In this section of the site contributing authors submit interesting articles relating
to the various services, industries and research & development efforts of Becht.
Plant Winterization Preventative Maintenance Program Update Fall 2023 By: Bobby Wright with Lakeisha Taylor and Greg Zoll It has been a couple of months since we first started talking about the importance of having a winterization program. Have you reviewed your systems or started any preparations? Here are some questions that you should ask on […]
Last month, Becht facilitated a knowledge sharing event between 25 innovative individuals from nearly a dozen energy industry owner/user organizations. One topic was drone based inspection. Here is an excerpt from Damodaran Raghu’s technical primer which kicked off the group discussion, one of many covered during the sessions. With contributing author Mark Fronek Digital Transformation […]
With Contributing Author Ed de Saegher When buying crude, intermediate feedstock, blending components, or finished products for your refinery, you have multiple ways to transport and delivery them into your tanks. Additionally, you also have several options for the conditions under which those hydrocarbons are purchased (Incoterms). These terms provide many variations for when you […]
With Contributing Author – Rafael Rengifo Above ground storage tanks (AST) are widely used for the storage of large volumes of flammable liquids in tank farms, depots, and terminals. It is mission critical to effectively manage all ignition sources around and in the proximity of AST due to the high risk of fire escalation that […]
It’s hard to imagine life without electricity. We flip a switch and things start working. It powers your lights, television, refrigerator, air conditioner and so much more. Powerlines deliver electricity to our homes and offices and don’t seem dangerous because they are normally mounted up high and out of reach. The truth is, they have […]
The potential formation of nickel carbonyl is a hazard for all hydroprocessing units – both hydrocrackers and hydrotreaters. Fortunately, there have not been a lot of incidents in the refining industry related to nickel carbonyl, but there have been fatalities due to nickel carbonyl exposure. This blog will cover the risks of nickel carbonyl exposure, […]
By: Robert Ohmes with Nathan Barkley, Mike Annon, Greg Zoll and Jessica Hofmann Implementing strategy across the hydrogen supply chain as a critical component in addressing climate change. A blog written by Robert Ohmes, Nathan Barkley, Mike Annon, Greg Zoll, and Jessica Hofmann Recently published in Decarbonisation Technology – August 2023 Issue (digitalrefining.com) As governments […]
A topic that frequently comes up in consultation is how to posture a hydrotreater or hydrocracker when a short, temporary shutdown is needed (with no catalyst change). These short outages can last from a few hours to a few weeks and sometimes, rarely, a few months. Often, the biggest choice in how to posture a […]
With contributing author Wulston Paul Industrial projects have a significant impact on carbon emissions due to the nature of activities involved. These projects often require the use of fossil fuel-powered machinery, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Additionally, the energy consumption during outage/turnaround periods, along with the transportation of materials and workers, […]
A quantitative method for selecting emergency actions could prevent hydrocracker reactor temperature excursion and runaway while avoiding flaring. Recently published article in PTQ Q3 2023 Issue (digitalrefining.com). An excerpt from the article is below… Refiners use multiple emergency actions to react to a reactor temperature excursion or reactor runaway in a hydrocracking unit. Automatic depressuring […]
