yield, as well
ITail Gas Treatment, Clauspol II,
as similar gasoline yield, bottoms upgrad-
Sulfreen, Sultimate ing and coke.
I Sulphur degassing, Aquisulf
Further research and development
work has provided a new rare-earth-free
high-matrix catalyst system for FCC
applications: the REBEL catalyst. Its
formulated with Z-21 and demonstrates
similar activity and selectivity as Midas
100 catalyst.
Tour FRANKLIN - 100/101 TERRASSE BOIELDIEU
F-92042 Paris La Dfense Cedex - France Rare-earth-free Z-22 zeolite.
Phone: + 33 1 47 67 20 00 - Fax: + 33 1 47 67 20 07 Recently, Grace achieved a breakthrough
e-mail: sales@prosernat.com with a proprietary stabilization process and
http://www.prosernat.com
a unique treatment step to boost acidity,
Select 154 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
22
AD: www.graficadueprint.com
2010 Costacurta S.p.A.-VICO

SINCE 1921...
AND WE
STILL LOVE IT

For more than eighty years, we at Costacurta have been


constantly and resolutely committed to the development
and manufacture of special steel wire and plate
components used in many different industrial processes.
Every day at Costacurta, we work to improve the quality
of our products and services and the safety of all our
collaborators, paying ever-greater attention to the
protection of the environment.
Within the wide range of Costacurta products you will
also find some, described below, that are used specifically
in the oil, petrochemical and chemical industries:
- RADIAL FLOW AND DOWN FLOW REACTOR INTERNALS;
- GAS-LIQUID AND LIQUID-LIQUID SEPARATORS;
- ARMOURING OF REFRACTORY, ANTI-ABRASIVE AND
ANTI-CORROSIVE LININGS.
For more information visit our website or contact the
division 'C' components for the oil, petrochemical
and chemical industries at tcrc@costacurta.it.
Radial Flow and Down Flow reactor internals

Costacurta S.p.A.-VICO Management systems


www.costacurta.it
via Grazioli, 30 certified by LRQA:
20161 Milano, Italy ISO 9001:2008
tel. +39 02.66.20.20.66 ISO 14001:2004
fax: +39 02.66.20.20.99 OHSAS 18001:2007
Select 84 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
HPINNOVATIONS
resulting in Z-22, a rare-earth-free zeo- catalyst for low-metal feed applications). catalystanother rare-earth-based catalyst
lite. Relative to REUSY, Z-22 provides Pilot plant testing demonstrates that both for low-metal feed applications. Pilot plant
equivalent activity, higher LPG olefins catalysts show similar selectivities in terms testing compared REplaceR with NaceR
and gasoline octane at constant bottoms of dry gas, coke and bottoms upgrading, and showed that REplaceR provides simi-
and coke make. Several new catalyst fami- while REactoR catalyst provides higher larly high activity, slightly higher LPG
lies utilizing Z-22 have been introduced yields of LPG olefins at the expense of olefin yields and similar bottoms upgrad-
for hydrotreated or low to moderate feed- some gasoline yield. ing and coke yield. The plant results dem-
metal applications. The REactoR catalyst REplaceR catalyst is another new rare- onstrate that low-metal applications REac-
utilizes the Z-22 zeolite, but also incor- earth-free catalyst family that is based on toR and REplaceR catalysts are suitable
porates the processing technologies used the Z-22 zeolite. This catalyst incorporates rare-earth-free alternatives to established
in NADIUS catalyst (a rare-earth-based the processing technologies used in NaceR rare-earth-based catalysts.

A rare-earth-free catalyst for


resid feed applications. Due to addi-
tional demands placed on zeolite stability,

100% Decontaminate naturally in a single step.


Biodegradable
developing the rare-earth-free catalyst for
the resid feed sector was more challeng-
ing than for the low-metal feed sector.
Rare-earth metals remain the most effec-
tive vanadium trap. However, processing
In one easy step, Zyme-Flow removes hazardous contaminants technology involving metals resistance
IURPUHQHU\DQGSHWURFKHPLFDOXQLWVQDWXUDOVDIH functionality has now been successfully
IRU\RXUSHRSOH6XOGHV +2S) and pyrophorics are eliminated. applied to catalyst systems containing the
LELs and benzene are removed. Residual oil and gas are gone. Z-21 and Z-22 zeolites, resulting in the
All without impacting wastewater facilities, personnel and the REduceR catalyst family. REduceR cata-
environment. Simply put, its a natural for fast and effective results. lyst can be used as a blending component
with a rare-earth-based resid catalyst, thus
Get Tough. Get Zyme-Flow reducing the overall rare-earth require-
For information call Dee Bryant at 832.775.1565 ment. Pilot-plant testing compared a
dee.bryant@zymeow.com | www.zymeow.com rare-earth-based NEKTOR resid catalyst
and the same catalyst containing 30% of
REduceR catalyst and showed that these
catalysts were very comparable. REduceR
catalyst, a rare-earth-free resid catalyst can
be blended with a rare-earth-based resid
catalyst to provide similar performance in
bottoms upgrading and coke yield.
In summary, Graces newly developed
catalysts include:
REsolution catalystContains rare-
earth-free Z-21 zeolite in combination with
a new matrix.
REactoR catalystContains the
newly developed rare-earth-free Z-22 zeo-
lite with the application of the processing
technologies used in NADIUS catalyst.
REplaceR catalystContains the
newly developed rare-earth-free Z-22 zeo-
lite with the application of the processing
technologies used in NaceR.
REduceR catalystA rare-earth-free
resid catalyst that can be blended at a 30%
level into rare-earth-based resid catalysts
without significant performance deteriora-
tion in resid applications.
REBEL catalystA high-matrix cata-
Zyme-Flow is a mark of United Laboratories
International, LLC. 2011 United Laboratories
Worldwide Leader in Renery
Decontamination
lyst formulated with Z-21; yields similar
International. All Rights Reserved.
performance as Midas 100 catalyst after
deactivation with metals.
Zyme-Flow tough. From routine decontamination to heavy oil.
Select 4 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
Select 155 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
24
Select 97 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
)BWJOHUIFJODPSSFDUMJRVJEMFWFM
DBOCFEFUSJNFOUBMUPZPVSQSPDFTT

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'JTIFS '*&-%76& %-$G EJHJUBM MFWFM DPOUSPMMFST BSF B CSFBUI PG GSFTI BJS GPS
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Select 69 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
HPIN CONSTRUCTION
HELEN MECHE, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

HM@HydrocarbonProcessing.com

North America Arthur refinery. The expansion is expected will have a capacity of 300,000 metric tpy
CB&I has been awarded an additional to increase current capacity to 600,000 bpd and will be fully integrated with precursor
project, valued at approximately $50 mil- in 2012, reportedly making it the largest production. It will be located at one of
lion, for storage tanks at an oil-sands proj- refinery in the US and one of the top 10 the companys integrated Verbund sites
ect near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. in the world. in Antwerp, Belgium, or Ludwigshafen,
CB&Is scope of work includes the engi- R&S will install, start up and test the Germany, and will start production in
neering, procurement, fabrication and con- pet coke system, as well as provide onsite 2014. Engineering is underway and the
struction of 12 cone-roof tanks at the oil construction management and technical final site selection will be announced
-sands project. CB&Is contract is sched- support for commissioning/testing. The shortly. TDI is a key component used for
uled for completion in 2013. $9.1-million contract award follows R&Ss polyurethane foams.
execution of the projects engineering and
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. procurement phase. Eni has started work on the first indus-
has been selected by both BP and Davy trial application of the Eni Slurry Technol-
Process Technology Ltd. (a subsidiary South America ogy (EST) at its refining plant of Sannaz-
of Johnson Matthey Plc), to help seek CB&I has been awarded a storage tank zaro de Burgondi, near Pavia, Italy. EST is
deployment opportunities for the proven project, valued in excess of $40 million, Enis proprietary technology for converting
BP/Davy Fischer Tropsch process, on a by Bahamas Oil Refining Co., Intl., heavy-oil residues into fine products, gaso-
nonexclusive basis. Under the agreement, Ltd. CB&Is scope of work includes the line and gasoil.
Jacobs is providing engineering resources engineering, procurement, fabrication The EST technology, funded by Eni
to potential licensees. and construction of 14 oil storage tanks, with over 1.1 billion, is said to represent
The BP/Davy Fischer Tropsch process with a total capacity of approximately 3.5
transforms syngas into liquid hydrocar- million bbl, in Freeport, Grand Bahamas.
bons, and is a low-technology-risk process CB&Is contract is scheduled for comple- Correction
for producing diesel, jet fuel (JP8) and tion in the second quarter of 2012. Baha- In the 2011 June issue, page 26, HP editors
naphtha from natural gas, bio-mass or coal- mas Oil Refining Co. is owned by Buck- incorrectly identified the China Blue Chemical
methanol facility at Dongfang as the worlds
derived syngas. eye Partners, L.P.
largest operating coal-based methanol facil-
BP and Davy have successfully demon- ity, and the methanol will be used for olefin
strated the fixed-bed technology on a semi- Europe production.
commercial scale in Nikiski, Alaska, with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has Correction: The plant is only 2,500 metric
full-scale fixed-bed reaction tubes where the received a contract from Goteborg Energi tpd and will produce AA grade methanol to
nominal 300-bpd complex met or exceeded AB for the GoBiGas project, a 20-MW be used for the domestic Chinese market and
all of its performance targets. This process biomass gasification and methanation proj- be available for export.
is now available for license to third parties, ect in Goteborg, Sweden. Officials estimate
and BPs and Davys continuing develop- the contract value at $19 million. Jacobs is
ment is focused on retrofit enhancements. executing the engineering, procurement Trend analysis forecasting
and construction management (EPCM) Hydrocarbon Processing maintains an
The Shaw Group Inc. has renewed a services from its offices in Leiden, The extensive database of historical HPI proj-
contract with Albemarle Corp. to provide Netherlands. ect information. The Boxscore Database is a
35-year compilation of projects by type, oper-
maintenance, engineering, construction, Under contract terms, Jacobs is provid-
ating company, licensor, engineering/construc-
reliability, operations and other labor ser- ing the local construction management
tor, location, etc. Many companies use the his-
vices at Albemarles specialty chemicals services for and on behalf of GoBiGas for torical data for trending or sales forecasting.
manufacturing locations in Arkansas, the new demonstration plant. The plant The historical information is available in
Louisiana, Pennsylvania, South Carolina will produce biomethane from biomass, comma-delimited or Excel and can be custom
and Texas. Shaw will also provide services which is to be distributed in the exist- sorted to suit your needs. The cost depends on
to Albemarles Michigan plant starting in ing Goteborg gas grid. The gasification the size and complexity of the sort requested.
May 2011. technology is provided by Metso Power You can focus on a narrow request, such as
in cooperation with Repotec, and Hal- the history of a particular type of project, or
KBRs subsidiary Roberts & Schaefer dor Topse is providing the methanation you can obtain the entire 35-year Boxscore
(R&S) has been selected to construct a technology. The plant is planned to come database or portions thereof. Simply send
petroleum coker (pet coke) material-han- online in 2013. a clear description of the data needed and
receive a prompt cost quotation.
dling system for Motiva Enterprises LLCs
Port Arthur refinery expansion project in BASF will build what is said to be the Contact: Drew Combs
Port Arthur, Texas. The contract is part of worlds largest single-train toluene diiso- P.O. Box 2608, Houston, Texas, 77252-2608
713-520-4409 Drew.Combs@GulfPub.com
a larger effort by Motiva to expand the Port cyanate (TDI) plant in Europe. The plant
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 27
HPIN CONSTRUCTION
Total completes deep conversion project in Texas
Total has completed a three-year, $2.2 billion expansion of Milestone for Total. Michel Benezit, an executive vice
its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, with all new units successfully president for France-based Total and president of refining and
started and onstream (Fig. 1). The deep conversion project marketing, called it an important milestone for Totals down-
included a 50,000-bpd coker, 55,000-bpd vacuum distillation stream operations, also noting that the new production was
unit (VDU-2) and 64,000-bpd distillate hydrotreater (DHT- more environmentally-friendly. It allows us to adjust to a
3) (Fig. 2). The units expand the companys ability to process changing crude market and gives us more flexibility in supply,
heavy and sour crude oil and produce cleaner transportation said Benezit. Refineries have to be flexible in the purchase of
fuels, such as ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD), officials said. crude and the changing specifications.
Benezit attended a ceremony in Port Arthur on May 5 to
What it means. Having the ability to access what the mar- inaugurate the facilitys improvements, which also included a
ket gives you on raw materials is very important, said Darrell coker naphtha hydrotreater, hydrogen purification unit and
Jacob, refinery manager for Total in Port Arthur. This project sulfur recovery units. In addition, Total said the power supply
gave us the access to a much wider range of crudes. As far as of the refinery was modernized during the expansion when it
ultra-low-sulfur diesel, thats what the transportation fuels mar- was connected to a new 230kV network. That has revamped
ket demands, he added. The expansion will allow the refinery or affected nearly every other process unit in the refinery,
to produce 3 million tons more of ULSD for automotive use, officials said.
Jacob noted (Fig. 3).
Petrochemical options. The company noted that the Port
Arthur refinerys integration with its adjacent joint venture (with
BASF) petrochemical plant would offer additional market
opportunities to maximize profits. Officials did not comment
on whether they were considering an expansion of that facility.
Petrochemical producers such as Dow Chemical and Lyondell-
Basell said in recent weeks that they were considering expanding
their US Gulf plants amid increased feedstock availability.

Construction details. The Port Arthur deep conversion


project was announced on Feb. 12, 2008, employing more than
17,000 construction workers throughout the project. Workers
logged nearly 18 million work hours upon completion, exceed-
ing 5-million safe work hours without a loss time incident on
two separate occasions, the company said. Total officials said
they recognized that work by awarding the refinery with its
highest company safety award.
FIG. 1 Totals refinery complex in Port Arthur, Texas. The Total Port Arthur refinery has a capacity of 232,000
bpd, according to the US Energy Information Administration
(EIA), making it the 27th-largest in the US. HP

FIG. 2 Petroleum coke is produced when the delayed coker is


in operation and is cut from the units coke drums every
1820 hours, producing about 2,000 tpd of coke. The
coke is sent to a dock via a conveyer and is sold as an FIG. 3 The new distillate hydrotreater produces ULSD, which is
industrial fuel. a more environmentally friendly fuel.

28
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
HPIN CONSTRUCTION
the first Italian scientific and technologi- Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) approvals and necessary details for the JV
cal discovery in the oil refining sector and and Mitsubishi Rayon Co. (MRC) have incorporation, implementation and execu-
the biggest industrial project underway in formed a 50/50 joint-venture company, tion activities.
the country. The project, which will be to build and operate two plantsone The MMA plant will reportedly be the
completed by the end of 2012 with the for methyl methacrylate (MMA), and largest ever built, with a 250,000-metric-
start of the 23,000-bpdoe-capacity plant, the other for polymethyl methacrylate tpy capacity. It will use Lucite Interna-
commenced during the 1990s by Eni at (PMMA)at one of SABICs manufac- tionals (LIs) Alpha technology. LI is a
its San Donato Milanese labs. Work con- turing affiliates in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. subsidiary of MRC, acquired in 2009. The
tinued at the Taranto refinery, where a The next phase of this project will focus PMMA plant will be based on MRC tech-
1,200-bpdoe demo plant started opera- on the basic engineering design, comple- nology and will have a capacity of 40,000
tions in 2005, representing the reference tion of: supply agreements, regulatory metric tpy.
point of the Sannazzaro plant. The new
plants design, which will be carried out in
accordance with the highest technological
and environmental standards, began in
2008 and involved Saipem for the engi-
neering activities. Safely Navigating
Middle East the Production Stream
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has
been awarded the Ras Tanura Refinery
Clean Fuels and Aromatics Project, the
first major project to be awarded under
the Saudi Aramco general engineering
and project management services (GES+)
contract. Jacobs is executing the proj-
ect from its office in Al-Khobar, Saudi
Arabia.
The projects scope of services includes
pre-front-end engineering and design
(pre-FEED) services. In addition, the
project includes modifications to the
refinery to comply with future environ-
mental regulations. The Ras Tanura refin-
ery is located in the Eastern Province of Whether
h th your fi field
ld iis upstream, midstream
ids
d tr
tream or
Saudi Arabia.
downstream, MSA, the World Leader in Fixed Gas and
Saudi Aramco has signed a hydro- Flame Detection, can help you safely navigate with our
cracking unit license agreement with extensive line of detectors, built to meet your flame,
Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) for
applying CLGs ISOCRACKING tech-
oxygen, combustible and toxic gas detection needs.
nology to the Jazan Refinery Project
that is in the front-end engineering and
design (FEED) phase. The CLG-licensed
Begin Your Journey.
hydrocracker will be used to convert Free safety glasses to the first 100 participants.
106,000 bpd of vacuum gas oilfrom the Get started by scanning the QR code below.
new 400,000-bpd Jazan refineryinto
high-quality diesel fuel, meeting EURO To learn more about our newest products,
V quality requirements. With this award, visit us at www.msanet.com or call 1-800-MSA-INST.
ISOCRACKING technology has been
selected by Saudi Aramco for their newest
refinery projects in the Kingdom.
CLG will provide an engineering
packageincluding the hydrocracking
reactors, proprietary ISOMIX internals,
ISOCRACKING catalysts, and follow-up
technical support during the detailed engi-
neering design, training prior to startup, MSA 2011 5603
and startup supportduring the new
refinerys commissioning.
Select 156 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
29
HPIN CONSTRUCTION
Asia-Pacific refinery greater flexibility in the crudes tion, new sour-gas-handling facilities will
Foster Wheeler AGs Global Engineer- it can process, specifically to enable the be installed, including a sulfur-recovery
ing and Construction Group has been refinery to process higher-sulfur crudes, unit and a tail-gas treatment unit, and
awarded a contract by Thai Oil Public to upgrade fuel oil to more valuable end the hydrogen-production capacity will
Co., Ltd. for the basic design engineering products, and to meet new sulfur-oxide be expanded by the installation of a new
package and engineering, procurement (SOx ) emission regulations coming into pressure-swing adsorption unit. Foster
and construction management (EPCM) force in Thailand. Wheelers scope also includes a significant
services for the Emission Improvement Residue production will be reduced element of revamp work. The project is
and PSA-3 project at Thai Oils refinery through the application of deep-cut vac- expected to be completed during the first
at Sriracha in Thailand. uum technology, which helps mitigate quarter of 2013.
The projects objectives are to give the the effects of heavier crude slates. In addi-
The Shaw Group Inc.s Mumbai, India,
office has completed service work for the
addition of a Shaw proprietary ultra selec-
tive cracking (USC) furnace for GAIL
(India) Ltd. in Pata, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Shaw provided engineering, procurement
and construction management (EPCM)
services for the furnace project and worked
approximately one million work hours
without a lost-time incident.
Shaw has assumed full ownership and
control of the operations of its Mumbai
office, which previously operated as a
Experience 50/50 joint venture with an Indian part-
ner. In December 2010, Shaw announced

The Difference it will provide proprietary technology and


basic engineering for a new 450,000-tpy
Mustang has extensive experience with executing LNG projects
ethylene plant for GAIL at the same site.
regasification or liquefaction, onshore or offshore, grassroots or brownfield.
Shaw will also provide support during
detailed engineering, procurement and
LNG Experience Concept Studies, FEED, EPCM for construction, and commissioning and
liquefaction and regasification with NGL recovery startup of the plant.
Modular Experience Proven scalable modular designs for
offshore and onshore process modules PETRONAS plans to embark on a
Topsides Experience Extensive topside designs for floating new integrated refinery and petrochemi-
production facilities and FLNG cals complex in Southern Johor, Malaysia.
The new development, to be known as
Operating Experience Operating and maintenance specialists Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated
to take projects beyond startup Development (RAPID), is still at the
Technology Experience Project design experience with third detailed feasibility study stage. It is esti-
party liquefaction and regasification technologies mated that it will cost about $20 billion
Needing a partner for your next LNG regas or liquefaction project? and will comprise a crude oil refinery with
Look to Mustang. Experienced. Global. Ready. a 300,000-bpd capacity, a naphtha cracker
that will produce about 3 million tpy of
ethylene, propylene, C4 and C5 olefins,
and a petrochemicals and polymer com-
plex that will produce differentiated and
highly specialized chemicals.
Greater in scale and scope than that of
PETRONAS Melaka, Kertih and Gebeng
complexes combined, the proposed devel-
opment is expected to turn Southern
Johor into another major petroleum and
People Oriented...Project Driven
petrochemical center in the region. The
E-mail: lngsolutions@mustangeng.com project is expected to be commissioned by
Houston London Luanda Mumbai Abu Dhabi Al-Khobar Kuala Lumpur the end of 2016.
www.mustangeng.com
A subsibiary of Foster Wheeler AGs
Global Engineering and Construction
Select 157 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
30
Select 158 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

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Published since 1922, Hydrocarbon Processing


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HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 31
HPIN CONSTRUCTION
Group has been awarded a front-end Siemens Water Technologies will pro- The technology of UOP LLC, a Hon-
engineering and design (FEED) contract vide a system to treat wastewater at China eywell company, has been selected for a
by Star Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd. Petroleum & Chemical Corps (Sinopec new transportation-fuel refinery to be built
(SPRC) for the residue fluidized catalytic Corp.s) Anqing refinery, in Anhui Prov- in Iraq. The State Company for Oil Proj-
cracking unit (RFCCU) revamp turn- ince, China. The complete wastewater ects (SCOP), under the Ministry of Oil
around and inspection project at its refin- -treatment solution will include a pow- for Iraq, has selected Honeywells UOP
ery at Map Ta Phut in Thailand. dered activated carbon treatment (PACT) to provide key technologies to process
The projects objective is to revamp the system, a Zimpro wet air regeneration 300,000 bpd of domestic crude oil into
RFCCU to improve onstream reliability (WAR) hydrothermal unit and a Hydro- gasoline and diesel fuel at the new facility
together with environmental and perfor- Clear sand filtration system. The three-tier in Nassiriya, Iraq.
mance improvements. Foster Wheeler will system will be used to treat salty and oily UOP will provide reforming, isomeri-
carry out the FEED for this major revamp, wastewater from refining and petrochemi- zation, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC)
including licensor selection, and will also cal production activities from existing and and selective hydrotreating technologies.
work with SPRC to evaluate the existing upgraded units. The wastewater needs to As part of the overall technology pack-
RFCCU maintenance and reliability phi- meet the Chinese specifications for surface age, UOP will provide basic engineering,
losophies with a view to identifying any discharge. The system will become opera- technology licenses, catalysts and specialty
changes that may be needed in the future tional in 2012. equipment for the new refinery. Design will
to retain the continuous improvement begin in the second quarter of 2011.
of onstream performance. The FEED is Honeywell has been selected by The specific UOP technologies to be
expected to be completed by the first quar- North Refineries Co. (NRC) as the provided to SCOP include the Continu-
ter of 2012. main engineering, procurement and con- ous Catalytic Regenerative (CCR) Plat-
struction (EPC) contractor to upgrade forming and Penex processes, that are
Davy Process Technology and John- the automation systems at NRCs refin- used to produce high-octane gasoline,
son Matthey Catalysts (JM Catalysts), ery in Baiji, Iraq. The multimillion-dol- as well as the UOP FCC and Selectfin-
both part of Johnson Matthey Plc, have lar contract for the upgrading of NRCs ing technologies, that enable high-yield
entered into contracts with Liaoning existing control system will improve the production of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel
Datang International Fuxin Coal to Gas refinerys operational efficiencies, reli- and gasoline.
Co. Ltd. for a plant to produce substitute ability and safety.
natural gas (SNG) from coal. The scope of Honeywell solutions will be used, Honeywell has announced that
the project includes a technology license, including the award-winning Experion Hindustan Petroleum Corp., Ltd. has
basic engineering design, catalysts and sup- Process Knowledge System and Safety implemented Honeywell Process Solu-
port services for the methanation unit that Manager, fully automating the facility tions Mobile Stations in its prestigious
converts synthesis gas to SNG. and replacing its 30-year-old single-loop $200-million new fluid catalytic-cracking
The new plant will be located in XinQiu instrument control system. In addition unit (FCCU) project at its Mumbai refin-
District, Fuxin City, Liaoning Province, to improving safety and security at the ery. The Mobile Stations increase pro-
China, and have a capacity of 4,000,000 plant, the new automation investment ductivity and reduce operating costs of
Nm3/day of SNG. This will be the fourth will allow NRC to maximize productivity, standard communication infrastructure by
major SNG project that Davy/JM Catalysts while offering full scalability to support expediting the commissioning of different
have licensed in China. future technology upgrades. systems and subsystems.
Honeywell Process Solutions tech-
Shell Development (Australia) Pty. nology will manage a wide range of pro- Burckhardt Compression has been
Ltd. has given notice to a Technip Sam- cesses, helping to optimize yield while awarded two orders by SINOPEC Wuhan
sung Consortium (TSC) to proceed with reducing maintenance costs by up to Co. to deliver a total of six Laby compres-
the construction of what is said to be the 30%. Honeywell will also provide tech- sors for its petrochemical complex. Two
first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) nical training to NRC employees to pro- compressors will be used for propylene
facility in the world. TSC will provide engi- mote seamless migration from the plants compression; one as a recycle gas com-
neering, procurement, construction and existing systems. pressor (ST process) and one as an offgas
installation for the FLNG facility that Shell compressor (JPP process). Delivery of those
will deploy at its Prelude gas field off the Huntsman Corp. has signed a license compressors will take place in Q1 2012
northwest coast of Australia. agreement with Yantai Wanhua Poly- and, Q4 2011, respectively. In addition,
Moored far out at sea, some 200 km urethanes Co., Ltd., for the production four compressors will be used for ethylene
from the nearest land, the Prelude FLNG of propylene oxide (PO) and methyl ter- liquefactiontwo for ethylene BOG com-
facility will produce gas from offshore tiary butyl ether (MTBE), a co-product pression within the recondensing cycle, and
fields and liquefy it onboard by cool- of PO. Yantai Wanhua plans to lever- two for propane compression within the
ing. The facilitys detailed design will be age the license to build a worldscale PO/ refrigeration cycle. Installation is sched-
undertaken by TSC at Technips operating MTBE plant at its facility in Yantai, uled to be after Q1 2012. The 800,000-
centers in Paris, France, and Kuala Lum- Shandong Province, China, with con- tpy ethylene project is said to be the largest
pur, Malaysia, and it will be built at the struction expected to commence later integration project in central China. HP
Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in this year and beneficial production due Expanded versions of these items can be
Geoje, Korea. in late 2013. found online at HydrocarbonProcessing.com.

32
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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HPI CONSTRUCTION BOXSCORE UPDATE
Company City Plant Site Project Capacity Unit Cost Status Yr Cmpl Licensor Engineering Constructor
AFRICA
Nigeria NNPC Bayelsa Bayelsa Refinery 300 bpd 2800 P
Nigeria NNPC Imo State Egbema Refinery 100 bpd 2500 U 2016
Nigeria NNPC Kogi Kogi Refinery TO 150 bpd 23000 P
Sudan CNPC\Sudan Energy and Mining Khartoum Khartoum Refinery RE 100 bpd C 2011
ASIA/PACIFIC
Australia Shell Royal Dutch Offshore West Australia LNG Floating (FLNG) 3.6 Mm-tpy 12.6 P 2016 Technip|Samsung H I
Australia Santos\PETRONAS JV Queensland Bowen-Surat Basin LNG EX 1.5 Mtpy 750 C 2011 Total Fluor Fluor
China Keyuan Petrochemicals Ningbo Ningbo Styrene EX 720 m-t 17.5 C 2011
China SABIC\Sinopec JV Tianjin Tianjin Polycarbonate 260 Mm-tpy 1000.7 P 2015
India BPCL/Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd. JV Bina Bina, Madhya Pradesh Refinery EX 9 m-tpy 446 P 2017
Japan Nippon Oil Co Sendai Sendai Refinery 145 bpd U 2012
Malaysia Petronas Johor Bahru Pengerang Refinery 300 bpd 1670 P 2016
Philippine Repub Petron Corp Bataan Bataan Refinery EX 180 bpd 1800 U 2015 CB&I|FW|Axens|UOP Daelim
South Korea KKPC Yeosu Yeosu Styrene EX 84 t/a 110.5 P 2012
Sri Lanka Ceylon Petr Corp Sapugaskanda Sapugaskanda Refinery EX 100 Mbpd 1570 F 2012 Oil Design and Construction Oil Design and
Construction
Vietnam Technostar Management Ltd / Telloil Phu Yen Vung Ro Refinery EX 8 m-t 2500 U 2013 PetroChina
CANADA
Alberta Canadian Nat Resources Fort McMurray Fort McMurray Coker, Delayed EX 126 Mbpd 142 E 2013 Lummus Technology Technip
Alberta Suncor Energy Inc Fort McMurray Fort McMurray Storage, Tank None 50 E 2013 CB&I CB&I
Alberta Athabasca Fort Saskatchewan Scotford Upgrader EX 255 bpd 1300 C 2011 KBR|TIC|Bantrel|PCL PCL |Bantrel|TIC|KBR
British Columbia DCEP Kitimat Kitimat LNG Terminal 900 tpy 360 P 2012
EUROPE
France Electricite de France SA / Total SA Dunkirk Dunkirk LNG Terminal 10 Bcmy P 2014
Germany BASF Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen Polyacetals 74 tpy C 2011 Uhde Inventa-Fischer
Italy Eni SpA Sannazzaro Sannazzaro Processing, Heavy Oil 23 bpd 1560 U 2012
Sweden Goteborg Energi AB Gothenburg Gothenburg Biomethane 20 MW 19 E 2013 Jacobs Haldor Topse|Metso
Ukraine Undisclosed Black Sea Black Sea LNG Terminal 10 Bcm P 2014
MIDDLE EAST
Iran Lavan Oil Refinery Lavan Island Lavan Island Distillation, VDU 50 Mbpd 58 C 2011 Namvaran Mehvar
Oman Oman Oil Co Sohar Sohar Refinery 187 bpd 40 F 2012 CB&I|JGC|CLG|UOP UOP|CLG|JGC
Qatar QAPCO Mesaieed Mesaieed Polyethylene, LD (3) EX 300 Mtpy C 2011 Basell Uhde Tekfen Constr
Qatar Shell Royal Dutch Ras Laffan Ras Laffan Ethane Cracker 1.3 MMtpy 6000 P 2015
Saudi Arabia KEMYA Al Jubail Al Jubail Elastomers 400 Mt F Fluor|Jacobs |MES
Saudi Arabia Arabian Chlorovinyl Company Jubail Jubail Ind City Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) 300 tpy 750 U 2012 Daelim
UAE Takreer Ruwais Ruwais Refinery (7) EX 417 bpd 1000 U 2013 GTC, Inc|GS E&C GTC, Inc|GS E&C
UNITED STATES
Louisiana Sasol Lake Charles Lake Charles Ethylene Tetramerisation 100 m-tpy E 2013 S&B S&B
Mississippi Chevron Pascagoula Pascagoula Hydrofinishing, Lubes None 1400 U 2013 KBR
Texas Dow Chemical Freeport Freeport Propylene (2) 900 tpy P 2018
Texas Energy Transfer Mont Belvieu Mont Belvieu NGL Fractionation 100 bpd 375 U 2013 Lone Star Gas Liquids
Texas Enterprise Products Mont Belvieu Mont Belvieu Propylene EX 80.5 bpd P 2013

BOXSCORE DATABASE ONLINE


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I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS SPECIALREPORT

Two-phase fluid cycle efficiently


recovers power from FSRUs
Compact design is efficient and economical
A. GOSWAMI, KBR UK Ltd., Greenford, United Kingdom; and
H. E. KIMMEL, Ebara International Corp., Sparks, Nevada

F
loating storage regasification units High-pressure send-out pumps to There are particular design features
(FSRUs); floating production, stor- bring the LNG from storage pressure shown in Fig. 3 for high-pressure centrifu-
age and offloading units (FPSOs); through the vaporizer to pipeline pressure gal LNG pumps:
and floating drilling, production, storage The vaporizer to transform the LNG The single-piece rotating shaft with
and offloading units (FDPSO) are float- into gaseous natural gas. integrally mounted multi-stage pump
ing vessels used by the offshore industry for The proposed regasification process hydraulics and an electrical induction motor
the drilling, processing, storage and trans- incorporates a third element: The thrust-balancing mechanism to
portation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) The power recovery system to par- eliminate high axial thrust forces on the
or oil. When offloading the LNG cargo in tially regain the input energy used in the bearings. The self adjusting mechanism
gaseous form, the LNG is vaporized in a overall process. allows the ball bearings to operate essen-
regasification unit onboard the vessel, usu- Figs. 1 and 2 show the cryogenic high- tially at no load over the entire usable
ally using ocean water as the heat source. pressure LNG pump for pressurizing the capacity range for pumping. This feature
Due to the large temperature difference fluid up to the high pipeline pressure while it substantially increases the reliability of the
between the LNG and the environment, a is still in the liquid state. Typical dimensions bearings, and reduces maintenance costs.
substantial power recovery is available. This for these pumps are 4 m in height and 1 m in In addition, normal machine wear pat-
article will describe a two-phase fluid Ran- diameter, with 12 centrifugal pump impeller terns are compensated by the self adjust-
kine cycle to efficiently recover power from stages, each with a 300-mm diameter. ing mechanism
floating regasification plants using field-
proven rotating and nonrotating equipment.
The offshore regasification process is
similar to the onshore process, although an
offshore plant can have significant differ-
ences.1 Every square meter of an offshore
footprint is relatively expensive; it requires
the support of an offshore structure. The
design must be compact to keep the surface
area small. Due to the limited space, addi-
tional risk mitigation measures and hazard
and operability study (HAZOP) assess-
ments are required.2

Impact of motion. The continuous ves-


sel motion impacts the design of the pro-
cess equipment for operation under these
dynamic conditions. Rotating equipment
has to be designed to withstand the addi-
tional gyroscopic forces caused by the vessel
movements. The design of any equipment
requires that the center of gravity is as low
as possible to increase the vessels stability.
The conventional regasification process FIG. 1 Nine-stage submersible LNG FIG. 2 An LNG sendout pump upon
for onshore and offshore plants incorpo- sendout pump, post-performance removal from a performance
rates two major elements: test. test stand.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 37
SPECIALREPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS

The thrust balancing mechanism The ball bearings are lubricated and the heat sources and the heat sinks are in
responds within less than 20 milliseconds, cooled by LNG. the range of 170C, providing the precon-
to changes in the thrust force. Table 1 summarizes the general high- ditions for an efficient recovery of power.
The electrical induction motor is sub- pressure pump design criteria. The Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic
merged in and cooled by LNG cycle that converts heat into work. The
Power-recovery system. LNG heat is supplied externally to a closed loop
regasification plants represent large heat with a particular working fluid, and also
sinks that necessitate large heat sources. requires a heat sink. This cycle generates
The differences in temperature between about 80% of all global electric power.
The Rankine cycle is shown using a typi-
cal Mollier diagram with the pressure (p)
TABLE 1. General pump design
over the enthalpy (h).
criteria The ideal Rankine cycle with single-
Liquid LNG
phase vapor expansion consists of the fol-
lowing four process steps (Fig. 4):3
Pump design pressure 133.4 bara 1r2 Isentropic compression of the
Lowest design temperature 168C liquid fluid to a high pressure in a pump
Operating temperature 147C 2r3 Constant high-pressure heat
addition in a boiler to completely vaporize
Rated flow 287 m3/hr
the fluid
Rated differential head 2,396 m 3r4 Isentropic expansion in a turbine
Rated density 417.417 kg/m3 gas expander to low pressure
4r1 Constant low-pressure heat rejec-
Maximum design density 451.00 kg/m3
tion in a condenser to re-liquefy the fluid.

LNG Heat sink

1 Heat

4
3
2
1
Heat source

Heat

Heat

FIG. 3 Cross-sectional view of a high-


pressure cryogenic LNG pump, 15 FIG. 6 Rankine cycle equipment schematic.
stages.

Heat
Phigh 2 3 Phigh 2 3
Pressure

Pressure

Heat
Plow 1 4 Plow 1 4
Heat Heat

h1 h2 h4 h3 h1 h2 h4 h3
Enthalpy Enthalpy
FIG. 4 Four steps of an ideal Rankine cycle. FIG. 5 Graphical representation of Rankine cycle with a liquid-
vapor two-phase expansion.

38
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS SPECIALREPORT

The two-phase fluid ideal Rankine cycle Two-phase Rankine power cycle. from high-pressure to low pressure across
with liquid-vapor two-phase expansion For power recovery using a two-phase the two-phase expander (T) generating a
(Fig. 5) consists basically of the same four fluid Rankine cycle in LNG regasification work output.
steps, with the difference being that the plants, several field-proven working fluids 4r1 The low-pressure two-phase sat-
pressurized liquid is only partially vapor- are available and are used in similar appli- urated working fluid passes through a heat
ized, thus remaining within the saturation cations. To achieve a higher efficiency, exchanger with the heat sink, the LNG for
dome and the isentropic expansion of the the working fluid is passed through two regasification. The working fluid condenses
liquid-vapor mixture is achieved in a two- heat exchangers and one pump two-phase from a saturated liquid-vapor two-phase to
phase fluid expander. expander generator (PTPXG), a compact a nonsaturated liquid single-phase.
The thermodynamic efficiency therm of assembly of a pump, a two-phase expander The compact assembly of a PTPXG is
the ideal Rankine power cycle is the ratio and an induction generator integrally demonstrated in Figs. 7 and 8 as two differ-
of the net power output wnet to the heat mounted on one rotating shaft. ent designs of PTPXP. In Fig. 7, the work-
input qin . The net power output wnet is the Fig. 6 presents the schematic of the ing fluid enters the pump at the lower inlet
difference between the work output wout equipment using the Rankine power cycle nozzle, exits the pump to the side and passes
from the expander and the work input win with two-phase expansion following the through the generator housing cooling the
to the pump. four described process steps: generator, thus recovering the heat losses
wout = h3 h4 1r2 With work input, the pump (P) of the generator. After passing through the
win = h2 h1 pressurizes the liquid single-phase working heat exchanger with the heat source, the
This is calculated by the enthalpies fluid from low pressure to high pressure. saturated working fluid expands across the
h1,h2,h3,h4, given by the four steps in the 2r3 The pressurized single-phase two-phase expander generating work, driv-
described process: working fluid is heated and partially vapor- ing the pump and the induction generator.
wnet = (h3 h4 ) (h2 h1 ) ized by passing through the generator (G) In the modified design shown in Fig.
and the heat exchanger with the heat pro- 8, the pressurized single-phase fluid passes
The heat input qin is the enthalpy differ- vided by seawater or other heat sources, directly from the pump through the gen-
ence between steps 3 and 2. 3r4 The pressurized and heated erator housing, thus cooling the generator,
qin = h3 h2 two-phase saturated working fluid expands and then exits to the side to pass through

FIG. 7 Compact assembly of a pump two- FIG. 8 Compact assembly of a pump


phase expander (PTPXG) generator two-phase expander (PTPXG)
cooled by liquid nitrogen or a generator cooled by propane or FIG. 9 Cross-section of a two-phase
similar nonexplosive fluid. a similar explosive fluid. expander assembly.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 39
SPECIALREPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS

FIG. 13 Radial inflow turbine runner.

FIG. 14 Jet exducer. FIG. 16 Two-phase expander post


performance test.
FIG. 10 Cross-section of a two-phase
expander assembly inside a
pressurized containment vessel.

FIG. 17 The Golar Winter, FSRU for Golar


LNG, Norway. (Photo courtesy of
Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd.)

Two-phase expander genera-


tor. The two-phase expander generator
produces the power within the compact
assembly of the PTPXG.4 Fig. 9 shows the
cross-section of the expander, and Fig. 10
presents the expander inside the pressur-
FIG. 11 Two-phase hydraulic assembly. FIG. 15 Two-phase draft tube. ized containment vessel with the lower-
inlet and upper-outlet nozzle. Fig. 11 illus-
trates the two-phase hydraulic assembly
erator into electrical energy. with the nonrotating nozzle ring on the
The losses of a separate pump motor bottom, followed by the rotating turbine
are eliminated. runner with the jet exducer mounted on
The losses of the induction generator top of the runner, and, on top, the nonro-
are recovered and used as a heat source to tating two-phase draft tube.5 Fig. 12 shows
heat the working fluid in addition to the the nozzle ring with converging nozzles to
FIG. 12 Two-phase nozzle ring.
heat from seawater and other heat sources. generate a high-velocity vortex flow, and
Any leakage of the working fluid Fig. 13 shows the radial inflow reaction
is within a closed loop and occurs only turbine runner converting the angular fluid
the heat exchanger. In both design versions between the pump and expander. momentum of the vortex flow into shaft
the leakage flows through the seal and the Any leakage of the working fluid is torque. The jet exducer shown in Fig. 14
axial thrust is minimized due to equal pres- minimized due to equal pressure on both is a radial outflow turbine mounted on top
sure on both sides of the seal and opposing sides of the seal, and small leakages are of the runner generating additional shaft
directions of the axial thrust forces. within a closed loop and occur only between torque by an angular fluid momentum in
The following are advantages of the the pump, expander and generator. the opposite direction of the nozzle ring
compact assembly PTPXG: The axial thrust is minimized due to angular momentum with a near isentropic
The expander work output is larger opposing directions of the thrust forces two-phase expansion to the lower pressure.
than the pump work input, and the dif- decreasing the bearing load and increasing The two-phase draft tube displayed in
ference in work is converted by the gen- the bearing life. Fig. 15 recovers energy by converting the

40
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
LNG DEVELOPMENTS

remaining rotational kinetic energy into


static-pressure energy.
During startup of the compact assem-
bly, the induction generator operates as
an induction motor below the synchro-
nous speed. When the shaft power of the
expander is greater than the shaft power
of the pump, then the induction motor
operates in the generator mode above the
synchronous speed.

Summary. Liquid-vapor two-phase


expander generators have been success-
fully operating at PGNiG in Odalanw,
Poland, since 2003. Fig. 16 shows one
of the two-phase LNG expanders on the
Problem: High acid number
LNG test stand in Nevada. The presented jet fuel/kerosene/diesel
Rankine power cycle, incorporating a
compact designconsisting of a pump,
a two-phase liquefied gas expander and an
induction generator integrally mounted on
Opportunity: More profit from
one single rotating shaftoffers efficient processing cheaper crudes
and economical power recovery for float-
ing LNG regasification units. An example
of a current floating unit, Fig. 17 shows
the FSRU Golar Winter for Golar LNG,
Solution: Next generation
NAPFINING HiTAN
Norway. Future FSRUs will be equipped
with power-recovery systems. HP

LITERATURE CITED
1 Chiu, C.-H. et al., LNG: Basics of Liquefied
Natural Gas, The University of Texas at Austin.
2 Dian, I. M., LNG Receiving Storage and NAPFINING HiTAN uses reliable FIBER FILM patented technology
Regasification Terminals, Spanish Gas Association,
Barcelona, Spain, 2010. and caustic to remove unwanted naphthenic acid compounds like
3 Cengel, Y. A., et al., Thermodynamics: An no other. See how next-generation technology, with lower capital
Engineering Approach, The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc., Hightstown, New Jersey, 1998. costs and a smaller plant footprint, can make more money for you
4 Kimmel, H. E., An Emphasis on LNG using less expensive crudes.
Expanders, LNG Industry Summer 2009,
Palladian Publications Ltd., Farnham, UK, 2009.
5 Goswami, A., et al., Power Recovery in Floating Finding the right treating solution to remove impurities from
LNG Regasification Plants, OSEA2010,
18th International Oil and Gas Industry
hydrocarbon streams is challenging for any refiner. But Merichems
Exhibition and Conference, Singapore, 2010. decades of experience and commitment to innovation means
treating gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons can be efficient,
economical and clean.

Arindom Goswami is a tech-


nical professional leader at KBR UK
Ltd., UK, and received a BS degree
in mechanical engineering. He has
technical expertise in rotating equip-
ment, along with global management skills, and has Learn more at
contributed to the success of many upstream oil and gas www.merichem.com/NAPFINING.
projects, including numerous LNG projects.

Merichem: A global provider of focused


Sweet Solutions.
Hans E. Kimmel is the executive
technology, chemical and service solutions.
director for research and development
at Ebara International Corporation.
He graduated with an MS degree and
PhD in mechanical and process engi-
neering from the University of Technology, Munich, Ger- P: 713.428.5000 | E: mptsales@merichem.com | www.merichem.com
many. Dr. Kimmel has contributed new technologies in
the cryogenic field, particularly for the LNG technology.

Select 160 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


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Select 61 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS SPECIALREPORT

What are the benefits from mass


transfer rate-based simulation?
Models are highly detailed and predictive
R. H. WEILAND and N. A. HATCHER, Optimized Gas Treating, Inc., Houston, Texas

A
lkanolamines have been successfully used for 80 years for tube-side coefficients for heat transfer that are readily correlated
sweetening hydrocarbon products. Despite the longev- with thermal transport properties (density, heat capacity, thermal
ity and track record of amine treating as a process, it is conductivity) and equipment geometry (tube diameter, plate
common to find that calculation methods rely heavily on rules- spacing, baffle placement). This allows heat-transfer calculations
of-thumb and the now-antiquated approximation of ideal or to be generalized and fully predictive. If there are good correla-
theoretical stages. The advent 30 years ago of high-speed, desktop tions for individual heat transfer coefficients and the equipment
computing power makes this approach not just severely limiting, geometry has been characterized by physical measurement, the
but also unnecessary. performance of a given heat exchanger can be predicted. This is
also true for mass transfer. Good correlations for film coefficients
Designing for mass transfer. Compared with mass sepa- and measured equipment geometries (weir heights, passes, open
rations, heat transfer is a relatively simple operation involving area on trays, random packing size and brand, or crimp angle and
transferring the single entity, heat. Mass transfer, on the other crimp height of a structured packing) allow the performance of
hand, involves transporting many components as well as heat. a real tray or a given depth of real packing to be predicted. The
It also involves complex phase-equilibrium thermodynamics, as mass transfer rate model does not use artificial parameters such
well as chemical reaction equilibrium and kinetics. Conceptually, as residence time per theoretical stage, or HETP, and it does not
the difference between heat and mass transfer is computational, rely on engineer-supplied estimates of efficiency any more than
rather than fundamental. The beauty of mass transfer rate-based heat-transfer calculations do.
simulation is that separations equipment can be designed and A mass transfer rate-based model should not be confused with
analyzed completely without recourse to theoretical stages, tray rate-based or one that estimates tray efficiency and then applies
efficiencies and transfer unit heights. The separation is calcu- it to a few equilibrium stages. There seems to be disinformation, at
lated directly without appealing to such artificialities, using only least in the gas-treating arena, as to what constitutes a rate model.
equipment parameters that can be measured with a ruler. Heat Any column simulation based on equilibrium-stage calculations,
exchangers are never treated as equilibrium stages, and mass- no matter how modified, is patently not a rate model. The need
transfer calculations dont have to be either. After 25 years of for a mass-transfer-rate basis is most evident when selectivity for
successfully applying mass transfer rate-based simulation tools hydrogen sulfide (H2S) over carbon dioxide (CO2 ) is a concern,
to such diverse operations as azeotropic and extractive distilla- commonly when aqueous methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) is the
tion, three-phase distillation, distillation with catalytic chemical
reaction and reactive amine-based gas absorption, the need for
efficiencies and residence-times on theoretical stages is past. So
what does the term mass transfer rate-based really mean and
what distinguishes it from other approaches? p
Instead of efficiencies and height equivalent to transfer plates
Rate = kGa (p-p*)
(HETPs), mass transfer rate models use mass (and heat) transfer p*
coefficients, gas-liquid contact areas (equivalent to heat transfer
Physical solubility
surface areas), and concentration difference driving forces (just
c*
like temperature differences in heat transfer). Fig. 1 illustrates a Chemical solubility Rate = kLa (c*-c)
magnified view of the gas-liquid interfacial region of the liquid
film flowing on the surface of structured packing. Just as tem-
perature differences drive heat flow, concentration differences c
drive the diffusion of material species. Mass-transfer coefficients Gas Liquid
play the role of heat-transfer coefficients, and now the interface
across which chemical components transfer is a flexible moving
boundary rather than the fixed boundary of a heat-exchanger tube FIG. 1 Region around the gas-liquid interface of liquid film
or plate. The advantage in heat transfer is individual shell and flowing over packing.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 43
SPECIALREPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS

solvent. MDEA absorbs CO2 slowly because the main reaction, contact stage. Dissolved molecular CO2 reacts with MDEA at a
CO2 hydrolysis to bicarbonate, is slow. Nevertheless, MDEA is rate dictated by the reaction kinetics. For an ideal stage whose
capable of absorbing a lot of CO2 , so CO2 absorption cannot be liquid holdup volume is V (equal to volumetric liquid flowrate,
ignored. In fact, it determines the CO2 slip through the absorber, L, multiplied by the ideal-stage residence time, ), CO2 disap-
influences the equilibrium pressure of H2S and the H2S-treated pears by reaction on the stage at the rate (mol/s) shown in Fig. 2.
gas content. Getting the CO2 slip right is critically important to Physically, an ideal stage is unrelated to anything that is inside the
getting the treating right. column. Since this is an idealization, the meaning of ideal-stage
One approach to modeling CO2 absorption by MDEA which residence time defies reason.
retains the equilibrium stage concept while attempting to account In principle, the calculated reaction rate (Fig. 2) can be used to
for reaction rates, is to conceptualize the liquid volume held up compute the increase in total flowrate of dissolved CO2 between
on a theoretical stage as a stirred tank reactor. This conceptualiza- the liquid inlet and outlet (i.e., separation). This allows the outlet
tion is illustrated in Fig. 2, where several trays or a large volume liquid not to be in equilibrium with the outlet gas (equilibrium
of random or structured packing is represented by a single ideal is the primary approximation of the equilibrium stage model).
Is the problem solved? Not quite. There are two issues with this
approach. The first is how to assign a value to the ethereal resi-
dence time on a theoretical stage. The second is there is no way of
knowing the concentration of dissolved but unreacted CO2 in the
bulk liquid phase, CCO . If the reaction was fast, CCO could be
2 2
zero; if its slow, it could be the value in equilibrium with the gas.
V out Lin
CO2 CO2 Absorption is a two-step process:
Dissolve, then diffuse through the liquid
Rxn rate = k2 React.
Cco2 CMDEA L The simplest assumption is that the reaction is slow enough
and the mass transfer is fast enough for CCO always to have
2
V in Lout its equilibrium value (i.e., no mass transfer resistance and the
CO2 CO2
rate-limiting step is reaction). The reactor model focuses on the
wrong process as the rate-limiting step. In fact, CO2 absorption
FIG. 2 Ideal stage with chemical reaction as the rate-limiting is never reaction-rate controlledit is always mass-transfer-rate
step.
controlled. Disregarding this fact may result in the highest calcu-
lated absorption amount. Although simulation can be matched to
plant performance data through the adjustable parameter, , the
residence time per theoretical stage is disconnected from anything
physical. The right value for a new situation is just as unknown
as stage efficiency. If too small a value is guessed, then there is too
little CO2 removed; too large, then too much is removed. There is
an element of rate through reaction kinetics, but to call it rate-
based is disingenuousit is still an equilibrium stage model, but
now containing an adjustable parameter.
Recently, Nagpal concluded that accurate rate-based process
simulators are required for optimal design of sulfur removal units
(SRUs) and tail-gas-treating units (TGTUs), but there is consid-
erable variability among commercial simulators.1 Unfortunately,
the simulators compared by Nagpal were not mass transfer rate

6
Measured
Simulated
5
H2S leak, ppmv

2
98 100 102 104 106 108
Lean amine temperature, F

FIG. 3 Measured vs. simulated H2S leak for June 28, 2009 data.

Select 161 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


44
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS SPECIALREPORT

TABLE 1. Plant performance data for 60% capacity operation compared with simulation
Gas rate, Amine rate, Lean amine, Raw gas, Inlet H2S, Outlet H2S, Inlet, Outlet, Calc H2S, Calc CO2,
Time MMscfd gpm F F ppm ppm CO2% CO2% ppm mol %
7:30 a.m. 200 240 100 84.0 400 3.0 2.4 1.8 3.64 1.67
8:00 a.m. 202 240 99.2 85.2 400 2.8 2.4 1.8 3.73 1.68
8:30 a.m. 202 240 99.6 86.6 400 2.6 2.4 1.7 3.82 1.69
9:00 a.m. 199 240 100.8 87.8 400 3.3 2.4 1.7 3.85 1.69
9:30 a.m. 199 240 101.2 89.2 380 3.4 2.4 1.7 3.80 1.70
10:00 a.m. 198 240 102.5 91.0 380 3.7 2.4 1.7 3.90 1.70
10:30 a.m. 202 240 103.5 93.3 380 3.9 2.4 1.7 4.14 1.72
11:30 a.m. 203 240 104.3 94.8 380 4.2 2.4 1.7 4.27 1.72
12:00 p.m. 203 240 105.6 96.0 380 4.7 2.4 1.6 4.38 1.73
12:30 p.m. 207 245 106.3 95.5 380 4.6 2.4 1.6 4.60 1.73
1:00 p.m. 207 245 106.4 96.5 380 5.3 2.4 1.6 4.68 1.73
1:30 p.m. 209 250 106.8 96.8 390 5.2 2.4 1.6 4.99 1.74
2:30 p.m. 209 255 107.4 95.9 380 5.3 2.4 1.6 5.02 1.73
3:00 p.m. 209 255 107.2 96.8 380 5.6 2.4 1.6 5.09 1.73
4:00 p.m. 209 255 106.5 95.2 380 4.9 2.4 1.6 4.98 1.72

based. His conclusionthat reliable operating data from exist-


ing units are required to validate the simulator results deserves
applause. It is futile to compare results between simulators and
vendor runs because all are simply simulations. Traditionally,
the focus of most ideal stage-based simulation has been trays.
Equilibrium stage models cannot confidently determine the bed
height needed and the separation to be expected in packed tower.
A mass-transfer rate-based simulator is compulsory.
A simulation tool is truly rate-based only if it:
Does not use equilibrium stages in any way FIG. 4 Two-pass tray with recessed seal pan and anti-jump baffle.
Asks for no data that cannot be directly measured in the plant
Reliably predicts performance without knowing the answers
first absorber tracked extremely well with the temperature of the lean
Predicts tray performance and random and structured packing. amine. However, it did not provide even a hint at what the cause
was or what the best fix might be.
Not meeting capacity in a shale-gas-treating plant. As an interim measure, the solvent vendor proposed a formu-
Shale gas is usually low in H2S but high enough in CO2, where its lated MDEA containing an acidic stripping agent to reduce the
difficult to treat. A particular plant was intended to use 50 wt% H2S loading in the lean amine so that at least the 60% produc-
MDEA to treat, to pipeline quality, 330 million standard cupic tion level could be maintained over the summer.2 Using the mass
feet per day (MMsdfd) of a high-pressure gas having 700 ppmv transfer rate-based simulator, the plants engineers showed that
H2S and 2.5% CO2. The plant was designed using an equilib- this solvent would allow < 4 ppmv H2S leak, and with the treat-
rium-stage based simulation tool, and, from the day it started up ing rate improved to 73% of capacity. As a result, the existing 50
there was a major problem. Beyond 60% of the design gas rate, wt% MDEA solvent was gradually converted to the formulated
the 12-tray contactor could not meet the 4-ppmv H2S specifica- solvent, and plant capacity also increased despite the high sum-
tion, and the CO2 level was already well below the targeted 2% mer temperatures. The longer-term remedy for the plant was
even with maximum solvent circulation rate, maximum reboiler retraying the absorber.
duty and only 400 ppmv H2S in the raw gas. Startup was during Twelve trays were sufficient to reach 4 ppmv H2S only at
the relatively cool month of June, but with August approaching, reduced rates. Mass transfer rate-based simulation showed that
the situation was likely to get worse. Mass transfer rate-based adding more trays would remove more CO2 but not allow 4 ppmv
simulation showed that missing the H2S treat was caused by H2S gas to be produced at design rates. However, it is known that
absorbing far more CO2 than suggested by the original design if trays can be forced into the spray regime of operation, much
tool. In essence, the predicted CO2 slip was wrong. improved selectivity can result.3 Tray weir liquid loads below 60
With a mass-transfer rate-based amine simulator in their hands, gpm/ft of weir length result in spray formation. Also, the lower the
the engineers first tried to predict the performance of the plant weir load, the more the biphase on the tray becomes a spray of fine
as measured shortly after startup. Data for an 8-hr period were droplets (approximately 1 mm). Even though a single pass tray was
compared with simulation in Table 1, and the data provided hydraulically adequate, the new trays were built with two passes,
confidence in the simulation tool. The calculated results were i.e., double the weir length or half the weir load (Fig. 4). Within
obtained out of the box using no adjustable parameters whatso- the existing shell constraint, the tower could accommodate 18
everabsolutely none. As Fig. 3 illustrates, the H2S leak from the trays on closer spacing. Simulation suggested the gas would be 2.5
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 45
SPECIALREPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS

Before the revamp, the high-pressure


1,150 ppmw acetate
815 ppmw formate treater was satisfactorily sweetening a
To vent 220 ppmw oxalate 200-psig fuel-gas stream from 0.5% H2S
5,930 ppmw thiosulphate To SRU
3 13 to below 4 ppmv. Following the revamp,
Cooler 11
the column failed to achieve satisfactory
18 CB 17 16 treating. The solvent vendors simulation
12
Control suggested the contactor should be capable
Contactor Regenerator
15 8 of reaching 2 ppmv H 2S in the treated
X exchanger 10 gas, but H2S leaks in the range from 20
1
ppmv30 ppmv were measured regularly.
Tail gas
In agreement with the solvent vendors
4
7 expectations, a popular commercial simu-
14
lation tool also suggested that the treated
gas should contain 1 ppmv2 ppmv H2S.
FIG. 5 Refinery tail-gas treating unit. The simulation basis was a clean solvent
and both sets of simulations used measured
acid gas loadings in the lean solvent. Nei-
ther was capable of simulating a regenerator. The presence of
50 0.008 HSSs was not considered, nor could this factor be accounted
H2S leak to vent for by either simulator. With clean-solvent simulation results,
0.007
40 H2S loading a consultant blamed the trays-to-packing revamp for the failure
Lean H2S loading, mol/mol

0.006 under the flawed premise that the liquid residence time on the
H2S leak to vent, ppmv

0.005 packing was too short to allow sufficient H2S absorption. This
30
is surprising when CO2 , not H2S, absorption into MDEA is
0.004 suggested to be residence-time dependent. On the consultants
20 0.003 recommendation, the tower was revamped back to trays. How-
ever, the results were extremely disappointingperformance was
0.002
10 essentially unchanged from packing. This was a consequence of
0.001 ignoring the effect of HSSs. However, in the absence of accurate
0 0.000 lean loading values, reliable regenerator simulation is critical to
0 20 40 60 80 100 assessing HSS effects and mass transfer rate-based simulation is
Wt% of HSSs removed the best way to do this.
When the solvent analysis shown in Table 2 was used in mass-
FIG. 6 Solvent reclaiming effect on TGTU performance. transfer rate-based simulations, packing was predicted to produce
26.5 ppmv H2S and 26.0 ppmv for the 17 trays. A performance
test on the trayed column showed a treating level of 26 ppmv H2S,
TABLE 2. Analysis of solvent used in fuel-gas treater in perfect agreement with the mass transfer rate-based simulation.
MDEA, wt% 38 Formate, ppmw 14,305
If the correct simulation tool is used in the first place, the embar-
rassment of a failed, expensive revamp can sometimes be avoided,
CO2, loading 0.00014 Sulfate, ppmw 230
and the right corrective action taken insteadin this case, it was
H2S, loading 0.0009 Thiocyanate, ppmw 3,225 reclaiming the solvent.
Acetate, ppmw 2,580 Chloride, ppmw 1,675
Making the right solvent-reclaiming decision. The
ppmv H2S using 50 wt% generic MDEA. This was too close for Gulf Coast refinery TGTU shown in Fig. 4 is a conventional
surety and the backup plan was to reintroduce formulated solvent scheme using 34 wt% MDEA solvent. It treats tail gas having
that would guarantee just below 2% CO2 and < 0.2 ppmv H2S. 1.7% H2S and 3.4% CO2 and the contactor is packed with 20
Another valuable result from the mass transfer rate-based simu- ft of structured packing. TGTUs are normally run on a separate
lations was the discovery that a solvent rate considerably less than amine circuit from the rest of the refinery to avoid problems
maximum solvent rate was necessary to meet the treating objec- caused by HSS-laden solvents. In this case, the TGTU used the
tive with generic MDEA. The reason is that low solvent rates refinery amine system. Despite the HSS analysis shown in Fig. 5,
significantly reduce weir liquid loads, improving selectivity by the unit was treating the tail gas to a remarkably low 3 ppmv H2S.
generating a greater proportion of spray vs. froth, i.e., higher CO2 A mass-transfer rate-based simulation of this system, including the
slip and better H2S removal. full solvent composition per the analysis, predicted 2.3 ppmv H2S
leak, in notable agreement with measured performance.
Correcting poor treating of refinery fuel gas. Refin- The solvent was quite contaminated0.8115 wt% HSSs.
ery amine systems are notoriously contaminated with heat-stable Plant personnel were considering reclaiming, but before making
salts (HSSs) generated in cracking and hydrotreating operations. that recommendation, they ran several mass transfer rate-based
In this example, to reduce operating expenses, a refinery switched simulations to determine if TGTU treating would be affected. Fig.
from monoetheolanine (MEA) to MDEA during a turnaround. 6 shows that, with increasing degrees of reclaiming, the TGTU
At the same time, they revamped the fuel gas treaters from trays would rapidly lose its ability to treat to really low H2S residuals.
to random packing. Although not shown, reclaiming was simulated to have a neg-

46
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
LNG DEVELOPMENTS

ligible effect on CO2 slip, which would remain at 65%. The


reason for such outstanding H2S treating is the HSSs effect on
solvent regenerationthey are acting as stripping promoters,
reducing the solvent lean loadings of H2S and CO2 by a factor
of between 10 and 100! This translates into lower H2S leak. If
thorough reclaiming had been done without first trying to assess
its effect on treating, the TGTU was predicted to slip nearly 20
times as much H2S to ventwell above the permit level. Using
a mass transfer rate-based simulation tool with HSS capabilities
prevented a potentially catastrophic outcome. No reclaiming was
done in this case.
A good place to start the reclaiming decision-making process is
an assessment using a process simulation tool that has high accu-
racy and reliability. Mass and heat transfer rate-based simulations
meet these criteria. One must be able to model the actual system
under study, not just the detailed solution chemistry but also the
mass-transfer behavior of the real column internals being used.
Accurate regenerator modeling is crucial because this is where
HSSs and stripping promoters have their real effect, so one cannot
just assign values to acid-gas loadings in the lean solvent.

Bulk CO2 removal with MDEA. Knowledge grows and


technology advances, so what does one do if double checking an
original design late in the construction phase shows the design is
inadequate? A plant for treating 9.5% CO2 in a methane stream
with 50 wt% generic MDEA to a target level of 0.5% was ini-
tially designed according to a commercial, reaction-modified
equilibrium-stage-based simulator. This simulator suggested that
22 actual trays would be adequate. The treated gas was to be
blended with other streams to meet pipeline specification of 2%
CO2. Equipment was being installed and the plant was sched-
uled for startup when the solvent vendor was asked to validate
the MDEA design. Using a mass transfer rate-based simulator
showed the plant could not meet even the 2% CO2 specification
required for the final blended gas, much less the 0.5% CO2 target
for the treated gas. Indeed, 50 trays were needed to reach 0.5%
CO2 in the outlet gas using MDEA! This was certainly not what
the engineering team expected, and they were left scrambling for a
solution. Fortunately, the initial gas rate and its CO2 content were
expected to be lower than in the design, and another low CO2 gas
stream was available for blending. As a precaution, contactor weir
heights were raised from 2 in. to 5 in.
The original design tool suggested that at design condi-
tions the 2-in. and 5-in. weirs would produce gas with 0.68%
and 0.20% CO 2, respectively. The mass transfer rate-based
tool predicted 2.08% and 1.72% CO2. Its not known which
was correct since the plant never operated at design rates with
generic MDEA. However, the initial operating data (taken at
6.4 MMscfd vs. 10 MMscfd with 7.95% CO2 vs. 9.5% CO2)
validated the mass transfer rate-based simulation that predicted
0.7% CO2 vs. 0.8% measured in the plant. After operating for
two years with the solvent circulation pumps capacity limiting
processing to 9 MMscfd, the outlet gas was measured at 1.7%
CO2 compared with 1.34% CO2 by mass transfer rate-based
simulation. Under no circumstances was anything like 0.5% CO2
ever produced with generic MDEA. Eventually, the situation
took on greater urgency when corrosion in another unit caused
the source of low-CO2 gas to be shut off. Without blend-gas to
dilute the CO2, the facility was forced to cut production.
The consequences of the poor original design were mitigated
in part by a last-minute tray modification, and by the fact that the
Select 162 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
47
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Select 73 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
LNG DEVELOPMENTS

actual gas flow and composition when taken together amounted


to over 30% lower load than the design was supposed to accom-
Italian design
modate. After two years of operation, when the original design
conditions needed to be met, the consequence of using an equi- A masterpiece
librium-stage-centered model for this application came to a head.
A sensible solution was a solvent change-out to a specialty amine.
Fortunately, the availability of a mass transfer rate-based simulation
tool allowed the operators of this facility to anticipate and plan for
corrective action well in advance. With a mass transfer rate-based
simulation tool, this wouldnt have happenedconversion to a
specialty solvent could have been avoided.

Summary. Mass transfer rate-based simulation has been used


with great success for 25 years in the design and analysis of high-
purity, azeotropic, extractive, catalytically reactive, three-phase dis-
tillations, and in gas treating with amines. Mass transfer rate-based
models are highly detailed and completely predictive. They require
the user to provide details of tray type, weir height and length; the
number of passes; and packing types by brand name, size and mate-
rial. They require parameters that are physically meaningful and
which can be measured. Such details are necessary for mass transfer
rate calculations, not just for estimating flooding and pressure drop.
Theoretical stages, efficiencies, HETPs and ideal-stage resi-
dence times never come up in mass transfer rate-based simulation.
The only input data is information that can be measured or read
from a drawing. Practitioners can be confident with mass transfer
rate-based simulation since they are in heat-exchanger design
software. The cases presented are real-world, and show the power
of methodology and the benefits that engineering and operating Creativity is the art we
personnel can reap by using mass transfer rate-based simulation apply to achieve superior
to tackle the very problems once shelved as cant-be-solved. HP design and developments
in technology.
LITERATURE CITED For over 70 years we have designed and supplied
1 Nagpal, S., Designing a selective MDEA tail-gas treating unit, Hydrocarbon cost-effective technology, process plants and equip-
Processing, pp. 4348, January 2010. ment for the oil & gas and refining industry around
2 Weiland, R. H., Acid-gas enrichmentmaximizing selectivity, 58th
Laurance Reid Gas Conditioning Conference, Norman, Oklahoma, February, the world. With our expertise we provide tailor-
2008. made solutions from studies and revamps to skid-
3 Weiland, R. H., N. A. Hatcher, and J. L. Nava, Tray hydraulic operating mounted units and complete turnkey plants.
regimes and selectivity, Petroleum Technology Quarterly Supplement, Gas,
pp. 3739, 2010.
Oil & gas treatment
ACKNOWLEDGMENT separation, dehydration and HC dew point control,
LPG and NGL recovery, sweetening,
All photos courtesy of Sulzer Chemtech.
mercaptan removal
Acid gas treatment & sulphur recovery
Ralph Weiland founded Optimized Gas Treating in 1992 acid gas enrichment, Claus, ammonia Claus,
and has been active in Canada, Australia and the US in basic and oxygen-enriched Claus, tail gas treatment,
applied research in gas treating since 1965. He developed the first sulphur degassing
mass transfer rate-based model for amine columns for Dow Chemi-
cal and is responsible for the development of the Windows-based
Advanced process controls
ProTreat process simulation package. Dr. Weiland also spent 10 years in tray research Special process equipment
and development with Koch-Glitsch LP, Dallas, Texas. He earned BASc, MASc and PhD
degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto.

Nate Hatcher joined Optimized Gas Treating, Inc., as vice


president of Technology Development in 2009. He is responsible
for making improvements and adding functionality to the ProTreat
gas treating process simulator. Mr. Hatcher has spent most of his
16-year career involved with sour-gas treating and sulfur recovery, SIIRTEC NIGI Engineering Contractors
first in design and startup and later in plant troubleshooting, technical support and Via Algardi, 2 20148, Milan (Italy)
Tel: +39-0239223.1 Fax: +39-0239223.010 Web: www.sini.it
process simulation development. He is a member of the Amine Best Practices Group Contact: marketing@sini.it
and serves on the Laurance Reid Gas Conditioning Conference advisory board. Mr.
Hatcher received a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kansas
and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Kansas.

Select 163 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


49
Select 88 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS SPECIALREPORT

Improve decision-making for LNG


projects via an integrated technology
This approach to modeling and economics cuts through
the complexity of project capital investment
R. BECK, Aspen Technology, Inc., Burlington Massachusetts

E
xploiting new gas reserves or increasing capital and operating costs and risks early Fig. 1. In particular, the last three steps
the throughput of existing liquefied enough to be used making investment are improved through the integration of
natural gas (LNG) operations involve decisions. Greenfield production facilities simulation models and economic evalua-
a number of competing technical, market are increasingly in the mega-project cat- tion systems.
and economic factors. For the business deci- egory, comprising gas processing facilities,
sion maker, it is essential to be presented liquefaction and loading. In addition to Process and energy optimization.
with key options and tradeoffs as to which new projects; in any of these three asset The chemical process simulation model
contracts to negotiate, technologies to select, areas, there could be opportunities to is a key tool in designing LNG facilities,
and capital investments to approve for leverage existing facilities that will involve on both the liquefaction and regasification
development. The separate environments in debottlenecking projects. Screening these sides. While, frequently, process engi-
which analysts work within an organization projects involves complex interaction neers only model portions of a proposed
interfere with reaching the best decisions between technical and facility cost param- process for schedule or effort expediency,
quickly. Processes are screened with simula- eters weighted against commercial negotia- there are many advantages to building the
tion models and spreadsheet tools. Contrac- tion factors and logistical constraints, all complete model. Rigorous models can be
tual, pricing and supply chain information in the context of the business goals for a built much more quickly and efficiently
are analyzed through financial spreadsheets. project. The concepts discussed will focus than organizations often realize.2 Some
Capital costs are estimated with estima- on the LNG liquefaction end, but they are recent advances in simulation modeling
tion systems while resource and timing applicable to all major capital projects in include energy integration analysis (that
constraints are evaluated via planning and the value chain. enable system-wide balancing and optimi-
project-management tools. Business lead- If a stable process can be designed, will zation of energy sources and uses), dynam-
ers are left with the results of these different it be cost-effective, make best use of capi- ics integration with steady-state models
analyses that they need to weigh based on tal, and achieve the business and revenue to simplify the development and analysis
dueling PowerPoint presentations. objectives of the project? To answer these of process dynamics, and the addition of
A better approach can be based on the questions confidently and rapidly, it is reporting tools to account for carbon emis-
interoperability of software used during possible to use powerful technical models, sions. All of these developments mean that
screening and front-end engineering and link them to economic ones, rapidly screen the process engineer can rapidly evaluate
design (FEED) studies that enable a better alternatives, and further link them to Excel several alternatives and optimize for yield,
decision-making framework. In particu- front ends that can give broader access to
lar, an innovative capability that has been the operation of models beyond the realm
introduced to the market embeds accurate of the model experts. Selected process strategy
economic models in the process modeling
environment. This allows the process mod- Early concept workflow. Since Initial PFD development
eler who is screening options to derive accu- early process screening usually involves
rate and comparable operating and capital small teams, automating this workflow
costs during modeling studies. These very has not received the attention that the Mass and energy balance
early economics are particularly useful in detailed design workflow (usually involv-
the comparison of alternatives. You can ing large teams) has. However, integrat- Equipment sizing/operating limits
efficiently include economics (capital and ing this workflow, to remove the need for
operating costs) in the technical, energy and data re-entry and copying, is valuable in
yield tradeoffs that you are considering. enabling the process screener to look at Process evaluation
more alternatives in hopes of arriving at
Challenges. LNG producers face the optimal choice. The typical workflow FIG. 1 Early screening workflow.1
numerous challenges to characterize the resembles the simplified one shown in

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 51
SPECIALREPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS

energy cost and use, and carbon emissions. Using an Excel modeling executive is approach between 2004 and 2006 and, dur-
By incorporating dynamics, the model a proven way to make technical models of ing that timeframe, reducing the % variance
becomes an invaluable tool for understand- LNG assets available for a range of purposes. of their estimates from actual at a starting
ing and improving startup conditions and This involves running the model in the point of greater than 35% variance to less
avoiding instabilities. As an example, Osaka background, while using the familiar Excel than 15% variance.6 But these tools are too
Gas was able to apply dynamic modeling interface as the way that the casual user can specialized and complicated, in their native
to understand and solve LNG fraction- enter the scenario conditions and otherwise form, for the process engineer to use.
ation tower instabilities, resulting in pre- interact with the model. In this way, busi- The innovation required to embed this
construction design revamps that increased ness analysts and process engineers can run powerful tool within the process simulation
process efficiency and reduced production scenarios involving debottlenecking, energy environment is fourfold. First, some of the
costs by $3 million per year.3 use, pricing and other criteria. power of the estimating tools (which enables
By integrating heat-exchanger rating BP is an example of an organization the estimators to calibrate the tools) must
models with the general process simula- that has implemented such an Excel inter- be hidden so that the process engineers are
tors, the heat-exchanger aspect of an LNG face layer to broaden the availability of not required to see that complexity. Second,
facility, usually the dominant one in terms models of existing assets for decision-mak- engineering rules need to be incorporated in
of the energy balance of the process, can ing, both at a technical level for operating the interfacing activity to map the simula-
be analyzed with much greater accuracy assets and at a business level for operating tion blocks to equipment types that can be
during screening studies. ConocoPhillips strategies, enabling revenue optimization.5 estimated, and to size equipment and bulks
reports that it has been able to achieve based on the models heat and material bal-
optimized design and improved opera- Typical debottlenecking proj- ance. Third, operating cost itemssuch as
tions through its accurate modeling of ect. An existing LNG plant has usually feed costs, utility costs, and product pric-
brazed aluminum heat exchangers within been modeled fairly completely by at least ingneed to be captured from the model.
the simulation model and heat exchanger steady-state models during the design, and, And finally, fourth, the tool is automated to
model environment, using each tool to its sometimes, dynamic models are added dur- run behind the curtains so that, by sim-
best advantage.4 ing startup stage. When debottlenecking ply pushing a button, the process engineer
activities are studied, often a different team accesses the estimation cost engine. All of
Model institutionalization at the is involved that may have a learning curve this workflow and engineering rules inno-
business level. Once a conceptual in reusing these existing models or that vation has been accomplished over the past
design is complete, the process model may be unfamiliar with the model details. three years by our organization.
itself should be a valuable asset that has This is where a spreadsheet interface can This tool has been effectively adopted
lasting benefit, both for the startup and be invaluable to enable a screening team and used by several enterprises to achieve
operation of the facility, and perhaps more to access a model and use it for alternatives economically superior process designs and
subtly, for follow on capital investment evaluation, without concerning themselves improved capital predictability. Kuwait
decisions around process improvement, with the details of model creation. Oil Company has used this integrated eco-
commercial negotiations, debottlenecking nomics approach to rapidly evaluate two
and expansion. Incorporating relative economics dramatically different options for a gas-
in the decision-making process. dehydration unit.7 Using this approach,
Estimators have long used unique rigor- the counter-intuitive alternative, complete
ous engineer-in-a-box class of estimating unit replacement, proved to be an econom-
software tools for the conceptual estimating ically superior option, saving 50% of the
of hydrocarbon facilities, both greenfield total costs, for a savings on that project of
plant sites, as well as brownfield upgrades almost $20 million. The key to achieving
and debottlenecking projects. These tools this was the ability to generate both capital
can be calibrated to achieve better than and operating costs so that lifecycle busi-
20% accuracy time after time. For instance, ness impacts of design alternatives could
FIG. 2 Economic analysis with a
simulation model. ConocoPhillips reports moving to this be measured fully.

FIG. 3 Traditional approach. FIG. 4 Integrated, innovative approach.

52
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
LNG DEVELOPMENTS

Technip has used the integrated eco-


nomics capability to improve its ability to
make bidding decisions and to study trad-
eoffs in selecting designs.8 Technip reports
an ability to increase design flexibility,
achieve maximum energy efficiency and
optimize designs from a cost point of view.
It employed this integrated approach on
designs for Technip proprietary technol-
ogy for gas processing. It is able to achieve
economically superior designs and detailed
proposals in one-tenth of the former time.
Technip now incorporates training in using
integrated economics during early concep-
tual design as a core competency for its Problem: High jet fuel processing costs
North American process engineers.

Business modeling. Once the eco- Opportunity: Lower CAPEX and OPEX
nomics have been derived, the resulting
capital and operating forecasts can be by avoiding solid bed media
easily brought into a master spreadsheet,
where the business factors such as prod- Solution: Next-generation
uct transportation costs, contract values,
royalty schedules, reserves over time, and
the like can be taken into account. Several MERICAT J
major LNG producers are currently con-
sidering this approach to improve capital
decision-making.
MERICAT J uses FIBER FILM
Design standardization. One of the patented technology and
characteristics of LNG processing plants is proprietary solution to sweeten
the repeatable nature of the designs. Large- mercaptans like no other without the
scale LNG liquefaction plants usually need for solid bed media. See how
involve multiple identical process trains, next-generation technology. with
and LNG facilities bear many similarities lower capital and operating costs
from a process point of view. This can be and a smaller plant footprint can
taken advantage of to create libraries of make more money for you.
reusable design elements, both from the
process viewpoint and from the economic Finding the right treating solution to
modeling viewpoint. remove impurities from hydrocarbon
This general approach has been descri- streams is challenging for any refiner.
bed quite clearly by one organization,
But Merichems decades of experience and commitment to
DSM, which gained a significant competi-
innovation means treating gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons can be
tive advantage in reducing time to mar-
ket for new processes.2 DSM broke down efficient, economical and clean.
commonly reused processes into libraries
of design fragments that were built up Mercaptans in jet fuel/kerosene are bad.
into simulation models and the associated
economic models.
Samsung Heavy Industries proposed Learn more at:
such a library approach for the rapid FEED www.merichem.com/MERICAT-J
design of LNG floating production storage
offshore (FPSO) topsides.9 Its goal, during
pre-FEED, is to rapidly estimate the total
cost, weight and layout of an LNG FPSO Merichem: A global provider of
facility. In their analysis of the repeatable focused technology, chemical and
design problem, Samsung concluded that Sweet Solutions. service solutions.
the process units could be divided into
those that are common across all LNG P: 713.428.5000 | E: mptsales@merichem.com | www.merichem.com
projects and those that vary with the type
of source gas being processed. In the case
Select 164 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
53
SPECIALREPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENTS
Webinar Broadcast, October 2010, http://
of Samsung, a benefit of this approach is to way in which the different engineering www.aspentech.com/_ThreeColumnLayout.
enable the company to begin to penetrate and economics aspects of the problem are aspx?pageid=2147488398.
3
the FEED phase of these projects, from its often tackled. Fig. 3 indicates the typical, Emi, H., Solving Unit Instability
traditional strengths in the areas of fabrica- traditional approach that is taken, high- Problems in LNG Separation Through Use of
Aspen HYSYS Dynamics, Aspen Japan User
tion and detailed design. lighting the ad hoc nature of the commu- Meeting, Tokyo, June 2008.
nications and data handoffs between the 4 Evan, M. and M. Gentry, Optimizing LNG
Next steps. The innovations described groups. What we have described in this Plant Design and Operations with Aspen HYSYS
provide tremendous opportunity to rethink article are a number of innovations that and Aspen MUSE, AspenTech User Conference,
May 2009.
the way that early process design is con- change the game in terms of the ability to 5 Stewart, Ramidial and Hudson, Asset
ducted. The next areas of innovation will make these decisions better and faster. By Optimization at BP Trinidad, AspenTech User
most likely involve applying the new incorporating equipment sizing, energy Conference, May 2009.
6 Whiteside, J., Use of Historical Data to improve
usability paradigms, common to mobile analysis and rigorous economic modeling
Conceptual estimates with Aspen ACCE
devices and the web, to the technical engi- within the world of the process modeler, Estimating System, AspenTech User Conference,
neering modeling domain. Social media the technical organizations can respond June 2006.
7
tools will present additional opportunities more quickly and with better choices and Madhusudana, V., Project Optimization at
for sharing of best-practice modeling ideas financially superior designs. Fig. 4 provides Conceptual Level by Using Aspen HYSYS Tools,
AspenTech Global Conference, May 2011.
within organizations and, with the appro- a simplified summary view of the approach 8 Tipton, E., Best Practices for Process and
priate intellectual property protections, that we have been discussing. Measureable Collaborative Engineering, Aspen Engineering
across them. benefits as described by Kuwait Oil, Osaka Public Seminar, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela,
Gas and others in the examples above are April 2010.
9 Hwang, J., et. al., Application of an Integrated
Summary. With the fast pace and just the tip of the iceberg. The potential FEED Process Engineering Solution to Generic
dynamic nature of the LNG marketplace, payoff of adopting of these new approaches LNG FPSO Topside, ISOPE, 2009.
the pressure to make capital decisions bet- is high. HP
ter and faster is increasing. The technical
groups supporting these decision-making BIBLIOGRAPHY Ron Beck is a member of the engineering products
1 Eijkenboom, M., Developing Scope for Proposed
processes are hard-pressed to keep up. group at Aspen Technology in Burlington, Massachu-
Processes by Integrating Aspen Economics with setts. His experience is in introduction and implementa-
One of the reasons is the highly manual Aspen Plus, May 2011. tion of systems for design and management of process
process by which information is distrib- 2 Eijkenboom, M., Achieve Better Process plants globally. Mr. Beck holds a BA degree in science
uted between groups and the fragmented Designs with Integrated Economics, Public from Princeton University.

Select 165 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


54
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BONUSREPORT

Run your pumps like a pro


Follow these tips to boost efficiency and avoid failures
D. KERNAN, ITT Monitoring and Control Group, Seneca Falls, New York

D
ue to the myriad engineering, logistical and safety chal- Operating to the right of BEP, a condition known as runout,
lenges involved in a refining operation, American Petro- means that the flowrate is higher than the pump was designed to
leum Institute (API) over hung (OH) style pumps are maintain. The high flow increases the exit velocity of fluid leav-
often overlooked as a potential source of improved productiv- ing the pump, thus creating a low-pressure area inside the pump.
ityor as a cause of catastrophic failure, if not operated properly. Operating to the left of BEP occurs when the discharge flow is
Refinery managers, maintenance engineers and production restricted, causing fluid to recirculate within the pump, also
supervisors should adhere to best practices and understand the creating a low-pressure area, which can lead to increased radical
operational dos and donts for employing pumps properly in loading and low-flow cavitation.
refining applications. Paying heed to pump performance can In either case, the creation of imbalanced pressure increases
boost operational efficiency, and avoid failures that reduce pro- the radial loads on the impeller, which can cause shaft deflec-
duction or cause catastrophic shutdowns.

Pump fundamentals and monitoring. One example of


a catastrophe occurred recently at a North American refinery that
produces about 70,000 barrels per day (bpd). A fire broke out
at the bottom of a vacuum tower, forcing a three-day shut down
that cost $1.5 million in damages and lost production time. An
investigation quickly identified a failed pump as the cause. This
is a common occurrence, if pumps are not operated and main-
tained properly. On average, one out of every 1,000 pumps with
a failedmechanical seal leads to a fire. Due to the seriousness
and cost of such failures, maintenance engineers and production
supervisors need to understand the operation of a centrifugal
pump and how to operate it efficiently.
A centrifugal pump is rotating machine comprised of six main
parts that work together to keep the pump operating properly (Fig.
1). They include an impeller, pump casing, bearings, bearing frame,
shaft and a mechanical seal (Fig. 2). The operation principle of the
pump is to convert mechanical energy to pressure. In operation, a
FIG. 1 Centrifugal pump.
rotating impeller accelerates a liquid and as the area of the pump
casing expands, the velocity of the fluid is converted to pressure. As
a result, pressurized fluid exits the pump discharge. Though the per-
formance of API pumps has improved with enhancements to design
and materials, the basic structure has changed little in decades.

BEP and pump performance. Best efficiency point (BEP),


the flowrate where a pump has its highest efficiency, is a key factor
in pump performance. Few pumps operate at their exact BEP all
of the time, because process variables in a production environ-
ment are not 100% constant. However, a pump that is properly
sized for its application will maintain a flow near peak efficiency.
Maintaining a flow between 80%110% of BEP (Figs. 3 and 4)
is a good range to maximize efficiency and minimize the risk of
excessive wear or pump failure.
When a pump operates too far off its BEP, forces inside the
pump become imbalanced, which can cause parts to deflect and FIG. 2 The six main parts of a centrifugal pump.
wear excessively.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 57
BONUSREPORT MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY

tionthe bending of the impeller shaft, which increases vibra- first in the bearings and/or mechanical seals, the two parts of a
tion of the pump. The vibration and imbalance forces can create centrifugal pump that fail most often.
stress on the pumps internal components, most likely to be seen
Cavitation and net positive suction head. Cavitation is
another serious problem caused by the lack of adequate net posi-
tive suction head (NPSH), the pressure provided at the suction of
TDH
the pump, less the fluids vapor pressure. When fluid pressure on
the trailing side of the impeller blade (opposite the pump intake)
falls below the vaporization point of the fluid, vapor bubbles begin
to form. When these vapor bubbles reach an area of high pressure
inside the pump, they can collapse violentlycausing sudden,
Efciency BEP uneven axial and radial loading on the impeller. This, in turn,
can cause shaft deflection that is random in direction and often
severe in magnitude.
While it is easy to reccomend run your pumps at the BEP
80% BEP with adequate NPSH, operation within the oil and gas markets,
be it upstream to downstream, is a dynamic process. Process
change production rate change, but typically the hundreds, if
not thousands, of pumps to support these process do not change
and this can lead to improper operations. It is only when a robust
Low pressure condition monitoring program in combination with operations
area support, can reliable and efficient pump operation be achieved.

Managing pump performance in a refinery. In a


complex refining operation, where the focus is on production,
manually monitoring the performance and operation of API
pumps is seldom the top priority. A disconnect also often exists
Radial between the maintenance and operations functions, which pre-
force
vents managers from seeing the complete picture of equipment
performance. A continous condition monitoring program that
FIG. 3 Centrifugal pump characteristics running below involves both maintenance and operations can help refining
recommended minimum flow. operations to address both challenges. The North American

TDH TDH

Efciency BEP Efciency BEP


Preferred
operating
range

110% BEP 80% 110% BEP

Radial
force

Low pressure
area

FIG. 4 Centrifugal pump characteristics running-out. FIG. 5 Centrifugal pump characteristics running at preferred
operating range.

58
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BONUSREPORT

refinery faced with the $1.5 million pump failure is a case in A continuous condition monitoring
point. A root-cause analysis revealed that the pumps mechanical
seal caused the fireand a review of maintenance records showed system plays a key role in keeping both
numerous repairs and parts replacements consistant with off-BEP
pump operations in the weeks and months leading up to the fire.
the operational and maintenance sides of
Subsequent to the disaster, the refinery installed a continuous the refinery up to speed on pump perfor-
monitoring system in 2009.
The system plays a key role in keeping both the operational mance and machine health. It monitors
and maintenance sides of the refinery up to speed on pump per- temperatures, vibrations, pressure and
formance and machine health. It monitors temperatures, vibra-
tions, pressure and power to ensure that pumps are operating power to ensure that pumps are operat-
properly, and also warns of trouble before it occurs.
The monitoring data is distributed to both the control room
ing properly, and also warns of trouble
and a to web-based condition monitoring platform. Simple, easy before it occurs.
to understand key performance indicators (KPIs) such as suction
pressure, vibration and power data allow any operator to monitor Condition monitoring systems need to support both machine
pump operations without special training. When more advanced status and process data to answer why pumps are about to fail,
diagnostics are neccessary, such as vibration spectrums and time- not just when and where. By implementing these best practices,
wave forms, the reliability and maintence teams can access the operators can run their pumps like the pros, while boosting pro-
web-based condition monitoring system from any web-enabled duction and reducing risk at the same time. HP
device. The system integrates maintenance and operational data
in a single dashboard, improving operational efficiency and
reducing the need for walk-around manual monitoring. In Dan Kernan is the manager at ITT Monitoring and Control. He
nearly two years since the system was installed, the refinery has earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University
required no unplanned maintenance on its pumps. of Rochester and has spent the last decade integrating technologies
such as power electronics, embedded sensors and wireless systems
While refinery managers, maintenance engineers and pro- with rotating equipment to improve equipment reliability and
duction supervisors face continual challenges to maintaining reduce energy. Mr. Kernan and his team have helped numerous customers in the oil
production, they cant lose sight of proper pump operation and and gas industry implement pumping systems and pump control solutions. He holds
maintenance. Both play a key role in preventing pump failures. three patents or patents pending in technology related to improving pump reliability.

Buzau - ROMANIA phone: +40 238 725 500


www.betabuzau.ro

Select 166 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 59
PROCESS INSIGHT
Optimizing CO2 Capture, Dehydration and Compression Facilities
The removal of CO2 by liquid absorbents is widely implemented formulated solvent without implementing any split ow congurations. This is
in the eld of gas processing, chemical production, and coal gasication. much less than the reported steam usage for the MEA solvent.
Many power plants are looking at post-combustion CO2 recovery to meet The design of a facility to capture 90% of the CO2 from the ue
environmental regulations and to produce CO2 for enhanced oil recovery gas of a coal red power plant is based on the specied ue gas conditions,
applications. The gure below illustrates actual data of fuel consumption in CO2 product specications, and constraints. Using the ProMax process
2005 and an estimate of energy demand for various fuels from 2010 to 2030. simulation software from Bryan Research & Engineering, CO2 capture units
The world energy demand will likely increase at rates of 1015% every 10 can be designed and optimized for the required CO2 recovery using a variety
years. This increase could raise the CO2 emissions by about 50% by 2030 of amine solvents. The following gure represents a simplied process ow
as compared with the current level of CO2 emissions. The industrial countries diagram for the proposed CO2 Capture Plant.
(North America, Western Europe and OECD Pacic) contribute to this jump in
emissions by 70% compared to the rest of the world, and more than 60% of
these emissions will come from power generation and industrial sectors.

Despite the strong recommendations from certain governments, The table below presents the main ndings for CO2 capture from the
there are very few actual investments in CO2 capture facilities geared toward coal red power plant and the NGCC power plant, each designed to produce
reducing greenhouse gas emissions mainly because of the high cost of CO2 about 3307 ton per day (3,000 TPD metric). To produce the same capacity of
recovery from ue gas. CO2 capture costs can be minimized, however, by CO2, only one train with smaller column diameters is required in the case of
designing an energy efcient gas absorption process. Based on the ndings the coal power plant and two trains with larger column diameters are required
of recent conceptual engineering studies, HTC Purenergy estimated the in the NGCC Power Plant case. This is mainly due to processing a larger
production cost to be US$ 49/ton CO2 (US$ 54/ tonne CO2) for 90% CO2 ue gas with lower CO2 content in the NGCC power plant. Consequently, a
recovery of 4 mole% CO2 content in the ue gas of NGCC power plants. A substantial reduction in the capital and production cost was reported for the
separate study showed the cost for 90% CO2 recovery of 12 mole% CO2 from coal red power plant CO2 recovery facility.
a coal red power plant to be US$ 30/ton CO2 (US$ 33/tonne CO2). The cost
of CO2 recovery from coal power plant ue gas is substantially less than that
of NGCC power plant ue gas due to the higher CO2 content in the feed.
The energy efciency of a CO2 capture plant depends primarily on
the performance of the solvent and optimization of the plant. In traditional ue
gas plant designs, MEA was the primary solvent and was limited to 20 wt% to
minimize equipment corrosion. Recent developments in controlling corrosion
and degradation has allowed an increase in the solvent concentration to
about 30 wt% thus decreasing the required circulation and subsequent steam
demand. A recent DOE study shows the steam consumption for an existing
CO2 plant using 18 wt% MEA (Kerr McGee Process) is 3.45 lb of steam per
lb of CO2 for amine regeneration. A modern process that uses 30 wt% MEA
is expected to use 1.67 lb of steam per lb of CO2 for amine regeneration. The
HTC formulated solvent is a proprietary blend of amines and has a lower
steam usage than the conventional MEA solvent. Based on the material and
energy balances for the plant designed in the recent study, the reboiler steam For more information about this study, see the full article at
consumption is estimated at about 1.47 lb steam/lb CO2 using the proposed www.bre.com/support/technical-articles/gas-treating.aspx.

Bryan Research & Engineering, Inc.


P.O. Box 4747 Bryan, Texas USA 77805
979-776-5220 www.bre.com sales@bre.com
Select 113 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BONUSREPORT

Seal off costly refinery leaks


Older refinery seeks better method to be leak-free
J. PATERSON, Sealing Corp., North Hollywood, California

L
eaks are a huge problem for the oil industry. Even small leaks Seal problems. While the Balikpapan refinery has a rich his-
from pipes, valves, boilers, heat exchangers, etc., reduce tory, aging seals can add up to major leakage issues. The spiral-
efficiency and eat away at profits. Indonesias state-owned wound seal designs in use at the refinery have been around about
oil and gas company, PT Pertamina, suffered from leak problems as long as the original Balikpapan refinery (1950s); unfortunately,
in aging refinery and petrochemical complexes. This case history these aging seals were not up to meeting modern demands.
explores how this operating company solved its sealing problems. The spiral wound gaskets would have a lifetime of about
six to 12 months before they would start leaking, says David
Aging Asian downstream complex. PT Pertamina was Hakim, a representative of PT Egamekinka Pratama, a firm in
established in 1957. This national oil company (NOC) engages in Jakarta that specializes in pump engineering, sealing devices and
both upstream and downstream activities. Upstream, PT Pertam- piping systems for the petroleum industry. Then they would
ina is active in oil, gas and geothermal exploration and produc- have to use online sealinga frequent and expensive occurrence.
tion. For the downstream, this NOC refines, ships and markets
transportation fuels, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied Better sealing gasket. Looking for ways to reduce mainte-
natural gas (LNG), petrochemicals and lube oil. The company nance and production costs caused by the leaks and environmental
operates six refineries with a combined capacity of 1.046 million problems from spills, sealing consultants proposed replacing the
bbls. Two of the refineries are integrated with petrochemical plants spiral-wound gaskets with a combination of a live-loading system
that produce purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and paraxylene and steel-trap gaskets. The live-loading system consists of bolt-
(PX). Five other complexes produce LPG, and there are two LNG disk springs that maintain the desired pressure despite mechanical
plants with a combined 35,000 tpy incapacity. shock, pressure surges or thermal expansion and contraction. The
Several of the refineries are older and predate Indonesias inde- steel-trap design maintains a seal on high-pressure, high-temper-
pendence and the establishment of Pertamina. The Balikpapan ature lines, eliminating leaks and lowering maintenance costs.
refinery was established by Shell Transport and Trading in 1894. This action would improve reliability of the seals and avoid
The original facility was destroyed during WWII, rebuilt in 1950 replacing gaskets every six months or engaging in online repairs.
and expanded in 1983. The 2.5-km2 facility has two sub-units, The Balikpapan refinery could use this approach to achieve three
which processes up to 260,000 bpd and produce fuelsaviation or more years of leak-free operations.
turbine fuel (AVTUR), aviation gas (AVGAS), kerosine, automo-
tive diesel oil (ADO), industrial diesel oil (IDO), marine fuel oil Selecting the right sealing solution. Choosing the right
(MFO) and special high-octane fuels along with LPG, paraffin, seal requires analyzing a combination of factors including the mate-
naphtha and low-sulfur waxy residue (LSWR). Balikpapan I has rials making up the joint to be sealed, operating temperature range,
two refinery units producing naphtha, kerosine, gasoline and pressure class required and the processing characteristics such as
diesel and a high-vacuum unit producing paraffin-oil distillate. pH of the materials that the seal is designed to keep in or out. One
Balikpapan II opened in 1983, supplies AVTUR, AVGAS, kero- other factor to consider when looking at the temperature is whether
sine, ADO, IDO, MFO and special high-octane fuels. it is constant, or if the equipment is frequently cycling thus causing

FIG. 1 Balikpupan refinery had major leakage issues. FIG. 2 Evidence of leaks indicate failure of sealing gasket on this
refinery unit.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 61
BONUSREPORT MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY

flange bolts to loosen over time. For high-pressure applications in a file gaskets still require a higher clamping force than if the full
refinery, maintenance crews have three basic options: spiral wound, thickness of the sealant can be compressed. In addition, since
camprofile (or kammprofile) or steel-trap seals. the metal backing is rigid, vibration or water hammer eventually
Spiral-wound seals have been around for nearly a century leads to destruction of the soft graphite fibers. In severe services,
and have justifiably earned a stable position in the maintenance this gasket design can cause the metal ridges themselves to break
marketplace. Consisting of alternate layers of a filler (typically through and damage the flange surface.
graphite) and a metal (generally high carbon or stainless steel) Steel-traps seal design. To address these shortfalls, steel-trap
wound in a spiral, they are more expensive than the sheet gaskets. gaskets incorporate technology originally developed for use on
But they do not need as high of bolt loading since some of the fighter aircraft. The seal base consists of a thin layer of convoluted
flange surface is in contact with the more compressible filler. stainless steel with a 0.015-in. graphite layer within the grooves on
While lower, the bolt load is still significant and can lead to both sides. As a result, it is thinner and more flexible than either
warping and other problems associated with high bolt loads. In the spiral-wound or camprofile designs.
addition, unless handled with care, these gaskets can come apart This design has several advantages over the older gaskets. Since
during installation. the metal backing is a single piece, it doesnt come unwound like
Camprofile. Like spiral wound, camprofile gaskets use metal the spiral-wound gaskets. Most important, the flexible nature of
to support the softer sealing material. The camprofile gaskets, the metal base means that the metal itself does not need to be
however, use a solid metal core surrounded by two layers of seal- compressed to achieve a seal. Instead, the metal acts like a spring,
ing material. The surface of the metal core has a series of con- keeping the graphite tight against the flange. This greatly reduces
centric grooves to hold the sealing material in place. Camprofile the bolt load required, as well as the need for retorquing and
gaskets can provide two significant advantages over spiral wound warping of the flange. The flexibility also means that the gasket
design. First, the metal support consists of a single piece rather maintains its seal despite shocks or thermal cycling. Since this
than a thin wound layer, which can unravel. Second, the sealing design is more pliable, the metal absorbs the energy of vibration
material completely covers the surface of the metal ridges. Ideally, and water hammer, thus preserving the service life of the gasket.
even when the seal is compressed, the metal ridges do not come While the intricacies of seal design may be fascinating, what
in contact with the flange surfaces. really matters most is not the type of seal used, but how the joint
Unfortunately, real-world plant operating conditions are less performs in operation. The object is not to have the most state-
than ideal, which brings up the limitations for this gasket-type of-the-art gasket, but to ensure that failures do not result in costly
design. The compressibility is limited to the thickness of the seal- shutdowns, environmental or safety hazards or add to mainte-
ant layer as it passes over the highest point of the ridges, rather nance costs. The bottom line is:
than the full thickness of the sealant. Any further compression 70 % of scheduled seal-replacement costs are labor related
must come from the elasticity of the metal. As a result, campro- One unplanned shutdown or a single leak far exceeds the
few dollars spent on a seal.

Balikpapan problems. Camprofile-type seals were installed


at troublesome joints at the Balikpapan refinery in 2005. The
first targets were two heat-exchanger nozzles. A self-locator gasket
made of 316LSS with a graphite filler, along with flange-bolt disk
springs, was selected.
A series of gasket replacements on other equipment began
at the refining complex. In March 2006, an 8-in. self-locating
gasket was installed on a converting valve from the power plants
generator turbine and a 20-in. seal (also 304LSS) on a check
valve. The converting valve seal was still working perfectly in
May 2010. The check valve gasket was reinstalled in May 2008
FIG. 3 Workers installing sealing gasket at the refinery.
and remains in good condition.
In 2007, a 24-in. seal was installed in the steam-line block
valve and an 8-in. gasket was installed on a steam-line valve
from the turbine generator. Another 24-in. steel-trap gasket was
Often referred to installed on turbine generator No. 5 in August 2008. All were
as a compression Most of the clamping force is on the metal 304LSS with graphite filler. These gaskets are still in operation
gauge gasket. plate, not on the sealing element. and working well. In September 2010, additional gaskets were
installed on a steam line and reboiler heat exchanger. Success
of the gasket replacement solutions spread to other regional
refiners, including Chevron Petroleum Indonesia, the countrys
largest oil producer. HP

Not a real compression seal. John Paterson is president of Sealing Corp. of North Hollywood, California.
The company manufactures a line of self-energized metal gaskets consisting of a
corrugated metal carrier combined with different soft sealing inserts (e.g., flexible
FIG. 4 Spiral-wound gaskets have several disadvantages since a graphite, PTFE, mica or a combination thereof). These gaskets operate at high tem-
real compression seal is not possible. peratures (200C to 1,200C) and high pressures (400 bar).

62
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com on the left-hand navigation bar.

24 Hr Safety COT-PURITECH Infinity Maintenance Services

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A&L Valve
DeltaValve Reader Service 313
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CURTISS WRIGHT Flow Control Company, Reader Service 325
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Reader Service 311


Sentinel

Altair Strickland Reader Service 314

Reader Service 303 CURTISS WRIGHT Flow Control Company,

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SO.CA.P. s.r.l.
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Diamond
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Team Industrial Services, Inc.
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Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services

Reader Service 304 Ecodyne Heat Exchangers Turnaround Welding Services


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achieving the most impact and return on your time
and investment.
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BONUSREPORT

Rethink lubrication and steam


issues on emergency equipment
Best available technology is a must for backup systems
H. P. BLOCH, HP Staff

T
he March 2011 earthquake and disastrous tsunami in Japan they will operate at less-than-optimum flow. Also, if these pumps
was termed a perfect storm meeting an imperfect design. As are chosen for highest possible hydraulic efficiency, they likely
we all know, the nuclear power facilitys emergency backup will have relatively flat head-vs.-flow (H/Q) curves. This will
generators did not perform as expected. This event serves as an make them susceptible to flow fluctuations and hydraulic pulsing.
urgent reminder that designing for reliability involves location, Pumps with flat H/Q curves are not suitable for parallel opera-
selection, configuration, testing, maintenance and adherence to tion, and running several such pumps simultaneously may greatly
procedures without compromising safety-consciousnessjust increase the failure risk. Consulting effort was spent bringing this
about everything. Looking back, we may have to ponder and potential issue to the facilitys attention. Pump hydraulics and
reconsider what it means to be reliability professionals. For a the plants operational safeguards were then scrutinized; it was
certainty, we will have to re-learn that details matter! considered time well spent.
Within a day of the radiation release from the Fukushima Dai-
Ichi plant, we received a call from a former colleague and fellow Generator bearings and lubricant application.
machinery engineer. Together, we discussed root-cause failure Much can be said about lubricant selection and lube applica-
investigations in the hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) and tion. We ascertained that bearings of the type and size used
recalled that, quite often, equipment auxiliaries were involved. in the two NSDGs at this location were being operated in a
Fuel supplies, feeder cables, filters, governors, pump-drive steam conservative load regime. However, the oil was applied by oil
turbines and lubrication systems are neglected, overlooked, de- rings (also called slinger rings). Note: Oil rings/slinger rings
emphasized or taken for granted. We knew then that basic flaws have serious limitations.
were hidden in subsystems and attention to subsystems tended to These rings are usually of single-piece construction (see Fig.
fall between the cracks. And we knew that vulnerabilities were 1, the yellow-dotted locations). High-quality slinger rings would
quite often found on the component level and needed much be configured with concentric grooves machined in the bore, and
attention. the ones at this nuclear utility site were not grooved. Moreover,
In 2000 and 2001, relevant issues involved two different sub- high-quality slinger rings must be heat treated during the manu-
systems at a large nuclear power generating station in the US. facturing process to maintain the long-term dimensional stability.
Two separate bearing distress events occurred, and we, as reliabil- In operation, ring out-of-roundness should not exceed 0.002 in.
ity engineers, participated in determining their causes. Because (0.05 mm). At this site, there were no answers to our questions on
industry can still learn from such events, this article reexamines out-of-roundness; no oil ring measurements had been recorded.
and updates experiences and recommendations from 10 years ago Steps were taken to obtain dimensional data in the near future.
that are still relevant today. As an aside, concerns with oil rings are still highly valid. In July
2009, in a boiler-feed-pump bearing housing at a US alumina
Oversights and bearing distress on generators. In refinery, we measured a badly worn slinger ring with an out-of-
the first instance, the US utility had called each of its two 1,200- roundness in excess of 30 times the allowable. We invite our read-
rpm diesel generators a non-safety, twin diesel-driven emer- ers to draw their own conclusions as to the risk of blindly buying
gency generator(NSDG). To its credit, this utility pondered the from the lowest bidder, or purchasing components without link-
potential risk of encountering similar bearing degradation on the age to a suitably detailed specification. With very few exceptions,
identical safety twin diesel-driven emergency generators (SDG) slinger rings are not the best available technology. They rarely
at a sister nuclear facility. meet all the safety and reliability criteria of emergency equipment.
Our nuclear-utility consulting file commented on lubricants.
Examine the obvious and not-so-obvious. Selecting a It noted that better, more tenacious and oxidation-resistant lubri-
safe, yet accessible, physical location for emergency generators and cants are available in the form of diester-PAO blends of synthe-
associated auxiliaries is well known. It requires no additional com- sized hydrocarbons; a premium grade ISO-32 mineral oil will be
ment. However, other reliability risks exist if the owner-purchaser adequate unless the oil temperature exceeds 160F. While there
does not select the most appropriate cooling water-pump-per- was no reason to suspect that this generally satisfactory mineral
formance curve. When process centrifugal pumps are oversized, oil had contributed to the damage observed on both NSDG

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 65
BONUSREPORT MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY

bearings, the utility was reminded that oil rings will function since the bearing incorporated a spherically contoured outer sur-
best if the viscosity grade of the oil is no lower than ISO VG 32 face. Yet, there was evidence of oil having preferentially flowed in
and no higher than ISO VG 46. Whenever oil viscosities are too the clearance gap toward the generator. Why did this happen? A
high, the rings will slip, stick or simply not perform well. They retrofitted, non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM), fan-
will not serve optimally when the immersion depth is too great, like blower was responsible!
when the ring bore roughness is outside the acceptable range,
when the shaft system is not truly horizontal, or when the earth Beware of risk bearing cooling arrangements. The
shakes violently. need for forced-air cooling of an existing generator bearing bracket
often deserves to be questioned. A naturally cooled, i.e., flooded
Thermocouple assembly and location issues. At this by ambient air, well-designed bearing typically accepts specific
US nuclear facility, at least one previous bearing failure event was loads as high as 2.5 Mpa (362 psi). Assuming a projected bearing
attributed to a thermocouple probe making unforeseen contact area of approximately 100 in.2 and a rotor weight below 30,000
with the slinger rings. Slowing down the rings or allowing them lb on this 200 mm (8 in.), 1,200-rpm shaft system, we believed
to operate in a skewed condition was likely to have deprived the the bearing would not have required supplementary fan-produced
bearings of proper oil-film thickness. The installation flaw prob- cooling. The add-on fan had created a rather typical management-
ably caused babbitt overheating and metal-to-metal contact. of-change problem.
Aside from the obvious need for careful assembly, it was then Persons or entities unnamed had decided to design and install
recommended that, during a conveniently scheduled outage event, a fan-style blower on the generator shaft. Quite aside from our
the thermocouple insertion be brought up to industry standards. belief that this version of supplementary air cooling was probably
Bearing manufacturers literature will show how thermocouples removing little (if any) additional heat, we pointed out other
must be inserted radially. The tip of the insertion hole drilled into concerns. Realizing that the impeller air-flow pattern could create
the bearing substrate should be only 0.025 in.0.035 in (~0.6 a slight vacuum between the bearing and driver-side labyrinth,
mm0.9 mm) from the journal; this will ensure that temperatures the designer or retrofit provider had opted to bleed off some of
are measured where it is really of concern and will also give rapid the high-velocity air. The air was re-injected between the bearing
advance warning of bearing temperature excursions. and driver-side end cap. It created a slightly higher air pressure
How the NSDG bearing failed in another incident. Sleeve region that reduced oil flow in the generators bearing clearance
bearings fail only due to: gap closest to the coupling. The pressure difference caused bearing
a) Intrusion of foreign matter or dirt damage due to oil starvation at this end.
b) Fatigue cracking Remember: Skilled failure analysts look for deviations from
c) Corrosion the norm. In this instance, the best course of action would have
d) Electrical damage been to question the need for supplementary cooling. The utility
e) Inadequate lubrication. was asked to compare its bearing housing layout to otherwise simi-
The operating history of an emergency generator is always lar, yet blower-less uncooled installations. After ascertaining that
of interest. In 2000, both the equipment owners and our own most installations reported good success without using an add-on
examinations of the failed bearing allowed ruling out items a fan, the facility was encouraged to simply get rid of the fan. Of
through d, but not e. There had been oil starvation at only one course, liberal venting provisions are needed on certain bearing
end of the failed sleeve bearing, as evidenced by the smeared housings. Also, predictive maintenance monitoring is desirable to
appearance that virtually duplicated an illustration found in Ref. verify that the operating temperatures (measured on the housing)
1.1 We specifically noted that the smeared appearance was not the stay in the desirable 110F150F range. The clients installation
result of misalignment between the diesel driver and generator. was probably similar to dozens of others. They should have been
Assembly-related skewing of the sleeve bearing was discounted satisfied with proven standard emergency diesel-generators, albeit
with generator lube application strategies that avoid slinger rings,
oiler bottles and other items that no longer represent best available
technology for NSDGs.

Bearing distress on small steam turbines. Less than


two years later, in 2001, the same client asked us to assist in pin-
pointing reliability flaws on small (< 1,000 kW/600 psi) steam
turbines driving centrifugal pumps in intermittent service. The
steam turbines were similar (although not identical) to the well-
proven style or model of Fig. 1. The bearings were of the tradi-
tional babbitted-sleeve type, and a well-known ISO Grade 46
R&O lubricant was used in each of the two bearing housings. As
shown in Fig. 1, each bearing location had two oil rings that fed
the lubricant into the load-carrying region. But, regrettably, the
particular steam-turbine model installed at the clients facility had
a history of bearing defects.
Prior bearing failure events pointed to lubricant starvation; yet,
FIG. 1 Small steam turbine with slinger rings (oil rings) at each a brief analysis showed no evidence of overload damage. At least
bearing housing. (Courtesy of Elliott Co., Jeannette, one previous failure was thought to be triggered by a moderate
Pennsylvania.) amount of lube-oil contamination. The probable source of this

66
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BONUSREPORT

contamination was a paste-type joint sealant that had evidently intrusion. These seals did not exist in 2001, but they represent a
seeped into the sump. worthwhile upgrade opportunity today.
Beware of deviations from normal design. When the failed In 2001, simulations by a competent engineering firm showed
bearings were closely inspected, we found noteworthy deviations serious oil-ring bounce. While this particular experiment involved
from customary bearing design: a somewhat oval oil ring, other rings were also observed to bounce
Projected load on each bearing of the 192-lb turbine rotor at speeds within the turbine operating range. Wider rings, and
was only approximately 8 psi. (A load between 80 psi and 200 psi rings with diameter ratios more in line with traditional practice,
represents standard practice.) are much more likely to show this instability.
Oil rings were unusually narrow and did not incorporate the Oil ring contact with the containment slots milled into the top
customary tapered cross-sectional profile. half of the bearing was associated with another failure. Question-
Oil ring-to-shaft diameter ratio was 2.22. Diameter ratios able contact causes temperature excursions (friction), and less
of 1.5 to 2 represent standard design practice, and excessive ratios oil will reach the bearings. The subject rings had square profiles;
are likely pushing the envelope. whereas, the more traditional tapered profile would have offered
Bearing diametral clearances ranged from 0.009 in. to 0.011 reduced drag and lessened the severity of contact. A trained pro-
in., with 0.014 in. the apparent condemnation limit set by the fessional will avoid sleeve bearing bores with internal oil grooves
steam turbine manufacturer. We noted that customarily recom- whenever side thrust from shaft misalignment could cause oil
mended clearance values in industry ranged from 0.005 in. to blockage.2 Notwithstanding some rare exceptions, competent reli-
0.0065 in. ability professionals would insist that the best defense against bear-
ing failure is good alignment quality combined with well-designed
Failure events analyzed. There was reason to believe that bearings and the best possible oil application. For sleeve bearings,
these particular machines incorporated more than one marginal a circulating oil system represents best-available technology.
design feature and ran at the edge. Minor deviations of several
critical parameters were probably pushing bearing performance Possible reasons for design deviations. In the US
into the distress zone. The critical parameters for this particular nuclear utilitys small steam turbines, the dimensional peculiarities
turbine type are listed: of the bearing housing may well have represented an extrapola-
Turbine shaft alignment tion of the turbine manufacturers past experience. Alternatively,
Water contamination of the lube oil the large sump depths and, thus, large oil-ring diameters were
Oil viscosity, affected also by ambient and cooling water linked to other design particulars. In this instance, the need to
temperature clear the governor flyweight circle at the upper speed range may
Rotor unbalance have prompted the manufacturer to use unusually large diam-
Degree of ring eccentricity eter slinger rings. To restate, many similar machines are fitted
Degree of ring immersion, possibly affected by marginally with circulating oil systems. Not using circulating oil systems on
different pressures in bearing housing vs. in sight glass important emergency equipment is a mistake prompted by mak-
Ring width and (lack of ) tapered cross-section ing low initial cost ones primary concern. The blind pursuit of
Ring bore roughness (high RMS-value) the much touted lean and mean approach is unacceptably risky.
Lack of grooving on the ring bore diameter. Grooved rings The decision to incorporate unusually large bearing clear-
have demonstrated up to four times the oil feed capability of ances was probably influenced by the desire to get more oil into
otherwise identical, non-grooved oil rings. the bearings. Again, circulating oil systems are not only feasible,
It would be of interest to refer back to some of these critical but they clearly represent the best available technology (BAT).
parameters and accept two major premises to which experienced We believe that BAT should always be used when life and safety
troubleshooters subscribe: are at stake.
Premise 1. Under ideal conditions, a single deviation or near- For a variety of reasons, equipment manufacturers often claim
the-limit-of-tolerance measurement would not risk total failure. that lots of these (insert name) machines are operating elsewhere
Manufacturers test with near-ideal conditions and yours is the first one with such (insert words) problems.
Premise 2. When several deviations or limiting values com- While it would be of interest to determine precisely how trouble-
bine, failure risks increase exponentially. Manufacturers shop some bearings or steam turbines differ from others that dont
acceptance tests do not replicate these conditions seem to suffer similar issues, it would be an unusual burden for
In this instance, unusually light bearing loading was thought
to introduce failure risk. If, for example, on turbines with lightly
loaded bearings, the turbine shaft is perfectly aligned to the pump
shaft, the relatively light-weight rotor becomes unstable and the
required oil wedge will not form. Indeed, simple rotor instabil-
ity was observed in vibration spectra that showed substantial
vibration peaks at multiples of running. Still, it would have been
inappropriate to require a purposefully misaligned shaft system,
since this would address the symptoms instead of the root cause.
On at least one occasion water intrusion had been noted at
0.6% (6,000 ppm). While excessive but not normally destructive,
this might have been too much for systems with marginal rotor
stability or other flaws. Steam-turbine bearing housing protec- FIG. 2 Bearing housing protector seal for a small steam turbine.
tor seals (Fig. 2) might have reduced, or even prevented, water (Source: AESSEAL Inc.)

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 67
BONUSREPORT MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY

an owner company to establish these facts without having access a vigilant user will not let manufacturers get away with misin-
to the manufacturers drawings and other design information. Of formation and selective memory. Instead, informed users make
course, users are advised to first communicate with equipment it their business to fully understand where design extrapolations
manufacturers before they embark on user-funded redesigns. But and deviations from safe conventional designs led to cutting
corners. There is simply no substitute for using BAT in systems,
TABLE 1. Questions to be answered by the steam- procedures and equipment in nuclear generating plants.
turbine manufacturer (STM) In new installations, we should insist on not incorporating
slinger rings in critically important emergency equipment. Still,
1. What objections does the STM have to increasing the projected bearing
consulting engineers are often asked to advise and educate clients
load to a value above the incredibly low value of 8 psi?
on existing machines. The nuclear plant wanted to know more on
2. In what load range should the new projected bearing load value be? the limitations of slinger rings and, to test the cooperation of the
3. What reasons (other than quite obviously attempting to increase the oil turbine manufacturer, it was recommended to use an approach
flow into the bearings) does the STM have to stay with the present, whereby a series of appropriate questions would be asked. The
abnormally large diametral bearing clearances?
manufacturers answers might then trigger remedial actions
4. What should be the optimum configuration of the oil channels that are involving the equipment owner, turbine manufacturer and, pos-
axially machined into the bearing bore, and do the users bearings sibly, a third-party consulting firm. If the manufacturer was either
presently incorporate these optimum configurations and dimensions?
Should the channels be oriented differently?
unwilling or unable to provide more appropriate bearings or bear-
ing systems, a qualified third-party bearing manufacturer would
5. What technical reasons does the STM offer that require the user to retain
be engaged in needed redesigns. Table 1 lists question that owners
the present, extreme narrow-width oil rings?
should ask a steam turbine manufacturer before remedial action
6. What should be the most appropriate, expanded-width dimension for these
and possible equipment redesign are done.
rings, and should they be grooved per widely available research findings
and publications?
Keep water out of steam. All machines must be operated
7. Why do these rings have an essentially square cross-sectional profile and
in accordance with sound instructions. Of course, it may be
whatif anythingmight argue against wider oil rings with a tapered
profile so as to reduce the risk of hang-up that was experienced at the necessary to carefully scrutinize these instructions. Realize also
utility on at least two occasions? that some instructions may simply not be correct. Then again,
8. What is the STMs position with regard to a polyalpha-olefin synthesized
while most are indeed correct, they are sometimes disregarded.
hydrocarbon oil (ISO Grade 32) that would provide greater film strength Whenever we allow deviations from best operating practice or
and film thickness than mineral oils of similar viscosity? BAT, failure risk (and even calamity) increases.
9. What is the amount of oil flow recommended by the STM, assuming that With very few exceptions, steam turbines can only be started
the user should decide to implement a circulating (non-pressurized) oil system? after they have been warmed up and with condensate removed.
10. Where should this oil be introduced into the bearings?
Even so, sites worry about turbine warmups, and, sometimes,
wasteful practices such as slow-rolling, steam bleeds or blow-
11. If the user opted to implement items 9 and 10, should the oil rings
be removed?
through steam are used to keep turbines at steam temperature.
Warming up by these methods can, indeed, reduce the risk of
12. If the user were to proceed with the design of a circulating oil system,
turbine damage from pooling condensate slugging the turbine.
would the STM be interested in reviewing the design?
Proper preheating will allow thermal growth of rotor and stator
to be closely matched as high-temperature gradients of steam, and
a cold turbine would risk having inadequate clearance dimensions.
The circumstance to avoid is where hot steam would hit the rotor
and its relatively small mass would rapidly expand thermally into
the small clearance between rotor and stator parts.
But if slow rolling is done, it must not be done at a too slow
of speed. Oil rings (slinger rings) will malfunction at slow speeds,
and bearings will then fail from oil starvation. Besides the expense
of slow rolling, reliability may not be improved. However, as
long as there is sufficient lubricant pooling, one alternative is to
maintain a hot standby turbine, usually from backfill steamas
long as the turbine itself and both inlet and outlet steam lines are
adequately drained from condensate. Hot standby can also avoid
the typically expensive and high steam losses from slow rolling or
steam blow-through. Again, the condensate must be thoroughly
drained from the system. Another consideration is removal of
both entrained and dis-entrained condensate on the inlet side of
the turbine, for which steam specialists should be consulted for
best practice recommendations.

FIG. 3 Examining modern steam traps will show how they differ Keep all important factors in mind. In reviewing the
from old-style equipment. Ask to see the inside and draft of this article, my former colleague reminded us to see the
understand how each part functions. (Courtesy of TLV need for a multi-step review of emergency machinery systems.
Corp., Charlotte, North Carolina.) Have all possible contingencies been considered? The plant

68
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY BONUSREPORT

designers in Japan and elsewhere think that this was done. Per- After becoming general manager of Dow Chemicals Texas
haps, different people should look again at the history of cata- Division in 1967, J. M. Leathers had it right when he famously
strophic events in other places, performance (or failure) of various said, Safety is more profitable than unsafety. We would like to
backup levels, and what can be learned from these failures. think along similar lines: Perfection is impossible, but not using
We also wish to emphasize that reliability-focused purchasers BAT on emergency equipment goes against common sense and
must examine how systems work and how parts function. The defies all logic. Unless you apply BAT, you may have the seeds
steam inlet (supply) pipe has to be kept hot and water must be of disaster hiding in your plants emergency equipment. Use a
kept out. Successful drainage is ensured by exclusively using a very stringent specification on new equipment. Schedule an
proven, best practice approach, and selecting only the best and appropriate audit of existing emergency equipment. In your
most suitable steam traps. The best steam traps will not backup audit, insist on the degree of detail that we tried to bring to your
condensate (Fig. 3). This implies that we must work with only attention in this article. HP
the best and most qualified suppliers. If we had to choose from
the large variety of steam traps available today, we would make it LITERATURE CITED
1 Bloch, H. P. and F. Geitner, Machinery Failure Analysis and Troubleshooting,
our first endeavor to understand how different trap types func-
Figure 3-101, 3rd Edition; Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas, 1983.
tion, where they should be located in the piping system, and how 2 Wills, G. J., Lubrication Fundamentals, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York,
they perform in the long term. We would obtain that information New York, pg. 117, 1980.
from a manufacturer whose product slate encompasses the widest 3 Bloch, H. P., Pump Wisdom: Problem Solving for Operators and Specialists,
possible range, and we would pay a premium for the manufac- John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2011.
turer to be our tutor.
It is certainly our firm recommendation that you never com-
promise on safety. Measure everything, collect data and keep good Heinz P. Bloch is a consulting engineer residing in West Des
Moines, Iowa (hpbloch@mchsi.com). He has held machinery-ori-
records. Understand how components function and malfunction.
ented staff and line positions with Exxon affiliates in the US, Italy,
Buy well-engineered products from ethical, safety-conscious Spain, England, The Netherlands and Japan in a career spanning
and reliability-focused vendors. Pay them for value, not idle several decades prior to retirement as Exxon Chemicals Regional
promises. Pick knowledgeable manufacturers and select good Machinery Specialist for the US. Mr. Bloch is the author of 18 comprehensive texts
and close to 500 other publications on machinery reliability improvement. He advises
tutors. Steer clear of tutors whose mindless misapplication of
process plants worldwide on equipment uptime extension and maintenance cost-
the lean-and-mean approach and misguided anecdotes would reduction opportunities. He is also the reliability and equipment editor for Hydrocar-
take you back to the 19th century. Read, read, readand then bon Processing. He is an ASME Life Fellow and maintains registration as a professional
make wise choices.3 engineer in Texas and New Jersey.

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HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 69
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EVENT
PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS

Prevent fouling in 1-butene


storage vessels
Investigation finds root cause for polymer formation in Horton spheres
G. SIVALINGAM, J. D. DIVEY and S. M. VAKIL, Reliance Technology Group-Polymers,
Reliance Industries Ltd., Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai, India; and N. BOKDE, Central Technical
Service, Reliance Industries Ltd., Nagothane, India

F
or over two decades, Horton spheres, constructed of carbon The comonomer, 1-butene, is normally stored in Horton
steel (CS), have been used to store 1-butene. When one spheres before its use in the polymerization process. During stor-
of these vessels was cleaned, significant amounts of poly- age, 1-butene should not undergo any chemical changes to avoid
meric material was found on the inside wall of sphere and on productivity losses in the polymerization. CS is the preferred
one of the level transmitters (LTs). In this case history, a detailed material of construction to store 1-butene. At a PE facility, the
material analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy operating company found significant amount of polymeric mate-
(FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravim- rials in the 1-butene storage sphere for the first time. A detailed
etry (TGA) and inductively coupled plasmaatomic emission investigation was done to identify this undesired material, to find
spectroscopy (ICP-AES) techniques revealed that the polymer the root-cause for the polymer formation, and to develop preven-
contained 85% combustible polybutadiene rubber, 6.7% -ferric tive measures and avoid future recurrence.
oxide (-Fe2O3) and 2.5% titanium oxide (TiO2.) This study also
revealed that unmodified iron oxide formed in the sphere and Description of unknown polymeric material. The
acted as a catalyst converting 1-butene to 1,3 butadiene. polymeric material obtained from the 1-butene storage sphere
appeared very rubbery. A strong smell was observed from the mate-
Fouling problem. Butadiene being an unstable molecule with- rial indicating that a significant amount of hydrocarbons occluded
out any inhibitors, can readily form polybutadiene rubber. This within the polymeric matrix. Continuous purging with air was
supports the pattern of polymer formation inside the sphere (cres- necessary to ensure that the hydrocarbon concentration in the
cent shape) and located only on the bottom section of the level atmosphere was below the lower-explosive limit (LEL). Snapshots
transmitters (LTs). The LT bottom plate, where polymer formed, of polymeric materials obtained at different locations of the sphere
was made of CS and remaining sectors were constructed from are shown in Fig. 1. After removing the outer layer, the sample was
stainless steel (SS). No polymer formed on the SS portions, thus nearly a transparent material with a brown tint within the matrix.
confirming the study findings. Recommendations were given to There was also a strong indication of iron oxides on the surface, as
change the material of construction of the LT bottom plate to SS well as in the polymeric matrix. Studies were needed to identify
and to initiate measures to avoid rust formation inside the sphere. inorganic materials too.

Thermoplastics. Polyethylene (PE) is the most common ther- Material characterization and analysis. Functional group
moplastic, and it is used in many varied applications. Several PE analysis of the material was done using FTIR in reflectance mode
types are available, and they are classified mostly on the polymers with 16 scans at a few regions of the sample. The entire IR wave
density (0.88 g/cc to 0.96 g/cc) and branching. The mechanical number range (600 cm-1 to 4,000 cm-1) was covered. The obtained
properties of PE depend significantly on the extent of branching,
crystal structure and molecular weight.1 These properties can be
manipulated with various catalysts such as Ziegler, chromium and
metallocene, and comonomers including 1-butene, 1-hexene,
1-octene, etc.
The extent of branching and crystal structure is controlled by
incorporating higher 1-alkenes. The comonomer significantly
alters the molecular structure of the polymer, especially the back-
bone. Density and crystallinity decrease with increasing levels of
comonomer incorporated to the polymers backbone. Among
the alkenes, 1-butene is the most common comonomer used for
managing density and crystallinity. Molecular weight is normally FIG. 1 Visual snapshot of polymeric material obtained at two
controlled by incorporating hydrogen. regions in 1-butene storage sphere.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 71
PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS

completely amorphous with glass transition temperatures ranging


from 70C to 15C. To demonstrate the polymer nature, DSC
studies were done in the range of 50C to 250C at a heating/
cooling rate of 10C/min. Fig. 3 shows the heat flow pattern during
heating and cooling cycles. It is implied that no melting point was
observed during the study range (50C to 250C), thus indicating
the absence of other polybutenes.
Thermogravimetry analysis. The studies so far demonstrated
that the material from the 1-butene sphere is polybutadiene. TGA
studies were done to understand this polymers degradation behav-
ior. Prior to the TGA studies, experiments were done by burning
25 gm of as-is polymeric material in a crucible, and a 15% ash
content was obtained.
For experiments with TGA, surface cleaning was carried out,
and a nearly transparent polymeric material (polybutadiene) used
for the analysis. Degradation studies of polybutadiene were done
with TGA methods at different heating rates (5, 10 and 20C/
FIG. 2 FTIR spectra of polymeric sample along with 30% SBR min) in inert atmosphere. Results are shown in Fig 4a. No signifi-
in the FTIR library. Polymeric material spectrum matches cant residue was obtained in all of the three cases, as the material
very closely with SBR rubber, indicating that it could be is mostly polybutadiene.
polybutadiene rubber. Red lines show SBR; Green lines are
polymeric sample obtained. The peak degradation temperature at the heating rate of 10C/
min is 469.5C, and the literature reported value, for polybutdi-
ene at 10C/min heating rate, is 470C.5 Peak temperatures for
Sample: NMD-BUT-S03A File: C:\TA\Data\DSC\NMD-BUT-S03A.001 degradation at 5C/min and 20C/min are 458.3C and 481C,
Size: 3.3700 mg Run date: 28-Sep-2010 12:43
Method: Cyclic Instrument: DSC Q200 V24.2 Build 107 respectively. The onset temperature of degradation (5% loss)
1.0 at 5C/min, 10C/min and 20C/min are 412.5C, 407C and
417C, respectively. The temperature of complete degradation
0.5 (95% loss) at 5C/min, 10C/min and 20C/min are 481.1C,
Heat ow, mW

493.8C and 505.3C, respectively.


0.0 To estimate activation energy, the degradation was assumed to
20.93C (I) follow first order. The rate equation can be written as:
-0.5 dw / dt = kw (1)
where w is the weight of polymer retained
-1.0
-50 0 50 100 150 200 250 k is the rate constant for degradation
Temperature, C t is the time.
FIG. 3 DSC heat-flow curves of polymeric material obtained Eq. 1 can be modified with rate of heating dT/dt = , and
indicating no melting and crystallization temperatures thus assuming Arrhenius law for rate constant as:
ruling out the possibility of polybutenes.
(dw / dT) = K0Exp(E / RT) W (2)
spectrum was matched with spectra from the standard FTIR library, Weight of the material retained can be replaced as w = w0 (1 x),
and the closest match identified a 30% styrene-butadiene block where w0 is the initial weight of material taken, and
copolymer (SBR). For standard polybutadiene, the wave numbers x is the fraction of material lost.
of absorption are: weak695, 813 cm-1; medium992cm-1 and After replacement followed by logarithm of Eq. 2, it can be
strong908, 962 cm-1 and 3,008 cm-1.2 An FTIR spectrum of written as:
the polymer sample (green line) is overlaid with SBR (red line) as
ln [(   1x) (dx / dT)] = lnk0 (E / RT) (3)
shown in Fig. 2. Note: All of the absorption peaks corresponding
to polybutadiene rubber is exhibited by the polymeric sample and Activation energy can be estimated from the slope of the plot
matches with SBR is 86.5%. The mismatch was due to styrene between ln (/(1 x) dx/dT) vs 1/T. Activation energy for
components (1,492 cm-1, 752 cm-1) only. This clearly demonstrated degradation of polybutadiene was also estimated with three heat-
that the obtained material is polybutadiene rubber. ing rates. The activation energy of degradation is 66 kCal/mol
Glass transition, melting and crystallization determinations. 5% errors. The activation estimation at different temperatures
Functional group analysis showed the presence of polybutadiene. is shown in Fig. 4b.
However, the possibility of polybutene-1 formation cannot be Characterization using ICP-AES. The ash content obtained
completely ruled out, although its formation requires a catalyst. after the organic polymer was taken up for metal analysis. In this
Polybutene-1 is available in three forms and all of them are crys- test, 25 gm of material was used in the ICP-AES test. Method
talline with clear melting points and different densities.3 The No. EPA6010B was used to analyze the metals. Ash content was
melting point and density for Form I135C, 935 kg/m3; Form 15 wt% of the total sample. Target metals were given as iron,
II124C, 890 kg/m3; and Form III106.5C.4 The overall crys- titanium, aluminum and magnesium. The inorganic material
tallinity ranges from 48% to 55%, and glass transition tempera- contained 6.7 wt% of Fe2O3 and 2.5 wt% of TiO2 are in trace
tures range from 25C to 17C. Conversely, polybutadiene is quantities.

72
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS

Thermal degradation behavior at various heating rates Activation energy estimation for the rubber
100 -2.0
a) 5C/min b)
90
5C/min -2.5 10C/min
80 10C/min 20C/min
20C/min -3.0
70
Weight rentention, %

ln(dw/dT )
60 -3.5

50 -4.0
40 -4.5 y = 33677 x + 41.439
30 y = 31866 x + 37.656 R2 = 0.979
-5.0 R2 = 0.9907 y = 34961 x + 44.478
20 R2 = 0.9916
-5.5
10

0.00128

0.00129

0.0013

0.00131

0.00132

0.00133

0.00134

0.00135

0.00136

0.00137

0.00138
0
300 350 400 450 500 550
Temperature, C 1/T, K-1

FIG. 4A Degradation behavior of polymeric material at different FIG. 4B Activation energy estimation from thermogravimetry data.
heating rates 5C/min, 10C/min and 20C/min.

Root-cause analysis for polybutadiene formation.


The 1-butene storage sphere is maintained at a pressure of 3.4
kg/cm2g and ambient temperature. When the sphere was cleaned
during a turnaround, 45 kg of polymeric material was found on
the inside walls of the sphere and on one of the LTs. Before stor-
ing 1-butene into the sphere, lab analysis is usually done to esti-
mate the total dienes. All of the samples received between the two Liquid level
cleaning were under specification, i.e., less than 10 ppm of total
dienes. If all the dienes came through 1-butene were to polymerize,
highly unlikely event, the total amount would be 7.8 kg. There
is still 30.5 kg of only polybutadiene left unaccounted for. This LT1 LT2
strongly indicates the butadiene should have been formed in-situ.
Since butadiene is an unstable molecule with the absence of any
inhibitors, it formed polybutadiene. Fig. 5 illustrates the pattern
of polybutadiene formation inside the sphere.
To understand the root cause of polybutadiene formation in
the 1-butene sphere, the polymer formation pattern in the sphere
was carefully studied. No polymer formed on the top section of the
sphere where there is no contact between 1-butene and top of the
sphere; thick material formed at the bottom of the sphere. From
Fig. 5, it can be seen that the polymeric material formed in a cres- FIG. 5 Polymeric material formation pattern in the sphere.
cent shape with the thicker portion at the bottom and very thin lay-
ers on the sides. CS is the material of construction for this sphere.
This sphere has two sakura-type LTs made from SS tubes. The
tubes are supported through a bottom plate. The bottom plate of fied -Fe2O3 (common rust) is indeed capable of converting
LT1 is made of SS, and the LT2 has a bottom plate made of CS. It 1-butene to 1, 3-butadiene at low temperatures. At 150C,
can be seen that the no polymeric material was found at any por- significant catalyst activity has been reported for the conversion
tion of LT1. This rules out the possibility of polymer formation in of 1-butene to 1, 3-butadiene. By assuming Arrhenius kinetic
the bulk phase due to butadiene with 1-butene as an impurity. The behavior for the reaction, there will be nominal reaction rate
LT2 tube (made of SS) also did not have any polybutadiene; yet, possibility at ambient conditions, 40C, which will prevail in
much of the polymer was found at the bottom plate of LT2 (made this region. The activity of rust is only short lived. The shorter
of CS). This clearly indicates that polymer has been formed on the activity is due to the limiting desorption step. There is reason-
CS surface only where the possibility of rust formation is very high. able adsorption of 1-butene and butadiene on the rust surface
The interface between CS bottom plate and SS tube of LT2 is at ambient conditions. However, for these materials to desorb,
a potential spot for galvanic corrosion. If moisture and dissolved it really needs high temperature; 1-butene requires 110C and
oxygen is available in the sphere, they will facilitate rust forma- butadiene requires 180C. This behavior leads to site blocking.
tion. The study revealed that polymeric material contained 6.7% Studies have been done with an adsorbed surface, which showed
of Fe2O3 , amounting to 3 kg of rust. The rust should have acted very little absorption of 1-butene indicating that site blockage
as a catalyst to convert 1-butene to butadiene. by reactants/products. To replenish the catalyst activity fully, it
It has been demonstrated in the literature6 through tempera- had to be heated with flow oxygen at 300C.6 Quantification
ture-programmed desorption and reaction studies that unmodi- of butadiene formed revealed that amount of reduction on iron
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 73
PROCESS DEVELOPMENTS

oxide surface would be for two to three monolayers within formed due to hydrotesting and purging with air during cleaning
Fe2O3 catalyst.6 should be removed before placing the 1-butene sphere in ser-
From our studies and analyses, it is clearly implied that pres- vice. A dryer could be installed upstream of sphere to control the
ence of significant amount of rust (6.7 wt%) and abundant moisture/oxygen entry to sphere. Inhibitors may be added, if the
1-butene led to polybutadiene formation. For every gram of polybutadiene formation is inevitable, to avoid polymerization.
Fe2O3, 12.5 gm of polybutadiene was formed. The polybutadiene However, care must be taken while selecting inhibitors to avoid
formation can be arrested if the rust is controlled. The mecha- any detrimental effects on polymerization. HP
nism of polybutadiene formation is:
Room temperature adsorption of 1-butene on Fe2O3 surface NOMENCLATURE
Catalytic conversion of 1-butene to 1, 3-butadiene up to 2 Iron Fe
to 3 monolayers of catalyst at room temperature Titanium Ti
Aluminum Al
1, 3-butadiene polymerization to polybutadiene as dienes are Magnesium Mg
unstable molecules and no inhibitor in the system.
As revealed in the study, after a few butadiene molecules LITERATURE CITED
formed on the iron-oxide surface, it loses the activity, thereby 1 Peacock, A., Handbook of Polyethylene-Structure Properties and Applications,
making the catalyst dead. This phenomenon avoided the larger Taylor and Francis, 2000.
2 Cohn, D., M. Aronhime, and T. Stern, Synthesis and Derivation of
quantity of polybutadiene being formed. If the catalyst activity
was replenished, it could have led to an even larger amount of Polybutadiene containing Poly (ether urethane amide)s, Polymer, Vol. 41,
No. 17, 2000, pp. 65196526.
polybutadiene. 3 Alger, M. S. M., Polymer Science Dictionary, Springer, 1997.
4 Jones, A. T., Copolymers of Butene-1 with -olefins. Crystallization
Conclusions. The polybutadiene did form due to the catalytic Behavior and Polybutene Type II to Type I Crystal Phase Transformation,
conversion of 1-butene to 1,3-butadiene over the iron oxide Journal of Polymer Science: Part C, Vol. 16, 1967, pp. 393404.
5 Luda, M. P., M. Guiata, O. Chiantore, Thermal Degradation of Polybutadiene
surface. The basic requisite for the rust formation in this case: 2: Overall Thermal Behaviors of Polymers with Different Microstructures,
galvanic corrosion due to two dissimilar metals at LT2 bottom Makromol. Chem., 193, 1992, pp. 113121.
6 Golunsji, S. E. and A. P. Walker, Mechanism of Low Temperature
and oxygen/moisture aided the corrosion in other parts of sphere.
To avoid forming polybutadiene in the 1-butene sphere, rust for- Oxydehydrogenation of 1-Butene to 1,3 Butadiene over Novel Pd-O-Fe-O
Catalyst, Journal of Catalyst, Vol. 204, 2001, pp. 209218.
mation must be avoided by changing the LT2 bottom plate to SS
and enacting measures to avoid significant entry of moisture and
oxygen into the system during operations. The amount of rust
Dr. G. Sivalingam is the general manager in the Reliance Tech-
nology Group at Reliance Industries Ltd. He earned a PhD in chemical
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I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
PLANT DESIGN

Use glycerol to dehydrate


supercritical carbon dioxide
This technology increases hydrocarbon recovery
M. SWADENER, Denbury Resources Inc., Plano, Texas; J. LUNDEEN,
K. FISHER and C. BEITLER, Trimeric Corporation, Buda, Texas

T
wenty years after the first two glycerol dehydration units Currently, more than 1.0 billion sq ft per day (Bscfd) of CO2 is
were built for supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) use, Den- produced from Jackson Dome Area operations. The pipeline net-
bury Resources found a need to build new units to process work has been expanded from the single NEJD Pipeline includ-
the increasing amount of CO2 production from the Jackson ing the Free State Pipeline to East Mississippi; the Delta Pipeline
Dome area in Mississippi. Denbury has now completed and going into northeast Louisiana; and the recent completion of the
started up five new glycerol-based dehydration facilities in the Green Pipeline that delivers CO2 across the Gulf Coast Region
past five years, with other units under construction. Glycerol is from the end of the NEJD Pipeline to south of Houston. Source
used to dehydrate CO2 when high-pressures and non-idealities well operating pressures range from 800 psig to 4,000 psig. Jack-
cause excessive vapor-phase glycol (i.e., ethylene, diethylene or son Dome is generally referred to as the CO2 source, but it is also
trietheylene glycol) losses, making normal glycol-based dehydra- the name of the original central dehydration facility that uses a
tion uneconomical in comparison with glycerol-based dehydra- glycerol process to dehydrate supercritical CO2-rich streams. The
tion. Denbury uses the supercritical CO2 primarily for enhanced Jackson Dome dehydration unit was built by Shell and based on
oil recovery (EOR). research performed in the 1980s to understand the dynamics of
This article presents reasons for Denburys recent surge in glyc- dehydrating supercritical CO2 with glycols and glycerols.15 The
erol unit construction as well as types of other applications where research showed that glycerol can dehydrate supercritical CO2
glycerol dehydration may be well suited. Differences between more effectively than glycols. Critical pressure and temperature
using glycerol and glycol for dehydration with supercritical, dense- for pure CO2 are 1,070 psia and 87.8F, respectively. It should
phase CO2 gas streams will also be discussed. Since commercial be noted that a glycerol unit built 20 years ago and operated by a
process simulators are not well suited for designing this type of different company is believed to be no longer operational.6
system, a model was developed to rigorously predict phase equi- In 2003, an expansion to the Jackson Dome dehydration plant
libria in the absorber and simulate other process equipment. The was completed, adding internals to the inlet separator and contac-
simulator and other data used to build the new glycerol dehydra- tor to almost double the capacity. Since then, Denbury has built
tion units are reviewed along with presenting key design features several new glycerol-based CO2 dehydration units to keep pace
of the dehydration plants. with its increase in CO2 production. Since Denbury continues to
find high-pressure source wells, it is advantageous to dehydrate the
Denburys new and existing CO2 dehydration facilities. CO2 with glycerol at pipeline conditions without compression.
Denbury is a growing independent oil and natural gas company. The new dehydration units are described briefly in Table 1. The
Its the largest oil and natural gas operator in Mississippi; it owns gas composition is generally 99.4% CO2, 0.3% N2 and 0.3% C1.
the largest reserves of CO2 used for tertiary oil recovery east of the
Mississippi River, and holds significant operating acreage in Loui- CO2 production
Trace Barksdale
siana, Alabama, Texas, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Jackson Dome
Louisiana Delta Gluckstadt
Denburys CO2 source field, Jackson Dome, located near Jack- Pipeline
DRI Dock

son, Mississippi, was discovered during the 1970s while being Free State
Texas
line

explored for hydrocarbons (Fig. 1). This significant source of CO2 Sonat MS Pipeline
Pipe

Pipeline Mississippi
is the only one known of its kind in the US east of the Mississippi
2
D CO

River. Mississippis first EOR project began in the mid 1980s in Green Pipeline
Lockhart
NEJ

Crossing

the Little Creek Field following the installation of Shell Oil Com- Conroe Donaldsville

panys Choctaw CO2 pipeline. The 183-mile Choctaw Pipeline Fig Ridge
(now referred to as the NEJD Pipeline) transported CO2 produced Hastings
Oyster
Bayou

from Jackson Dome to the Little Creek Field. While the CO2 flood Gulf of Mexico
proved successful in recovering significant oil amounts, commodity
prices at that time made the project unattractive and Shell later sold FIG. 1 Dehydration facility map.
its oil fields in this area, as well as the CO2 source wells and pipelines.
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 75
PLANT DESIGN

The post-expansion process performance at Jackson Dome was Water solubility in pure CO2 is well documented in several
used to validate modeling results. Improvements were also made sources.7 Fig. 2 shows the maximum water amount that can be
to the new dehydration plants based on Denburys Jackson Dome dissolved into a homogeneous CO2 phasefor the purpose of
experience and advancements with process technology. this article, it is called the solubility limit for water in CO2. As
shown in Fig. 2, at a fixed temperature, the solubility limit for
Dehydration of supercritical CO2 streams with glycerol. water decreases with increasing pressure up to near the critical
The properties of supercritical CO2 impact the dehydration sys- pressure. As the pressure increases beyond the critical pressure
tem design in two ways: (1,070 psia), the solubility limit for water increases. However,
Mutual solubilities of the desiccant and CO2 small concentrations of other gases can significantly impact the
Saturated water content of CO2 with temperature and water-holding capacity of CO2.4 Knowing the correct moisture
pressure. content of the supercritical CO2 ensures that the absorber and
Data taken in a laboratory setting, and from field tests, con- regeneration equipment are not undersized.
cluded that glycerol had a much lower solubility in supercritical Other parameters that are important are the density of CO2,
CO2 than did ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG) and which can change greatly in the presence of small amounts of
triethylene glycol (TEG). Table 2 illustrates that TEG is 10200 inert gases and hydrocarbons, and the viscosity of glycerol, which
times more soluble than glycerol in CO2 over a pressure range of is significantly different than glycol (1,490 cps and 47.8 cps,
1,200 psig2,000 psig. This means that TEG would have excessive respectively, at 20C).4
vapor losses and makeup requirements, making normal glycol-
based dehydration uneconomical. Operational data from Jackson Potential uses of glycerol-based dehydration. Dehy-
Dome supports the glycerol solubility data from these sources. A dration was originally developed for essentially pure supercritical
gross material balance of the glycerol added to the system indicates CO2streams containing high CO2 content that need to be dehy-
4 ppmv5 ppmv of glycerol is soluble at 1,300 psig and 115F. drated at high pressure. An example to use this technology is the
Table 2 also shows that, unlike the glycols, glycerol solubility in stream dehydrated using glycerol in Hungary.6 The Hungarian
CO2 did not increase significantly with lower CO2 temperatures. stream had 81% CO2 with the remainder consisting of meth-
However, due to the high glycerol viscosity and rapidly increasing anedehydrated at a pressure near 2,000 psi. Other potential
supercritical CO2 density as the temperature decreases, glycerol applications of the glycerol technology may exist where a com-
would probably not be used to dehydrate CO2 below 100F. In bination of high CO2 content and a need to dehydrate at high
addition, the CO2 solubility in glycerol was also determined to pressure create the operating conditions and compositions where
be only one-tenth of the solubility in glycols. This results in lower glycerol may have lower solubility losses than glycols and better
flashing losses. overall economics.

1,000 Glycerol dehydration simulation development. A


9
8 simulation was developed specifically for supercritical dehydra-
7 tion of CO2 with glycerol. This is because the standard property
6 sets in most process simulators perform poorly when modeling
500 fluid properties and phase equilibrium at near-critical conditions.
167
4 Careful review of the thermodynamic parameters in the process
simulator is required, with adjustments made to match reliable
3
data. Key modeling aspects will be discussed shortly.
122
2
TABLE 1. Denburys new glycerol-based CO2
lb water/MMscf wet gas

1.5 45 dehydration units


30 Gluck- Barksdale Barksdale Gluck- DRI
100 15 Plant stadt North South Trace stadt Dock
9 77 88
8 0 Operation date 2006 2007 2008 2010 2010 2011
7
6 Flow, MMScfd 100 300 300 150 300 300
50 65 122 Operating pressure, psig 1,550 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,550 TBD
4 Operating temperature, F 120 110 110 110 115 TBD
Water content in, lb/MMscf 201 201 201 201 201 201
3 88
Water content out, lb/MMscf 20 20 20 20 20 20

2 Reboiler duty, MMBtu/hr 2.05 6 6 2.75 6 6

1.5 CO2 65 TABLE 2. Glycol and glycerol solubility in CO2 (ppmv)1


Sweet gas
1,200 psi 2,000 psi
10
1.5 2 3 4 6 7 89 1.5 2 TEG Glycerol TEG Glycerol
100 500 1,000 3,000
Pressure, psia
73F 1,800 12.3 2,800 30
95F 390 8.2 37
FIG. 2 Solubility limit for water in pure CO2.7
(Used with permission from GPSA). 115F 30 3.3 1,900 42

76
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
PLANT DESIGN

Absorber K-values. An important aspect of designing glyc- to determine how much CO2 is picked up in the absorber and
erol-based dehydration systems for supercritical CO2 is to have a will evolve in the flash tank. Second, the CO2 solubility in glyc-
good estimate of the K-value (i.e., phase equilibrium distribution erol is important in predicting the potential for two-phase flow
coefficient) for water at the conditions in the absorber. Unreliable through the heat exchangers in the process as the temperatures
CO2-water equilibrium data can produce erroneous results in the and pressures of the streams vary. Equilibrium data were used with
absorber that adversely affect predicting operations in downstream the Wilson activity coefficient model to predict CO2 solubility
vessels. Absorber K-values for water were calculated using the in glycerol.
thermodynamic relationship: Viscosity. The viscosity estimation method in the process
simulator that most closely predicted viscosities found in the
K = y/x = Psatsat/P (1)
literature was selected. Viscosity data were used to calculate equip-
where: ment pressure drop and model absorber hydraulics.
K = K-value, phase equilibrium distribution coefficient Thermal conductivity. A method that accurately predicted
y = Mole fraction water in the dense CO2 phase the thermal conductivity for both 50-50 glycerol-water mixtures
x = Mole fraction water in the liquid phase and high-purity glycerol streams was selected.
= Activity coefficient for water (from vapor-liquid equilib- Density. The densities of the inlet and outlet CO2 streams
rium data discussed in the following subsection) from the absorber were calculated using the Peng-Robinson equa-
Psat = Vapor pressure of pure water at the system temperature tion of state. The calculated densities compared reasonably well
(from steam tables) to those obtained from other sources.
sat = Fugacity coefficient for pure water vapor at the system Glycerol solubility in dense-phase CO2. The glycerol solubil-
temperature and Psat (assumed to be unity) ity in dense-phase CO2 has been reported in the literature and was
= Poynting correction factor for water (from the component used to estimate glycerol losses from the absorber.1
partial molar volumes)
= Fugacity coefficient of water for the vapor phase Glycerol-based dehydration design and research.
P = System operating pressure (known). Fig. 3 illustrates a typical process flow diagram of the glycerol-
Most of the parameters in Eq. 1 are readily known or accessible based CO2 dehydration units for Denburys new facilities. The
from literature as indicated previously. However, it is the calcula- glycerol process operates much in the same manner as a TEG unit
tion of the vapor-phase fugacity of water in dense-phase CO2 near so a detailed process description is not provided.7
the critical conditions that is more difficult. Operational experience at Jackson Dome and advancements in
Field data were used to validate the accuracy of the simulation process technology influenced the new glycerol process designs.
in predicting K-values and resulting water contents over a range Construction material for all process piping and vessels at the
of actual operating conditions. Table 3 shows that the treated gas original Jackson Dome facility is 316/316L SS. In general, many
water contents are in very close agreement with the predicted of the same material choices used for glycol are appropriate for
equilibrium water content for the lean glycerol solution at the glycerol. The following materials choices were different in the new
absorber conditions (i.e., within 5%17% of the measured data). units compared to the original Jackson Dome plant:
This indicates that the method discussed is reliable for predicting
K-values and dehydrator outlet water contents.
Glycerol
Inlet contactor Dehydrated gas
Waterglycerol phase behavior. The vapor-liquid equilib- coalescer
rium (VLE) of water in glycerol is important because it is used to: Inlet Contactor
separator outlet
Predict the K-values in the absorber (activity coefficient of Inlet gas separator
water) LC LC
LC
Determine the lean glycerol water content from the reboiler LC
Low pressure ash
and extra stripping column.
VLE data for water and glycerol (in the concentration and
temperature ranges in the absorber and reboiler) were obtained Glycerol FIC
Glycerol cooler
and used to regress the adjustable parameters in the Wilson activ- pumps
ity coefficient model. Cold glycerol/
glycerol exchanger
CO2 solubility in glycerol. It is important to know the CO2 LC
Still column/
solubility in glycerol for several reasons. First, it provides a means Glycerol reux
Rich ash tank condenser
glycerol
TABLE 3. Comparison to known field data carbon Hot glycerol/ Glycerol
lter glycerol reboiler
Treated gas measured, Predicted equilibrium Extra
exchanger
lb/MMscf limit, lb/MMscf % difference stripping
column Surge
7.0 6.7 4.3 Rich tank
glycerol
9.1 7.9 13.2 lters Glycerol
7.2 7.8 8.3 booster pump
Lean glycerol
9.8 10.9 11.2 lters

13.2 15.5 17.4 FIG. 3 Process flow diagram for Denburys glycerol-based CO2
21.4 25.1 17.3 dehydration unit.

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 77
PLANT DESIGN

glycerol was required for the development of a reliable process-


simulation tool to design new glycerol processes. Denburys
operational experience at Jackson Dome was important in con-
structing high-performing glycerol-based units for dehydration
of supercritical CO2. Using glycerol dehydrators allows Denbury
to process more CO2 for increased hydrocarbon recovery. The
information provided can be applied for designing other high-
CO2, high-pressure applications, as well, even if the stream is not
essentially pure CO2. HP

LITERATURE CITED
FIG. 4 New Denbury glycerol unit. 1 Wallace, C., Dehydration of Supercritical CO2, Gas Conditioning
Conference, 1985.
2 Song, K. Y. and R. Kobayashi, The Water Content of CO -rich Fluids in
2
Equilibrium with Liquid Water or Hydrate, GPA Research Report 80, May
The contactor was built with 316L SS in the lower section 1984.
3 Takahashi, S. and R. Kobayashi, The Water Content and the Solubility of
and a carbon steel shell above the bottom 2 ft. of packing. This
CO2 in Equilibrium with DEG-Water and TEG-Water Solutions at Feasible
was done since the gas is sub-saturated as it moves counter-current Absorption Conditions, GPA Technical Publication 9, December 1982.
to the glycerol through the packed section. This concept was suc- 4 Song, K. Y. and R. Kobayahsi, H O Content Values of a CO -5.31 Mol %
2 2
cessfully proven elsewhere. Methane Mixture, GPA Research Report 120, January 1989.
5 Diaz, Z. and J. H. Miller, Drying Substantially Supercritical CO with
Carbon steel was used for all glycerol piping except for 2
Glycerol, US Patent No. 4,478,612, October 1984.
downstream of the glycerol flash tank. In this area, 316L SS was 6 Udvardi, G., L. Gerecs, Y. Ouchi, F. Nagakura, E. A. Thoes and C.B. Wallace,
used instead to provide low temperature integrity if CO2 vented Processing Facilities for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Hungary, Proceedings of
through the control valve if the liquid level control in the flash 69th Annual GPA Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, March 1213, 1990.
7 Gas Processors Suppliers Association (GPSA) Engineering Databook, FPS
absorber was lost.
Volume II, Twelfth Edition, Chapter 20, pp. 207 and 2038, 2004.
Carbon steel was used for the rich/lean exchanger shells, the 8 McIntush, K., C. Beitler, M. Swadener and C. Wallace, Screening Processes
glycerol air cooler, the reboiler shell and filter vessels. for Removal of H2S from Enhanced Oil Recovery CO2 Streams, Laurance
Design elements of note from the Jackson Dome process that Reid Gas Conditioning Conference, Norman, Oklahoma, 2010.
were incorporated into the new glycerol units will be described
further. Isolation valves for the hot and cold glycerol exchangers
were included for periodic cleaning/maintenance due to fouling
Mark Swadener is a reservoir engineer at Denbury Resources
from upset conditions or high skin temperatures. Due to high in Plano, Texas. He has seven years of experience in facilities, pro-
glycerol viscosity, glycerol booster pumps were used to ensure duction/operations and reservoir engineering for West Texas and
continuous flow from the reboiler through the hot and cold glyc- Texas Gulf Coast oil fields. Most recently, Mr. Swadener was the
erol exchangers. A fire tube liner was included in the reboiler to operations engineer at Jackson Dome, responsible for the comple-
tion, production and maintenance of CO2 source wells and facilities. He received his
moderate the skin temperature in contact with the glycerol, thus, BS degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
reducing the degradation rate. The glycerol flash tank and still
were constructed of 316L SS due to the wet CO2 in those areas.
Other key design aspects include using low-maintenance and Joe Lundeen is a principal engineer at Trimeric Corp. in Buda,
low-cost horizontal submersible pumps or gear pumps for glyc- Texas. He has 21 years of experience in process engineering, pro-
erol circulation and incorporating an extra stripping column cess troubleshooting and facility installation for oil and gas produc-
for enhanced water removal. A provision for a filter coalescer tion and CO2 processing clients. Mr. Lundeens recent experience
has focused on dehydration, contaminant removal and transport
upstream of the glycerol contactors for removal of water with high of super-critical CO2. He earned BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering from
salt and chloride content as the well declines was also included the University of MissouriRolla and Texas A&MCollege Station, respectively.
in the design. Jackson Dome data was used to size the absorbers
in the new units.
As work with supercritical CO2 continues, there have been Kevin Fisher is a principal engineer at Trimeric Corp. in Buda,
some areas of research and innovation. A series of tests were con- Texas. He has over 20 years of experience in process engineer-
ing, research and development, and troubleshooting for oil and
ducted to quantify the performance of liquid and solid hydrogen gas production and oil refining clients, as well as for private and
sulfide (H2S) scavengers at process conditions when 50 ppm100 government-sponsored research programs. Mr. Fisher specializes in
ppm of H2S was detected in one of the source wells. The test the areas of acid-gas removal, CO2 capture, gas processing and gas dehydration. He
results indicated a reduced efficiency of these scavenging prod- earned an MS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin,
and BS degrees in chemical engineering and chemistry from Texas A&MCollege
ucts for H2S removal compared to the typical performance on Station and Sam Houston State University, respectively.
natural gas.8 Another area of study was glycerol solubility in
CO2. Although the solubility is much less than glycols, the price
of glycerol was over $1/lb in 2008 when oil prices were at their Carrie Beitler is a senior engineer at Trimeric Corp. in Buda,
peak. Additives were identified to further reduce glycerol solubil- Texas. She has over 15 years of experience in process engineer-
ity in CO2 and a full-scale test is planned. Fig. 4 shows a new ing, process modeling and optimization of unit operating in the
glycerol unit. natural gas, petroleum refining and CO2 processing areas. She
also specializes in the development of process design packages for
the fabrication of open-art technology such as caustic scrubbers, acid-gas injection
Summary. The rigorous review of thermodynamic proper- units, glycol dehydrators and amine treaters. She earned a BS degree in chemical
ties associated with the dehydration of supercritical CO2 with engineering from Purdue University.

78
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
PROCESS CONTROL

What is the outlook for


advanced control engineering?
New view strips away the myths over automation technology
J. WANG, Energy Services Division, Nalco Co., Sugar Land, Texas

P
rocess control technology plays a significant role in improv- over typical process control, APC represents an enhancement in
ing and maintaining efficient process operations. It influ- the performance of control strategies that results in more consis-
ences the strategic and operational goals of enterprises, tent production, process optimization, better product qualities
economic results, development and quality of products, continu- and less waste. While regulatory controls maintain mass and heat
ity of production and competitiveness within the marketplace. balances, advanced controls manipulate the mass and heat bal-
Over the past years, industries have invested heavily in model ances to achieve the best performance or quality.
predictive control (MPC) controllers. Many within the industry With the development of information/computer technologies,
believe MPC is the only way for advanced control that facilitates having a powerful server connected to the plant collecting real-
process improvement with the high project return on invest- time data opened up numerous possibilities for complementary
ment. In some organizations, MPC tools are the company stan- technologies. For example, complementary technology is an
dard; other methods are taken as nonstandard low-level tech- inferential estimation technology (soft sensor) that would infer
nologies. Some organizations refuse to accept other technologies the required composition of the stream to be used in the control
no matter how well they perform. Nonprofessional control system, in the absence of online analyzers or long delays in the
engineers always believe that dynamic matrix control (DMC) measurement signals.
software is versatile, and they try to use DMC packages for basic Expert systems. Another example of advanced control is the
stability/control problems. expert-systems technology that captured engineers imagination
back in the early 1980s. It is based on capturing knowledge of
Myth vs. facts. Too often, many techniques can be applied the best operators and transforming real-time data into useful
for advanced process control (APC) and process improvement. information through reasoning and analysis. The technology
For example, intelligent control (neural net, fuzzy logic and has had success with applications such as special detection and
expert systems) are very commonly used in APC, and some other signal processing, startup/shutdown, emergency and abnormal
techniques such as supervisory control, system identification/ condition monitoring and diagnostics.
modeling skills are most indispensable in APC. The objective of Fig. 1 shows the plant operations pyramid and the commonly
this article is to analyze current misapplication, challenges and used techniques of advanced process control. The pyramid as
engineering management of advanced control technology for it stands, represents the data transfer rates for the applications.
process improvement and to present the prospect of advanced The inverse of the pyramid is also true for the computations
control technology while educating how to use advanced control per solution.
correctly and efficiently.
DISADVANTAGES AND MISAPPLICATION OF MPC
Advanced control background. Since the advent of the MPC technology no longer relies on traditional servo-control
distributed control system (DCS) in the 1970s, it has been widely techniques, e.g., feedback control was first designed to handle
used. DCS provided a tool for easy implementation of existing effects from unmeasured disturbances and have done a fairly
control strategies such as cascade, feed forward, nonlinear con- good job for about 100 years. MPC assumes that the knowledge
trol, Smith predictors, constraint control and even decoupling regarding the process is perfect and that all disturbances have
control. These are control schemes based on the proportional- been identified. MPC is an open-loop system. There is no way
integral-derivative (PID) single-loop feedback controller, and for an MPC to handle unmeasured disturbances, other than to
they provided the platform of distributed and supervisory con- readjust at each controller execution, and the bias is similar to
trol, which is called (advanced) regulatory control. an integral-only control action.
What it is. Advanced control is a systematic studied approach This partially explains MPCs poor behavior when challenged
to choosing relevant techniques and their integration into a co- by disturbances unaccounted for by the controller. MPC has
operative management and control system that will significantly been sold as the ultimate solution to every plants control and
enhance plant operation and profitability. APC includes more optimization needs. But, as engineers point out, for a multitude
sophisticated strategies, such as intelligent control, adaptive algo- of reasons, the results from MPC implementations often produce
rithms and MPC tied to empirical modeling. As an improvement short-lived, sub-optimal and/or poor outcomes. The products
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
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PROCESS CONTROL

now in the marketplace have been over-used and are forced to that make control difficultonly then can the MPC be set up
perform functions for which they were neither designed, nor with correct DVs, MVs, CVs, etc., and simple compensation
should have been allowed, to do. for nonlinearities. We can imagine that MPC could be applied
But MPC products were so heavily marketed and over-sold to minimize the need for good engineering. But, that is a false
that the few voices of reason that may have existed were over- economy. Licensors of MPC software will tell you that their
whelmed and could not prevail. Over the last few years, MPC algorithms will optimize operation by operating at constraints
is applied too much and is continuing to receive records of using the least costly combination of manipulated variable assets.
lackluster performance. It is estimated that more than 50% of That is certainly correct. Mathematically, that is the way the lin-
applications are in off mode or do not work at all (worse than ear programming (LP) or qualitative programming (QP) works.
regulatory control); only about 10% are fully working well, In practice, however, any actual optimizing is marginal at best.
according to some industry experts.1,2 This is due to several reasons.4
The limitations of MPC have been thoroughly exposed, MPC takes ALL of the credit for improved performance.
although probably widely ignored.3 Many take MPC as a ver- The benefit calculation is traditionally based on vague industry
satile control package. Result: There are many misapplications. experience and some assumptions that are not always correct.
Concerns for MPC include: For example, the performance will be consistent, and all achieved
MPC is based on tested local model. Working in its benefits are due to the MPC.5 In fact, all MPC performance is
tested operating point, re-vamp work is inevitable once the not consistent because it is based on a local tested model. The
operating point changes. Correcting model mismatch requires achieved benefit relies on the whole control system design strategy,
retesting and remodelingvery expensive maintenance action including regulatory control design, PID parameter tuning,
item. MPC controllers, particularly complex ones implemented advanced regulatory control scheme and advanced control design
on complex units with many interactions, require constant (inferential control, fuzzy logic, system identification, supervisory
attention from highly trained (and highly paid) control engi- control, MPC, etc.). More important, once we modified the con-
neers. This is a luxury that few operating companies can afford. trol strategy, tuned parameters and updated the design, we will
Hiring contractors to do an APC project will take 512 find that the performance had already significantly improved. Is
months since they need more time to become familiar with the MPC really needed?
processes and to test the processes. All of this effort costs more Why are some examples successful applications? First,
money; normally, a small project with 612 MVs, will costs the engineers or designers have very good working knowledge
around $150,000$200,000. Contractors are normally profes- about the process. They fully know how the variables behave,
sional in software package that they are using, and may not be including control-action direction, operation limits, dead time,
professional in process and control system design. So, they try dynamic response, steady state, etc. Secondly, the process control
to do projects in their ways that may work for a while, but it is is a slow systemany disturbance can be slowly eliminated by
NOT the best design mode. feedback control as long as the control-action direction is correct.
If we interview operators or observe their operation, we Consider the MPC modeling process: the model is built based
find that they are always changing the MPC limits. This is on a local test data, and then the designer will fabricate it accord-
because MPC design cannot satisfy the operation, and they try ing to their process knowledge. Is this the right direction? Is the
to control the system by moving limits. Clearly, this corresponds dead time okay? Is the steady state and model gain fine? The
to manual control. When feeds change or the outflow changes, model will be modified until the designers are satisfied based on
the MPC is turned off. The system is unstable due to big swings their process knowledge. There is no model validation in MPC
because the material balance is broken. packages; the prediction function that they have is using the
MPC packages tend to hide technical stuff, and good modeling data for data checkingthis is nothing. You must have
ones will assist through commissioning. MPC engineers must more than 99% data match in this prediction. In addition,
be able to understand the process objectives and the features this knowledge-based model with many parameters does change
online based on operation: limit ranges, bias, model gain, etc. So,
we can understand why MPC is successful in certain applications
Expert systems within a short operation range. As long as the action direction is
ning
Mon

Fuzzy logic correct, the model works. Few industry people ask if this is the
Plan

Multivariable control
ths

Inferential control best way to control and what is it worth?


Neural network Sch 1-3 s
edu k
ling
Data mining wee MPC for simple control system. If one uses MPC where
Performance
monitoring RTO rs
a PID controller with feedforward could work just as well, it is
Statistical process Hou just a misapplication. For example, what about using a multi-
control
Supervisory variable controller (MVC) to control a fired-heater outlet tem-
control APC utes perature by adjusting the fuel? Even in the case where you have
Min
multiple control variables and a single manipulated variable, a
s set of PID controllers with some intelligent design would likely
DCS ond
Sec work better than the MVC in a single-tower control, or even
in a couple of towers together. Other widely misapplied MPC
applications are, for inventory control, basic stability control,
long steady-state time processes, directly controlled valves using
FIG. 1 Plant operation pyramid. MPC, etc. PID with feedforward or many other control tech-
niques are a simpler and better performing solution.

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Combustion MPC design problem. A good combus- rochemical/refinery industry systems. To maintain its successes,
tion-control system will save energy and improve the unit the industry must be flexible and adaptable to new technologies,
efficiency. This will depend on the fuel and air flow both external pressures and changing markets. All of these challenges
in steady-state and dynamic modes of the process. In some require systematic improvement methodology and advanced
petrochemical furnace systems, the fuel and air are indepen- technologies for optimization, control and planning. The most
dently controlled by temperature and oxygen. This absolutely commonly used advanced control techniques include:
devalues the combustion efficiency, in particular, for dynamic Adaptive control: Controller changes over time (adapts)
processes, e.g., when changing the temperature setpoints or Intelligent control: Fuzzy logic, neural network, expert sys-
disturbance happens. tems
Few combustion units are successfully controlled by MPC Supervisory control: Optimization by certain objectives
since the system needs more intelligent factors. Most MPC com- Efficiency inferential without analyzer: Optimization and
bustion-control designs use the fuel and air as MVs, and try to rely modeling
on the local tested model to achieve the firing rate demand. Obvi- Model predictive control: Multiple inputs and/or outputs
ously, this design does not consider efficient combustion. The cor- decouple solutions
rect design is to use the ratio of fuel and air as the MV. The idea Nonlinear control techniques: Nonlinear gain scheduling,
for efficient combustion is to have air lead the fuel on increases in neuro-fuzzy control and challenging to derive analytic results
demand for and fuel to lead air on decreases in demand. On load Process modeling and system identification: Principle and
increases, the air is increased ahead of the fuel. On load decreases, empirical models
the fuel is decreased ahead of the air. This motivates us to develop Optimal control and stochastic control: Controller mini-
cross-limiting combustion control strategies. mizes a cost function of error and control energy or the controller
minimizes variance.
Material balance issues in MPC design. A process sys-
tem consists of inputs, outputs and internal dynamics; they work Developments. Most large companies have their own R&D
in a fixed balance relationship at all times. Sacrificing this relation- or engineering group to manage these challenges. They normally
ship to get a local control/optimization is a short-sighted method, develop the control methods for one unit and then transfer them
and it eventually will compromise the control/optimization, lead- to others. These developments are very necessary and helpful for
ing to an unstable state. It is necessary to maintain the materials companys long-term business goals. It is not good or difficult to
balance at all times. hire contractors for some specific developments. However, some
Consider these scenarios: 1) the feeds change; 2) outflows R&D or engineering groups do not have the abilities to develop
have a large change; and 3) tower reflux has major change. All of control technology for their facilities, although they may have
these conditions move the system into an unstable state or the some process engineers with PhDs within the groups.
systems experience wide swings due to a break in the balance rela- Some development work can be very ridiculous. For example,
tionship if there is no material balance control. MPC is widely consider tower-flood prediction by using a simple material-bal-
used in process systemsthe feed is normally feedforward to the ance calculation, and then applying it to every unit. Likewise,
MPC control system. When we test the system, we have to test it consider using a simple MPC controller to manage onstream-
in a wide range, although, the MPC is still in a local model. The time to evaluate performance, and requiring all units to keep the
model gain is not able to adapt to the material-balance relation- controller on whether it works well or not. The superintendents
ship when system inflows or outflows change. always show off their controller onstream time is above 90%. If
Lets study one example: Feed, Fin = 100; overhead outflow, the time is less than 90%, this will affect operators bonuses. Here
FOH = 20; bottom outflow, FBT = 30; sidedraw, FSD = 50. Our are some of practical process engineering APC topics and develop-
design is to control the sidedraw to maintain the whole system ment issues that we always face:
material balance and stability, and to optimize the production DMC gain scheduling: An adaptive solution is needed.
using reflux (R ), FOH and FBT . MPC can be used for the opti- Combustion control strategy for furnaces and heaters: Cross-
mization, but it cannot be used to control the material balance, limiting or fuzzy logic reasoning are needed.
because it totally depends on the local model by step test. The pH control problems: Nonlinear control gain scheduling
model gain cannot be adaptive to all situations. is needed.
For example, the current gain is FSD = Fin = 50 =100, by For some tower level cascade flow control systems, the level
optimization, the flow distribution change to FOH = 10, FBT = control is not important, the flow is important and is required to
20; so the sidedraw has to be FSD = 70. The gain becomes FSD be as stable as possible: Limit constrained selective control strat-
= Fin = 70 = 100. It is clear that MPC does not work if it is still egy, and supervisory control strategy are needed.
using the old gain. A material-balance supervisory control must A tower feed or production flow change will cause instabil-
be used to adapt all feed changes and outflow changes due to ity or big swing: Material balance supervisory control is needed.
production optimization in maintaining system stability. This Controlling a tower bottom flow based on level and pressure
motivates us to develop a principle-material-balance-supervisory drop in regulatory control: Selective control and logic selection
control system. mechanism are needed.
Inferential model development: System identification and
ADVANCED CONTROL CHALLENGES fuzzy logic or neural network techniques may be needed.
Control technology developed very rapidly, and process con- Quality measurement is based on lab samples; there are
trol is now ubiquitous within industries. With increasing reliance no online analyzer. Accurate inferential model can control these
on information technology, systematic decision-making strategies processes: Rule-based fuzzy logic control or expert-system control
are essential for effective and efficient performance including pet- strategy is needed.
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APC ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT the tool for those who are eager for instant success and quick,
An important APC benefit is from management. A knowl- short-term profit. They can even collude with the vendors to
edgeable, judicious management is able to pick up a reason- push selling their technology and services. There are incidents
able technology, maximize benefits and minimize costs. The when a client wanted to have the MPC implemented on a par-
limitations of MPC have been thoroughly exposed, although ticular unit even after they were told that it wouldnt add any
widely ignored. value. Who cares whether it would work or not, these clients only
Management of many companies has been seduced by the wanted a MPC nameplate on their unit.
popular myth that MPC is easy to implement and to maintain. For political reasons, many ridiculous things can be seen in
This is a misconception fostered at the highest management lev- plants. For example, a simple controller is designed as reflux
els by those most likely to benefit from the proliferation of vari- subtract on an operator setting constant to control material
ous MPC software packages. But this is not an overly pessimistic balance of a tower. Although it does not work, especially when
picture of APC as it exists. Advanced control is very promising feedrate changes or other flow changes occur, it is reported this
provided that management clearly and correctly understands design can save energy at more than $1 million/yr, which cor-
the APC concept. A judicious management should encourage responds to 56 months of total energy usage by this tower. This
people to develop the best approach for specific applications advanced control work was recognized by the superintendent
using innovative technologies; to build reasonable process perfor- and also published in the internal newspaper; nobody dared to
mance tracking tools; to pay more attention to basic regulatory say anythingsurely all were blinded by technology.
control and tuning work; and to aggressively seek change and/
or improvements. Capital projects. Most companies define MPC projects as
capital projects, or almost 100% high-return projects are DMC
Falsely seduced by technology. There is a wrong con- based so that they can apply for funding and use outside resources.
cept: MPC/DMC is better than traditional control. Many man- The argument is: time is money; using a contractor can get
agers and process engineers believe this notion that MPC/DMC the project implementation done as soon as possible and reap a
controllers can be deployed into every plant system. Nobody return. Conversely, people forget that:
is asking: Is it necessary? Does it provide benefits? How does it Contractors need more time to study the system; their
work compared with other techniques? Does it involve higher expertise is in the software package. Contractors may not be
costs (design, test, commissioning, maintenance, revamp, etc.)? familiar with the specific application and may not have enough
A simple question should be considered: MPC/DMC are not control technical skills. Result: The company will have to spend
suitable for most situations in refineries and petrochemical facili- more time on the entire project, normally, even a small project
ties. Table 1 lists a typical comparison for a small process control may need 612 months.
system, say, 812 MVs using improvement-based intelligent con- Extra cost will be needed to hire contractors.
trol design and software package based on standard MPC design. The designer always ignores the nature of real control prob-
Some control-engineering groups are willing offer software lems and can pay more attention to the garish function of the
packages (e.g., DMC) installer; MPC packages exactly provide software package.
Instant benefit is often too tiny to define a true capital
TABLE 1. Comparison of improvementoriented vs. project if considering cost, maintenance, revamp, etc., and this
MPC based systems tiny benefit is often easily obtained from basic regulatory con-
trol change and tuning. Typically, the short-term benefit of a
Improvement MPC software DMC/MPC is 1%2% improvement, while a true optimization
oriented methods methods technology-based APC long-term benefit is about 10%20%,
Define objectives, measure Weeks Weeks conservatively speaking.
and analyze
Pretest 02 days 2 weeks Professional control engineer. Technically, the profes-
sional control engineer is the right person to determine what
Step test None 2 weeks
control technology should be used; what package is suitable;
Modeling strategy design 1 week 4 weeks what resource should be used, especially if there is no political or
Offline simulation 2 days 12 weeks management interference. Control engineers must be proficient
Implementation commissioning 13 days 24 weeks in control and improvement skills and technologies. Process
Test cost None Huge
knowledge is necessary but not critical in control engineering.
Process engineers or DCS engineers have too much superstition
Resource cost Internal work External, $120160K
about MPC because they may not have the knowledge about
Maintenance Tiny Huge state equation, z transform, system identification, impulse dead
Revamp None 12 years or months time analysis, frequency response and so forth. Thus, process
Benefits Always (global model) Depends (local model) engineers try to use a software package to replace the real con-
trol system analysis and design. They try to use their process
Designer Control engineer Process/DCS engineer
knowledge to analyze the system instead of practical data statis-
Software DCS Special package; tical analysis. A professional control engineer should also have
licence; training;
strong knowledge about process improvement methodology
installation;
(six sigma), control technologies (algorithms, control design,
maintenance
modeling) and process performance evaluation techniques (sta-
Special needs Intelligent analysis Analyzer tistical analysis).

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I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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Control technique standardization. Standardizing a along with performance evaluation in terms of user-specified
control technique using one software package for company- benchmarks, but we have to know the objective first. Having
wide plants is typically the wrong decision. The benefits from standardized companywide key performance indicators (KPIs)
standardization are often touted. This is consistent with a recent and comparing them between the sites is too difficult, and some-
trend in some large corporations, led by process engineering times not necessary. It is incredible to use MPC/DMC onstream
group or IT departments, to standardize technology solutions time as a performance measure to evaluate the control system.
and then to translate the standard solutions from one problem There are many examples that demonstrate a controller showing
to the next. The argument is: ease of implementation, low-cost high onstream time, but the process operating performance is
maintenance, reduction in training, flexible movement across very bad. The company will still use the controller because the
the whole organization, etc. Equally important, management superintendents want to have a higher number. Performance
is also concerned should the designer moves/leaves, nobody evaluation and benefit analysis are very necessary, and profes-
can take over or maintain the system. Thus, the automation sional team should do this task.
group is told to standardize the companys control strategy, It is vital to track process critical variables (cpk or pro-
DCS, MPC package; thus the operating company can use this cess capability.) The critical variables can be defined as CV in
standard exclusively for all control problems. Obviously, such MPC, and/or something like energy efficiency or production
an approach ignores the nature of real control problems in the recovery. This kind of performance is absolutely standard and
plants and relegates control engineers to software transfer; fur- can be easily compared between different sites for different
thermore, this standard technique will waste huge dollars, and purposes.
lose significant opportunities for real improvement. MPC is very attractive for some process engineers, but it is
losing attention from many aspects (theory, modeling, cost,
ADVANCED CONTROL PROSPECT practical performance, maintenance, software itself ). It is time
MPC technology has its limits. It is the local optimizer and for industry to have a revolution in APC; we need a control-
it does work well for one class of simple process. In particular, oriented package. MPC can be embedded in the DCS, if needed.
MPC technology works very well in labs or simulations because A judicious, intelligent-supervisory control system package will
there is no unexpected issues such as model mismatch, extra dis- emerge soon; this will be the new era of APC.
turbances, unknown condition changes and strong nonlinearity.
Fortunately, there are many other technologies for APC. It Supervisory control. It is a general term for controlling
is worth noting that APC benefits will rely on the capability of many individual controllers or control loops; a supervisory
technology, expertise of the designer and the reliability of APC
methodology. It is vital for management to audit APC benefits
scientifically, professionally and reasonably. It is strongly rec-
ommended that an audit team reviews and approves the APC HEINZ P. BLOCH
projects and audits the benefits after the project. The benefit MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY:
can be estimated as: A REFERENCE GUIDE
APC Benefit = (Optimum Current operation)  C% 
E%  R%
where C denotes capability of technology to capture benefits for
the application Heinz P. Bloch
E represents the expertise of implementation team for the One of the Worlds Foremost
application Authorities on Machine Reliability
R represents the reliability of APC project methodology for
the application. This special edition article collection includes more
These points should be kept in mind before APC engineering: than 10 years of articles on machinery reliability,
Execute a detailed APC definition and justification study improving equipment maintainability and everything
first. The study will provide a basis for investment and control in-between.
technology determinations.
Order your copy today! Obtain indispensible
Design the APC to solve operating problems and opti-
insight from a leading expert on the subject, in one
mize the process/operations. Use the principle of control design
practical, comprehensive reference guide designed
techniquessimpler solutions to solve lower level problems,
for the maintenance & reliability engineer.
with ascending, higher level solutions to achieve more complex
control, optimization objectives. Encourage control engineers Price: $595
to think openly and use more control strategies/technologies to
improve systems. MPC is not versatile; designing it correctly and
efficiently is the urgent work to be accomplished.
When implementing APC, the purpose is to improve the
process using the controller. Designers should pay more atten-
tion to process performance instead of controller evaluations.
Professionally, there are many methods/calculations to evaluate
controller performance depending on the objectives. For exam- Order at www.GulfPub.com or Call +1 (713) 520-4426
ple, consider options such as constraint and capability analysis,
HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011
I 83
PROCESS CONTROL

control scheme offers the prospect of process optimization and application of next-generation APC is definitely attractive and
human operation intelligence. It is expected that the supervisory promising for industry. HP
control package will provide more powerful functions and fea-
sible supervisory algorithms. More important, it will provide the LITERATURE CITED
1 Ford, J., Jim Fords views on advanced process control, Hydrocarbon
platform for users to develop user algorithm or functions, such
Processing, November 2006, pp.1920.
as a material/energy balance model, fuzzy logic, neural network, 2 Friedman, Y. Z., What happened to simple useful APC techniques?,
genetic algorithm, optimization algorithm, decouple model, Hydrocarbon Processing, March 2008, p. 126.
feedforward compensation, etc. MPC may be embedded into 3 Hugo, A., Limitations of model predictive controllers, Hydrocarbon
the supervisory system, but it will provide more modeling tools Processing, January 2000, pp. 8388.
4 Ford, J., APC: A status reportthe patient is still breathing! White Paper
and model math expression. It will be a function block like a from APC website.
PID controller, just needing a few parameters for the user; No 5 Kern, A. G., Outlook for multivariable predictive control, Hydrocarbon
special software training is necessary. Processing, October 2008, p. 33.

IN SUMMARY
The automation technology is widely applied in a multitude
of different industries. An extension of advanced control tech- Dr. Jin Wang is working in the development of advanced
nology is an emerging advanced technology. The bottom-line control, system optimization and process improvement at Nalco
Co. He holds BS and MS degrees, and a PhD in process control
driver for applying the advanced technology is its widely demon-
and industrial instrumentation with first class honors from North-
strated capability to improve process performance; reduce costs eastern University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He
for equipment and maintenance; and increase system stability, held assistant professor position in the chemical engineering department of West
reliability and the capability of system fault tolerance. Virginia University Institute of Technology, and research position at Carnegie Mellon
University. He joined industry as a senior control engineer and engineering scientist
APC design and implementation is state-of-the-art in mod-
for Lyondell and PPG Inc. He is a professional in advanced control engineering. Dr.
ern control engineering, and is full of challenges both in theory Wangs major interests include advanced process control, modeling, optimization,
and practice. After several decades of APC applications, it is measurement system, robust and adaptive nonlinear control, intelligent control
time for control engineers, both in industries and academies to systems, nonlinear output regulation, with special emphasis on process improve-
ment applications to refinery, petrochemical/chemical, metallurgical, power and
think about how to use it correctly and efficiently; to pave the
other fields. He has authored over 20 reference journal papers and 40 conference
path for its next direction; and, more important, move forward papers. Dr. Wang is the senior member of IEEE, Control System Society and a senior
to the development and conception. But, the development and member of ISA.

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I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
ENGINEERING CASE HISTORIES

Case 63: Analyzing off


resonance amplitudes
It is important to know the amplitudes of vibration away from resonance
T. SOFRONAS, Consulting Engineer, Houston, Texas

R
esonance or the critical speed describes the condition at
which the force action, torque or moment is the same as the
resonance frequency or speed at which resonance occurs.
When this sameness happens, large amplitudes can develop. D
Often, the system is designed away from this resonance point. W
Here is a case where a vibration developed and a quick look at
the critical speed was desired. Fig. 1 shows the simple rotor of a
steam turbine; the rotor was lumped into a single mass system.
The first bending critical speed or natural frequency of such a
simply supported shaft, and whose mode shape is shown by the
dashed line, is:
fn = 1,300 (E I /(W L3) ) cycles/min or rev/min
1
2

L
For a solid shaft, D (in inches) can be defined as:
I = ( /64 ) D 4 in.4 FIG. 1 Lumped single mass rotor.

The magnifier of a system at resonance is defined as:


M = resonant amplitude / static deflection (Y ).
0.010
The static deflection, Y, of the dashed curve in Fig. 1 is simply 0.009
the amount of shaft deflection at the center that occurs due to
0.008
the exciting force, applied very slowly. At resonance, this point
becomes X amplitude, and the off resonance is Xf . 0.007
Amplitude, in.

There has to be an exciting force exciting the critical. So, in 0.006


this case, it could be an unbalance that rotates at shaft speed. The 0.005
resonance curve takes the form:1 0.004
r 2 )2 r 2/M 2 ) 2 0.003
1
Xf = Y (( 1 +
where r = operating speed / speed resonance occurs and at r = 1, 0.002
X = Y M 0.001
0.000
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000
Example. Consider the case where Y = 0.001 in., L = 38 in., Rpm/1,000
D = 4 in., W = 200 lbs, E = 30 106 lb/in.2 and, from experience,
M = 10. The curve can be drawn as Fig. 2, where fn is calculated as FIG. 2 Amplitude Xf of vibration at various speeds.
7,620 rpm. This indicates why it is important to design systems
at least 20% above or below the critical speed. For example, if the
LITERATURE CITED
operating speed range was 0 to 6,000 rpm, then there would be 1 Sofronas, A., Analytical Troubleshooting of Process Machinery and Pressure
ample margin from the critical speed at 7,620 rpm. Vessels: Including Real-World Case Studies, John Wiley & Sons, p. 125.
Note: If the equivalent shaft length increases, which could be
possible with the loosening of a hub fit, then the critical speed
could be lower and could possibly move into the operating range.
For example, if the shaft was 40 in. long instead of 38 in., then Dr. Tony Sofronas, P.E., was worldwide lead mechanical
resonance would occur at 7,055 rpm. This type of sensitivity engineer for ExxonMobil before his retirement. Information on his
books, seminars and consulting, as well as comments to this article,
analysis on variables is something that can be considered when are available at http://mechanicalengineeringhelp.com.
troubleshooting a system for excessive vibration. HP
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HPI MARKETPLACE
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ADVERTISERS in this issue of HYDROCARBON PROCESSING


Company Page RS# Company Page RS# Company Page RS#
Website Website Website

Altair Strickland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 (66) Emerson Process Management Merichem Company . . . . . . . . . . 10 (78)


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HYDROCARBON PROCESSING JULY 2011


I 89
HPIN CONTROL
ALLAN KERN, GUEST COLUMNIST

Allan.Kern@yahoo.com

Lose the pyramid (and find process control success)


Most people would classify multi-variable controlor
100
advanced process control (APC)over the past 20 years as a Potential contribution

Percent contributions
slam dunk in terms of process control, automation and opti- Portion captured
75
mization success. But it can also be viewed, quite plausibly, as
a major diversion that derailed the modern distributed control 50
system (DCS) from achieving its natural place at the center of
process control and automation progress. In the process, vast 25
amounts of time, money and talent have been diverted from
much more essential process control needs, in favor of APCs 0

Modern DCS

Smart eld

Smart control*

HMI design

Alarm mgt.

Inferentials

Modern SIS
much over-estimated benefits.
As industry comes to terms with the idea that APC may be
just another tool in the kit, rather than a game-changing technol-
ogy, it will help the process control community to find renewed
traction and move forward if we adopt a fresh paradigm based *Includes APC, ARC, and Best Practice Regulatory Controls
on the lessons we have learned, because a world of control and
FIG. 1 Proposed new process control paradigm emphasizes
automation opportunities remain, but they are not going to multiple essential competencies and serves as a working
come from APC. guide at both management and engineering levels.

Losing the pyramid. The traditional pyramid paradigm,


with APC prominently at its center, served well to initially focus A fresh paradigm will help process
industry on this promising technology. But the situation we find
ourselves in today is an over-emphasis on APC on the one hand, control get renewed traction, because
even as it continues to exhibit intractable limitations on the other
hand, such as: a world of opportunity remains, but
Traditional control-loop design is the product of expe-
rience, not the lack of APC. Some handles are suitable for its not going to come from APC.
closed-loop control, but the majority are not, given the realities
of industrial process and equipment operation. Most APCs are ture for process control planning, but also to measure and guide
built on the opposite assumption that including all handles and progress at both management and engineering levels. It shows
interactions is optimal, and as a result, quickly devolve online, in the potential contribution of multiple essential process control
hours or days, not months or years, to utilizing basically the same competencies and the portion that has actually been captured.
limited number of handles that were in use before APC ever came The first bar, something we are all familiar with (a modern
along. This is the well known clamped MV problem. DCS), provides a reference value for the others. For example,
The APC algorithm is a good algorithm, but it is only smart-field devices have the potential to bring as much addi-
one algorithm. DCSs have hundreds of algorithm function tional improvement as the original DCS (another 100%). The
blocks that are readily combined in myriad ways to deliver percentages in Fig. 1 are overall industry estimates, but each
smartly tailored solutions to almost any control or automation corporation and plant site can put in their own numbers and
challenge. And again, the DCS function set is no accidentit appropriate competencies.
derives from a long tradition of process control success. Notably, huge opportunity remains untapped in the smart
APC is the enemy of agility. It is in vogue now, as it should field, smart DCS control, and smart safety system areas. Far
be, to treat process plants as manufacturing plants, where agil- from being done, process control and automation are just get-
ity is better understood to be essential. But the business and ting started! HP
engineering model of APC, with its five-year life cycle, interim
inflexibility and high cost of changes, is entirely at odds with the
The author is a principal consultant in advanced process control and online
concept of agility. optimization with Petrocontrol. He specializes in the use of first-principles models
for inferential
The authorprocess
has 30control and
years of has developed
process a numberand
control experience of distillation
has authoredand numer-
reactor
Finding success. A fresh paradigm will help the process con- models.
ous Dr. Friedmans
papers on advanced experience
process spans overdecision
control, 30 yearssupport
in the hydrocarbon industry,
systems, inferentials,
trol community get past APC and get on with the business of working
and with Exxon
distillation Research
control, with and Engineering,
emphasis KBC Advanced
on operation Technology
and practical process and since
control
1992 with Petrocontrol.
effectiveness. Mr. KernHe is aholds a BS degree
professional from the
engineer, Israel member
a senior Institute of
of Technology
ISA, and a
process control and automation. Fig. 1 shows one possibility. Its (Technion)ofand
graduate theaUniversity
PhD degree from Purdue University.
of Wyoming.
a working paradigm in that it serves not only as a point of depar-

90
I JULY 2011 HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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TRADEMARKSOF(EAT4RANSFER2ESEARCH )NC4HESEMARKSMAYBEREGISTEREDINSOMECOUNTRIES
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION
Asset Management ............................................................4 Data Management ........................................................... 34
Budgeting, Capital Allocation and Planning ...................7 Data Visualization ........................................................... 34
Business Integration ..........................................................7 Dynamic Simulation and Optimization ..........................37
Exploration ..........................................................................8 Process Control and Information Systems.................. 38
Field and Data Capture......................................................8 SIS/Safety Systems ........................................................ 39
Production Accounting .................................................... 10
Regulatory Compliance ................................................... 10 CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING
Risk Management ..............................................................11
Collaboration and Knowledge Capture ........................ 42
Training ...............................................................................12
Design, Construction and Engineering ........................ 42
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Laboratory Testing R&D................................................. 46
Pilot Plant Support .......................................................... 46
Alarm Management ...........................................................16 Process Engineering and Simulation ........................... 46
Energy Management .........................................................16 Process Hazards Analysis.............................................. 49
Enterprise Operations Management ............................. 19 Well Log Data Access and Management ..................... 50
Equipment Reliability Database ................................... 20
Fluid Flow Analysis ......................................................... 20 ADVERTISING INDEX
Online Monitoring and Optimization ............................ 23
Display Advertisers ......................................................... 50
Operations .........................................................................24
Published by
Planning, Scheduling and Blending .............................. 25
Plant Lifecycle and Performance Monitoring ............. 26
Predictive Maintenance and Repair ............................. 28
Process Solutions and Equipment Provider ................ 30 Copyright 2011 Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A. P.O. Box 2608, Houston, TX 77252-2608, (713) 529-4301
Rening, Petrochemical and Gas Processing ............. 30
For information on additional copies and advertising in the 2012 edition, please
Security Services .............................................................33 contact Bill Wageneck at (713) 520-4421 or e-mail Bill.Wageneck@GulfPub.com.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

ASSET MANAGEMENT even in remote locations with limited connec-


tivity. Licensed or hosted by Merrick Software
Intergraph Corporation as a Service (SaaS), DynaCap oers signicant
savings, increased operational eciency and
19 Interpro Road improved safety while managing valuable oil-
Madison, AL 35758, USA eld assets. Currently redeveloped in Micro-
Phone: 800-345-4856 softs Silverlight platform, DynaCap will inte-
www.intergraph.com Merrick Systems, Inc. grate with other ERP systems such as Maximo,
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 SAP and others to provide a corporate solution
Houston, TX 77007, USA for your asset management needs.
Phone: 713-579-3400
Fax: 713-579-3499 www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; Metegrity, a Met Inc. division
Info@MerrickSystems.com
www.MerrickSystems.com 5715 76 Avenue
Edmonton, AB, T6B0A7, Canada
Company Bio: Phone: 780-485-8500
Merrick Systems provides the industrys www.visions-enterprise.com
most robust software and hardware solutions
addressing production operations, engineering
Intertek and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry
801 Travis Street, Suite 1500 expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative
Houston, TX 77002, USA technologies in the oil eld to help companies
Phone: 713-407-3500 extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower
Contact: Erik Holladay, lifting costs, increase production and optimize
Global Marketing Director operations. Merricks integrated applications,
E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS),
include mobile computing for eld and drilling
www.intertek.com
operations, real-time surveillance and optimiza-
Quest Integrity Group, LLC
Company Bio: tion; eld operations management; eld data 2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Intertek supports the global petroleum re- capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regulatory re- Boulder, CO 80301, USA
ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora- porting and rugged Radio Frequency Identica- Phone: 303-415-1475
tion and production industries with world-class tion (RFID) for drilling and asset management. Fax: 303-415-1847
testing, inspection, engineering and consulting
Products: E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
services. With operations in over 100 nations, www.QuestIntegrity.com
Merricks RFID-Based Asset Tracking
Intertek provides a wide range of services and
System enables you to track and maintain any Company Bio:
expertise to help clients improve quality and
surface, subsea and downhole oileld asset. The Quest Integrity Group provides highly ac-
reduce risk and costs.
system is comprised of patented, ruggedized curate, technology-enabled inspection and as-
Products: Radio Frequency Identication (RFID) tags, sessment solutions that help companies in the
Intertek provides a wide range of services software and electronics, providing vital infor- process, pipeline and power industries increase
and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in- mation about operational assets used in drilling protability, reduce operational and safety
dustry, including: and production operations. Congurability and risks, and improve operational planning. The
Asset Integrity Management a modular design allow the system to address company is built upon a foundation of leading-
Corrosion Control specic operational requirements for managing edge science and technology that has innovated
Pilot Plant Project Support any type of asset, including high-value items and shaped industries for nearly forty years.
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis like drill pipe, risers, collars and much more.
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing Merricks RFID Diamond TagsTM are the Products:
Rened Petroleum Products Testing rst High-Pressure High-Temperature tags in Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for-
Petrochemical Products Testing the market, proven to survive sustained ex- Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation treme temperatures (400F/200C), pressures xed and rotating equipment. It implements
E and P Core Analysis (2,070 bar/30,000 psi), vibration, corrosion the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
Health, Safety and Environmental and shock. The tags are used for tracking assets and performs crack assessments in accordance
Expertise even under harsh operational conditions and with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
Regulatory Compliance Support have been nominated for several prestigious form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres awards, including the SME Innovation Award and equipment types. An advanced fracture
Compliance from Oshore Northern Seas (ONS), and the mechanics module allows users to also perform
Innovation Award from the Energy Institute. limited Level 3 assessments.
Dimensional Control Engineering
Merricks web-based DynaCap software FEACrack is nite element analysis soft-
Forensic Investigations
platform used to manage asset data is highly ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes
Vendor Inspection and Auditing
congurable, allowing users to capture any in- utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per-
Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
formation needed, including inspections, certi- form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with
Terminal Services
cations, specications, usage history, location unlimited levels of crack mesh renement.
And more: http://www.intertek.com/ and more. Utilizing industry-standard rugged LifeQuest Heater software provides com-
energy/ mobile computers for eld and rig operations, plete analysis and remnant life assessment of
www.info.hotims.com/38647-125 DynaCap works in both connected or discon- red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utiliz-
nected modes to provide critical asset details ing API 579. The nal output is a system risk

4
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Renery Ready.
Expert Services for the Worlds Petroleum
and Chemical Industries.

o Asset Integrity Management


o Corrosion Control
o Catalyst & Pilot Plant Technologies
o Cargo Inspection & Testing
o Laboratory Support & Expertise
o Quality Control Testing
o Research and Development Support
o Engineering Services
o Troubleshooting and Forensic Expertise
o Pre-inspection and Vendor Surveillance
o Green and Environmental Services

Valued Quality. Delivered.

Contact Intertek for more information:


USA UK Singapore
+1 281 971 5600 +44 1708 680 248 +65 6322 8228
testingservices@intertek.com www.intertek.com/energy
Select 125 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

curve displaying remaining life in hours versus and maintain business alignment and commu- Yokogawa Electric
probability of failure. It combines with heater nicate conclusions eciently.
performance monitoring and process modeling Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell China Co., LTD.
for extensive heater reliability management. and Chevron are available for use in conjunc- 22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in- tion with the software tools. 31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
spection and tness-for-service assessment re- Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China
CrudeManager
sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man-
and assessment capabilities include standard Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
aging and manipulating crude oil information.
calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied Its unique features and Spirals expertise in Company Bio:
and API 579. implementing these solutions have made it the Yokogawa Corporation of America is the
www.info.hotims.com/38647-132 assay management solution of choice across the North American division of $3.4 billion Yok-
industry. ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in
the manufacture and supply of instrumenta-
SKF CrudeSuite
tion, process control, automation services and
5271 Viewridge Ct. CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enter-
prise toolset for crude oil knowledge manage- solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas,
San Diego, CA 92123, USA Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va-
Phone: 858-496-3400 ment, focusing on the needs of integrated oil
companies and energy traders. Industry-lead- riety of clients with leading products on the
www.skf.com/reliability market such as process analyzers, owmeters,
ing software innovations provide unprecedent-
ed performance in netback calculations, crude transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui-
margin estimation, and crude and product sition products, measuring instruments, dis-
blending, allowing users to explore opportuni- tributed control systems and more.
ties in real time. Products:
Spiral Suite PRMPlant Resource Manager (PRM)
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data is a real-time instrument device maintenance
management, planning, scheduling and enve- and management software package that pro-
lope optimization activities in a single, fully- vides a platform for advanced instrument diag-
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that nostics. PRM is an integrated software solution
better explores opportunities, reduces opera- that unies the monitored data from intelligent
Spiral Software Ltd tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan and non-intelligent eld devices running with-
St. Andrews House and actual results. in Yokogawas CENTUM VP and STARDOM
St. Andrews Road All activities are supported within a single ap- control systems or as a stand-alone solution.
Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK plication with a single user interface and a single The key feature of PRM is that it provides easy
Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000 source of data. Built from the ground up for to- access to automatically collected data from eld
Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001 days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite networks such as Foundation Fieldbus, HART
Spiral also has consultants based across the fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and and ISA100.11a wireless, allowing integration,
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, inherently supports Cloud computing solutions. management and maintenance of these devices
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut. using a common database.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-129 PRM provides integrated plant and device
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com
www.spiralsoft.com performance data, maintenance records, audit
trails, device conguration with auto-device
Company Bio: detection, historic data management, param-
Spiral Software specializes in tools for help- eter comparison, advanced device diagnostics
ing companies make the best decisions in trad- information and access to online documen-
ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners Yokogawa Electric Corp. tation such as device drawings, parts list and
rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work manuals in a client server architecture that
processes. Successful implementations include World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome provides information to multiple users within
four oil majors, with a broad user community a plant facility. It provides the ability to adjust
spanning trading and supply, planning and Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com the parameters of intelligent devices online and
scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations. allows comparison of the current data to his-
Products: Yokogawa Corp. of America torical data of a device.
Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated FieldmateFieldMate is an asset man-
12530 West Airport Blvd.
suite of tools to support feedstock data man- Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA agement software developed for portable lap-
agement, planning, scheduling and envelope www.yokogawa.com/us top computers that provides conguration and
optimization. Applications include: maintenance of intelligent eld devices. Field-
Enterprise crude oil knowledge Yokogawa Europe B.V. mate supports the use of open interface Field
management Device Tool (FDT) technology to facilitate the
Integrated planning and scheduling Databankweg 20 conguration and adjustment of eld devices
Crude oil assay management 3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands such as sensors and valves at production sites,
Feedstock ranking and evaluation www.yokogawa.com/eu regardless of the manufacturer or the com-
Crude blend optimization Yokogawa Engineering munication protocols. Fieldmate also sup-
All of the tools are built on a common data ports Electronic Device Description Language
model, with version and data management Asia PTE. LTD. (EDDL) interface technology.
control, and accessible through parallel desk- 5 Bedok South Road With its device navigation and device main-
top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- Singapore 469270, Singapore tenance information management features, this
ery area to share appropriate data and models, www.yokogawa.com/sg software relieves users of the diculties of deal-

6
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

ing with a variety of communication protocols margin estimation, and crude and product
and conguration methods from multiple blending, allowing users to explore opportuni-
manufacturers that use dierent congurators ties in real time.
and/or multiple conguration procedures Spiral Suite
www.info.hotims.com/38647-128 Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data
management, planning, scheduling and enve-
BUDGETING, lope optimization activities in a single, fully-
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that
CAPITAL ALLOCATION Spiral Software Ltd better explores opportunities, reduces opera-
AND PLANNING St. Andrews House
tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan
and actual results.
St. Andrews Road
3ESI All activities are supported within a single ap-
Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK
plication with a single user interface and a single
#200, 1601 Westmount Road, N.W. Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000
source of data. Built from the ground up for to-
Calgary, Alberta T2N 3M2, Canada Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001
days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite
Phone: 403-270-3270 Spiral also has consultants based across the
fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and
www.3esi.com USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City,
inherently supports Cloud computing solutions.
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut.
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-129
www.spiralsoft.com
Company Bio:
BUSINESS INTEGRATION
Spiral Software specializes in tools for help-
ing companies make the best decisions in trad- ENSYTE Energy
Gulf Publishing Company ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners Software, Intl., Inc.
PO Box 2608 rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work 770 S. Post Oak Lane, Suite 330
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA processes. Successful implementations include Houston, TX 77056, USA
Phone: 713-529-4301 four oil majors, with a broad user community Phone: 713-622-2875
E-mail: software@gulfpub.com spanning trading and supply, planning and www.ENSYTE.com
www.gulfpub.com/soft scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations.

Company Bio: Products: m:pro IT Consult GmbH


Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di- Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated Kirchgasse 47
vision publishes and distributes more than suite of tools to support feedstock data man- 65183 Wiesbaden, Germany
40 desktop applications designed specically agement, planning, scheduling and envelope Phone: 49-611-398430
for the needs of the engineering community optimization. Applications include: www.mpro-it.com
involved in the petroleum industry. Enterprise crude oil knowledge
management PETRIS
Products: Integrated planning and scheduling
EST$PRO is an estimating package to sup- Crude oil assay management 1900 St. James Place, Suite 700
port estimators, cost engineers, plant engineers Feedstock ranking and evaluation Houston, TX 77056, USA
or process engineers who need to produce esti- Crude blend optimization Phone: 713-956-2165
mates quickly. This software contains numer- All of the tools are built on a common data www.petris.com
ous time-saving routines and calculations for model, with version and data management
conceptual costing of process plants. control, and accessible through parallel desk-
Features: top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev-
Curve-tting utility ery area to share appropriate data and models,
Risk analysis routine and maintain business alignment and commu-
Capacity cost estimatingcan be nicate conclusions eciently.
tailored with your own historical data Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell
Computes the eect of extended and Chevron are available for use in conjunc-
workweeks on productivity tion with the software tools.
Field craft manpower projections and CrudeManager Spiral Software Ltd
more CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man- St. Andrews House
New upgrade allows storing of user input aging and manipulating crude oil information. St. Andrews Road
data Its unique features and Spirals expertise in Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK
Microsoft Vista Compliant implementing these solutions have made it the Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000
assay management solution of choice across the Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001
industry. Spiral also has consultants based across the
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City,
CrudeSuite
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut.
CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enter-
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com
prise toolset for crude oil knowledge manage-
www.spiralsoft.com
ment, focusing on the needs of integrated oil
companies and energy traders. Industry-lead- Company Bio:
ing software innovations provide unprecedent- Spiral Software specializes in tools for
ed performance in netback calculations, crude helping companies make the best decisions

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I7
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

in trading and rening crude oil. Over 60% EXPLORATION Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales
of reners rely on Spirals tools as a key part E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com;
of their work processes. Successful implemen- Info@MerrickSystems.com
tations include four oil majors, with a broad www.MerrickSystems.com
user community spanning trading and supply,
Company Bio:
planning and scheduling, feedstock inventory,
Merrick Systems provides the industrys
and operations.
Gulf Publishing Company most robust software and hardware solutions
Products: addressing production operations, engineering
Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated PO Box 2608 and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry
suite of tools to support feedstock data man- Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative
agement, planning, scheduling and envelope Phone: 713-529-4301 technologies in the oil eld to help companies
optimization. Applications include: E-mail: software@gulfpub.com extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower
Enterprise crude oil knowledge www.gulfpub.com/soft lifting costs, increase production and optimize
management Company Bio: operations. Merricks integrated applications,
Integrated planning and scheduling Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di- installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS),
Crude oil assay management vision publishes and distributes more than include mobile computing for eld and drilling
Feedstock ranking and evaluation 40 desktop applications designed specically operations, real-time surveillance and optimiza-
Crude blend optimization for the needs of the engineering community tion; eld operations management; eld data
All of the tools are built on a common data involved in the petroleum industry. capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regulatory re-
model, with version and data management porting and rugged Radio Frequency Identica-
control, and accessible through parallel desk- Products: tion (RFID) for drilling and asset management.
top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- PePac 1 consists of 20 reservoir engineering
programs written in Basic and three economic Products:
ery area to share appropriate data and models,
evaluation spreadsheets. The 20 reservoir en- eVIN is the premier mobile eld data cap-
and maintain business alignment and commu-
gineering programs are linked through one ture and operations management software so-
nicate conclusions eciently.
master menu and ve main menus. However, lution for the upstream oil and gas industry.
Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell
each program is self-contained and can be used Superior congurability allows eVIN to gather
and Chevron are available for use in conjunc-
independently. The programs in this package any type of data in a single source and keep
tion with the software tools.
are selected for their usefulness in day-to-day everyone in the company on the same page.
CrudeManager operations that fall into six main categories: Used in 20% of all oil and gas wells in the
CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man- PVT properties for oil, water and gas US by more than 3,500 eld operators, eVIN
aging and manipulating crude oil information. Reservoir engineering can handle the unique challenges of unconven-
Its unique features and Spirals expertise in Natural gas engineering tional plays such as gas or oily shale, coalbed
implementing these solutions have made it the Economic evaluation methane, wateroods and CO2. It also includes
assay management solution of choice across Transient well test analysis special screens and data to allow companies to
the industry. Waterood design calculations capture events needed for the EPA mandatory
The three economic programs are: greenhouse gas emissions reporting.
CrudeSuite
A utility spreadsheet to create cash-ow eVIN enables eld operators to do quick
CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enterprise
summaries data entry, automated eld calculations and
toolset for crude oil knowledge management, fo-
An oil and gas economic evaluation data validation conveniently, without disrupt-
cusing on the needs of integrated oil companies
An international productionsharing ing other work. Operators can easily sort for-
and energy traders. Industry-leading software in-
agreement cash-ow model matted data to match their workows.
novations provide unprecedented performance
With a proven track record of fast and
in netback calculations, crude margin estima-
easy data transfers from the eld 24/7, eVIN
tion, and crude and product blending, allowing Paradigm is designed to meet eld operation needs
users to explore opportunities in real time.
Two Memorial Plaza anywhere in the world. Its superior error
Spiral Suite 820 Gessner, Suite. 400 checking and congurability enable users to
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data Houston, TX 77024, USA capture more high-quality data using a con-
management, planning, scheduling and enve- Phone: 713-393-4800 gurable, cost-eective, easy-to-use and easy-
lope optimization activities in a single, fully- www.PDGM.com to-deploy solution.
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that Pioneering the use of mobile computing in
better explores opportunities, reduces opera- FIELD AND DATA CAPTURE oil and gas eld operations for two decades,
tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan eVIN was originally designed to work in ar-
and actual results. eas of low bandwidth. Currently redeveloped
All activities are supported within a single ap- in Microsofts Silverlight platform, eVIN will
plication with a single user interface and a single be made available on Windows phone 7, Win-
source of data. Built from the ground up for to- dows Slate PC and as a web-based solution,
days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite accessible anywhere, anytime.
fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and Merricks RFID-Based Asset Tracking
inherently supports Cloud computing solutions. System allows you to track and maintain any
Merrick Systems, Inc. surface, subsea and downhole oileld asset.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-129 55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 The system is comprised of patented, rugge-
Houston, TX 77007, USA dized Radio Frequency Identication (RFID)
Phone: 713-579-3400 tags, software and electronics, providing vital
Fax: 713-579-3499 information about operational assets used in
drilling and production operations. Congu-

8
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
omputing hydrocarbon accounting field operations management asset manageme
ld data capture hydrocarbon accounting reporting rugged RFID tags
RFID tags asset management system mobile computing field data capture
ture hydrocarbon accounting reporting field operations management
ged RFID tags asset management system mobile computing rugged RFID tags
ent field data capture rugged RFID tags hydrocarbon accounting
accounting petrotechnical data management mobile computing field data
rocarbon accounting reporting rugged RFID tags reporting asset managemen
RFID tags asset management system mobile computing hydrocarbon accoun
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags reporti
management mobile computing hydrocarbon accounting field op
agement apture asset management system reporting field operations
field operations management mobile computing rugged RFID tags hydrocarb
rotechnical data management field data capture mobile computing repor
omputing hydrocarbon accounting field operations management asset manage
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags
management
ure
mobility solutions for field and drilling operations
mobile computing hydrocarbon accounting
hydrocarbon accounting reporting field operations management
field operations m

ged RFID tags asset management system mobile computing Rugged reporting
ent
accounting
field data capturedata storage, management and visualization
rugged RFID tags
petrotechnical data management
hydrocarbon accounting rugge
mobile computing field data
ure asset management system reporting field operations management
field operations management
rotechnical data management
rugged RFID for drilling asset management
mobile computing Rugged
field data capture rugged RFID tags
hydrocarbon a
reporting
omputing hydrocarbon accounting field operations management asset manageme
ld data capture
RFID tags
real time surveillance and optimization
hydrocarbon accounting
asset management system
reporting rugged RFID tags
mobile computing field data capture
ture hydrocarbon accounting reporting field operations management
ged RFID tags
ent
asset management system
field data capture
hydrocarbon production accounting
rugged RFID tags
mobile computing rugged RFID tags
hydrocarbon accounting
accounting petrotechnical data management mobile computing field data
rocarbon accounting
RFID tags
reporting rugged RFID tags
asset management system
field operations management
reporting asset managemen
mobile computing hydrocarbon accoun
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags reporti
management
agement apture
mobile computing hydrocarbon accounting
asset management system
field data capture
reporting
field op
field operations
field operations management mobile computing rugged RFID tags
rotechnical data management field data capture mobile computing repor
omputing hydrocarbon accounting field operations management asset manage
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags
management mobile computing hydrocarbon accounting field operations m
ure hydrocarbon accounting reporting field operations management
ged RFID tags asset management system mobile computing Rugged reporting
ent field data capture rugged RFID tags hydrocarbon accounting rugge
accounting petrotechnical data management mobile computing field data
ure asset management system reporting field operations management
field operations management mobile computing rugged hydrocarbon a
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags reporting
omputing hydrocarbon accounting field operations management asset manageme
ld data capture hydrocarbon accounting reporting rugged RFID tags

energizing technology
RFID tags asset management system mobile computing field data capture
ture hydrocarbon accounting reporting field operations management
ged RFID tags asset management system mobile computing rugged RFID tags

for the business of oil and gas


ent field data capture rugged RFID tags hydrocarbon accounting
accounting petrotechnical data management mobile computing field data
rocarbon accounting reporting rugged RFID tags reporting asset managemen
RFID tags asset management system mobile computing hydrocarbon accoun
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags reporti
management mobile computing hydrocarbon accounting field op
agement apture asset management system reporting field operations
field operations management
rotechnical data management field data capture
www.MerrickSystems.com
mobile computing rugged RFID tags
mobile computing repor
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 | Houston, Texas, USA 77007 | +1.713.579.3400
omputing hydrocarbon accounting field operations management asset manage
rotechnical data management field data capture rugged RFID tags
Select 131 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
management mobile computing hydrocarbon accounting field operations m
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

rability and a modular design allow the system tion; eld operations management; eld data 40 desktop applications designed specically
to address specic operational requirements capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regulatory re- for the needs of the engineering community
for managing any type of asset, including porting and rugged Radio Frequency Identica- involved in the petroleum industry.
high-value items like drill pipe, risers, collars tion (RFID) for drilling and asset management.
Products:
and much more.
Products: Pipeline Risk Controller, Version 2.0, is
Merricks RFID Diamond TagsTM are
ProCount is Merricks robust hydrocarbon a program that might change how you oper-
the rst High-Pressure High-Tempera-
accounting solution, providing precise daily ate or design your pipeline systems. Using risk
ture (HPHT) tags in the market, proven
and monthly allocations for enterprises of ev- management concepts, Pipeline Risk Control-
to survive sustained extreme temperatures
ery scale. ler allows you to divide your pipeline system(s)
(400F/200C), pressures (2,070 bar/30,000
From the simplest to the most complex allo- into sections, gather meaningful data on each
psi), vibration, corrosion and shock. The tags
cations, including multi-tier, multi-directional section, and assess the risks of each section, pro-
are used for tracking assets even under harsh
ow, ProCount accommodates both domestic viding signicantly more economic value than
operational conditions and have been nomi-
and international use, with the accuracy critical other software solutions. A perfect tool for pipe-
nated for several prestigious awards, including
for regulatory compliance, partner accounting line risk management program for operators ad-
the SME Innovation Award from Oshore
and better engineering and asset management. dressing regulatory and reporting requirements.
Northern Seas (ONS), and the Innovation
ProCount helps to manage the unique chal- Features:
Award from the Energy Institute.
lenges of unconventional plays such as gas or Find your highest (and lowest) risk
Merricks web-based DynaCap software
oily shale, coalbed methane, wateroods and areasthen prioritize your maintenance
platform used to manage asset data is highly
CO2. Allocating volumes in near-real time, it al- Measure the impact of changing
congurable, allowing users to capture any
information needed, including inspections, lows you to accurately account for production, conditions along the pipeline, such as
certications, specications, usage history, lo- fuel use, gas lift, liquid inventories and sales. population encroachments
cation and more. Utilizing industry-standard Carte is a web-based oil and gas produc- Measure the impact of changing
rugged mobile computers for eld and rig op- tion reporting dashboard that enables you to pressure, product or any activity (do
erations, DynaCap works in both connected view, graph and export daily and monthly oil what-if studies)
or disconnected modes to provide critical asset and gas production trends by a single well, eld Decide how to best allocate your capital
details even in remote locations with limited or entire asset. resources
connectivity. Licensed or hosted by Merrick Providing a critical window into operations, Monitor regulatory compliance (or
Software as a Service (SaaS), DynaCap oers Carte gives immediate access to key production build your own benchmark comparison
signicant savings, increased operational ef- data, helping to monitor performance, make standard)
ciency and improved safety while managing decisions based on better information and al- Analyze pipelines before they are built
valuable oileld assets. lowing the company as a whole to react faster Compare pipeline route alternatives
to production problems and opportunities.
Combined, ProCount and Carte provide
www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
each department in your organization, from
land through accounting, engineering, eld
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTING operations and marketing to management, the
specic information they require, in an easy to
digest format, ensuring that your business is
running more eciently.
ProCount and Carte allow you to monitor
your new wells as they move from drilling to
completion, and run comparative KPIs across
all wells, easily managing massive volumes of
Intertek
Merrick Systems, Inc. production data and fast-paced operations. 801 Travis Street, Suite 1500
Currently redeveloped in Microsofts Silver- Houston, TX 77002, USA
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 Phone: 713-407-3500
light platform, additions to the system will include
Houston, TX 77007, USA Contact: Erik Holladay,
improved mapping and navigator capabilities.
Phone: 713-579-3400 Global Marketing Director
Fax: 713-579-3499 www.info.hotims.com/38647-131 E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales www.intertek.com
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
info@MerrickSystems.com Company Bio:
www.MerrickSystems.com Intertek supports the global petroleum re-
ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora-
Company Bio: tion and production industries with world-class
Merrick Systems provides the industrys testing, inspection, engineering and consulting
most robust software and hardware solutions
services. With operations in over 100 nations,
addressing production operations, engineering Gulf Publishing Company Intertek provides a wide range of services and
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry
PO Box 2608 expertise to help clients improve quality and
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA reduce risk and costs.
technologies in the oil eld to help companies
Phone: 713-529-4301
extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower Products:
E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
lifting costs, increase production and optimize Intertek provides a wide range of services
www.gulfpub.com/soft
operations. Merricks integrated applications, and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in-
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS), Company Bio: dustry, including:
include mobile computing for eld and drilling Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di- Asset Integrity Management
operations, real-time surveillance and optimiza- vision publishes and distributes more than Corrosion Control

10
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Pilot Plant Project Support Features include: LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in-
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis Reports for production, well test and spection and tness-for-service assessment re-
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing injection lings sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis
Rened Petroleum Products Testing Flexible ling options with electronic and assessment capabilities include standard
Petrochemical Products Testing ling and hard-copy reports including calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation PDF format and API 579.
E and P Core Analysis Automatic handling of prior period
Health, Safety and Environmental adjustments (PPA) www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
Expertise Each state module generates state-
Regulatory Compliance Support agency-approved digital lings RISK MANAGEMENT
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Catch problems and generate error
Compliance reports for identifying potential issues
Dimensional Control Engineering before ling with the state.
Forensic Investigations www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
Vendor Inspection and Auditing
Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
Terminal Services
And more: http://www.intertek.com/
energy/
www.info.hotims.com/38647-125
Intertek
801 Travis Street, Suite 1500
Houston, TX 77002, USA
Quest Integrity Group, LLC Phone: 713-407-3500
Contact: Erik Holladay,
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Global Marketing Director
Boulder, CO 80301, USA
E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com
Phone: 303-415-1475
www.intertek.com
Fax: 303-415-1847
Merrick Systems, Inc. E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com Company Bio:
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 www.QuestIntegrity.com Intertek supports the global petroleum re-
Houston, TX 77007, USA ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora-
Phone: 713-579-3400 Company Bio:
tion and production industries with world-class
Fax: 713-579-3499 Quest Integrity Group provides highly ac-
testing, inspection, engineering and consulting
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales curate, technology-enabled inspection and as-
services. With operations in over 100 nations,
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; sessment solutions that help companies in the
Intertek provides a wide range of services and
info@MerrickSystems.com process, pipeline and power industries increase
expertise to help clients improve quality and
www.MerrickSystems.com protability, reduce operational and safety
reduce risk and costs.
risks, and improve operational planning. The
Company Bio: company is built upon a foundation of leading- Products:
Merrick Systems provides the industrys edge science and technology that has innovated Intertek provides a wide range of services
most robust software and hardware solutions and shaped industries for nearly forty years. and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in-
addressing production operations, engineering dustry, including:
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry Products:
Asset Integrity Management
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for-
Corrosion Control
technologies in the oil eld to help companies Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
Pilot Plant Project Support
extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower xed and rotating equipment. It implements
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis
lifting costs, increase production and optimize the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing
operations. Merricks integrated applications, and performs crack assessments in accordance
Rened Petroleum Products Testing
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS), with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
Petrochemical Products Testing
include mobile computing for eld and drilling form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation
operations, real-time surveillance and optimiza- and equipment types. An advanced fracture
E and P Core Analysis
tion; eld operations management; eld data mechanics module allows users to also perform
Health, Safety and Environmental
capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regulatory re- limited Level 3 assessments.
Expertise
porting and rugged Radio Frequency Identica- FEACrack is nite element analysis soft-
Regulatory Compliance Support
tion (RFID) for drilling and asset management. ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per-
Compliance
Products: form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with
Dimensional Control Engineering
PetroRegs is Merricks regulatory compli- unlimited levels of crack mesh renement.
Forensic Investigations
ance modules for ONRR and State agency LifeQuest Heater software provides com-
Vendor Inspection and Auditing
reporting for 17 oil and gas producing states plete analysis and remnant life assessment of
Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
including Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utiliz-
Terminal Services
Texas and Utah. Combined with ProCount, ing API 579. The nal output is a system risk
And more: http://www.intertek.com/
PetroRegs helps you keeps up with the dierent curve displaying remaining life in hours versus
energy/
reporting regulations specic to each state and probability of failure. It combines with heater
ensures that your data always complies with performance monitoring and process modeling www.info.hotims.com/38647-125
each agencys regulations and required formats. for extensive heater reliability management.

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 11
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

margin estimation, and crude and product


blending, allowing users to explore opportuni-
ties in real time.
Spiral Suite
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data
management, planning, scheduling and enve-
lope optimization activities in a single, fully-
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that
Quest Integrity Group, LLC Spiral Software Ltd better explores opportunities, reduces opera-
tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110 St. Andrews House and actual results.
Boulder, CO 80301, USA St. Andrews Road All activities are supported within a single ap-
Phone: 303-415-1475 Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK plication with a single user interface and a single
Fax: 303-415-1847 Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000 source of data. Built from the ground up for to-
E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001 days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite
www.QuestIntegrity.com Spiral also has consultants based across the fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, inherently supports Cloud computing solutions.
Company Bio: Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut.
Quest Integrity Group provides highly ac- E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-129
curate, technology-enabled inspection and as- www.spiralsoft.com
sessment solutions that help companies in the TRAINING
process, pipeline and power industries increase Company Bio:
protability, reduce operational and safety Spiral Software specializes in tools for help-
risks, and improve operational planning. The ing companies make the best decisions in trad-
company is built upon a foundation of leading- ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners
edge science and technology that has innovated rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work
and shaped industries for nearly forty years. processes. Successful implementations include
Products:
four oil majors, with a broad user community Gulf Publishing Company
spanning trading and supply, planning and PO Box 2608
Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for- scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations.
Service and fracture mechanics analyses on Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA
xed and rotating equipment. It implements Products: Phone: 713-529-4301
the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
and performs crack assessments in accordance suite of tools to support feedstock data man- www.gulfpub.com/soft
with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per- agement, planning, scheduling and envelope Company Bio:
form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw optimization. Applications include: Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
and equipment types. An advanced fracture Enterprise crude oil knowledge vision publishes and distributes more than
mechanics module allows users to also perform management 40 desktop applications designed specically
limited Level 3 assessments. Integrated planning and scheduling for the needs of the engineering community
FEACrack is nite element analysis soft- Crude oil assay management involved in the petroleum industry.
ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes Feedstock ranking and evaluation
utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per- Crude blend optimization Products:
form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with All of the tools are built on a common data WinSMITHTM Weibull for Win-
unlimited levels of crack mesh renement. model, with version and data management dows is the only software that imple-
LifeQuest Heater software provides com- control, and accessible through parallel desk- ments all the Weibull Analysis techniques in
plete analysis and remnant life assessment of top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- The New Weibull Handbook, 5th Ed., by Dr.
red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utiliz- ery area to share appropriate data and models, Robert Abernethy, the standard source on
ing API 579. The nal output is a system risk and maintain business alignment and commu- Weibull analysis.
curve displaying remaining life in hours versus nicate conclusions eciently. Features:
probability of failure. It combines with heater Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell Likelihood ratio condence
performance monitoring and process modeling and Chevron are available for use in conjunc- Simplied design (set) comparison
for extensive heater reliability management. tion with the software tools. Kaplan-Meier simulation and solution
LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in- Critical correlation coecient
CrudeManager Sudden-death WeiBayes
spection and tness-for-service assessment re- CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man-
sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis Note: All Fulton Findings software is stand
aging and manipulating crude oil information. alone and provides internal plotting capabil-
and assessment capabilities include standard Its unique features and Spirals expertise in
calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied ity as appropriate. WinSMITH Weibull and
implementing these solutions have made it the WeibullSMITHTM generate their own CDF
and API 579. assay management solution of choice across plots but rely on WinSMITHTM Visual for
www.info.hotims.com/38647-132 the industry. special-purpose plots.
CrudeSuite
CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enter-
prise toolset for crude oil knowledge manage-
ment, focusing on the needs of integrated oil
companies and energy traders. Industry-lead-
ing software innovations provide unprecedent-
ed performance in netback calculations, crude

12
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Complete
Data Assessment
LifeQuest Heater
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NPSFUIPSPVHIGSBDUVSF t&BTZUPMFBSOBOEVTF
BOBMZTFT
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Complete Assessment LifeQuest Pipeline
Capabilities 1JQFMJOFUOFTTGPSTFSWJDF
A Complete and Robust
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Solution UIJSEQBSUZJOTQFDUJPOEBUB
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MJCSBSZ
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DSBDLTIBQFT
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t1FSGPSNGBUJHVFBOBMZTFT $BSMPBOBMZTJTDBQBCJMJUJFT
t1PTUQSPDFTTDSBDLSFTVMUT LifeQuest Reformer
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Custom crack Local metal loss thickness data

www.QuestIntegrity.com | ph: +1 303-415-1475

Select 132 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

XfhSimulates the behavior of red heat- Company Bio:


ers. Calculates the radiant section of cylindri- KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft-
cal and box heaters and the convection section ware and services to the global energy indus-
of red heaters. It also designs process heater tries. KBCs suite of software includes process
tubes and performs combustion calculations. simulation software and energy optimization
XhpeDesigns, rates, and simulates the products that allow clients to realize superior
performance of hairpin heat exchangers. returns on their existing assets and reduce capi-
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. XistDesigns, rates and simulates single- tal expenditures for a competitive advantage.
Worldwide and two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers,
including kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, Products:
150 Venture Drive KBC oers a wide range of software that
College Station, TX 77845, USA falling lm evaporators and reux condensers.
XjpeDesigns, rates and simulates jacket- can model detailed process units or entire
Phone: 979-690-5050 plants. Use of KBC models in training allows
Fax: 979-690-3250 ed-pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
XpheDesigns, rates and simulates plate- your sta to examine the cause and eect of
Contacts: Claudette D. Beyer, President and process parameters and evaluate the response
CEO; Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and and-frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental
program, Xphe calculates each plate channel of a unit.
Business Development; and Greg Starks, Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are
Regional Sales Manager, USA/Canada individually using local physical properties and
process conditions. KBCs full-featured, graphical process simu-
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net lators, featuring proven technology and in-
www.HTRI.net XspeRates and simulates single-phase
spiral plate heat exchangers. dustry-leading reactor models. They include
Asia-Pacic XtloGraphical standalone rigorous tube general-purpose unit operations, an extensive
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. layout software; also integrated with Xist. component library, a range of thermodynamics
World Business Garden Marive East 14F XvibPerforms ow-induced vibration packages and innovative methods to integrate
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku analysis of a single tube in a heat exchanger the software with plant information systems,
Chiba 261-7114, Japan bundle. It handles various geometries and uses databases, Excel and third-party software.
Phone: 81-43-297-0353 rigorous structural analysis to calculate the KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor
Fax: 81-43-297-0354 tube natural frequencies for various modes. models include detailed units for renery and
Contact: Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Manager Xchanger Suite EducationalCustomized petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM
E-mail: HTRI.AsiaPacic@HTRI.net version of Xchanger Suite with the capability to (Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro-
design, rate and simulate shell-and-tube heat cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) (Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker),
The Surrey Technology Centre exchangers, air coolers, economizers and plate-
and-frame heat exchangers. It is available to ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for
40 Occam Road C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak-
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG, UK educational institutions only.
R-trendCalculates and trends fouling ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in-
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100 clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101 resistances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers
in single-phase service. It uses Microsoft Excel and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available
Contact: Hans U. Zettler, Director of Sales, from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and
EMEA as a working environment with an optional
link to Xist. Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces.
E-mail: HTRI.EMEA@HTRI.net KBCs energy software focuses on reduc-
India www.info.hotims.com/38647-127 ing energy use and minimizing capital invest-
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor
Indraprasth Complex and optimize steam and power systems, Super-
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North) Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water
Phone: 91-982-514-7775 use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis-
Contact: Rajan Desai, International sions and perform fuel balances.
Coordinator
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136
E-mail: HTRI.India@HTRI.net
Company Bio:
HTRI operates an international consor- Vector Graphics Inc.
tium founded in 1962 that conducts indus- 856 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite A
trially relevant research and provides software KBC Advanced Lafayette, LA 70508, USA
tools for design, rating and simulation of pro- Phone: 337-269-9965
cess heat transfer equipment. HTRI also pro- Technologies, Inc. www.vgionline.com
duces a wide range of technical publications 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
and provides other services including contract Houston, TX 77094, USA
research, software development, consulting Phone: 281-293-8200
and training. Fax: 281-616-0900
E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
Products:
www.kbcat.com
HTRI Xchanger SuiteIntegrated graphi-
cal user environment for the design, rating and Other KBC Office Locations:
simulation of heat transfer equipment. London
XaceDesigns, rates and simulates the Phone: + 44 (0)1932 242424
performance of air-cooled heat exchangers, Singapore
heat recovery units and air preheaters. Phone: + 65 6735 5488

14
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Where do You
want to be on the
Performance
Curve?

KBCs software leads you to NextGen Performance:


KBC SOFTWARE CAN ENABLE PROCESS SIMULATION SOFTWARE
IMPROVEMENTS FOR UP TO U Petro-SIM Express for process simulation
U US $1/bbl through more effective decisions U Petro-SIM for renery-wide process simulation
for reners
U Petro-SIMDynamics for dynamic
U US $50/tonne margin improvement for
process simulation
petrochemical operators
U FCC-SIM for uid catalytic cracking
U 3% - 5% IRR improvement on projects
(detailed feasibility and FEED) U REF-SIM
for catalytic reforming
U HCR-SIM
for hydrocracking
ENERGY OPTIMISATION SOFTWARE UN HTR-SIM, D HTR-SIM, VGO HTR-SIM
U SuperTarget for pinch analysis for hydrotreating
U ProSteam for fuel, steam, power and system U DC-SIM for delayed coking
modelling and optimisation
U VIS-SIM for visbreaking and thermal cracking For more information contact us at:
U WaterTarget for minimising water consumption
U ALK-SIM for alkylation
U Persimmon for heat exchanger fouling monitoring AMERICAS +1 281 293 8200
U RHDS-SIM for residue hydrotreating
U KBC CarbonManager for carbon emissions EMEA +44 (0)1932 242424
U AROM-SIM for aromatics
WEB-BASED DATA DISPLAY SOFTWARE ASIA +65 6735 5488
U ISOM-SIM for isomerisation
U Babelsh from ISS for web-based answers@kbcat.com
real-time display U Olen-SIM for pyrolysis www.kbcat.com
Select 136 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

ALARM MANAGEMENT neers and supervising operators to analyze


DCS plant historical logs. Exaplog uses trend
graphs to analyze process alarms with opera-
tor actions and provides pie charts and tables
to analyze these event-type distributions. The
Yokogawa Electric Corp. result helps users to reduce unimportant/con-
World Headquarters sequential alarms and identify and improve
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome inecient operation sequences.
exida Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan AAASuiteAAASuite is a comprehen-
64 North Main Street www.yokogawa.com sive alarm management system that optimizes
Sellersville, PA 18960, USA and enhances process alarms issued by control
Phone: 215-453-1720 Yokogawa Corp. of America systems. AAASuite improves operator perfor-
Fax: 215-257-1657 12530 West Airport Blvd. mance by minimizing nuisance alarms and
Contact: Todd Stauer, Director of Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA providing timely notication of only necessary
Alarm Management www.yokogawa.com/us alarms, thereby preventing alarm ooding and
E-mail: tstauer@exida.com; info@exida.com enabling safe, stable and cost-eective plant
www.exida.com Yokogawa Europe B.V. operations.
Company Bio: Databankweg 20 www.info.hotims.com/38647-128
exida is an engineering consulting rm spe- 3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
cializing in safety critical/high availability au- www.yokogawa.com/eu ENERGY MANAGEMENT
tomation systems, control system security and
alarm management. Core competencies in de- Yokogawa Engineering
sign, analysis, implementation, operation and
maintenance of critical automation systems,
Asia PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road
EPC
C N
NSOFTWARE
along with expertise in the application of the Singapore 469270, Singapore
IEC 61508 and IEC 61511/ISA 84 functional www.yokogawa.com/sg EPCON International, Inc.
safety standards, has allowed exida to develop
an extensive suite of software tools that assist 9801 Westheimer Suite 1000
Yokogawa Electric Houston, TX 77042, USA
in the implementation of the Safety Lifecycle.
China Co., LTD. Phone: 281-398-9400
Products: 22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre Toll-free: 1-800-367-3585
SILAlarm is a tool for facilitating the alarm 31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road) Fax: 281-398-9488
rationalization process and documenting the re- Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China Contact: Jyoti Belwal, General Sales Manager
sults in a master alarm database. It guides a ra- Phone: 86-21-5211-0877 E-mail: jb@epcon.com
tionalization team through a systematic process Fax: 86-21-5211-0299 www.EPCON.com
of reviewing, justifying and documenting the
design of each alarm, ensuring compliance with Company Bio: Company Bio:
a corporate or site alarm philosophy document. Yokogawa Corporation of America is the EPCON Software leads the way in innova-
It supports data exchange with new (greeneld) North American division of $3.4 billion Yok- tive software applications for uid ow net-
and existing (browneld) control systems via ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in work analysis, equipment sizing, cost estima-
import/export to MS Excel. Developed in ac- the manufacture and supply of instrumenta- tion, thermodynamics, physical properties and
cordance with the ISA-18.2 standard and the tion, process control, automation services and custom software engineering. Over 25,000 en-
EEMUA 191 guideline, it can be used by novic- solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, gineers worldwide have used EPCON Software
es and experts alike to reduce alarm load on the Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a vari- since 1982 and currently 90% of petroleum
operator, eliminate nuisance alarms, prioritize ety of clients with leading products on the mar- rening companies in the Fortune 500 rely on
alarms consistently and manage alarm oods. ket such as process analyzers, owmeters, trans- EPCON Software each and every day.
Alarm response procedures can be generated mitters, controllers, recorders, data acquisition Products:
from the results of rationalization for seamless products, measuring instruments, distributed If your focus is on energy savings then EP-
integration into the control systems HMI. It control systems and more. CON Software has multiple solutions just for
allows creation of a cross-reference to HAZOP Products: you.
and LOPA results for proper consideration of CAMSYokogawas Consolidated Alarm Our agship product, Engineers Aide Si-
safety-relevant alarms. Management of change Management System (CAMS) is an alarm man- NET, is the industry-leading uid ow net-
functionality simplies the rationalization agement software designed on the innovative work analysis software available for the petro-
progress to be tracked, reviewed and approved concept of acquiring real-time alarms and events leum industry. Implementing Engineers Aide
before implementation. Audit functionality al- from a variety of various automation systems SiNET at your renery will enable you the
lows the settings in SILAlarm to be compared not only from Distributed Control Systems ability to identify ow deciencies that directly
directly with the control system. (DCS) but also Safety Instrumented Systems aect production in systems such as cooling
www.info.hotims.com/38647-126 (SIS), Supervisory and Data Acquisition Systems water, steam and fuel gas utility systems. Re-
(SCADA and DAQ) and Plant Asset Manage- cent savings our clients have realized after uti-
ment Systems (PAM); then to sort and deliver lizing Engineers Aide SiNET in their respected
PAS only essential alarms to the right person at the projects include a 1.4 million annual energy
16055 Space Center Blvd., Suite 600 right time. Important information such as the savings after identifying and correcting cool-
Houston, TX 77062, USA root cause of alarm occurrence and role-based ing tower system deciencies. To try Engineers
Phone: 281-286-6565 guidance are also added to the displayed message. Aide SiNET free for 30 days, visit us on the
www.pas.com Exaplogis an alarm/event analysis tool web at www.EPCON.com/SiNET or call us a
that provides the means for managers, engi- 1-800-367-3585.

16
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Select 126 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

EPCON Software is also the developer If you would like to optimize your renerys Products:
and sole distributor of the API Technical Data liquid and gas uid ow systems, resulting in HTRI Xchanger SuiteIntegrated graphi-
Book, often referred to as the Reners Bible. safer operations and reduced energy costs, con- cal user environment for the design, rating and
With the massive amount of data and methods tact us today at 1-800-551-9739 or visit us on simulation of heat transfer equipment.
for hydrocarbons and petro fractions, detailed the web at www.EPIEngineering.com. XaceDesigns, rates and simulates the
information for 161 API physical property performance of air-cooled heat exchangers,
methods, and over 2,000 technical references www.info.hotims.com/38647-133
heat recovery units and air preheaters.
and resources within the API Technical Data XfhSimulates the behavior of red heat-
Book right at your ngertips, its easy to see ers. Calculates the radiant section of cylindri-
how the API Technical Data Book will assist cal and box heaters and the convection section
you in reducing renery energy costs. To try of red heaters. It also designs process heater
the API Technical Data Book free for 30 days, tubes and performs combustion calculations.
visit us on the web at www.EPCON.com/API- XhpeDesigns, rates, and simulates the
Tech or call us at 1-800-367-3585 performance of hairpin heat exchangers.
XistDesigns, rates and simulates single-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-134 Heat Transfer Research, Inc. and two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers,
Worldwide including kettle and thermosiphon reboilers,
150 Venture Drive falling lm evaporators and reux condensers.

Engineering
E P I

70 College Station, TX 77845, USA XjpeDesigns, rates and simulates jacket-


Phone: 979-690-5050 ed-pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
Fax: 979-690-3250 XpheDesigns, rates and simulates plate-
Contacts: Claudette D. Beyer, President and and-frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental
EPI Engineering, Inc. CEO; Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and program, Xphe calculates each plate channel
9801 Westheimer, Suite 1070 Business Development; and Greg Starks, individually using local physical properties and
Houston, TX 77042, USA Regional Sales Manager, USA/Canada process conditions.
Phone: 832-399-9450 E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net XspeRates and simulates single-phase
Toll-free: 1-800-551-9739 www.HTRI.net spiral plate heat exchangers.
Fax: 713-400-1937 XtloGraphical standalone rigorous tube
Contact: Corey Hensley, Account Manager Asia-Pacic
layout software; also integrated with Xist.
E-mail: c.hensley@epiengineering.com Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
XvibPerforms ow-induced vibration
www.EPIEngineering.com World Business Garden Marive East 14F
analysis of a single tube in a heat exchanger
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
Company Bio: bundle. It handles various geometries and uses
Chiba 261-7114, Japan
rigorous structural analysis to calculate the
EPI Engineering is a specialized engineer- Phone: 81-43-297-0353
tube natural frequencies for various modes.
ing rm focused directly on the design and Fax: 81-43-297-0354 Xchanger Suite EducationalCustomized
optimization of any type of liquid or gas uid Contact: Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Manager version of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
ow pipeline network. Since 2001 we have E-mail: HTRI.AsiaPacic@HTRI.net design, rate and simulate shell-and-tube heat
conducted hundreds of projects that have saved
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) exchangers, air coolers, economizers and plate-
our clients millions of dollars and we are con-
The Surrey Technology Centre and-frame heat exchangers. It is available to
dent we can identify signicant savings for
40 Occam Road educational institutions only.
your renery as well.
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG, UK R-trendCalculates and trends fouling
Products: Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100 resistances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers
EPI Engineering specializes in Pipeline Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101 in single-phase service. It uses Microsoft Excel
Network Optimization (PNO) and oers the Contact: Hans U. Zettler, Director of Sales, as a working environment with an optional
industrys best practices and technology to EMEA link to Xist.
increase capacity, reliability, utilization, prof- E-mail: HTRI.EMEA@HTRI.net www.info.hotims.com/38647-127
itability and understanding of your renerys
uid ow pipeline networks. Understanding India
exactly how your utility systems are operating C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
Indraprasth Complex
will open the door to the identication of ener-
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
gy saving opportunities, resulting in optimized
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
operations of your systems. EPI Engineering
Phone: 91-982-514-7775
has analyzed hundreds of pipeline networks
Contact: Rajan Desai, International
over the past ten years and our clients have re-
Coordinator
alized an average 10:1 ROI on our services.
E-mail: HTRI.India@HTRI.net
When EPI Engineering conducts a PNO
service all existing deciencies from original/ Company Bio:
expansion designs and bottlenecks are identi- HTRI operates an international consor-
ed and corrected, leading to increased safety tium founded in 1962 that conducts indus-
KBC Advanced
compliance while increasing the time between trially relevant research and provides software Technologies, Inc.
renery shutdowns due to system variability. tools for design, rating and simulation of pro- 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
Utility systems that EPI Engineering special- cess heat transfer equipment. HTRI also pro- Houston, TX 77094, USA
izes in include, but are not limited to: cooling duces a wide range of technical publications Phone: 281-293-8200
water systems, steam and condensate systems, and provides other services including contract Fax: 281-616-0900
re water systems, fuel gas systems, compressed research, software development, consulting E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
air systems and boiler feed-water systems. and training. www.kbcat.com

18
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Other KBC Office Locations: Yokogawa Corp. of America ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS


London
Phone: + 44 (0)1932 242424 12530 West Airport Blvd. MANAGEMENT
Singapore Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA
Phone: + 65 6735 5488 www.yokogawa.com/us Inductive Automation
2110 21st Street, Suite 500
Company Bio: Yokogawa Europe B.V. Sacramento, CA 95818, USA
KBC Advanced Technologies provides Databankweg 20
software and services to the global energy Phone: 800-266-7798
3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands www.inductiveautomation.com
industries. KBCs suite of software includes www.yokogawa.com/eu
process simulation software and energy opti-
mization products that allow clients to realize Yokogawa Engineering
superior returns on their existing assets and
reduce capital expenditures for a competitive Asia PTE. LTD.
advantage. 5 Bedok South Road
Singapore 469270, Singapore
Products: www.yokogawa.com/sg
KBC oers a wide range of software that Oildex
can model detailed process units or entire Yokogawa Electric 1999 Broadway, Suite 1900
plants. KBC models are used in performance Denver, CO 80202, USA
monitoring, troubleshooting and optimiza- China Co., LTD.
Phone: 303-863-8600
tion, as well as for design and feasibility studies. 22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre Toll Free: 1-888-922-1222
KBCs energy software focuses on reduc- 31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road) Fax: 303-863-0505
ing energy use and minimizing capital invest- Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China E-mail: info@oildex.com
ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor Phone: 86-21-5211-0877 www.oildex.com
and optimize steam and power systems, Super- Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch Other Oildex Office Locations
Company Bio: 11777 Katy Freeway, Suite 350
Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the Houston, TX 77079, USA
use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis-
North American division of $3.4 billion Yok- Phone: 281-741-6300
sions and perform fuel balances.
ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in Fax: 281-741-6296
Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are
the manufacture and supply of instrumenta-
KBCs full-featured, graphical process simu- Company Bio:
tion, process control, automation services and
lators, featuring proven technology and in- Oildex is the energy industrys leading pro-
solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas,
dustry-leading reactor models. They include vider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions
Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va-
general-purpose unit operations, an extensive that enable companies to collect, distribute,
riety of clients with leading products on the
component library, a range of thermodynamics manage, process and analyze essential business
packages, and innovative methods to integrate market such as process analyzers, owmeters,
transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui- data. With Oildex, companies can do more
the software with plant information systems, in less time, and managers can get up-to-the-
databases, Excel, and third-party software. sition products, measuring instruments, dis-
tributed control systems and more. minute data to help them make well-informed
KBC also markets industry-proven SIM Suite decisions. Oildex is one of the most relied upon
reactor models including detailed units for re- Products: web-based information exchanges in the oil
nery and petrochemical modeling. CombustionONETM is an energy manage- and gas industry, serving all major oil compa-
KBC Software can be accessible through ment solution designed to improve and sustain nies, hundreds of independent oil and gas pro-
multiple platforms including Excel and Ba- red heater and other combustion assets. The ducers, and tens of thousands of royalty and
belsh, the web-enabled data visualization tool four corner stones of our customers business working-interest owners
from ISS. requirements are to increase safety, increase ef-
ciency, lower emissions and lower life-cycle Products:
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136 Oildex helps organizations simplify and
cost. Fired heaters have inherent risk and are
generally operating at less than optimum ef- speed-up invoice and revenue processing, and
ciency. CombustionONE dramatically in- it improves workow and productivity by au-
Soteica Ideas & tomating previously manual tasks and elimi-
creases the eciency of red heaters while im-
Technology LLC proving their margin of safety. The integrated nating paper. Oildex also provides business
16010 Barkers Point Lane, Suite 580 combustion management system combines intelligence that helps companies gain insight
Houston, TX 77079, USA new gas combustion measurement utilizing a into the protability of assets and active proj-
Phone: 281-829-3322 True Diode Laser Spectroscopy (TDLS) and ects, pinpoint areas for cost savings and better
www.soteica.com control and safety technologies into one solu- forecast cash needs.
tion that improves red heater performance ePayablesSolutions to help monitor the
and life, and that meets FM NFPA and SIL status of projects in real time, determine which
2 standards. The four principal capabilities assets are the most protable, accurately fore-
cast cash needs, speed-up the processing of
include Gas Concentration Measurement us-
invoices, and help owners and operators better
ing TDLS technology in the radiant section,
collaborate and communicate with each other,
Yokogawa Electric Corp. Process Control controlling fuel ow and air
as well as with vendors, suppliers and partners:
volumes, Safety System preventing unsafe con-
World Headquarters Spendworks, Revenueworks, Trendx, JIB Con-
ditions from persisting, and Sensing and Actu-
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome nect and JIB Complete.
ation Measuring air ow at multiple locations.
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan eBudgetingSolutions to help streamline
www.yokogawa.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-128 the entire budgeting process and eliminate

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 19
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

time-consuming, manual, paper-based pro- CrudeManager Products:


cesses: AFEworks. CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man- SERHviewer provides an electronic format
eRevenueSolutions to improve the col- aging and manipulating crude oil information. of the industry standard Safety Equipment
lection, distribution and management of Its unique features and Spirals expertise in Reliability Handbook (SERH). The SERH is
critical revenue information: Checkstub Con- implementing these solutions have made it the the ultimate reference for any functional safety
nect (CDEX), CDEX Complete and Run assay management solution of choice across the engineer involved in Conceptual Design and
Ticket Connect (CODE). industry. Safety Integrity Level verication. It provides
eStatementsSolutions to provide owners, detailed reliability data for over 1,700 specic
CrudeSuite
partners and vendors with fast, secure, web- manufacturer products, as well as generic equip-
CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enter-
based access to critical business information: ment items. It eliminates the time-consuming
prise toolset for crude oil knowledge manage-
Owner Relations Connect, Vendor Relations task of manually gathering reliability data and
ment, focusing on the needs of integrated oil
Connect and Petro Connect provides a basis for consistent reliability evalua-
companies and energy traders. Industry-lead-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-138 ing software innovations provide unprecedent- tion and design of safety instrumented systems.
ed performance in netback calculations, crude SERHviewer has an easy-to-use interface that
margin estimation, and crude and product will provide users with an overview of available
blending, allowing users to explore opportuni- reliability data for specic types of products,
ties in real time. manufacturers, assessment levels, etc.
The equipment reliability data in the SERH
Spiral Suite
is determined by performing a Failure Mode
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data
Eect and Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA). An
management, planning, scheduling and enve-
FMEDA is a structured, quantitative analysis
lope optimization activities in a single, fully-
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that that predicts failure rates, modes and diagnos-
better explores opportunities, reduces opera- tic coverage along with their corresponding ef-
Spiral Software Ltd tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan fects on system operation. The FMEDA results
and actual results. provide SIS designers with the detailed reliabil-
St. Andrews House ity data required for SIL verication compliant
St. Andrews Road All activities are supported within a single ap-
plication with a single user interface and a single with IEC 61511. The SERH database is used as
Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK
source of data. Built from the ground up for to- the source of reliability data for SIL verication
Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000
days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite in the exida exSILentia SILver tool.
Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001
Spiral also has consultants based across the fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and www.info.hotims.com/38647-126
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, inherently supports Cloud computing solutions.
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut. www.info.hotims.com/38647-132 FLUID FLOW ANALYSIS
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com
www.spiralsoft.com EQUIPMENT RELIABILITY Engineered Software
Company Bio: DATABASE 4529 Intelco Loop SE
Spiral Software specializes in tools for help- Lacey, WA 98503, USA
ing companies make the best decisions in trad- Phone: 360-412-0702
ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners www.eng-software.com
rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work
processes. Successful implementations include
four oil majors, with a broad user community
spanning trading and supply, planning and
scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations.
C N
EPC NSOFTWARE
exida
Products:
Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated 64 North Main Street EPCON International, Inc.
suite of tools to support feedstock data man- Sellersville, PA 18960, USA
9801 Westheimer Suite 1000
agement, planning, scheduling and envelope Phone: 215-453-1720
Fax: 215-257-1657 Houston, TX 77042, USA
optimization. Applications include: Phone: 281-398-9400
Enterprise crude oil knowledge Contact: Iwan van Beurden,
Director of Engineering Toll-free: 1-800-367-3585
management Fax: 281-398-9488
Integrated planning and scheduling E-mail: vanbeurden@exida.com; info@exida.com
www.exida.com Contact: Jyoti Belwal, General Sales Manager
Crude oil assay management E-mail: jb@epcon.com
Feedstock ranking and evaluation Company Bio: www.EPCON.com
Crude blend optimization exida is an engineering consulting rm spe-
All of the tools are built on a common data cializing in safety critical/high availability au- Company Bio:
model, with version and data management tomation systems, control system security and EPCON Software leads the way in innova-
control, and accessible through parallel desk- alarm management. Core competencies in de- tive software applications for uid ow net-
top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- sign, analysis, implementation, operation and work analysis, equipment sizing, cost estima-
ery area to share appropriate data and models, maintenance of critical automation systems, tion, thermodynamics, physical properties and
and maintain business alignment and commu- along with expertise in the application of the custom software engineering. Over 25,000 en-
nicate conclusions eciently. IEC 61508 and IEC 61511/ISA 84 functional gineers worldwide have used EPCON Software
Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell safety standards, has allowed exida to develop since 1982 and currently 90% of petroleum
and Chevron are available for use in conjunc- an extensive suite of software tools that assist rening companies in the Fortune 500 rely on
tion with the software tools. in the implementation of the Safety Lifecycle. EPCON Software each and every day.

20
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Analyze Flow & Pressure Performance for
Liquid and Gas Pipeline Networks

Converge Refinery-Wide Models


Simulate
with Thousands of Pipes in Seconds

Identify Root-Cause Problems to


Design
Improve Profitability and Safety

Fluid flow
simulation
Engineers Aide SiNET
TM

Fluid Flow Simulation Software

If you are looking for a total software solution for


all of your fluid flow simulation needs then look Run Fluid Flow Simulations & Analyze...
no further than Engineers Aide SiNET , the Petroleum Refining & Petrochemical Processes
TM

Steam, Condensate & Boiler Feed Water Systems


leading fluid flow simulation software tool Process, Fire, Waste & Cooling Water Systems
available for the petroleum industry. Compressed & Instrument Air Systems
Natural Gas & Fuel Gas Systems

Sizing/Design Applications For...


Developed by C N
EPC NSOFTWARE Pipelines, Pumps, Flowmeters & Control Valves
Heat Exchangers, Compressors & Columns
Pressure Vessels, Reactors & Storage Tanks
Cooling Towers & Filters

Other Features Include...


Large Models Converge in Seconds
Try Engineers Aide SiNET Free For 30 Days
TM

Data for over 2000 distinct components


Visit www.EPCON.com/SiNET or call 1.800.367.3585 for more information Export to Excel Reporting Options
TM & 2011 EPCON International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Select 134 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Products: pipeline networks. Understanding exactly how Essentially, GENNET-M is a streamlined


EPCON Softwares agship product En- your utility systems are operating will open the version of the SIMPL2 program (the SIMPL2
gineers Aide SiNET is the leading uid ow door to the identication of energy saving op- engine) congured with and controlled by a
analysis software available for the petroleum portunities, resulting in optimized operations network optimization program. In addition
industry. This is why over 90% of petroleum of your systems. EPI Engineering has analyzed to the features inherited from SIMPL2, GEN-
rening companies in the Fortune 500 rely on hundreds of pipeline networks over the past ten NET-M has the following features:
Engineers Aide SiNET for all of their uid years and our clients have realized an average Handles network conguration
ow needs. If you currently operate any type of 10:1 ROI on our services. Multiple sources (supplies)
liquid or gas pipeline network, such as cooling When EPI Engineering conducts a Pipe- Multiple sinks (deliveries)
water, fuel gas, steam, re, water and/or com- line Network Optimization (PNO) service all Multiple loops
pressed air utility systems, you should down- existing deciencies from original/expansion Has a generic Delta P/T vs. Flow
load a free 30-day trial today at www.EPCON. designs and bottlenecks are identied and cor- (DPDT) device to model:
com/SiNET to see rsthand how quickly and rected, leading to increased safety compliance Pumps
easily uid ow analysis can be. while increasing the time between renery Valves
The core patented technology of Engineers shutdowns due to system variability. Util- Coolers
Aide SiNET is what delivers superior results ity systems that EPI Engineering specializes in Heaters
and customer satisfaction. With precise physi- include, but are not limited to: cooling water Compressors
cal property data and methods from AIChE systems, steam and condensate systems, re Fittings
and API (access to over 2,000 components), water systems, fuel gas systems, compressed air Source uid variability (each source can
SiNETs intuitive GUI allow engineers the systems and boiler feed-water systems. be of completely dierent gravity and
ability to model, simulate and analyze almost If you would like to optimize your renerys viscosity):
any type of uid ow system using its indus- liquid and gas uid ow systems, resulting in Liquid viscosity vs. temperature curve
try-leading pure math, calculation engine that safer operations and reduced energy costs, con- input option
can converge large models of up to 1,000 pipes tact us today at 1-800-551-9739 or visit us on Fluid property blending at junctions
within seconds. Other features of Engineers the web at www.EPIEngineering.com. Isenthalpic uid temperature mixing
Aide SiNET include an array of equipment at junctions
www.info.hotims.com/38647-133 Pressure calibration option (enables
sizing applications, equipment cost estima-
tion capabilities, ASME Steam Tables, and unit you to match calculated pressures to
conversion calculators. measured pressures)
Go to www.EPCON.com/SiNET or call Liquid pigging factor option (enables
1-800-367-3585 and try Engineers Aide Si- you to remove part or all of the liquids
NET free for 30 days. from any part or the system, so that you
can calculate the improved eciencies of
www.info.hotims.com/38647-134 Gulf Publishing Company pigged lines)
PO Box 2608 Graph pressure and temperature vs.
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA distance

Engineering Phone: 713-529-4301 Fixed ow or pressure option at sources


E P I

70

E-mail: software@gulfpub.com and sinks


www.gulfpub.com/soft FNESS 4.5Desktop application for
head loss calculating in complex distribution
EPI Engineering, Inc. Company Bio:
networks. For chemical, mechanical and civil
Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
9801 Westheimer, Suite 1070 engineers, FNESS supports uid ow calcu-
vision publishes and distributes more than
Houston, TX 77042, USA lations in a pipe network for the steady-state
40 desktop applications designed specically
Phone: 832-399-9450 situation based on Finite Element Methods.
for the needs of the engineering community
Toll-free: 1-800-551-9739 Powerful graphic interface speeds pipe network
involved in the petroleum industry.
Fax: 713-400-1937 calculations. Results are shown in diagram
Contact: Corey Hensley, Account Manager Products: form, indicating pressures and temperatures of
E-mail: c.hensley@epiengineering.com GENNET-M is a Windows program that the nodes, the out-ows in the interconnection
www.EPIEngineering.com calculates owrates, pressures, temperatures, elements and the orientation of the ow. Soft-
velocity and other related variables in a pipe- ware has robust report function.
Company Bio:
line network system carrying petroleum gases, Features:
EPI Engineering is a specialized engineer-
liquids, water and multiphase mixtures under Fast pipe implementation through
ing rm focused directly on the design and
steady-state conditions. button-clicking, pop-up menus and
optimization of any type of liquid or gas uid
The name GENNET is an acronym for drag-and-drop features
ow pipeline network. Since 2001 we have
GENeral pipeline NETwork program. Thus, Allows detailed modeling of ow
conducted hundreds of projects that have saved
GENNET models systems comprised of pipes network problems
our clients millions of dollars and we are con-
and pressure/temperature-changing equipment Provides post-processing and report
dent we can identify signicant savings for
(pumps, compressors, heaters, valves, coolers, analysis through advanced reporting
your renery as well.
ttings, etc.) connected together in any cong- Build systems and resolve problem
Products: uration. For example, GENNET-M can han- implementations by inserting network
EPI Engineering specializes in the uid ow dle gathering systems, are systems, distribu- nodes and basic piping elements from
analysis and optimization of any type of liquid tion systems, re-loop systems, branched and standard piping tables (e.g., ANSI, API,
or gas pipeline network by using the indus- looped pipelines. GENNET-M for multiphase AWWA, et al.)
trys best practices and technology to increase mixtures of gas, oil or condensate and water Head-loss calculations derived from
capacity, reliability, utilization, protability will handle single-phase liquids and single- either Darcys or Hazen-Williams
and understanding of your renerys uid ow phase gases, too. equations

22
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Internal algorithms to check consistency ONLINE MONITORING CC-FLASH is a subset of the CHEMCAD
of input data suite and allows rigorous calculation of physi-
SIMPL2 handles single-phase gas, oil, AND OPTIMIZATION cal properties and phase equilibria for pure
condensate or water. Heat transfer for buried, components and mixtures.
submerged and in-air pipes is calculated. Op- Aware Technology CC-BATCH makes batch distillation simu-
tionally, user heat transfer coecients may be PO Box 8060 lation and design easy with intuitive, operation
input. Pressure and temperature can also be Portland, ME 04104, USA step-based input; it optimizes batch operation,
used as input. Pressure and temperature may be Phone: 888-283-2673 minimizes intermediate slop cuts and in-
displayed graphically on the screen as functions Fax: 888-283-2673 creases productivity.
of distance along the well tubing and/or pipes. E-mail: info@awaretechnology.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-130
SIMPL2 has US/SI units options and employs www.awaretechnology.com
a drag-and-drop interface with online HELP.
NATASHAPerform transient and Flexware, Inc.
steady-state analyses (surge analysis, waterham- PO Box 110
mer analysis) on pipelines and network models Grapeville, PA 15634, USA
(one or more sources, one or more sinks, zero Phone: 724-527-0110
or more loops) of up to 40 pipes. www.exwareinc.com
Model: Chemstations, Inc.
Gathering systems
11490 Westheimer Road, Suite 900
Fire loops
Houston, TX 77077, USA
Distribution systems with grid loops
Toll Free: 800-243-6223
Multiple sources and/or multiple sinks
Phone: 713-978-7700
consisting of pipes of dierent sizes,
Fax: 713-978-7727
pumps, valves, surge tanks, PRVs,
ttings and leaks E-mail: sales@chemstations.com
Graphically plot node pressures and www.chemstations.com
ows over time Company Bio:
HYDPRO is a comprehensive drilling Chemstions is a leader in chemical process
hydraulics program that covers all aspects of simulation software and has been developing KBC Advanced
hydraulics including mud rheology modeling, powerful solutions since 1988. Over 1,000 or- Technologies, Inc.
pressure drops and ow pattern, surge and ganizations worldwide use our technologies to
swab, equivalent circulation densities, (ECDs) improve productivity and protability. We be- 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
nozzle selection, cuttings concentration prole Houston, TX 77094, USA
lieve in the value that chemical engineers bring
and volume displacements. Phone: 281-293-8200
to our world and are dedicated to providing
Engineering features: Fax: 281-616-0900
tools that help advance the eld.
Fixed low rate analysis (analysis mode) E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
Variable ow rate analysis (design mode) Products: www.kbcat.com
Bit optimization CHEMCAD is Chemstations intuitive
Other KBC Office Locations:
Surge and swab at given tripping speed suite of chemical process simulation software
London
Calculates pressure drop on spooled that broadens an engineers capabilities and
Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424
coiled-tubing increases productivity. CHEMCAD super- Singapore
Bingham plastic, power law or Herschel charges an engineers eciency when facing the Phone: +65 6735 5488
Buckley toughest chemical process models or address-
Pressure drop calculation through ing day-to-day challenges. Company Bio:
wellbore systems CC-STEADY STATE includes libraries of KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft-
Flow pattern visualization chemicals, thermodynamic methods and unit ware and services to the global energy indus-
Cuttings concentration prole operations to allow steady-state simulation of tries. KBCs suite of software includes process
Critical ow rate calculation continuous processes from lab scale to full scale. simulation software and energy optimization
Sensitivity analysis CC-DYNAMICS takes steady-state simu- products that allow clients to realize superior
Export results into MS Oce les lations to the next level of delity to allow returns on their existing assets and reduce cap-
Allows oil eld, SI and customized unit dynamic analysis. The possibilities are endless: ital expenditures for a competitive advantage.
setting operability check-out, PID loop tuning, op- Products:
PePac 2 consists of 40 Excel spreadsheet erator training, even online process control and KBC oers a wide range of software that
programs covering the areas of drilling and soft sensor functionality. can model detailed process units or entire
production engineering. Date entry is quick CC-THERM makes use of multiple in- plants. KBC models are used in performance
and easy. ternational standards for design and materials monitoring, troubleshooting and optimization.
Contents include: to make sizing or rating heat exchangers faster Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are
Mud ow properties and solid analysis and more accurate. The program covers shell- KBCs full-featured, graphical process simu-
Kick control applications and-tube, plate-and-frame, air-cooled and lators, featuring proven technology and
Hydraulic fracture design double-pipe exchangers. industry-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM
Preplanning wellbore trajectory CC-SAFETY NET allows rigorous analy- and Petro-SIM Express include general-
Mud weight calculations sis of any piping network and combines the purpose unit operations, an extensive com-
Cement additive calculations for weight rigorous two-phase relief device calculation, ponent library, a range of thermodynamics
and volume of cement slurry pressure drop calculation, physical property packages, and innovative methods to fully
Three-phase oil/gas separator calculation and phase equilibrium to deliver integrate the software with other systems.
Length and force changes in tubing fast, accurate answers. Enhanced monitoring tools are included, and

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 23
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

can be extended to the web through Babelsh ProCount is Merricks robust hydrocarbon ow pipeline network. Since 2001 we have
from ISS. accounting solution, providing precise daily conducted hundreds of projects that have saved
KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor and monthly allocations for enterprises of ev- our clients millions of dollars and we are con-
models include detailed units for renery and ery scale. dent we can identify signicant savings for
petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM From the simplest to the most complex allo- your renery as well.
(Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro- cations, including multi-tier, multi-directional
Products:
cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM ow, ProCount accommodates both domestic
EPI Engineering specializes in Pipeline
(Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), and international use, with the accuracy critical Network Optimization (PNO) and oers the
ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for for regulatory compliance, partner accounting industrys best practices and technology to
C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- and better engineering and asset management. increase capacity, reliability, utilization, prof-
ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in- ProCount helps to manage the unique chal- itability and understanding of your renerys
clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization lenges of unconventional plays such as gas or uid ow pipeline networks. Understanding
and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available oily shale, coalbed methane, wateroods and exactly how your utility systems are operating
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and CO2. Allocating volumes in near-real time, it al- will open the door to the identication of ener-
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces. lows you to accurately account for production, gy saving opportunities, resulting in optimized
KBCs energy software focuses on reduc- fuel use, gas lift, liquid inventories and sales.
ing energy use and minimizing capital invest- operations of your systems. EPI Engineering
Carte is a web-based oil and gas produc- has analyzed hundreds of pipeline networks
ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor tion reporting dashboard that enables you to
and optimize steam and power systems, Super- over the past ten years and our clients have re-
view, graph and export daily and monthly oil alized an average 10:1 ROI on our services.
Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch and gas production trends by a single well, eld
Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water When EPI Engineering conducts a PNO
or entire asset. service all existing deciencies from original/
use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis- Providing a critical window into operations,
sions and perform fuel balances. expansion designs and bottlenecks are identi-
Carte gives immediate access to key production ed and corrected, leading to increased safety
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136 data, helping to monitor performance, make compliance while increasing the time between
decisions based on better information and al- renery shutdowns due to system variability.
lowing the company as a whole to react faster Utility systems that EPI Engineering special-
to production problems and opportunities. izes in include, but are not limited to: cooling
Combined, ProCount and Carte provide water systems, steam and condensate systems,
each department in your organization, from re water systems, fuel gas systems, compressed
land through accounting, engineering, eld air systems and boiler feed-water systems.
operations and marketing to management, the If you would like to optimize your renerys
specic information they require, in an easy to liquid and gas uid ow systems, resulting in
Merrick Systems, Inc. digest format, ensuring that your business is safer operations and reduced energy costs, con-
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 running more eciently. tact us today at 1-800-551-9739 or visit us on
Houston, TX 77007, USA ProCount and Carte allow you to monitor the web at www.EPIEngineering.com.
Phone: 713-579-3400 your new wells as they move from drilling to
completion, and run comparative KPIs across www.info.hotims.com/38647-133
Fax: 713-579-3499
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales all wells, easily managing massive volumes of
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; production data and fast-paced operations.
info@MerrickSystems.com Currently redeveloped in Microsofts Sil-
www.MerrickSystems.com verlight platform, additions to the system will
include improved mapping and navigator ca-
Company Bio: pabilities.
Merrick Systems provides the industrys
most robust software and hardware solutions www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
addressing production operations, engineering
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry OPERATIONS
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative
technologies in the oil eld to help companies KBC Advanced
Engineering
E P I

extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower 70


Technologies, Inc.
lifting costs, increase production and optimize
15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
operations. Merricks integrated applications,
Houston, TX 77094, USA
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS),
include mobile computing for eld and drill- EPI Engineering, Inc. Phone: 281-293-8200
9801 Westheimer, Suite 1070 Fax: 281-616-0900
ing operations, real-time surveillance and op-
Houston, TX 77042, USA E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
timization; eld operations management; eld
Phone: 832-399-9450 www.kbcat.com
data capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regula-
tory reporting and rugged Radio Frequency Toll-free: 1-800-551-9739 Other KBC Office Locations:
Identication (RFID) for drilling and asset Fax: 713-400-1937 London
management. Contact: Corey Hensley, Account Manager Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424
E-mail: c.hensley@epiengineering.com Singapore
Products:
www.EPIEngineering.com Phone: +65 6735 5488
Merricks suite of products provides online
monitoring and optimization solutions for Company Bio: Company Bio:
production and drilling management. From EPI Engineering is a specialized engineer- KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft-
the eld to the back oce, all of the data is ing rm focused directly on the design and ware and services to the global energy indus-
integrated into a single system: optimization of any type of liquid or gas uid tries. KBCs suite of software includes process

24
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

simulation software and energy optimization technologies in the oil eld to help companies Ingenious, Inc.
products that allow clients to realize superior extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower
returns on their existing assets and reduce capi- lifting costs, increase production and optimize 10700 Richmond Avenue
tal expenditures for a competitive advantage. operations. Merricks integrated applications, Houston, TX 77042, USA
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS), Phone: 832-242-0220
Products: www.ingeniousinc.com
KBC oers a wide range of software that include mobile computing for eld and drilling
can model detailed process units or entire operations, real-time surveillance and optimiza-
plants. KBC models are used in performance tion; eld operations management; eld data
monitoring, troubleshooting and optimiza- capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regulatory re-
tion, as well as for design and feasibility studies. porting and rugged Radio Frequency Identica-
Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are tion (RFID) for drilling and asset management.
KBCs full-featured, graphical process simula- Products:
tors, featuring proven technology and indus-
Merricks suite of Production Software,
try-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM and Pet-
licensed or hosted, provides a complete solu-
ro-SIM Express includes general-purpose unit
tion for production operations management,
operations, an extensive component library, a
range of thermodynamics packages and inno- integrating all vital production data into one
vative methods to fully integrate the software single system. KBC Advanced
with plant information systems, databases, Ex- The software helps to manage the ow of Technologies, Inc.
cel and third-party software. operational data from the wellhead to the desk- 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor top of engineers, managers, accountants and Houston, TX 77094, USA
models include detailed units for renery and external partners, and improves the quality and Phone: 281-293-8200
petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM visibility of data used by both eld and oce Fax: 281-616-0900
(Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro- personnel to make vital operational decisions. E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM Gathering and reporting any type of data from www.kbcat.com
(Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), the reservoir to the well through the allocation
ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for network in a single source, Merricks produc- Other KBC Office Locations:
C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- tion software suite keeps everyone in your or- London
ers). Reactor models for petrochemicals in- ganization on the same page. Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424
clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization Used in 20% of all oil and gas wells in the US Singapore
and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available by more than 3,500 eld operators, Merricks Phone: +65 6735 5488
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and software suite can handle the unique challenges Company Bio:
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces. of unconventional plays such as gas or oily shale, KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft-
KBCs energy software focuses on reduc- coalbed methane, wateroods and CO2. ware and services to the global energy indus-
ing energy use and minimizing capital invest- Merricks production system includes soft- tries. KBCs suite of software includes process
ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor ware for eld data capture, robust hydrocarbon simulation software and energy optimization
and optimize steam and power systems, Super- accounting and a dashboard for reporting: products that allow clients to realize superior
Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch eVINMobile and PC-based eld data returns on their existing assets and reduce capi-
Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water capture system designed for simple, fast and ef- tal expenditures for a competitive advantage.
use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis- cient entry of daily readings with eld valida-
sions and perform fuel balances. Products:
tion and AGA calculations built in KBC oers a wide range of software that
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136 ProCountRobust hydrocarbon ac- can model detailed process units or entire
counting solution to manage simple and com- plants. KBC models are used in performance
plex daily and monthly production allocations, monitoring, troubleshooting and optimiza-
including full component allocations with over tion, as well as for design and feasibility stud-
100 standard reports included ies. KBC and the SIM Suite models have been
CarteWeb-based production monitor- used worldwide in the generation of input for
ing and reporting tool for viewing, graphing, reners Linear Programs (LPs).
analyzing and exporting daily and monthly oil Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are
and gas production trends. KBCs full-featured, graphical process simula-
Merrick Systems, Inc. tors, featuring proven technology and indus-
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
try-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM and Pet-
Houston, TX 77007, USA ro-SIM Express include general-purpose unit
Phone: 713-579-3400 PLANNING, SCHEDULING operations, an extensive component library, a
Fax: 713-579-3499 AND BLENDING range of thermodynamics packages and inno-
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales vative methods to fully integrate the software
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com;
info@MerrickSystems.com
Haverly Systems, Inc. with plant information systems, databases,
12 Hinchman Avenue Excel and third-party software. Petro-SIM in-
www.MerrickSystems.com cludes a full-featured product blending module
Denville, NJ 07834, USA
Company Bio: and LP Utility module to easily create LP assay
www.haverly.com
Merrick Systems provides the industrys tables and base-delta tables.
most robust software and hardware solutions KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor
addressing production operations, engineering models include detailed units for renery and
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative (Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro-

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 25
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM models, and maintain business alignment and to our world and are dedicated to providing
(Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), communicate conclusions eciently. tools that help advance the eld.
ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell
Products:
C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- and Chevron are available for use in conjunc-
CHEMCAD is Chemstations intuitive
ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in- tion with the software tools.
suite of chemical process simulation software
clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization
CrudeManager that broadens an engineers capabilities and
and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available
CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man- increases productivity. CHEMCAD super-
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and
aging and manipulating crude oil information. charges an engineers eciency when facing the
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces.
Its unique features and Spirals expertise in toughest chemical process models or address-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136 implementing these solutions have made it the ing day-to-day challenges.
assay management solution of choice across the CC-STEADY STATE includes libraries
industry. of chemicals, thermodynamic methods and
M3 Technology, Inc. unit operations to allow steady-state simula-
10375 Richmond Avenue, Suite 380 CrudeSuite
tion of continuous processes from lab scale to
Houston, TX 77042, USA CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enter-
full scale.
Phone: 713-784-8285 prise toolset for crude oil knowledge manage-
CC-DYNAMICS takes steady-state simu-
www.m3tch.com ment, focusing on the needs of integrated oil
lations to the next level of delity to allow
companies and energy traders. Industry-lead-
dynamic analysis. The possibilities are endless:
ing software innovations provide unprecedent-
operability check-out, PID loop tuning, op-
ed performance in netback calculations, crude
erator training, even online process control and
margin estimation, and crude and product
soft sensor functionality.
blending, allowing users to explore opportuni-
CC-THERM makes use of multiple in-
ties in real time.
ternational standards for design and materials
Spiral Suite to make sizing or rating heat exchangers faster
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data and more accurate. The program covers shell-
management, planning, scheduling and enve- and-tube, plate-and-frame, air-cooled and
lope optimization activities in a single, fully- double-pipe exchangers.
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that CC-SAFETY NET allows rigorous analy-
Spiral Software Ltd better explores opportunities, reduces opera- sis of any piping network and combines the
St. Andrews House tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan rigorous two-phase relief device calculation,
St. Andrews Road and actual results. pressure drop calculation, physical property
Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK All activities are supported within a single ap- calculation and phase equilibrium to deliver
Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000 plication with a single user interface and a single fast, accurate answers.
Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001 source of data. Built from the ground up for to- CC-FLASH is a subset of the CHEMCAD
Spiral also has consultants based across the days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite suite and allows rigorous calculation of physi-
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and cal properties and phase equilibria for pure
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut. inherently supports Cloud computing solutions. components and mixtures.
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com CC-BATCH makes batch distillation simu-
www.spiralsoft.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-129
lation and design easy with intuitive, operation
Company Bio: step-based input; it optimizes batch operation,
PLANT LIFECYCLE minimizes intermediate slop cuts and in-
Spiral Software specializes in tools for
helping companies make the best decisions AND PERFORMANCE creases productivity.
in trading and rening crude oil. Over 60% MONITORING www.info.hotims.com/38647-130
of reners rely on Spirals tools as a key part
of their work processes. Successful implemen-
tations include four oil majors, with a broad
user community spanning trading and supply,
planning and scheduling, feedstock inventory,
and operations.
Products: Chemstations, Inc.
Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated
11490 Westheimer Road, Suite 900
suite of tools to support feedstock data man-
Houston, TX 77077, USA
agement, planning, scheduling and envelope
Toll Free: 800-243-6223
optimization. Applications include:
Phone: 713-978-7700
Enterprise crude oil knowledge
management
Fax: 713-978-7727 Intertek
E-mail: sales@chemstations.com 801 Travis Street, Suite 1500
Integrated planning and scheduling
www.chemstations.com Houston, TX 77002, USA
Crude oil assay management
Feedstock ranking and evaluation Company Bio: Phone: 713-407-3500
Crude blend optimization Chemstions is a leader in chemical process Contact: Erik Holladay,
All of the tools are built on a common simulation software and has been developing Global Marketing Director
data model, with version and data manage- powerful solutions since 1988. Over 1,000 or- E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com
ment control, and accessible through parallel ganizations worldwide use our technologies to www.intertek.com
desktop and web interfaces. This allows users improve productivity and protability. We be-
in every area to share appropriate data and lieve in the value that chemical engineers bring

26
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Need to predict
emissions from a
scrubbing column
and display real-time
data to operations?
Were on it.
We make your challenges our challenges.
To see how CHEMCAD has helped advance engineering
for our customers, visit chemstations.com/demos11.

David Hill, CHEMCAD Support Expert

Engineering advanced

2011 Chemstations, Inc. All rights reserved. | CMS-322-1 6/11

Select 130 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Company Bio: simulation software and energy optimization protability, reduce operational and safety
Intertek supports the global petroleum re- products that allow clients to realize superior risks, and improve operational planning. The
ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora- returns on their existing assets and reduce capi- company is built upon a foundation of leading-
tion and production industries with world-class tal expenditures for a competitive advantage. edge science and technology that has innovated
testing, inspection, engineering and consulting and shaped industries for nearly forty years.
Products:
services. With operations in over 100 nations, KBC oers a wide range of software that Products:
Intertek provides a wide range of services and can model detailed process units or entire Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for-
expertise to help clients improve quality and plants. KBC models are used in performance Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
reduce risk and costs. monitoring, troubleshooting and optimization. xed and rotating equipment. It implements
Products: Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
Intertek provides a wide range of services KBCs full-featured, graphical process simula- and performs crack assessments in accordance
and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in- tors, featuring proven technology and indus- with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
dustry, including: try-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM and Pet- form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw
Asset Integrity Management ro-SIM Express include general-purpose unit and equipment types. An advanced fracture
Corrosion Control operations, an extensive component library, a mechanics module allows users to also perform
Pilot Plant Project Support range of thermodynamics packages and inno- limited Level 3 assessments.
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis vative methods to fully integrate the software FEACrack is nite element analysis soft-
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing with other systems. Enhanced monitoring ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes
Rened Petroleum Products Testing tools are included, and can be extended to the utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per-
Petrochemical Products Testing web through Babelsh from ISS. form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor unlimited levels of crack mesh renement.
E and P Core Analysis models include detailed units for renery and LifeQuest Heater software provides com-
Health, Safety and Environmental petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM plete analysis and remnant life assessment of
Expertise (Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro- red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utiliz-
Regulatory Compliance Support cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM ing API 579. The nal output is a system risk
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres (Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), curve displaying remaining life in hours versus
Compliance ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for probability of failure. It combines with heater
Dimensional Control Engineering C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- performance monitoring and process modeling
Forensic Investigations ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in- for extensive heater reliability management.
Vendor Inspection and Auditing clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in-
Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available spection and tness-for-service assessment re-
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis
Terminal Services
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces. and assessment capabilities include standard
And more: http://www.intertek.com/
KBCs energy software focuses on reduc- calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied
energy/
ing energy use and minimizing capital invest- and API 579.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-125 ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
and optimize steam and power systems, Super-
Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water
use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis- AND REPAIR
sions and perform fuel balances.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136

KBC Advanced
Technologies, Inc.
15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600 Intertek
Houston, TX 77094, USA
Phone: 281-293-8200 801 Travis Street, Suite 1500
Fax: 281-616-0900 Houston, TX 77002, USA
Quest Integrity Group, LLC Phone: 713-407-3500
E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
www.kbcat.com 2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110 Contact: Erik Holladay,
Boulder, CO 80301, USA Global Marketing Director
Other KBC Office Locations: Phone: 303-415-1475 E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com
London Fax: 303-415-1847 www.intertek.com
Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424 E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
Company Bio:
Singapore www.QuestIntegrity.com
Intertek supports the global petroleum re-
Phone: +65 6735 5488
Company Bio: ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora-
Company Bio: Quest Integrity Group provides highly ac- tion and production industries with world-class
KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft- curate, technology-enabled inspection and as- testing, inspection, engineering and consulting
ware and services to the global energy indus- sessment solutions that help companies in the services. With operations in over 100 nations,
tries. KBCs suite of software includes process process, pipeline and power industries increase Intertek provides a wide range of services and

28
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

expertise to help clients improve quality and data capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regula-
reduce risk and costs. tory reporting and rugged Radio Frequency
Identication (RFID) for drilling and asset
Products:
management.
Intertek provides a wide range of services
and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in- Products:
dustry, including: Merricks RFID-Based Asset Tracking
Asset Integrity Management System allows you to track and maintain
Corrosion Control any surface, subsea and downhole oileld as-
Pilot Plant Project Support set. The system is comprised of patented, Quest Integrity Group, LLC
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis ruggedized Radio Frequency Identication
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing (RFID) tags, software and electronics, provid- 2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Rened Petroleum Products Testing ing vital information about operational assets Boulder, CO 80301, USA
Petrochemical Products Testing used in drilling and production operations. Phone: 303-415-1475
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation Congurability and a modular design allows Fax: 303-415-1847
E and P Core Analysis the system to address specic operational re- E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
Health, Safety and Environmental quirements for managing any type of asset, in- www.QuestIntegrity.com
Expertise cluding high-value items like drill pipe, risers, Company Bio:
Regulatory Compliance Support collars and much more. Quest Integrity Group provides highly ac-
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Merricks RFID Diamond TagsTM are the curate, technology-enabled inspection and as-
Compliance rst High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) sessment solutions that help companies in the
Dimensional Control Engineering tags in the market, proven to survive sustained process, pipeline and power industries increase
Forensic Investigations extreme temperatures (400F/200C), pressures protability, reduce operational and safety
Vendor Inspection and Auditing (2,070 bar/30,000 psi), vibration, corrosion risks, and improve operational planning. The
Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and and shock. The tags are used for tracking assets company is built upon a foundation of leading-
Terminal Services even under harsh operational conditions and edge science and technology that has innovated
And more: http://www.intertek.com/ have been nominated for several prestigious and shaped industries for nearly forty years.
energy/ awards, including the SME Innovation Award
from Oshore Northern Seas (ONS) and the Products:
www.info.hotims.com/38647-125 Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for-
Innovation Award from the Energy Institute.
Merricks web-based DynaCap software Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
Meridium, Inc. platform used to manage asset data is highly xed and rotating equipment. It implements
congurable, allowing you to capture any the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
207 Bullitt Avenue, SE
information needed, including inspections, and performs crack assessments in accordance
Roanoke, VA 24013, USA
certications, specications, usage history, lo- with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
www.meridium.com
cation and more. Utilizing industry-standard form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw
rugged mobile computers for eld and rig op- and equipment types. An advanced fracture
erations, DynaCap works in both connected mechanics module allows users to also perform
or disconnected modes to provide critical asset limited Level 3 assessments.
details even in remote locations with limited FEACrack is nite element analysis soft-
connectivity. Licensed or hosted by Merrick ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes
Software as a Service (SaaS), DynaCap oers utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per-
signicant savings, increased operational ef- form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with
ciency and improved safety while managing unlimited levels of crack mesh renement.
Merrick Systems, Inc. LifeQuest Heater software provides com-
valuable oileld assets.
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 plete analysis and remnant life assessment of
Houston, TX 77007, USA www.info.hotims.com/38647-131 red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utiliz-
Phone: 713-579-3400 ing API 579. The nal output is a system risk
Fax: 713-579-3499 curve displaying remaining life in hours versus
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales Preops Integrated probability of failure. It combines with heater
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; Solutions, LLC. performance monitoring and process modeling
info@MerrickSystems.com for extensive heater reliability management.
785 Greens Parkway, Suite 100
www.MerrickSystems.com LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in-
Houston, TX 77067, USA
Company Bio: Phone: 832-282-3086 spection and tness-for-service assessment re-
Merrick Systems provides the industrys www.preopsnet.com sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis
most robust software and hardware solutions and assessment capabilities include standard
addressing production operations, engineering calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry and API 579.
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative
technologies in the oil eld to help companies www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower
lifting costs, increase production and optimize
operations. Merricks integrated applications,
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS),
include mobile computing for eld and drill-
ing operations, real-time surveillance and op-
timization; eld operations management; eld

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 29
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

PROCESS SOLUTIONS CC-FLASH is a subset of the CHEMCAD


Engineering

E P I
70
suite and allows rigorous calculation of physi-
AND EQUIPMENT PROVIDER cal properties and phase equilibria for pure
components and mixtures.
Cameron CC-BATCH makes batch distillation simu-
EPI Engineering, Inc.
11210 Equity Drive lation and design easy with intuitive, operation
Houston, TX 77041, USA step-based input; it optimizes batch operation, 9801 Westheimer, Suite 1070
www.c-a-m.com minimizes intermediate slop cuts and in- Houston, TX 77042, USA
creases productivity. Phone: 832-399-9450
REFINING, PETROCHEMICAL Toll-free: 1-800-551-9739
www.info.hotims.com/38647-130 Fax: 713-400-1937
AND GAS PROCESSING Contact: Corey Hensley, Account Manager
E-mail: c.hensley@epiengineering.com

EPC
C N
NSOFTWARE www.EPIEngineering.com
Company Bio:
EPI Engineering is a specialized engineer-
EPCON International, Inc. ing rm focused directly on the design and
9801 Westheimer Suite 1000 optimization of any type of liquid or gas uid
Chemstations, Inc. Houston, TX 77042, USA ow pipeline network. Since 2001 we have
11490 Westheimer Road, Suite 900 Phone: 281-398-9400 conducted hundreds of projects that have saved
Houston, TX 77077, USA Toll-free: 1-800-367-3585 our clients millions of dollars and we are con-
Toll Free: 800-243-6223 Fax: 281-398-9488 dent we can identify signicant savings for
Phone: 713-978-7700 Contact: Jyoti Belwal, General Sales Manager your renery as well.
Fax: 713-978-7727 E-mail: jb@epcon.com Products:
E-mail: sales@chemstations.com www.EPCON.com EPI Engineering specializes in Pipeline
www.chemstations.com Network Optimization (PNO) and oers the
Company Bio:
Company Bio: EPCON Software leads the way in innova- industrys best practices and technology to
Chemstions is a leader in chemical process tive software applications for uid ow net- increase capacity, reliability, utilization, prof-
simulation software and has been developing work analysis, equipment sizing, cost estima- itability and understanding of your renerys
powerful solutions since 1988. Over 1,000 or- tion, thermodynamics, physical properties and uid ow pipeline networks. Understanding
ganizations worldwide use our technologies to custom software engineering. Over 25,000 en- exactly how your utility systems are operat-
improve productivity and protability. We be- gineers worldwide have used EPCON Software ing will open the door to the identication
lieve in the value that chemical engineers bring since 1982 and currently 90% of petroleum of energy saving opportunities, resulting in
to our world and are dedicated to providing rening companies in the Fortune 500 rely on optimized operations of your systems. EPI
tools that help advance the eld. EPCON Software each and every day. Engineering has analyzed hundreds of pipe-
line networks over the past ten years and our
Products: Products: clients have realized an average 10:1 ROI on
CHEMCAD is Chemstations intuitive Often referred to as the Reners Bible, our services.
suite of chemical process simulation software the API Technical Data Book is the #1 software When EPI Engineering conducts a PNO
that broadens an engineers capabilities and application for phase equilibrium and thermo- service all existing deciencies from original/
increases productivity. CHEMCAD super- physical properties. Developed by the Ameri- expansion designs and bottlenecks are identi-
charges an engineers eciency when facing the can Petroleum Institute over the past 45 years ed and corrected, leading to increased safety
toughest chemical process models or address- by 127 leading thermodynamic experts in the compliance while increasing the time between
ing day-to-day challenges. petroleum industry, the API Technical Data renery shutdowns due to system variability.
CC-STEADY STATE includes libraries of Book contains an enormous amount of data Utility systems that EPI Engineering special-
chemicals, thermodynamic methods and unit and methods for hydrocarbons and petro frac- izes in include, but are not limited to: cooling
operations to allow steady-state simulation of tions, detailed information for 161 API physi- water systems, steam and condensate systems,
continuous processes from lab scale to full scale. cal property methods, and over 2,000 technical re water systems, fuel gas systems, compressed
CC-DYNAMICS takes steady-state simu- references and resources right at your ngertips air systems and boiler feed-water systems.
lations to the next level of delity to allow via a software suite of 20 robust applications. If you would like to optimize your renerys
dynamic analysis. The possibilities are endless: Most petroleum engineers own a personal, liquid and gas uid ow systems, resulting in
operability check-out, PID loop tuning, op- printed copy of the data book that they use as safer operations and reduced energy costs, con-
erator training, even online process control and a technical reference, but did you know that the tact us today at 1-800-551-9739 or visit us on
soft sensor functionality. last, publicly available printed version of the data the web at www.EPIEngineering.com.
CC-THERM makes use of multiple in- book was released in 1999, and there have been
ternational standards for design and materials nine major updates and additions to the data www.info.hotims.com/38647-133
to make sizing or rating heat exchangers faster since? If this is your situation or you would like
and more accurate. The program covers shell- to experience the data book for the rst time,
and-tube, plate-and-frame, air-cooled and then visit us online at www.EPCON.com/API-
Equity Engineering Group, Inc.
double-pipe exchangers. Tech or call us at 1-800-367-3585 to learn more 20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
CC-SAFETY NET allows rigorous analy- about how you can try the newest version of the Shaker Heights, OH 44122, USA
sis of any piping network and combines the API Technical Data Book free for 30 Days. Phone: 216-283-9519
rigorous two-phase relief device calculation, www.equityeng.com
pressure drop calculation, physical property www.info.hotims.com/38647-134
calculation and phase equilibrium to deliver
fast, accurate answers.

30
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE

Thermophysical Properties Technical Data Methods & Standards Petro Fractions

TECHNICAL DATA BOOK 8th Edition


Commonly referred to as the Refiners Bible, the API Technical Data Book is the only standard on petroleum
refining with the latest, most accurate technical data and methods officially sanctioned by the American Petroleum
Institute. The last printed version of the API Tech Data Book was published in 1999 and has since been replaced
with the API Technical Data Book a computer driven software application.

...its the equivalent of adding the


industrys leading thermodynamic experts
to your engineering team...all with individually, specialized skills.

The latest version of the API Technical Data Book contains all prior published materials with an additional 12
years of methods and standards developed by the API Tech Data Committee. Also included is an annually,
updated physical property data bank jointly developed with AIChE. Keep current and access The API Technical
Data Book free for 30 days. Visit www.EPCON.com/APITech or call 1.800.367.3585 for more information.

TM & 2011 EPCON International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


API, the American Petroleum Institute and AIChE are registered trademarks and used with permission.
Developed & Distributed
Exclusively By EPC NSOFTWARE
Select 135 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

ers. Calculates the radiant section of cylindri- Products:


cal and box heaters and the convection section Intertek provides a wide range of services
of red heaters. It also designs process heater and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in-
tubes and performs combustion calculations. dustry, including:
XhpeDesigns, rates, and simulates the Asset Integrity Management
performance of hairpin heat exchangers. Corrosion Control
XistDesigns, rates and simulates single- Pilot Plant Project Support
and two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. including kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing
Worldwide falling lm evaporators and reux condensers. Rened Petroleum Products Testing
150 Venture Drive XjpeDesigns, rates and simulates jacket- Petrochemical Products Testing
College Station, TX 77845, USA ed-pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers. Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation
Phone: 979-690-5050 XpheDesigns, rates and simulates plate- E and P Core Analysis
Fax: 979-690-3250 and-frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental Health, Safety and Environmental
Contacts: Claudette D. Beyer, President and program, Xphe calculates each plate channel Expertise
CEO; Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and individually using local physical properties and Regulatory Compliance Support
Business Development; and Greg Starks, process conditions. Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
Regional Sales Manager, USA/Canada XspeRates and simulates single-phase Compliance
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net spiral plate heat exchangers. Dimensional Control Engineering
www.HTRI.net XtloGraphical standalone rigorous tube Forensic Investigations
layout software; also integrated with Xist. Vendor Inspection and Auditing
Asia-Pacic
XvibPerforms ow-induced vibration Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
analysis of a single tube in a heat exchanger Terminal Services
World Business Garden Marive East 14F
bundle. It handles various geometries and uses And more: http://www.intertek.com/
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
rigorous structural analysis to calculate the energy/
Chiba 261-7114, Japan
Phone: 81-43-297-0353 tube natural frequencies for various modes. www.info.hotims.com/38647-125
Fax: 81-43-297-0354 Xchanger Suite EducationalCustomized
Contact: Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Manager version of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
E-mail: HTRI.AsiaPacic@HTRI.net design, rate and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air coolers, economizers and plate-
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and-frame heat exchangers. It is available to
The Surrey Technology Centre educational institutions only.
40 Occam Road R-trendCalculates and trends fouling
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG, UK resistances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100 in single-phase service. It uses Microsoft Excel
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101 as a working environment with an optional
Contact: Hans U. Zettler, Director of Sales, link to Xist.
EMEA KBC Advanced
E-mail: HTRI.EMEA@HTRI.net www.info.hotims.com/38647-127
Technologies, Inc.
India
15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
Houston, TX 77094, USA
Indraprasth Complex
Phone: 281-293-8200
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
Fax: 281-616-0900
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
Phone: 91-982-514-7775
www.kbcat.com
Contact: Rajan Desai, International
Coordinator Other KBC Office Locations:
E-mail: HTRI.India@HTRI.net London
Company Bio: Intertek Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424
801 Travis Street, Suite 1500 Singapore
HTRI operates an international consortium
Houston, TX 77002, USA Phone: +65 6735 5488
founded in 1962 that conducts industrially rel-
evant research and provides software tools for Phone: 713-407-3500 Company Bio:
design, rating and simulation of process heat Contact: Erik Holladay, KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft-
transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide Global Marketing Director ware and services to the global energy indus-
range of technical publications and provides E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com tries. KBCs suite of software includes process
other services including contract research, soft- www.intertek.com simulation software and energy optimization
ware development, consulting and training. products that allow clients to realize superior
Company Bio:
returns on their existing assets and reduce capi-
Products: Intertek supports the global petroleum re-
tal expenditures for a competitive advantage.
HTRI Xchanger SuiteIntegrated graphi- ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora-
cal user environment for the design, rating and tion and production industries with world-class Products:
simulation of heat transfer equipment. testing, inspection, engineering and consulting KBC oers a wide range of software that
XaceDesigns, rates and simulates the services. With operations in over 100 nations, can model detailed process units or entire
performance of air-cooled heat exchangers, Intertek provides a wide range of services and plants. KBC models are used in performance
heat recovery units and air preheaters. expertise to help clients improve quality and re- monitoring, troubleshooting and optimiza-
XfhSimulates the behavior of red heat- duce risk and costs. tion, as well as for design and feasibility studies.

32
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per- Products:
KBCs full-featured, graphical process simula- form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw Not that long ago the move towards open
tors, featuring proven technology and indus- and equipment types. An advanced fracture systems and the resulting incorporation of o-
try-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM and Pet- mechanics module allows users to also perform the-shelf technologies represented a huge step
ro-SIM Express include general-purpose unit limited Level 3 assessments. forward in control system design. System in-
operations, an extensive component library, a FEACrack is nite element analysis soft- tegration became easier, product development
range of thermodynamics packages and inno- ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes by manufacturers was accelerated, and training
vative methods to fully integrate the software utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per- leveraged common tools and concepts. While
with plant information systems, databases, Ex- form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with the benets have been tremendous, open tech-
cel and third-party software. unlimited levels of crack mesh renement. nology has made control systems open to se-
KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor LifeQuest Heater software provides com- curity vulnerabilities, putting production and
models include detailed units for renery and plete analysis and remnant life assessment of human safety at risk.
petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utiliz- Countering these threats requires organiza-
(Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro- ing API 579. The nal output is a system risk tions to develop a better understanding of their
cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM curve displaying remaining life in hours versus process control system security risks and how
(Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), probability of failure. It combines with heater they are positioned to address them. A Con-
ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for performance monitoring and process modeling trol System Security Assessment (CSSA) evalu-
C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- for extensive heater reliability management. ates current control system design, network
ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in- LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in- architecture, security policies and practices;
clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization spection and tness-for-service assessment re- compares results to relevant industry standards
and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis and best practices such as ANSI/ISA 99.02.01-
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and and assessment capabilities include standard 2009, DHS CFATS RBPS-8, NERC CIP 002-
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces. calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied 009, API 1164, etc.; provides the organization
KBCs energy software focuses on reduc- and API 579. with a good understanding of where they are,
ing energy use and minimizing capital invest- where they need to be and how to get there;
www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor provides documentation required by regula-
and optimize steam and power systems, Super- tors, insurance companies and any other stake-
Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch Smithco Engineering, Inc. holders.
Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water 6312 S. 39th West Avenue The benets of the assessment include pro-
use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis- Tulsa, OK 74133, USA viding management with a solid understand-
sions and perform fuel balances. Phone: 918-446-4406 ing of the current situation and gaps, helping
www.smithco-eng.com identify and prioritize security investments,
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136
providing an excellent starting point towards
SECURITY SERVICES developing a broader security program, and it
is quick and inexpensivemost systems can be
assessed in less than a week.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-126

Quest Integrity Group, LLC exida


2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110 64 North Main Street
Boulder, CO 80301, USA Sellersville, PA 18960, USA
Phone: 303-415-1475 Phone: 215-453-1720
Fax: 303-415-1847 Fax: 215-257-1657
E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com Contact: John Cusimano,
www.QuestIntegrity.com Director of Security Services
E-mail: jcusimano@exida.com; info@exida.com
Company Bio: www.exida.com
Quest Integrity Group provides highly ac-
curate, technology-enabled inspection and as- Company Bio:
sessment solutions that help companies in the exida is an engineering consulting rm spe-
process, pipeline and power industries increase cializing in safety critical/high availability au-
protability, reduce operational and safety tomation systems, control system security and
risks, and improve operational planning. The alarm management. Core competencies in de-
company is built upon a foundation of leading- sign, analysis, implementation, operation and
edge science and technology that has innovated maintenance of critical automation systems,
and shaped industries for nearly forty years. along with expertise in the application of the
IEC 61508 and IEC 61511/ISA 84 functional
Products: safety standards, has allowed exida to develop
Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for- an extensive suite of software tools that assist
Service and fracture mechanics analyses on in the implementation of the Safety Lifecycle.
xed and rotating equipment. It implements
the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
and performs crack assessments in accordance

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 33
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

DATA MANAGEMENT erational decisions. RIO helps to identify well CrudeManager


spots, track well trajectories and ensures that CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man-
geoLogic systems, Ltd. all your vital technical data is accessible to your aging and manipulating crude oil information.
sta without the limitations or restrictions of Its unique features and Spirals expertise in
900, 703 6 Avenue, SW other project-based systems. implementing these solutions have made it the
Calgary, AB T2P 0T9, Canada Easy to use, RIO allows immediate access assay management solution of choice across the
Phone: 403-262-1992 to vital information on both your operated industry.
www.geologic.com as well as non-operated properties of interest,
CrudeSuite
including well status, interests (NRI and WI),
CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enter-
production data and directional survey, and
prise toolset for crude oil knowledge manage-
oers you data mining tools including con-
ment, focusing on the needs of integrated oil
gurable graphing utility, along with ad-hoc
companies and energy traders. Industry-lead-
reporting and mapping.
ing software innovations provide unprecedent-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-131 ed performance in netback calculations, crude
Merrick Systems, Inc. margin estimation, and crude and product
blending, allowing users to explore opportuni-
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400
ties in real time.
Houston, TX 77007, USA
Phone: 713-579-3400 Spiral Suite
Fax: 713-579-3499 Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales management, planning, scheduling and enve-
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; lope optimization activities in a single, fully-
info@MerrickSystems.com integrated toolset. The result is a solution that
www.MerrickSystems.com better explores opportunities, reduces opera-
Spiral Software Ltd tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan
Company Bio: and actual results.
Merrick Systems provides the industrys St. Andrews House
St. Andrews Road All activities are supported within a single
most robust software and hardware solutions application with a single user interface and a
addressing production operations, engineering Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK
Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000 single source of data. Built from the ground up
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry for todays business and IT environment, Spiral
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001
Spiral also has consultants based across the Suite fully utilizes modern multi-core proces-
technologies in the oil eld to help companies sers and inherently supports Cloud computing
extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut. solutions.
lifting costs, increase production and optimize
operations. Merricks integrated applications, E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-129
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS), www.spiralsoft.com
include mobile computing for eld and drill- Company Bio: DATA VISUALIZATION
ing operations, real-time surveillance and op- Spiral Software specializes in tools for help-
timization; eld operations management; eld ing companies make the best decisions in trad-
data capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regula- ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners
tory reporting and rugged Radio Frequency rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work
Identication (RFID) for drilling and asset processes. Successful implementations include
management. four oil majors, with a broad user community Gulf Publishing Company
Products: spanning trading and supply, planning and
scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations. PO Box 2608
RIO is Merricks versatile technical data Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA
storage, management, visualization and analy- Products: Phone: 713-529-4301
sis tool. Todays oil and gas upstream business Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
is more dynamic than ever and you need the suite of tools to support feedstock data man- www.gulfpub.com/soft
right tools to help you stay ahead of the game. agement, planning, scheduling and envelope
Merricks RIO is the perfect tool for evaluat- optimization. Applications include: Company Bio:
ing properties in a fast, eective and reliable Enterprise crude oil knowledge Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
way and managing your existing properties ef- management vision publishes and distributes more than
ciently. Integrated planning and scheduling 40 desktop applications designed specically
RIO, Merricks enterprise technical data Crude oil assay management for the needs of the engineering community
store for exploitation, operations, property Feedstock ranking and evaluation involved in the petroleum industry.
evaluation, reservoir analysis and eld studies, Crude blend optimization Products:
helps manage and analyze production, reser- All of the tools are built on a common data PathView computes the well path based
voir, geological and petrophysical data. model, with version and data management on the survey data and graphs directional well
Ideal for both conventional and unconven- control, and accessible through parallel desk- paths. It calculates true vertical depth (TVD),
tional oil and gas operations, RIO is an essen- top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- horizontal displacement and dogleg severity.
tial tool for acquisition, divestiture and prop- ery area to share appropriate data and models, The software can plot multiple well (up to 20).
erty evaluation, enabling you to quickly load and maintain business alignment and commu- Engineering Features:
well-related data from the seller and/or public nicate conclusions eciently. Import survey from text (ASCII) le or
data providers such as IHS, Lexco, Drillinginfo Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell PDF le
and others, so that you can spend more time and Chevron are available for use in conjunc- Can handle up to 5,000 rows of survey
analyzing data to support business and op- tion with the software tools. data

34
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

Plots and prints detailed well prole in: erational decisions. RIO helps to identify well tion of leading-edge science and technology
Plane view, Section view, Dogleg and spots, track well trajectories and ensures that that has innovated and shaped industries for
3D View all your vital technical data is accessible to your nearly forty years.
Allows multiple trajectories sta without the limitations or restrictions of
Products:
3D color viewing of user-dened other project-based systems.
Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for-
parameters Easy to use, RIO allows immediate access
Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
Shows the designed or actual well path to vital information on both your operated
xed and rotating equipment. It implements
Formation layers and surface lease lines as well as non-operated properties of interest,
including well status, interests (NRI and WI), the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
production data and directional survey, and and performs crack assessments in accordance
oers you data mining tools including con- with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
gurable graphing utility, along with ad-hoc form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw
reporting and mapping. and equipment types. An advanced fracture
Carte is a web-based oil and gas produc- mechanics module allows users to also perform
tion reporting dashboard that enables you to limited Level 3 assessments.
view, graph and export daily and monthly oil FEACrack is nite element analysis soft-
Merrick Systems, Inc. and gas production trends by a single well, eld ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes
or entire asset. utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per-
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400
Providing a critical window into operations, form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with
Houston, TX 77007, USA
Carte gives immediate access to key production unlimited levels of crack mesh renement.
Phone: 713-579-3400
data, helping to monitor performance, make LifeQuest Heater software provides
Fax: 713-579-3499
decisions based on better information and al- complete analysis and remnant life assess-
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales
lowing the company as a whole to react faster ment of red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com;
to production problems and opportunities. basis utilizing API 579. The nal output is
info@MerrickSystems.com
Combined, ProCount and Carte provide a system risk curve displaying remaining life
www.MerrickSystems.com
each department in your organization, from in hours versus probability of failure. It com-
Company Bio: land through accounting, engineering, eld bines with heater performance monitoring
Merrick Systems provides the industrys operations and marketing to management, the and process modeling for extensive heater re-
most robust software and hardware solutions specic information they require, in an easy to liability management.
addressing production operations, engineering digest format, ensuring that your business is LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in-
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry running more eciently. spection and tness-for-service assessment re-
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative ProCount and Carte allow you to monitor sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis
technologies in the oil eld to help companies your new wells as they move from drilling to and assessment capabilities include standard
extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower completion and run comparative KPIs across calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied
lifting costs, increase production and optimize all wells, easily managing massive volumes of and API 579.
operations. Merricks integrated applications, production data and fast-paced operations.
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS), www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
Currently redeveloped in Microsofts Sil-
include mobile computing for eld and drill- verlight platform, additions to the system will
ing operations, real-time surveillance and op- include improved mapping and navigator ca-
timization; eld operations management; eld pabilities.
data capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regula-
tory reporting and rugged Radio Frequency www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
Identication (RFID) for drilling and asset
management.
Products: Pixotec, LLC
RIO is Merricks versatile technical data 15917 SE Fairwood Blvd.
storage, management, visualization and analysis Renton, WA 98058, USA
tool. Todays oil and gas upstream business is Phone: 425-255-0789
more dynamic than ever and you need the right Fax: 425-917-0104
tools to help you stay ahead of the game. Mer- Contact: Skip Echert, Director of Marketing
ricks RIO is the perfect tool for evaluating prop- Quest Integrity Group, LLC E-mail: info@slicerdicer.com
erties in a fast, eective and reliable way and www.slicerdicer.com
managing your existing properties eciently. 2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Boulder, CO 80301, USA Company Bio:
RIO, Merricks enterprise technical data
Phone: 303-415-1475 PIXOTEC, LLC specializes in the develop-
store for exploitation, operations, property
Fax: 303-415-1847 ment of software for the analysis of complex
evaluation, reservoir analysis and eld studies,
E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com data in three or more dimensions. Dr. David
helps manage and analyze production, reser-
www.QuestIntegrity.com Lucas, the originator of Slicer Dicer, heads the
voir, geological and petrophysical data.
software development eorts and is co-owner of
Ideal for both conventional and unconven- Company Bio:
PIXOTEC. Slicer Dicer and its precursors have
tional oil and gas operations, RIO is an essen- Quest Integrity Group provides highly
been under development since the late 80s.
tial tool for acquisition, divestiture and prop- accurate, technology-enabled inspection and
erty evaluation, enabling you to quickly load assessment solutions that help companies in Products:
well-related data from the seller and/or public the process, pipeline and power industries Slicer DicerVolumetric Data Visualiza-
data providers such as IHS, Lexco, Drillinginfo increase protability, reduce operational and tion Software for Windows, is designed for geo-
and others, so that you can spend more time safety risks, and improve operational plan- scientists and engineers involved with complex
analyzing data to support business and op- ning. The company is built upon a founda- data dened in three or more dimensions. This

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 35
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

easy-to-use tool is employed for the analysis of Integrated planning and scheduling Yokogawa Europe B.V.
seismic data and geological model outputs. It Crude oil assay management
has users in over 50 countries. The latest version Feedstock ranking and evaluation Databankweg 20
of Slicer Dicer, v5, includes 3VOTM Slicer Dic- Crude blend optimization 3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
ers powerful new 3D viewer. It simplies rotat- All of the tools are built on a common data www.yokogawa.com/eu
ing, zooming, and other manipulations of your model, with version and data management
data scene, all by simply moving your mouse. control, and accessible through parallel desk-
Yokogawa Engineering
With Slicer Dicer, you can explore your top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- Asia PTE. LTD.
multidimensional volume data visually by ery area to share appropriate data and models, 5 Bedok South Road
slicing and dicing to create arbitrary or- and maintain business alignment and commu- Singapore 469270, Singapore
thogonal and oblique slices, rectilinear blocks nicate conclusions eciently. www.yokogawa.com/sg
and cutouts, isosurfaces, and projected vol- Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell
umes. You can generate animation sequences and Chevron are available for use in conjunc- Yokogawa Electric
featuring continuous rotation, moving slices, tion with the software tools. China Co., LTD.
blocks, parametric variation (time animation),
oblique slice rotation, and varying transpar- CrudeManager 22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
ency. Use the new 3VOTM viewer to easily CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man- 31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
rotate, zoom, control lighting and light reec- aging and manipulating crude oil information. Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China
tion, and change the center of rotation of your Its unique features and Spirals expertise in Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
data image. implementing these solutions have made it the Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Pricing for Slicer Dicer starts at only $495. assay management solution of choice across the Company Bio:
Go to our website, SlicerDicer.com, to down- industry. Yokogawa Corporation of America is the
load a full-featured demo that is limited only CrudeSuite North American division of $3.4 billion Yok-
by a 15-day trial period. Low-cost upgrades CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enterprise ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in
from previous versions of Slicer Dicer are also toolset for crude oil knowledge management, fo- the manufacture and supply of instrumenta-
available from the SlicerDicer.com website. tion, process control, automation services and
cusing on the needs of integrated oil companies
and energy traders. Industry-leading software in- solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas,
www.info.hotims.com/38647-139
novations provide unprecedented performance Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va-
in netback calculations, crude margin estima- riety of clients with leading products on the
tion, and crude and product blending, allowing market such as process analyzers, owmeters,
users to explore opportunities in real time. transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui-
sition products, measuring instruments, dis-
Spiral Suite tributed control systems and more.
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data
Products:
management, planning, scheduling and enve-
FAST/TOOLSTM (Advance Process Con-
lope optimization activities in a single, fully-
trol Management software) is a powerful,
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that
state-of-the-art, exible, distributed Supervi-
better explores opportunities, reduces opera-
sory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
Spiral Software Ltd tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan
system. It is a client/server-based open archi-
St. Andrews House and actual results. tecture that provides support for standards
St. Andrews Road All activities are supported within a single ap- such as XML, HTML, Java, ODBC and OPC,
Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK plication with a single user interface and a single and ensures uniform and standard interfaces
Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000 source of data. Built from the ground up for to- to other packages and applications. It has been
Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001 days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite developed and evolved over a period of three
Spiral also has consultants based across the fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and decades to span a wide range of operating plat-
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, inherently supports Cloud computing solutions. forms, such that it oers stability and scalabil-
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut. www.info.hotims.com/38647-129 ity during the lifetime of the process. It has a
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com proven track-record, guaranteed best-of-class
www.spiralsoft.com availability, data integrity, high levels of per-
formance and online conguration capabili-
Company Bio:
ties. FAST/TOOLS is scalable from less than
Spiral Software specializes in tools for help-
a hundred to more than a million I/O points,
ing companies make the best decisions in trad-
and supports multiple architectures from sin-
ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners
Yokogawa Electric Corp. gle node solutions to multi-node client/server
rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work
systems and is used in many application areas,
processes. Successful implementations include World Headquarters such as:
four oil majors, with a broad user community 9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome Oil and Gas exploration, production
spanning trading and supply, planning and Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan and distribution supervision
scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations. www.yokogawa.com Pipeline Management
Products: Ship monitoring and control
Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated Yokogawa Corp. of America Production control supervision
suite of tools to support feedstock data man- 12530 West Airport Blvd. Utilities like water, wastewater
agement, planning, scheduling and envelope Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA treatment, gas and electricity
optimization. Applications include: www.yokogawa.com/us distribution and management
Enterprise crude oil knowledge Embedded applications in advanced
management production equipment.

36
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

FAST/TOOLS provides a powerful data sis of any piping network and combines the Petro-SIM Dynamics features a Dynamics
visualization platform for integrating key per- rigorous two-phase relief device calculation, Assistant for simplied dynamic model build-
formance indicators and plant performance pressure drop calculation, physical property ing, an interactive solver, an event scheduler for
variables in consolidating information from a calculation and phase equilibrium to deliver entering specic plant events, historical data
wide variety of control, information and inter- fast, accurate answers. loggers and charts for customizing variables, a
net sources. CC-FLASH is a subset of the CHEMCAD cause-and-eect matrix for simulating control
suite and allows rigorous calculation of physi- system logic, a control manager for a concise
www.info.hotims.com/38647-128 cal properties and phase equilibria for pure summary of all the controllers in the model
components and mixtures. and a exible user interface, including a DCS
DYNAMIC SIMULATION CC-BATCH makes batch distillation simu- interface.
AND OPTIMIZATION lation and design easy with intuitive, operation Petro-SIM Dynamics is a part of the Petro-
step-based input; it optimizes batch operation, SIM family of products which features proven
AspenTech minimizes intermediate slop cuts and in- technology in an easy-to-use interface. Petro-
creases productivity. SIM products include general-purpose unit
200 Wheeler Road
Burlington, MA 01803, USA operations, an extensive component library, a
www.info.hotims.com/38647-130
Phone: 781-221-6400 range of thermodynamics packages and inno-
www.aspentech.com vative methods to fully integrate the software
Invensys Operational with plant information systems, databases, Ex-
Management cel and third-party software.
5601 Granite Parkway III, Suite 1000 www.info.hotims.com/38647-136
Plano, TX 75024, USA
Phone: 469-365-6400
www.invensys.com
Chemstations, Inc.
11490 Westheimer Road, Suite 900
Houston, TX 77077, USA
Toll Free: 800-243-6223
Phone: 713-978-7700
Fax: 713-978-7727
E-mail: sales@chemstations.com
www.chemstations.com
Quest Integrity Group, LLC
Company Bio: 2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Chemstions is a leader in chemical process Boulder, CO 80301, USA
simulation software and has been developing KBC Advanced Phone: 303-415-1475
powerful solutions since 1988. Over 1,000 or- Fax: 303-415-1847
ganizations worldwide use our technologies to Technologies, Inc. E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
improve productivity and protability. We be- 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600 www.QuestIntegrity.com
lieve in the value that chemical engineers bring Houston, TX 77094, USA
to our world and are dedicated to providing Phone: 281-293-8200 Company Bio:
tools that help advance the eld. Fax: 281-616-0900 Quest Integrity Group provides highly
E-mail: answers@kbcat.com accurate, technology-enabled inspection and
Products: assessment solutions that help companies in
www.kbcat.com
CHEMCAD is Chemstations intuitive the process, pipeline and power industries
suite of chemical process simulation software Other KBC Office Locations: increase protability, reduce operational and
that broadens an engineers capabilities and London safety risks, and improve operational plan-
increases productivity. CHEMCAD super- Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424 ning. The company is built upon a founda-
charges an engineers eciency when facing the Singapore tion of leading-edge science and technology
toughest chemical process models or address- Phone: +65 6735 5488 that has innovated and shaped industries for
ing day-to-day challenges. nearly forty years.
Company Bio:
CC-STEADY STATE includes libraries of
KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft- Products:
chemicals, thermodynamic methods and unit
ware and services to the global energy indus- Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for-
operations to allow steady-state simulation of
tries. KBCs suite of software includes process Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
continuous processes from lab scale to full scale.
simulation software and energy optimization xed and rotating equipment. It implements
CC-DYNAMICS takes steady-state simu-
products that allow clients to realize superior the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
lations to the next level of delity to allow
returns on their existing assets and reduce capi- and performs crack assessments in accordance
dynamic analysis. The possibilities are endless:
tal expenditures for a competitive advantage. with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
operability check-out, PID loop tuning, op-
erator training, even online process control and Products: form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw
soft sensor functionality. KBC oers a wide range of software that and equipment types. An advanced fracture
CC-THERM makes use of multiple in- can model detailed process units or entire mechanics module allows users to also perform
ternational standards for design and materials plants. KBCs Petro-SIM Dynamics lets you limited Level 3 assessments.
to make sizing or rating heat exchangers faster model plant upsets, startup and shutdown sce- FEACrack is nite element analysis soft-
and more accurate. The program covers shell- narios, and control system response. You can ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes
and-tube, plate-and-frame, air-cooled and use Petro-SIM Dynamics to determine plant utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per-
double-pipe exchangers. capacitance, tune process controllers and pre- form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with
CC-SAFETY NET allows rigorous analy- pare for hazardous upset scenarios. unlimited levels of crack mesh renement.

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 37
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

LifeQuest Heater software provides and Chevron are available for use in conjunc- control valve modulethe latest advancement
complete analysis and remnant life assess- tion with the software tools. in the valve-sizing software industry. Refreshed
ment of red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot and upgraded, the author has added additional
CrudeManager
basis utilizing API 579. The nal output is engineering features that make InstruCalc even
CrudeManager is a powerful tool for man-
a system risk curve displaying remaining life better than before.
aging and manipulating crude oil information.
in hours versus probability of failure. It com- Features:
Its unique features and Spirals expertise in
bines with heater performance monitoring Additional graphs for control valves
implementing these solutions have made it the
and process modeling for extensive heater re- and ow elements calculations that will
assay management solution of choice across the
liability management. calculate, display and print graphs of the
industry.
LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in- calculations
spection and tness-for-service assessment re- CrudeSuite More restrictive devices such as ISO
sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis CrudeSuite is an industry-leading enterprise Venture, ASME long radius nozzle and
and assessment capabilities include standard toolset for crude oil knowledge management, fo- concentric orice plate (thick and thin)
calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied cusing on the needs of integrated oil companies for gas and liquid services
and API 579. and energy traders. Industry-leading software in- More material yield strengths le
novations provide unprecedented performance to calculate orice plate thickness
www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
in netback calculations, crude margin estima- automatically
tion, and crude and product blending, allowing Updated ISO orice plate calculations
users to explore opportunities in real time. for ISO 5167, 2003
Spiral Suite Allows you to select any set of
Spiral Suite brings together feedstock data engineering units, including your own
management, planning, scheduling and enve- customized set. Units can be mixed,
lope optimization activities in a single, fully- matched and changed in the middle of a
integrated toolset. The result is a solution that calculation
better explores opportunities, reduces opera- Consists of more than 74 routines
tional risk and shrinks the gap between plan divided into ve main sections
Spiral Software Ltd and actual results. Calculates process data at ow
St. Andrews House All activities are supported within a single ap- conditions for 54 uids in either
St. Andrews Road plication with a single user interface and a single mixtures or single components and
Cambridge, CB4 1DL, UK source of data. Built from the ground up for to- 66 gases in either mixtures or single
Phone: +44 (0)1223 445 000 days business and IT environment, Spiral Suite components. Files can be updated with
Fax: +44 (0)1223 445 001 fully utilizes modern multi-core processers and additional users uids and gases
Spiral also has consultants based across the inherently supports Cloud computing solutions. Calculates the orice size, owrate or dif-
USin Houston, Texas; Oklahoma City, ferential range, which enables the user to
Oklahoma; and Weston, Connecticut. www.info.hotims.com/38647-129
select the owrate with optimum accu-
E-mail: sales@spiralsoft.com
PROCESS CONTROL AND racy. It provides the recommended size
www.spiralsoft.com
and corrects the orice size accordingly
Company Bio: INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Spiral Software specializes in tools for help-
ing companies make the best decisions in trad-
ing and rening crude oil. Over 60% of reners
rely on Spirals tools as a key part of their work
processes. Successful implementations include
four oil majors, with a broad user community Gulf Publishing Company Yokogawa Electric Corp.
spanning trading and supply, planning and World Headquarters
PO Box 2608
scheduling, feedstock inventory, and operations. 9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA
Products: Phone: 713-529-4301 Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
Spiral Software oers a fully-integrated E-mail: software@gulfpub.com www.yokogawa.com
suite of tools to support feedstock data man- www.gulfpub.com/soft
agement, planning, scheduling and envelope Yokogawa Corp. of America
Company Bio:
optimization. Applications include: 12530 West Airport Blvd.
Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
Enterprise crude oil knowledge Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA
vision publishes and distributes more than
management www.yokogawa.com/us
40 desktop applications designed specically
Integrated planning and scheduling
for the needs of the engineering community
Crude oil assay management
involved in the petroleum industry.
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Feedstock ranking and evaluation Databankweg 20
Crude blend optimization Products: 3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
All of the tools are built on a common data InstruCalc calculates the sizes of control www.yokogawa.com/eu
model, with version and data management valves, ow elements and relief devices; pro-
control, and accessible through parallel desk- duces data sheets for calculated items; and Yokogawa Engineering
top and web interfaces. This allows users in ev- prepares instrument summaries and uses data
ery area to share appropriate data and models, sheets as a database for generating reports. The Asia PTE. LTD.
and maintain business alignment and commu- program allows you to select any set of engi- 5 Bedok South Road
nicate conclusions eciently. neering units, including your own customized Singapore 469270, Singapore
Industry-leading assay libraries from Shell set. Version 7.1 includes dynamic sizing in the www.yokogawa.com/sg

38
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

Yokogawa Electric autonomous controllers have great remote Functions. It helps manage project documen-
management and stand-alone capability, and tation through simplied report generation
China Co., LTD. reduce running costs by making exible use of and report viewing. The built-in exSILentia
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre e-mail, the Web and SCADA technology. import/export functionality simplies data
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road) ExaQuantumExaquantum is an intel- sharing for multi-person projects, for inde-
Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China ligent and scalable Plant Information Man- pendent review, or for input into other life-
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877 agement System that provides a platform for cycle tools (e.g. PHA).
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299 collecting, storing and displaying current and exSILentia provides fully customizable SIL
historical data from production equipment. selection options such as risk graph, hazard ma-
Company Bio: trix and frequency-based targets. Also, a com-
Its historian software processes and stores pro-
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the plete SIF SRS template ensures completeness
cess data, alarms and events acquired from the
North American division of $3.4 billion Yok- in requirements denition. exSILentia contains
production control system through a standard
ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in SILver, the most comprehensive SIL verica-
OPC interface. Plant operational performance
the manufacture and supply of instrumenta- can be monitored and analyzed using this data tion program on the market, allowing extensive
tion, process control, automation services and as it is an enabling platform for production Safety Instrumented Function denition, and
solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, management applications like data reconcili- an IEC 61508-approved calculation engine
Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va- ation, production accounting, performance based on the Markov Modeling technique. Fi-
riety of clients with leading products on the monitoring, environmental monitoring and an nally, exSILentia includes a built-in reliability
market such as process analyzers, owmeters, operations electronic logbook. Exaquantum database from the best-selling Safety Equip-
transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui- also enables supervisory enterprise applications ment Reliability Handbook (SERH), enhanc-
sition products, measuring instruments, dis- to be able to share this data. ing the process of SIL verication by allowing
tributed control systems and more. users to select equipment items directly from
www.info.hotims.com/38647-128 the database without having to manually enter
Products:
CENTUM VPCENTUM VP is an reliability data.
integrated production control system used to
SIS /SAFETY SYSTEMS
www.info.hotims.com/38647-126
manage and control the operation of plants.
The highly acclaimed, extremely reliable in-
tegrated production control system combines
rugged control station and remote I/O hard-
ware with a scalable Windows XP/VISTA-
based operation. Designed to handle informa-
tion and control from small-scale facilities to exida Gulf Publishing Company
the very largest of plants, the CENTUM VP 64 North Main Street PO Box 2608
provides a highly scalable, easy-to-operate, Sellersville, PA 18960, USA Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA
engineer and maintain, high-performance au- Phone: 215-453-1720 Phone: 713-529-4301
tomation platform. The system architecture Fax: 215-257-1657 E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
includes a 1-GB control and information high- Contact: Iwan van Beurden, www.gulfpub.com/soft
way utilizing Yokogawas deterministic VNet Director of Engineering
protocol over Ethernet that provides built-in E-mail: vanbeurden@exida.com; Company Bio:
security for critical communications. CEN- info@exida.com Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
TUM VP is an open platform for control and www.exida.com vision publishes and distributes more than
information providing high performance with 40 desktop applications designed specically
low cost of ownership and a seamless technol- Company Bio: for the needs of the engineering community
ogy migration to its installed base. exida is an engineering consulting rm involved in the petroleum industry.
STARDOMTMSTARDOM is a net- specializing in safety critical/high availability
automation systems, control system security Products:
work-based control system that consists of a Pipeline Risk Controller, Version 2.0, is
family of highly functional, autonomous, and and alarm management. Core competencies
in design, analysis, implementation, opera- a program that might change how you oper-
intelligent remote terminal units (RTUs). It ate or design your pipeline systems. Using risk
features small, scalable architecture that is ca- tion and maintenance of critical automation
systems, along with expertise in the applica- management concepts, Pipeline Risk Control-
pable of being highly distributed, both within ler allows you to divide your pipeline system(s)
a facility and also geographically. The STAR- tion of the IEC 61508 and IEC 61511/ISA
84 functional safety standards, has allowed into sections, gather meaningful data on each
DOM family of controllers includes a Field section, and assess the risks of each section,
control node (FCN)a modular controller exida to develop an extensive suite of software
providing signicantly more economic value
with a wide range of I/O modules and two tools that assist in the implementation of the
than other software solutions. A perfect tool
expansion units suitable for mid-size applica- Safety Lifecycle.
for pipeline risk management program for
tions, a Field Control Junctionan all-in-one Products: operators addressing regulatory and reporting
compact controller with built-in I/O suitable The exSILentia integrated toolset helps requirements.
for direct installation on equipment or utili- users follow the entire IEC 61511/ISA 84 Features:
ties, and a FCN-RTU suitable for low-power safety lifecycle for the rst time using a single Find your highest (and lowest) risk
applications. STARDOM enables operation tool, including Safety Integrity Level (SIL) areasthen prioritize your maintenance
and monitoring of the process anywhere, any- selection, Safety Requirements Specication Measure the impact of changing
time using commercial o-the-shelf (COTS) and SIL verication. It also supports compli- conditions along the pipeline, such as
components. STARDOM autonomous con- ance with regulations such as OSHA PSM population encroachments
trollers are Foundation eldbus certied 1919.119 (USA) and Seveso II (Europe). Measure the impact of changing
and can be adapted to any infrastructure to exSILentia allows the user to dene a project pressure, product or any activity (do
integrate all process information. STARDOM consisting of one or more Safety Instrumented what-if studies)

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 39
SOFTWARE AND INTEGRATION

Decide how to best allocate your capital Award from Oshore Northern Seas (ONS) market such as process analyzers, owmeters,
resources and the Innovation Award from the Energy transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui-
Monitor regulatory compliance (or Institute. sition products, measuring instruments, dis-
build your own benchmark comparison Merricks web-based DynaCap software tributed control systems and more.
standard) platform used to manage the asset data is high-
Products:
Analyze pipelines before they are built ly congurable, allowing you to capture any
ProSafe-RSProSafe-RS is an integrated
Compare pipeline route alternatives information needed, including inspections,
safety instrumented system (SIS) designed
certications, specications, usage history, lo-
for such applications as emergency shutdown
cation and more. Utilizing industry-standard
(ESD), Fire and Gas (F&G), and Boiler man-
rugged mobile computers for eld and rig op-
agement (BMS). It provides safe, reliable and
erations, DynaCap works in both connected
available control without compromise and is
or disconnected modes to provide critical asset
certied by the German certication organiza-
details even in remote locations with limited
tion, TV to meet Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
connectivity. Licensed or hosted by Merrick
3 as specied in IEC 61508. An integral fea-
(Software as a Service), DynaCap oers signi-
ture is that it can be combined with Yokogawas
Merrick Systems, Inc. cant savings, increased operational eciency
CENTUM VP DCS system that allows all
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 and improved safety while managing valuable
information to be combined into one screen
Houston, TX 77007, USA oileld assets.
integrating alarms and events, tag data onto
Phone: 713-579-3400 www.info.hotims.com/38647-131 graphics and trends. With ProSafe-RS, the
Fax: 713-579-3499 safety-instrumented system uses the common
Contact: Faisal Kidwai, VP Sales DCS network for safety communications
E-mail: Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com; with absolute integrity.
info@MerrickSystems.com
www.MerrickSystems.com www.info.hotims.com/38647-128

Company Bio:
Merrick Systems provides the industrys Yokogawa Electric Corp.
most robust software and hardware solutions
addressing production operations, engineering World Headquarters
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry 9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome
expertise, Merrick has pioneered innovative Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
technologies in the oil eld to help companies www.yokogawa.com
extend oil and gas producing asset life, lower
lifting costs, increase production and optimize
Yokogawa Corp. of America
operations. Merricks integrated applications, 12530 West Airport Blvd.
installed or hosted Software as a Service (SaaS), Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA
include mobile computing for eld and drill- www.yokogawa.com/us
ing operations, real-time surveillance and op-
timization; eld operations management; eld Yokogawa Europe B.V.
data capture; hydrocarbon accounting; regula- Databankweg 20
tory reporting and rugged Radio Frequency 3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
Identication (RFID) for drilling and asset www.yokogawa.com/eu
management.
Products:
Yokogawa Engineering
Merricks RFID-Based Asset Tracking Asia PTE. LTD.
System allows you to track and maintain any 5 Bedok South Road
surface, subsea and downhole oileld asset. Singapore 469270, Singapore
The system is comprised of patented, rugge- www.yokogawa.com/sg
dized Radio Frequency Identication (RFID)
tags, software and electronics, providing vital Yokogawa Electric
information about operational assets used in China Co., LTD.
drilling and production operations. Congu-
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
rability and a modular design allow the system
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
to address specic operational requirements for
Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China
managing any type of asset, including high-
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
value items like drill pipe, risers, collars and
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
much more.
Merricks RFID Diamond TagsTM are the Company Bio:
rst High-Pressure High-Temperature (HPHT) Yokogawa Corporation of America is the
tags in the market, proven to survive sustained North American division of $3.4 billion Yok-
extreme temperatures (400F/200C), pres- ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in
sures (2,070 bar/30,000 psi), vibration, corro- the manufacture and supply of instrumenta-
sion and shock. The tags are used for tracking tion, process control, automation services and
assets even under harsh operational conditions solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas,
and have been nominated for several presti- Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va-
gious awards, including the SME Innovation riety of clients with leading products on the

40
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
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CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

COLLABORATION AND ating methodology, Exapilot helps plants run and more accurate. The program covers shell-
more eciently and safely. and-tube, plate-and-frame, air-cooled and
KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE double-pipe exchangers.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-128 CC-SAFETY NET allows rigorous analy-
sis of any piping network and combines the
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION rigorous two-phase relief device calculation,
AND ENGINEERING pressure drop calculation, physical property
calculation and phase equilibrium to deliver
Yokogawa Electric Corp. AVEVA Inc fast, accurate answers.
10350 Richmond Avenue CC-FLASH is a subset of the CHEMCAD
World Headquarters
Houston, TX 77042, USA suite and allows rigorous calculation of physi-
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome
Phone: 713-977-1225 cal properties and phase equilibria for pure
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.aveva.com components and mixtures.
www.yokogawa.com
CC-BATCH makes batch distillation simu-
Yokogawa Corp. of America BCCK Engineering, Inc. lation and design easy with intuitive, operation
step-based input; it optimizes batch operation,
12530 West Airport Blvd. minimizes intermediate slop cuts and in-
2500 North Big Spring, Suite 230
Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA creases productivity.
Midland, TX 79705, USA
www.yokogawa.com/us
Phone: 432-685-6095 www.info.hotims.com/38647-130
Yokogawa Europe B.V. E-mail: engineering@bcck.com
www.bcck.com
Databankweg 20
3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
Engineering

E P I
70

www.yokogawa.com/eu

Yokogawa Engineering
Asia PTE. LTD. EPI Engineering, Inc.
5 Bedok South Road Chemstations, Inc. 9801 Westheimer, Suite 1070
Singapore 469270, Singapore 11490 Westheimer Road, Suite 900 Houston, TX 77042, USA
www.yokogawa.com/sg Houston, TX 77077, USA Phone: 832-399-9450
Toll Free: 800-243-6223 Toll-free: 1-800-551-9739
Yokogawa Electric Phone: 713-978-7700 Fax: 713-400-1937
Fax: 713-978-7727 Contact: Corey Hensley, Account Manager
China Co., LTD. E-mail: c.hensley@epiengineering.com
E-mail: sales@chemstations.com
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre www.chemstations.com www.EPIEngineering.com
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China Company Bio: Company Bio:
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877 Chemstions is a leader in chemical process EPI Engineering is a specialized engineer-
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299 simulation software and has been developing ing rm focused directly on the design and
powerful solutions since 1988. Over 1,000 or- optimization of any type of liquid or gas uid
Company Bio: ganizations worldwide use our technologies to ow pipeline network. Since 2001 we have
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the improve productivity and protability. We be- conducted hundreds of projects that have saved
North American division of $3.4 billion lieve in the value that chemical engineers bring our clients millions of dollars and we are con-
Yokogawa Electric Corporation, a global to our world and are dedicated to providing dent we can identify signicant savings for
leader in the manufacture and supply of in- tools that help advance the eld. your renery as well.
strumentation, process control, automation
services and solutions. Headquartered in Products: Products:
Sugar Land, Texas, Yokogawa Corporation of CHEMCAD is Chemstations intuitive EPI Engineering specializes in the uid
America oers a variety of clients with lead- suite of chemical process simulation software ow design, analysis and optimization of any
ing products on the market such as process that broadens an engineers capabilities and type of liquid or gas pipeline network by using
analyzers, owmeters, transmitters, control- increases productivity. CHEMCAD super- the industrys best practices and technology to
lers, recorders, data acquisition products, charges an engineers eciency when facing the increase capacity, reliability, utilization, prof-
measuring instruments, distributed control toughest chemical process models or address- itability and understanding of your renerys
systems and more. ing day-to-day challenges. uid ow pipeline networks. Understanding
CC-STEADY STATE includes libraries of exactly how your utility systems are operating
Products: chemicals, thermodynamic methods and unit will open the door to the identication of ener-
ExapilotExapilot is Modular Procedural operations to allow steady-state simulation of gy saving opportunities resulting in optimized
Automation tool that plant operators use to continuous processes from lab scale to full scale. operations of your systems. EPI Engineering
develop a structured methodology for oper- CC-DYNAMICS takes steady-state simu- has analyzed hundreds of pipeline networks
ating certain standard procedures. Exapilot, lations to the next level of delity to allow over the past ten years and our clients have re-
a patented Advanced Operation Eciency dynamic analysis. The possibilities are endless: alized an average 10:1 ROI on our services.
Improvement software package, makes it pos- operability check-out, PID loop tuning, op- When EPI Engineering conducts a Pipe-
sible to incorporate the know-how and plant erator training, even online process control and line Network Optimization (PNO) service all
operation expertise of experienced operators soft sensor functionality. existing deciencies from original/expansion
in automated plant operation procedures that CC-THERM makes use of multiple in- designs and bottlenecks are identied and cor-
ensure standard and uniform plant operation. ternational standards for design and materials rected, leading to increased safety compliance
By enforcing a common and structured oper- to make sizing or rating heat exchangers faster while increasing the time between renery

42
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
Engineering
E P I
70

Maximize Flow Capacity


of Utility & Process Systems
Boost the performance of your utility and process systems with EPI
Engineerings Pipeline Network Optimization (PNO) service. Since our
optimization service has achieved an average 10:1 ROI over the past
ten years, you can be confident that once you implement our service
at your facility your systems will run at or above design flow and
pressure specs while eliminating unneeded capital expenditures.

Design Analyze Optimize Implement

EPI Engineerings Philosophy

With our hydraulic optimization service we...


Uncover day-one problems existing from the original design
Avoid facility shutdowns due to system flow unreliability
Identify and correct all bottlenecks within the system
Exploit all energy and cost savings that are available
Increase the overall safety and ROI of the facility
Maximize the useful life of your systems

Flow simulations we specialize in include:


Petroleum Refining Petrochemicals
Boiler Feed Water Cooling Water
Process Water Natural Gas
Instrument Air Fire Water
Condensate Fuel Gas
Nitrogen Steam

Request More Information


To inquire about our high-value, optimization services
visit us on the web at www.EPIEngineering.com
or call us today at 1-800-551-9739.
TM & 2011 EPI Engineering, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Select 133 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS


CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

shutdowns due to system variability. Util- EST$PRO is an estimating package to sup- Company Bio:
ity systems that EPI Engineering specializes in port estimators, cost engineers, plant engineers HTRI operates an international consortium
include, but are not limited to: cooling water or process engineers who need to produce esti- founded in 1962 that conducts industrially rel-
systems, steam and condensate systems, re mates quickly. This software contains numer- evant research and provides software tools for
water systems, fuel gas systems, compressed air ous time-saving routines and calculations for design, rating and simulation of process heat
systems and boiler feed-water systems. conceptual costing of process plants. transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide
If you would like to optimize your renerys Features: range of technical publications and provides
liquid and gas uid ow systems, resulting in Curve-tting utility other services including contract research, soft-
safer operations and reduced energy costs, con- Risk analysis routine ware development, consulting and training.
tact us today at 1-800-551-9739 or visit us on Capacity cost estimatingcan be
the web at www.EPIEngineering.com. tailored with your own historical data Products:
Computes the eect of extended HTRI Xchanger SuiteIntegrated graphi-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-133 workweeks on productivity cal user environment for the design, rating and
Field craft manpower projections and simulation of heat transfer equipment.
more XaceDesigns, rates and simulates the
New upgrade allows storing of user input performance of air-cooled heat exchangers,
data heat recovery units and air preheaters.
Microsoft Vista Compliant XfhSimulates the behavior of red heat-
ers. Calculates the radiant section of cylindri-
Gulf Publishing Company cal and box heaters and the convection section
PO Box 2608 of red heaters. It also designs process heater
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA tubes and performs combustion calculations.
Phone: 713-529-4301 XhpeDesigns, rates, and simulates the
E-mail: software@gulfpub.com performance of hairpin heat exchangers.
www.gulfpub.com/soft XistDesigns, rates and simulates single-
Company Bio: Heat Transfer Research, Inc. and two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers,
Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di- including kettle and thermosiphon reboilers,
Worldwide falling lm evaporators and reux condensers.
vision publishes and distributes more than 150 Venture Drive
40 desktop applications designed specically XjpeDesigns, rates and simulates jacket-
College Station, TX 77845, USA ed-pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
for the needs of the engineering community Phone: 979-690-5050
involved in the petroleum industry. XpheDesigns, rates and simulates plate-
Fax: 979-690-3250 and-frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental
Products: Contacts: Claudette D. Beyer, President and program, Xphe calculates each plate channel
ProcessTools features a comprehensive CEO; Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and individually using local physical properties and
suite of desktop applications specic to the de- Business Development; and Greg Starks, process conditions.
sign and evaluation needs of the petroleum and Regional Sales Manager, USA/Canada XspeRates and simulates single-phase
chemical industry. Containing 18 modules, E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net spiral plate heat exchangers.
this software package addresses many of the de- www.HTRI.net XtloGraphical standalone rigorous tube
sign requirements encountered in the industry Asia-Pacic layout software; also integrated with Xist.
but never available before in a desktop appli- Heat Transfer Research, Inc. XvibPerforms ow-induced vibration
cation. ProcessTools 1.9 is a desktop suite of World Business Garden Marive East 14F analysis of a single tube in a heat exchanger
distinct software applications designed to sig- Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku bundle. It handles various geometries and uses
nicantly enhance calculating time for design- Chiba 261-7114, Japan rigorous structural analysis to calculate the
ers and operators involved in the chemical and Phone: 81-43-297-0353 tube natural frequencies for various modes.
hydrocarbon processing industries. Purchase Fax: 81-43-297-0354 Xchanger Suite EducationalCustomized
all 18 modules, or select individual modules Contact: Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Manager version of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
(minimum of two) at a preferred price. E-mail: HTRI.AsiaPacic@HTRI.net design, rate and simulate shell-and-tube heat
Modules Include: exchangers, air coolers, economizers and plate-
Treating Plant Design EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
The Surrey Technology Centre and-frame heat exchangers. It is available to
TEG Dehydration Design educational institutions only.
Mole Sieve Dehydration 40 Occam Road
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG, UK R-trendCalculates and trends fouling re-
Air-Cooled Exchangers sistances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in
Shell and Tube Exchangers Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101 single-phase service. It uses Microsoft Excel as
Vent Stack and/or Storage Emissions a working environment with an optional link
Instrumentation Contact: Hans U. Zettler, Director of Sales,
EMEA to Xist.
Flare Design
Line Sizing E-mail: HTRI.EMEA@HTRI.net www.info.hotims.com/38647-127
Vessel Design India
Flash Calculations C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
Centrifugal Compressor Indraprasth Complex
Reciprocating Compressor Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
Centrifugal Pumps Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
Reciprocating Pumps Phone: 91-982-514-7775
Air, Water, Steam and Amine Properties Contact: Rajan Desai, International
Equation Derivation Coordinator
Plate Fin Exchanger E-mail: HTRI.India@HTRI.net

44
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

tive tool for energy Pinch Analysis, WaterTar-


get to manage facility water use and Carbon
Manager to track carbon emissions and per-
form fuel balances.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136

KRC Technologies
6637 Covoy Ct.
Intertek KBC Advanced San Diego, CA 9211, USA
801 Travis Street, Suite 1500 Phone: 888-467-2127
Houston, TX 77002, USA Technologies, Inc. www.engineering-software.com
Phone: 713-407-3500 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
Contact: Erik Holladay, Houston, TX 77094, USA
Global Marketing Director Phone: 281-293-8200
E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com Fax: 281-616-0900
www.intertek.com E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
www.kbcat.com
Company Bio:
Intertek supports the global petroleum re- Other KBC Office Locations: Yokogawa Electric Corp.
ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora- London World Headquarters
tion and production industries with world-class Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424 9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome
testing, inspection, engineering and consulting Singapore Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
services. With operations in over 100 nations, Phone: +65 6735 5488 www.yokogawa.com
Intertek provides a wide range of services and Company Bio:
expertise to help clients improve quality and Yokogawa Corp. of America
KBC Advanced Technologies provides
reduce risk and costs. software and services to the global energy 12530 West Airport Blvd.
industries. KBCs suite of software includes Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA
Products:
process simulation software and energy opti- www.yokogawa.com/us
Intertek provides a wide range of services
and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in- mization products that allow clients to realize
dustry, including: superior returns on their existing assets and
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Asset Integrity Management reduce capital expenditures for a competitive Databankweg 20
Corrosion Control advantage. 3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
Pilot Plant Project Support www.yokogawa.com/eu
Products:
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing
KBC oers a wide range of software that Yokogawa Engineering
can model detailed process units or entire
Rened Petroleum Products Testing plants. KBC models are used in performance
Asia PTE. LTD.
Petrochemical Products Testing monitoring, troubleshooting and optimiza- 5 Bedok South Road
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation tion, as well as for design and feasibility studies. Singapore 469270, Singapore
E and P Core Analysis Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are www.yokogawa.com/sg
Health, Safety and Environmental KBCs full-featured, graphical process simula-
Expertise tors, featuring proven technology and indus- Yokogawa Electric
Regulatory Compliance Support try-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM and Pet- China Co., LTD.
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres ro-SIM Express include general-purpose unit
Compliance 22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
operations, an extensive component library, a 31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Dimensional Control Engineering range of thermodynamics packages and inno-
Forensic Investigations Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China
vative methods to fully integrate the software Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Vendor Inspection and Auditing with plant information systems, databases, Ex-
Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
cel and third-party software.
Terminal Services KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor Company Bio:
And more: http://www.intertek.com/ models include detailed units for renery and Yokogawa Corporation of America is the
energy/ petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM North American division of $3.4 billion Yok-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-125 (Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro- ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in
cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM the manufacture and supply of instrumenta-
(Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), tion, process control, automation services and
ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas,
C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va-
ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in- riety of clients with leading products on the
clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization market such as process analyzers, owmeters,
and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui-
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and sition products, measuring instruments, dis-
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces. tributed control systems and more.
KBCs energy software focuses on reducing Products:
energy use and minimizing capital investment. One of the signicant trends in the Auto-
Products include ProSteam to optimize steam mation industry in the past decade has been
and power systems, SuperTarget, the deni-

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 45
CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

the early involvement of the Automation Expertise


supplier on large projects to provide a single Regulatory Compliance Support
point of responsibility for the overall automa- Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
tion scope of work through adopting a main Compliance
automation contractor (MAC) methodology. Dimensional Control Engineering
Yokogawa perceives that correction and align- Forensic Investigations
ment of project problems cost less at project Vendor Inspection and Auditing
planning and design stages than during con- Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
struction and startup. MAC merges resources, Terminal Services
experience and skill setsminimizing costs, And more: http://www.intertek.com/ Intertek
maximizing eciency, ensuring consistencies energy/ 801 Travis Street, Suite 1500
and producing a far superior project solution. Houston, TX 77002, USA
Yokogawas execution capabilities and facilities www.info.hotims.com/38647-125 Phone: 713-407-3500
include over 3,200 engineers on a global basis Contact: Erik Holladay,
and technical expertise is distributed all over Global Marketing Director
the world. When it comes to MAC project ex-
PILOT PLANT SUPPORT
E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com
ecution, Yokogawa is able to handle inquiries at www.intertek.com
each of its regional headquarters where senior
and experienced engineers are available. Company Bio:
Intertek supports the global petroleum re-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-128 ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora-
tion and production industries with world-class
LABORATORY TESTING R&D testing, inspection, engineering and consulting
services. With operations in over 100 nations,
Intertek provides a wide range of services and
Emerson Process expertise to help clients improve quality and
Management reduce risk and costs.
12301 Research Blvd., Bldg. 3 Products:
Austin, TX 78759, USA Intertek provides a wide range of services
www.EmersonProcess.com and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in-
dustry, including:
Company Bio:
Asset Integrity Management
Emerson Process Management (www.em-
Corrosion Control
ersonprocess.com), an Emerson business, is
Intertek Pilot Plant Project Support
a leader in helping businesses automate their Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis
801 Travis Street, Suite 1500 production, processing and distribution in Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing
Houston, TX 77002, USA the oil and gas, rening, chemical, power, life Rened Petroleum Products Testing
Phone: 713-407-3500 sciences and other industries. The company Petrochemical Products Testing
Contact: Erik Holladay, combines superior products and technology Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation
Global Marketing Director with industry-specic engineering, consulting, E and P Core Analysis
E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com project management and maintenance services. Health, Safety and Environmental
www.intertek.com
Products: Expertise
Company Bio: Emerson brands include our digital plant Regulatory Compliance Support
Intertek supports the global petroleum re- architecture PlantWeb, as well as, Smart Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explora- Wireless and our eld and plant networks. In Compliance
tion and production industries with world-class addition, some of our brands serving the Oil Dimensional Control Engineering
testing, inspection, engineering and consulting and Gas industry also include: Forensic Investigations
services. With operations in over 100 nations, Vendor Inspection and Auditing
Systems and Software: DeltaV,
Intertek provides a wide range of services and Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
METCO, AMS Suite, etc.
expertise to help clients improve quality and Terminal Services
Measurement and Analytical: Micro
reduce risk and costs. And more: http://www.intertek.com/
Motion, Rosemount, Daniel, Roxar, etc.
energy/
Products: Valves and Final Control: Fisher,
Intertek provides a wide range of services Bettis, El-O-Matic, EIM, FloBoss, www.info.hotims.com/38647-125
and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in- Hytork, Schafer, TESCOM and
dustry, including: TopWorx, etc. PROCESS ENGINEERING
Asset Integrity Management Services: Asset Optimization Services,
Corrosion Control
AND SIMULATION
Process Automation Services and
Pilot Plant Project Support Wireless Services. Bryan Research &
Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis
Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing www.info.hotims.com/38647-137 Engineering
Rened Petroleum Products Testing PO Box 4747
Petrochemical Products Testing Bryan, TX 77805, USA
Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation Phone: 979-776-5220
E and P Core Analysis www.bre.com
Health, Safety and Environmental

46
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

C N
EPC NSOFTWARE
Chemstations, Inc. EPCON International, Inc. Gulf Publishing Company
11490 Westheimer Road, Suite 900 9801 Westheimer Suite 1000 PO Box 2608
Houston, TX 77077, USA Houston, TX 77042, USA Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA
Toll Free: 800-243-6223 Phone: 281-398-9400 Phone: 713-529-4301
Phone: 713-978-7700 Toll-free: 1-800-367-3585 E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
Fax: 713-978-7727 Fax: 281-398-9488 www.gulfpub.com/soft
E-mail: sales@chemstations.com Contact: Jyoti Belwal, General Sales Manager
www.chemstations.com Company Bio:
E-mail: jb@epcon.com Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
Company Bio: www.EPCON.com vision publishes and distributes more than
Chemstions is a leader in chemical process Company Bio: 40 desktop applications designed specically
simulation software and has been developing EPCON Software leads the way in innova- for the needs of the engineering community
powerful solutions since 1988. Over 1,000 or- tive software applications for uid ow net- involved in the petroleum industry.
ganizations worldwide use our technologies to work analysis, equipment sizing, cost estima-
improve productivity and protability. We be- Products:
tion, thermodynamics, physical properties and ProcessTools features a comprehensive
lieve in the value that chemical engineers bring custom software engineering. Over 25,000 en-
to our world and are dedicated to providing suite of desktop applications specic to the de-
gineers worldwide have used EPCON Software sign and evaluation needs of the petroleum and
tools that help advance the eld. since 1982 and currently 90% of petroleum chemical industry. Containing 18 modules,
Products: rening companies in the Fortune 500 rely on this software package addresses many of the de-
CHEMCAD is Chemstations intuitive EPCON Software each and every day. sign requirements encountered in the industry
suite of chemical process simulation software Products: but never available before in a desktop appli-
that broadens an engineers capabilities and By complementing your process simulation cation. ProcessTools 1.9 is a desktop suite of
increases productivity. CHEMCAD super- software with the API Technical Data Book, distinct software applications designed to sig-
charges an engineers eciency when facing the which is often referred to as the Reners Bi- nicantly enhance calculating time for design-
toughest chemical process models or address- ble, you will be able to verify the accuracy of ers and operators involved in the chemical and
ing day-to-day challenges. converged calculations and truly understand hydrocarbon processing industries. Purchase
CC-STEADY STATE includes libraries of why your process simulation software provided all 18 modules, or select individual modules
chemicals, thermodynamic methods and unit the answers it did. Developed by the Ameri- (minimum of two) at a preferred price.
operations to allow steady-state simulation of can Petroleum Institute over the past 45 years Modules Include:
continuous processes from lab scale to full scale. by 127 leading thermodynamic experts in the Treating Plant Design
CC-DYNAMICS takes steady-state simu- petroleum industry, the API Technical Data TEG Dehydration Design
lations to the next level of delity to allow Book contains an enormous amount of data Mole Sieve Dehydration
dynamic analysis. The possibilities are endless: and methods for hydrocarbons and petro frac- Air-Cooled Exchangers
operability check-out, PID loop tuning, op- tions, detailed information for 161 API physi- Shell and Tube Exchangers
erator training, even online process control and cal property methods, and over 2,000 technical Vent Stack and/or Storage Emissions
soft sensor functionality. references and resources right at your ngertips Instrumentation
CC-THERM makes use of multiple in- via a software suite of 20 robust applications. Flare Design
ternational standards for design and materials Most petroleum engineers own a personal, Line Sizing
to make sizing or rating heat exchangers faster printed copy of the data book that they use as Vessel Design
and more accurate. The program covers shell- a technical reference but did you know that Flash Calculations
and-tube, plate-and-frame, air-cooled and the last, publicly available printed version of Centrifugal Compressor
double-pipe exchangers. the data book was released in 1999, and there Reciprocating Compressor
CC-SAFETY NET allows rigorous analy- have been nine major updates and additions to Centrifugal Pumps
sis of any piping network and combines the the data since? If this is your situation or you Reciprocating Pumps
rigorous two-phase relief device calculation, would like to experience the data book for the Air, Water, Steam and Amine Properties
pressure drop calculation, physical property rst time, then visit us online at www.EPCON. Equation Derivation
calculation and phase equilibrium to deliver com/APITech or call us at 1-800-367-3585 to Plate Fin Exchanger
fast, accurate answers. learn more about how you can try the newest PetroCalc is an upgraded Windows ver-
CC-FLASH is a subset of the CHEMCAD version of the API Technical Data Book free sion of a popular DOS program that solves
suite and allows rigorous calculation of physi- for 30 Days. fracturing and acidizing design problems. Use
cal properties and phase equilibria for pure these programs to evaluate the eectiveness and
components and mixtures. www.info.hotims.com/38647-134 size of the treatment, as well as the choice of
CC-BATCH makes batch distillation simu- dierent uids and proppants.
lation and design easy with intuitive, operation Calculate the eects of:
step-based input; it optimizes batch operation, Flowback
minimizes intermediate slop cuts and in- Proppant concentration and
creases productivity. scheduling
www.info.hotims.com/38647-130 Stimulation project economics
Damage and damage removal
Acidizing

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 47
CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

XfhSimulates the behavior of red heat- services and expertise to help clients improve
ers. Calculates the radiant section of cylindri- quality and reduce risk and costs.
cal and box heaters and the convection section
Products:
of red heaters. It also designs process heater
Intertek provides a wide range of services
tubes and performs combustion calculations.
and expertise for the global hydrocarbon in-
XhpeDesigns, rates, and simulates the
dustry, including:
performance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Asset Integrity Management
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. XistDesigns, rates and simulates single-
Corrosion Control
and two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers,
Worldwide Pilot Plant Project Support
150 Venture Drive including kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, Catalyst Evaluation and Analysis
College Station, TX 77845, USA falling lm evaporators and reux condensers. Crude Oil Feedstock Assay and Testing
Phone: 979-690-5050 XjpeDesigns, rates and simulates jacket- Rened Petroleum Products Testing
ed-pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers. Petrochemical Products Testing
Fax: 979-690-3250
XpheDesigns, rates and simulates plate- Reservoir and Drilling Fluids Evaluation
Contacts: Claudette D. Beyer, President and
and-frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental E and P Core Analysis
CEO; Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and
program, Xphe calculates each plate channel Health, Safety and Environmental
Business Development; and Greg Starks,
individually using local physical properties and Expertise
Regional Sales Manager, USA/Canada
process conditions. Regulatory Compliance Support
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
XspeRates and simulates single-phase Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
www.HTRI.net
spiral plate heat exchangers. Compliance
Asia-Pacic XtloGraphical standalone rigorous tube Dimensional Control Engineering
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. layout software; also integrated with Xist. Forensic Investigations
World Business Garden Marive East 14F XvibPerforms ow-induced vibration Vendor Inspection and Auditing
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku analysis of a single tube in a heat exchanger Pipeline, Renery, Chemical Plant and
Chiba 261-7114, Japan bundle. It handles various geometries and uses Terminal Services
Phone: 81-43-297-0353 rigorous structural analysis to calculate the And more: http://www.intertek.com/
Fax: 81-43-297-0354 tube natural frequencies for various modes. energy/
Contact: Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Manager Xchanger Suite EducationalCustomized
E-mail: HTRI.AsiaPacic@HTRI.net version of Xchanger Suite with the capability to www.info.hotims.com/38647-125
design, rate and simulate shell-and-tube heat
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
exchangers, air coolers, economizers and plate-
The Surrey Technology Centre
and-frame heat exchangers. It is available to
40 Occam Road
educational institutions only.
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG, UK
R-trendCalculates and trends fouling
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
resistances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
in single-phase service. It uses Microsoft Excel
Contact: Hans U. Zettler, Director of Sales, as a working environment with an optional
EMEA link to Xist.
E-mail: HTRI.EMEA@HTRI.net
www.info.hotims.com/38647-127
India KBC Advanced
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
Indraprasth Complex
Technologies, Inc.
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North) 15021 Katy Freeway, Suite 600
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India Houston, TX 77094, USA
Phone: 91-982-514-7775 Phone: 281-293-8200
Contact: Rajan Desai, International Fax: 281-616-0900
Coordinator E-mail: answers@kbcat.com
E-mail: HTRI.India@HTRI.net www.kbcat.com

Company Bio: Other KBC Office Locations:


HTRI operates an international consor- London
tium founded in 1962 that conducts indus- Intertek Phone: +44 (0)1932 242424
trially relevant research and provides software 801 Travis Street, Suite 1500 Singapore
tools for design, rating and simulation of pro- Houston, TX 77002, USA Phone: +65 6735 5488
cess heat transfer equipment. HTRI also pro- Phone: 713-407-3500 Company Bio:
duces a wide range of technical publications Contact: Erik Holladay, KBC Advanced Technologies provides soft-
and provides other services including contract Global Marketing Director ware and services to the global energy indus-
research, software development, consulting E-mail: testingservices@intertek.com tries. KBCs suite of software includes process
and training. www.intertek.com simulation software and energy optimization
Products: products that allow clients to realize superior
Company Bio:
HTRI Xchanger SuiteIntegrated graphi- returns on their existing assets and reduce capi-
Intertek supports the global petroleum re-
tal expenditures for a competitive advantage.
cal user environment for the design, rating and ning, petrochemical, and oil and gas explo-
simulation of heat transfer equipment. ration and production industries with world- Products:
XaceDesigns, rates and simulates the class testing, inspection, engineering and KBC oers a wide range of software that
performance of air-cooled heat exchangers, consulting services. With operations in over can model detailed process units or entire
heat recovery units and air preheaters. 100 nations, Intertek provides a wide range of plants. KBC models are used in performance

48
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

monitoring, troubleshooting and optimiza- xed and rotating equipment. It implements guides users through the Hazard and Operabil-
tion, as well as for design and feasibility studies. the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard ity (HAZOP) process, facilitating the identi-
Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express are and performs crack assessments in accordance cation and documentation of hazards, hazard-
KBCs full-featured, graphical process simula- with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per- ous events and associated sequence of events.
tors, featuring proven technology and indus- form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many aw PHAX allows the user to easily document the
try-leading reactor models. Petro-SIM and Pet- and equipment types. An advanced fracture relevant and important facts, while identifying
ro-SIM Express include general-purpose unit mechanics module allows users to also perform safeguards and recommendations that are po-
operations, an extensive component library, a limited Level 3 assessments. tential SIFs or alarms. The tool simplies in-
range of thermodynamics packages and inno- FEACrack is nite element analysis soft- formation ow from PHA to Safety Integrity
vative methods to fully integrate the software ware that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes Level (SIL) selection/verication and alarm
with plant information systems, databases, Ex- utilizing an intuitive interface. Users can per- rationalization through direct data exchange
cel and third-party software. form detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with with exidas exSILentia and SILAlarm tools.
KBCs industry-proven SIM Suite reactor unlimited levels of crack mesh renement. This integration allows HAZOP result tracking
models include detailed units for renery and LifeQuest Heater software provides throughout the safety and alarm management
petrochemical modeling, including: FCC-SIM complete analysis and remnant life assess- life cycles dened by the IEC 61511/ISA 84
(Fluid Cat Cracking), HCR-SIM (Hydro- ment of red heater tubes on a foot-by-foot and ISA-18.2 standards, providing traceability
cracker), REF-SIM (Reformer), HTR-SIM basis utilizing API 579. The nal output is to changes that may impact HAZOP results.
(Hydrotreaters), DC-SIM (Delayed Coker), a system risk curve displaying remaining life
ALK-SIM (Alkylation units) ISOM-SIM (for www.info.hotims.com/38647-126
in hours versus probability of failure. It com-
C6 isomerization) and VIS-SIM (Visbreak- bines with heater performance monitoring
ers). Reactor models for Petrochemicals in- and process modeling for extensive heater re-
clude ISOM-SIM (for Xylene Isomerization liability management.
and Aromatics Transalkylation). Also available LifeQuest Pipeline software delivers in-
from KBC are AMSIM for gas sweetening and spection and tness-for-service assessment re-
Olen-SIM for pyrolysis furnaces. sults through a powerful data viewer. Analysis
KBCs energy software focuses on reduc- and assessment capabilities include standard
Gulf Publishing Company
ing energy use and minimizing capital invest- calculation methods B31G, B31G Modied PO Box 2608
ment. Products include ProSteam to monitor and API 579. Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA
and optimize steam and power systems, Super- Phone: 713-529-4301
Target, the denitive tool for energy Pinch www.info.hotims.com/38647-132 E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
Analysis, WaterTarget to manage facility water www.gulfpub.com/soft
use and Carbon Manager to track carbon emis- PROCESS HAZARDS
Company Bio:
sions and perform fuel balances. ANALYSIS Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di-
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136 vision publishes and distributes more than
40 desktop applications designed specically
for the needs of the engineering community
involved in the petroleum industry.
Products:
WinSMITH Visual for Windows is a
exida scientic plotting software that acts as a plot-
64 North Main Street ting engine for other Fulton Findings software.
Sellersville, PA 18960, USA WinSMITH Visual also makes Crow/AM-
Phone: 215-453-1720 SAA (formally called Duane/AMSAA).
Quest Integrity Group, LLC Fax: 215-257-1657 Features:
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110 Contact: Iwan van Beurden, General and advanced scientic plotting
Boulder, CO 80301, USA Director of Engineering Curve tting (new data set added with
Phone: 303-415-1475 E-mail: vanbeurden@exida.com; 101 points)
Fax: 303-415-1847 info@exida.com Crow/ANSAA reliability growth made
E-mail: Info@QuestIntegrity.com www.exida.com easy
www.QuestIntegrity.com Calculator functions for probability-
Company Bio:
binomial chi-squared, gamma, Poisson
Company Bio: exida is an engineering consulting rm spe-
Cumulative distribution, hazard,
Quest Integrity Group provides highly cializing in safety critical/high availability au-
probability density and reliability
accurate, technology-enabled inspection and tomation systems, control system security and
plotting from WinSMITH Weibull le
assessment solutions that help companies in alarm management. Core competencies in de-
Aggregate cumulative hazard plotting
the process, pipeline and power industries sign, analysis, implementation, operation and
from WinSMITH Weibull le
increase protability, reduce operational and maintenance of critical automation systems,
Warranty data input
safety risks, and improve operational plan- along with expertise in the application of the
Note: All Fulton Findings software is stand
ning. The company is built upon a founda- IEC 61508 and IEC 61511/ISA 84 functional
alone and provides internal plotting capabil-
tion of leading-edge science and technology safety standards, has allowed exida to develop
ity as appropriate. WinSMITH Weibull and
that has innovated and shaped industries for an extensive suite of software tools that assist
WeibullSMITH generate their own CDF
nearly forty years. in the implementation of the Safety Lifecycle.
plots but rely on WinSMITH Visual for spe-
Products: Products: cial-purpose plots.
Signal FFS software performs Fitness-for- PHAX is a software module within the WinSMITHTM Weibull for Windows
Service and fracture mechanics analyses on exSILentia suite of safety life-cycle tools that is the only software that implements all the

SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011


I 49
CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING

Weibull Analysis techniques in The New Weibull An oil and gas economic evaluation nection to any SCADA Host. This makes it
Handbook, 5th Ed., by Dr. Robert Abernethy, An international productionsharing an ideal drop-in replacement for legacy RTUs.
the standard source on Weibull analysis. agreement cash-ow model The STARDOM FCN-RTU comes with an
Features: API21.1 compliant ow computer and gas well
Likelihood ratio condence WELL LOG DATA ACCESS controller in one device. A single controller is
Simplied design (set) comparison able to congure up to two well facilities or
Kaplan-Meier simulation and solution
AND MANAGEMENT more together with choke-valve control, sepa-
Critical correlation coecient rator control, plunger-lift control, tank control,
Sudden-death WeiBayes other equipment control and shutdown logic.
Note: All Fulton Findings software is stand Yokogawa total solutions include not only
alone and provides internal plotting capabil- the well site, but also the injection, pipeline,
ity as appropriate. WinSMITH Weibull and compressor station and the process plant facil-
WeibullSMITHTM generate their own CDF Yokogawa Electric Corp. ity. Yokogawa oers a wide variety of sensors
plots but rely on WinSMITHTM Visual for World Headquarters and controllers that are used to monitor and
special-purpose plots. 9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome operate the digital oil and gas eld, as well as
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan engineering and conguration services and sup-
www.yokogawa.com port, providing a turnkey automation solution.
www.info.hotims.com/38647-128
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd.
Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA
Gulf Publishing Company www.yokogawa.com/us
PO Box 2608
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, USA Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Phone: 713-529-4301
E-mail: software@gulfpub.com
Databankweg 20
3821 AL Amersfoort, The Netherlands
DISPLAY ADVERTISERS
www.gulfpub.com/soft www.yokogawa.com/eu Company Page RS#
Company Bio: Website
Gulf Publishing Companys Software Di- Yokogawa Engineering
vision publishes and distributes more than Asia PTE. LTD. Chemstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 (130)
40 desktop applications designed specically 5 Bedok South Road www.info.hotims.com/38647-130
for the needs of the engineering community Singapore 469270, Singapore
involved in the petroleum industry. www.yokogawa.com/sg Epcon Software (API) . . . . . . . . . . 31 (135)
Products: www.info.hotims.com/38647-135
PetroCalc is an upgraded Windows ver- Yokogawa Electric Epcon Software (Fluid Flow) . . . . 21 (134)
sion of a popular DOS program that solves China Co., LTD. www.info.hotims.com/38647-134
fracturing and acidizing design problems. Use 22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
these programs to evaluate the eectiveness and EPI Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 (133)
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
size of the treatment, as well as the choice of Jingan District, Shanghai 200041, China www.info.hotims.com/38647-133
dierent uids and proppants. Phone: 86-21-5211-0877 Exida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 (126)
Calculate the eects of: Fax: 86-21-5211-0299 www.info.hotims.com/38647-126
Flowback
Proppant concentration and Company Bio: Heat Transfer Research, Inc. . . . . . . 2 (127)
scheduling Yokogawa Corporation of America is the www.info.hotims.com/38647-127
Stimulation project economics North American division of $3.4 billion Yok-
ogawa Electric Corporation, a global leader in Intertek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 (125)
Damage and damage removal
Acidizing the manufacture and supply of instrumenta- www.info.hotims.com/38647-125
PePac 1 consists of 20 reservoir engineering tion, process control, automation services and KBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 (136)
programs written in Basic and three economic solutions. Headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas,
www.info.hotims.com/38647-136
evaluation spreadsheets. The 20 reservoir en- Yokogawa Corporation of America oers a va-
gineering programs are linked through one riety of clients with leading products on the Merrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 (131)
master menu and ve main menus. However, market such as process analyzers, owmeters, www.info.hotims.com/38647-131
each program is self-contained and can be used transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acqui-
sition products, measuring instruments, dis-
Quest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 (132)
independently. The programs in this package www.info.hotims.com/38647-132
are selected for their usefulness in day-to-day tributed control systems and more.
operations that fall into six main categories: Products: Spiral Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 (129)
PVT properties for oil, water and gas WELL PRODUCERTM is a packaged so- www.info.hotims.com/38647-129
Reservoir engineering lution to automate and manage gas wells sim- Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 (128)
Natural gas engineering pler and easier than current practice. WELL www.info.hotims.com/38647-128
Economic evaluation PRODUCER consists of a low-power STAR-
Transient well test analysis DOM FCN-RTU, with all the necessary con- This Advertisers Index and procedure for securing
Waterood design calculations trol and ow computer functions for gas wells additional information is provided as a service
The three economic programs are: pre-congured. All parameter settings can be to Hydrocarbon Processing advertisers and a
A utility spreadsheet to create cash-ow congured by a built-in WEB server, and an convenience to our readers. Gulf Publishing
summaries open MODBUS communication allows con- Company is not responsible for omissions or errors.

50
I SOFTWARE RESOURCE AND SOLUTIONS GUIDE 2011
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