Lummus Technology launches next generation of breech-lock high-pressure heat exchanger closure

Lummus Technology launches next generation of breech-lock high-pressure heat exchanger closure
Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven solutions, announced the launch of its Polaris breech-lock closure, a new technological upgrade applicable to its high-pressure heat exchanger equipment, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This advanced design of breech-lock closure provides a host of operational benefits including safe, reliable and secure sealing under all conditions, a simplified assembly and easier maintenance.

"The Polaris breech-lock heat exchanger exemplifies our dedication to deliver innovation and operational performance for customers requiring new or retrofitted heat exchangers," said Rutger Theunissen, Chief Business Officer of Services and Supplies, Lummus Technology. "The new closure system allows for a wider range of operating conditions, increased unit sizes and capacities and reduces shut down times due to ease of use, while delivering the high reliability and safety our customers expect from Lummus."

To preview this technology and its benefits, Lummus will participate in a live webcast hosted by Hydrocarbon Processing on Tuesday, June 21, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. CDT. You can attend the webcast by registering here.

The Polaris breech-lock design incorporates two new advanced features that elevate its performance above traditional breech-lock closures under today's stringent operational environments. The ProSeal system, a new gasket loading design, requires no internal split ring, flange or bolts for simplified fabrication, assembly and disassembly. The load to the seal is efficiently distributed and maintained under a wider range of operating conditions. The ProSeal system further protects the components from damage and deformation caused by plant upsets and differential thermal expansion.

Complementing the new sealing system is the ProLock closure system, an advanced securing mechanism using a special appliance that is simpler and safer to operate. The design allows easy access to all threads for maintenance, lubrication and repair, and significantly reduces the time when inserting and removing the closing plug.

High-pressure exchangers with breech-lock or screw-plug type closures are used in the hydroprocessing industry, primarily for hydrocracking, hydrotreating, lube oil, slurry and residue upgrade processing. Applications include use in reactor feeds and effluent exchangers, recycle gas exchangers, effluent recovery and gas recovery exchangers and other applications in gas compression and fertilizer processes.

Lummus Technology has supplied heat transfer equipment to the process and power industries worldwide for more than 75 years. Specializing in heat transfer systems for critical process environments, Lummus has produced industry leading technology for fired heaters, including the SRT pyrolysis furnace, and heat exchangers, including the HELIXCHANGER heat exchanger and LABLEX Lummus advanced breech-lock exchanger.

As per MRC, Lummus Technology announced it and its catalyst partner Clariant have been awarded a major contract by Fujian Meide to supply CATOFIN technology and catalysts for a new, world-scale propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Fuzhou, China. Already operating one PDH unit at its Fuzhou petrochemical complex, Fujian Meide is now building one of the largest PDH units in the world and has selected the CATOFIN process and catalysts for the project's second phase. The new unit will produce 900,000 mtons of propylene annually and is scheduled to commence operation in 2023.
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Pinnacle releases Economics of Reliability Report for the refining Industry

Pinnacle releases Economics of Reliability Report for the refining Industry

Pinnacle, a reliability data analytics company, released its Economics of Reliability report for the refining industry, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The report, which is the seventh installment of Pinnacle’s Economics of Reliability report series, analyzes the impact that reliability has on the refining industry. "US refiners are reporting record profits and are also running at well above average utilization levels,” said Jeff Krimmel, Chief Strategy Officer at Pinnacle. “This breakneck pace of activity puts real strain on US refining assets. There are important political and economic constraints that will prevent meaningful capacity addition in the US. As a result, domestic refiners have even more incentive to operate as efficiently and reliably as possible."

The report leverages data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) and financial reports of 19 global refiners including ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron. Pinnacle analysts estimate that these companies, who are primarily based in the US, spent 2% of their downstream revenue on reliability and operated at an average utilization rate of 85% in 2021. As global demand for petroleum products skyrocketed, US refiners have expanded their utilization to account for the increase in demand. As of June 2022, US refiners are achieving near 95% utilization, a level that has only been exceeded about 10% of the time since 2001.

"Based on our analysis of these downstream operators, we observed that top performers typically achieve higher utilization while strategically targeting their reliability spending,” said Jace Thurman, Market & Data Analyst at Pinnacle. “Reliable operations and assets are imperative to maximizing utilization and capturing high profit margins. These top performers likely employ data-driven reliability programs that identify the most effective use of their capital. While current market conditions have translated to better earnings for downstream operators, optimizing reliability programs and spending will become a critical strategy for refiners to protect increased profit margins."

As per MRC, American Pinnacle Polymers, one of the main producers of polypropylene (PP) in the US, announced an increase in August prices for all grades of polypropylene (PP) in the US market. Thus, an increase in PP prices in the amount of 5 cents per pound or USD110 per ton will take effect on August 1, 2021 or under the terms of current contracts.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.

Pinnacle Midstream II, LLC is an independent midstream energy company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The Company is focused on providing high-quality natural gas services to producer customers throughout the Midland Basin.
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Chevron Corporation awards Worley a global services agreement

Chevron Corporation awards Worley a global services agreement

Worley and Chevron have entered into a global master services agreement covering Chevron’s upstream, midstream, and downstream business needs, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The agreement can be used by Chevron’s business units including those involved in onshore and offshore assets as well as during project development.

The agreement is designed to achieve higher performance progressively via a network of collaborative teams working across the globe to deliver engineering to support Chevron’s assets. It was developed based on Chevron’s operating model, which incorporates lessons learned from previous projects to achieve more competitive and predictable outcomes for investors.

Under the agreement, Worley will provide engineering and project-related services. This includes working with Chevron’s digital enablement specialists to optimize ways of working and improve efficiencies.

The services will be executed by Worley’s global offices with support from its Global Integrated Delivery (GID) team in India.

“We’ve worked with Chevron for many years, and we look forward to partnering on this important agreement. It will drive engineering quality, project competitiveness, and continuous improvement in delivery across Chevron’s assets worldwide,” said Karen Sobel, Group President, Americas at Worley.

As per MRC, Chevron Corporation completed its previously announced acquisition of Renewable Energy Group, Inc. following approval by REG stockholders.

As per MRC, QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem) have awarded the early site works contract for the Ras Laffan Petrochemical Project (RLPP) to Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). The contract award marks the commencement of execution of the RLPP. CCC has secured a lump-sum contract to prepare the site for the new facility within Ras Laffan Industrial City. Early works on the project will begin in June, at the conclusion of which the EPC contract for the project is expected to be awarded.
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Idemitsu and JERA agree to jointly consider establishing a hydrogen supply chain based in Japan

Idemitsu and JERA agree to jointly consider establishing a hydrogen supply chain based in Japan

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and JERA Co., Inc. have today concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) stipulating that they will jointly consider establishing a hydrogen supply chain based in the Ise Bay area, said Globalhydrogenreview.

On the back of demand for decarbonisation, hydrogen—which emits no CO2when burned—is expected to be used in large quantities at power plants and in industrial areas as a next-generation replacement for fossil fuels. It is essential, therefore, to develop large-scale receiving and supply bases near areas where hydrogen will be in demand.

The Ise Bay area, where many industries are concentrated, has the future potential to become a large-scale receiving and supply base. Idemitsu is engaged in the business of receiving and refining crude oil and supplying petroleum products in the area. JERA, meanwhile, owns thermal power plants and LNG receiving terminals in the area and strives to ensure a stable supply of electricity in the Chubu region.

Idemitsu and JERA will utilise their accumulated technology, knowledge, and assets to contribute to the establishment of a stable, economical supply chain for hydrogen as part of their efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. The two companies will also cooperate with “Hydrogen Utilisation Study Group in Chubu”, which is working to establish cross-industrial hydrogen supply chain throughout the Chubu region.

Idemitsu has adopted the ‘CNX Center’ concept of transforming existing manufacturing bases such as refineries and complexes into new low carbon and resource-recycling energy hubs. Idemitsu aims to establish a supply chain that supplies CO2-free energy by taking advantage of the unique characteristics of each of the group's sites while fulfilling responsibility for the stable supply of energy.

As per MRC, Idemitsu Kosan plans to cut its capacity by 13% in less than two years as the ageing and shrinking population in Japan and the global shift to greener energy eats into household demand for petroleum.
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Olin Lousiana chemical plant partly returns to operations

Olin Lousiana chemical plant partly returns to operations
Olin Corporation announced that half of its Plaquemine, Louisiana chlor alkali facility has returned to operation, which has been down since April 2022, with the remainder expected to return to operations in early August 2022, said the company.

Olin's Freeport, Texas facility continues to operate at a reduced level of power generation with the expectation that a portion of the power generation will be restored in fourth quarter 2022. In May, Olin resumed integrated epoxy resin production at its Stade, Germany facility, which had been temporarily idled in March 2022.

During second quarter 2022, Olin has experienced weaker than anticipated epoxy resin demand in North America and South America. Olin is unwilling to sell incremental volume into a poor-quality market and operating the epoxy resin facilities at less than 50% operating rates is impractical. As a result of these factors, Olin Corporation announced that it is temporarily curtailing epoxy and related upstream inputs production at its Freeport, Texas and Guaruja, Brazil facilities.

Olin Corporation also announced that it is temporarily curtailing a significant portion of its ethylene dichloride and related chlor alkali production at its Freeport, Texas facility. As Olin's unique model adapts in real-time to globally prioritize system value; with the resumption of its Plaquemine, Louisiana operations; with high electrical power costs in Texas; and considering the poor-quality ethylene dichloride market conditions, Olin has decided to suspend this production.

As per MRC, Olin Corporation, a leading vertically integrated chlor alkali producer and marketer, and Plug Power Inc., a leading provider of turnkey hydrogen solutions for the global green hydrogen economy, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the intention to create a joint venture (JV) to produce and market green hydrogen to support growing fuel cell demand in the global hydrogen economy.

We remind that a fire and chlorine spill at Olin Corp’s plant in Plaquemine, a tenant at the Dow Chemical facility, was reported to Iberville Sheriff’s office around 8:40 p.m., on 18 April, 2022. Louisiana authorities lifted a shelter-in-place order within five hours of issuing it after a chlorine leak on Monday.

Olin Corporation was founded in 1892 and is currently based in Clayton, Missouri, USA. The company's activities are concentrated in three segments: the production of military ammunition and chlor-alkali products, and their distribution. It is one of the main producers of polyvinyl chloride in the USA along with Shintech, Formosa Plastics, Westlake Chemical and Axiall.
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