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 JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com

THE DIGITAL PLANT

THE FUTURE OF HPI OPERATIONS
AI AND THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
What if your plant were
TRULY DIGITAL?
Five questions to ask regarding
DATA SECURITY and PRIVACY
 JULY 2020 | Volume 99 Number 7
HydrocarbonProcessing.com

21

26

SPECIAL FOCUS: THE DIGITAL PLANT DEPARTMENTS

27 What if your plant were truly digital? 4 Industry Perspectives
F. Martins 8 Business Trends
31 Define operational roles for industrial digital transformation 77 Innovations
E. C. Cosman 79 People
35 Productivity gains through digital turnaround management 80 Advertiser Index
A. Radach 81 Marketplace

37 How AI can better serve the chemical process industry 82 Events

H. H. Lou and H. Gai
COLUMNS
41 Ergon Refining: A digital transformation story
S. Elwart and M. Carugo 7 Editorial Comment
A heartfelt thanks
45 Calculating petroleum quantities in the 21st century
L. S. Tanner
13 Reliability
Finding a maintenance cost optimum

ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY 15 Executive Viewpoint

49 Improve refinery furnace control with burner management systems Digital twin—Today’s disruptive
and model predictive control technology leader
Y. Aktaş and H. Ç. Şanli 17 Executive Viewpoint
Digital transformation and how it is
PROCESS ENGINEERING advancing the processing industries
55 Flare system design for a refinery mega-complex—front end and beyond
21 Digital
S. Chadhuri and R. B. Singh Restricted site access shines a new light
on the benefits of remote operations
SUSTAINABILITY
59 Digitally enabled sustainability in process manufacturing 23 Digital
Data security and privacy:
V. Krishnan The five questions energy
company boards need to ask
65 Black swans and gray rhinos: Building future resilience
P. Morse

67 IMO 2020: Keeping ships at sea while meeting sustainability targets

K. Müller

WATER MANAGEMENT
69 Cooling water microbiological control
R. Post, R. Kalakodimi and B. Buecker

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

73 U.S. modularization—Keep an eye toward the most economical approach
C. Rentschler and G. Shahani

Cover Image: Air Liquide monitors pipeline operations and industrial gas production facilities
within its leading-edge operations control center. Photo courtesy of Air Liquide.

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Lee Nichols

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4 JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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 Editorial
Comment
A heartfelt thanks
Each year, Hydrocarbon Processing
hosts events to bring together profession-
als in the oil and gas industry to share
ideas and knowledge on the latest ad-
vancements in processing technologies
and operations. The flagship event is the
International Refining and Petrochemi-
cal Conference (IRPC). IRPC provides
a valuable forum for refining and petro-
chemical innovators and practitioners to
share their knowledge and expertise with
industry peers, as well as to hear current
and future business strategies from lead-
ing industry professionals.
IRPC consists of two different techni-
cal conferences: IRPC EurAsia and IRPC
Americas. This year, IRPC EurAsia was
scheduled to be held in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands in early June. However, as
most of you know, the COVID-19 pan-
demic significantly impacted global travel
and the ability to gather in one place.
Therefore, the IRPC staff and advisory
board made the decision to convert the
event to an online format. This conversion
led to a complete revision of event logis-
tics—IRPC EurAisa ONLINE was born.
A heartfelt thanks. Unlike an in-person
conference where speakers present their
PowerPoint presentations in a room with
an audience, IRPC EurAsia ONLINE’s
format called for coordinating dozens of
speakers in different time zones to pres-
ent in an online platform to hundreds of
conference registrants from around the
world. The process was ensured through
several practice runs, at different hours of
the day and night, between our event co-
ordinators and speakers.
These practice runs were necessary to
inform the speakers on the usability of the
online platform and to ensure, with a little
luck, a smooth flow of the conference ma-
terial to a global audience of nearly 600.
Since several of these practice runs
were outside normal working hours, we
sincerely thank the presenters for being
flexible with their time. We understand
LEE NICHOLS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Lee.Nichols@HydrocarbonProcessing.com
how busy and hectic downstream profes-
sionals’ work can be, so we wanted to ex-
tend a heartfelt thanks for their time and
effort in working with the IRPC coordi-
nators to prepare for the event.
Due to the conversion to an online
format, IRPC EurAsia was able to be held
on its intended dates, June 3–4. Since
the event’s timetable stayed on the origi-
nally planned Rotterdam time, several
presenters had to present at odd hours of
the day/night. Again, we sincerely thank
those individuals who cordially adjusted
their schedules and workflows to present
crucial technology advancements in the
hydrocarbon processing industry.
The online technical event began with
two insightful keynote presentations: The
goals of the Cracker of the Future consor-
tium and the commissioning and startup
of Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Indus-
tries Co.’s 615,000-bpd Al-Zour refinery.
Day 2’s keynote presentations focused on
the future of the European refining sec-
tor and the challenges and benefits of the
global energy transition and the future of
the circular economy.
The keynote presentations were fol-
lowed by a host of breakout sessions.
These sessions included presentations
on the latest advancements in process
optimization, materials science, emerging
technologies, sustainability, clean fuels/
biofuels, digital transformation, refining
and petrochemical integration and main-
tenance and reliability.
Advancing ideas can be facilitated and
expedited during industry events. Any
time that the industry can come together
and share knowledge on best practices
and technological advancements pro-
vides a significant catalyst for increasing
plant efficiency, profitability and safety.
IRPC Americas. In late September,
Hydrocarbon Processing will host IRPC
Americas in Houston, Texas. Details can
be found at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.
com/events.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
23 HP Digital. For the past
several years, hydrocarbon
processing industry companies have
been forced to navigate volatile
conditions, including unstable economics,
increased sustainability concerns and
knowledge transfer gaps. However, these
issues have overshadowed the crucial
area of data security and privacy. This
article explores the five questions energy
company boards need to ask regarding
their company’s data.
17 Executive Viewpoint.
Hydrocarbon Processing was
pleased to speak with executives of
Schneider Electric on their insights
into the oil and gas industry’s digital
transformation and how it is advancing
automation, sustainability and future
operations.
26 The Digital Plant.
New digital technologies
are enabling operators to enhance
operations and increase reliability,
safety and profitability. This month’s
Special Focus examines the benefits
of the processing industry’s digital
transformation.
49 Environment and Safety.
A burner management system
(BMS) includes several pieces dedicated
to combustion safety and operator
assistance in the starting/stopping of
burning equipment. This case study
examines the application of a BMS at the
lube oil plant at Tüpraş’ İzmir refinery.
59 Sustainability.
Many companies around the
world are investing in new technologies
to increase sustainable operations.
This includes utilizing new digital
technologies for energy efficiency,
new processing methods for clean fuels
production and incorporating renewable
technologies into existing operations.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 20207
 | Business Trends
Blockchain is defined as a system in which a record of
transactions is maintained across several computers
linked in a peer-to-peer network. The application of
blockchain technology in the petrochemical industry
is a system integration approach through engineering,
procurement, construction management and other key
service supplier relationships. It enables automated
business transactions to become more sophisticated,
enabling industry networks to evolve into self-governing
cognitive business networks economically. The expected
outcomes are increases in profitability and improvements
in key performance indicators. This month’s Business
Trends introduces the core theory of blockchain
technology, along with opportunities, challenges and
risks within the petrochemical industry.

Columns of the central gas fractionation unit at Sibur’s Tobolsk

polymer plant. Photo courtesy of Sibur.
A. A. EZZAT, Pharos University,
Alexandria, Egypt
Application of blockchain technology
in the petrochemical industry
The petrochemical industry relies on
an extensive supply chain system to bring
products and services to competitive
markets. Each supplier maintains a sepa-
rate ledger in compliance with its policies
and procedures. As a result, most busi-
ness transactions are inefficient, expen-
sive and vulnerable. Inefficiencies result
from the duplication of a single contract
by each participant in the supply chain.
The time it takes for each participant to
record and reconcile transactions can
slow down the flow of capital and rev-
enue throughout the entire supply chain.
Therefore, strategy modification is
needed in how companies conduct busi-
ness transactions economically and effi-
ciently. Blockchain technology has been
developed to deal with strategy modi-
fications and help companies conduct
business transactions and data security
economically and efficiently. This study
covers the prospects of applying block-
chain technology in petrochemical-relat-
ed industries.
Due to crude oil price volatility, the
high cost of upstream industry develop-
ments and challenges in the processing
industries are forcing hydrocarbon pro-
cessing industries to reduce costs in an
economic and efficient regime. The appli-
cation of blockchain technology is an ap-
proach to conquer these challenges. This
approach is based on geographic, politi-
cal and operational realities, along with
the scale of investment required within
the industry. Therefore, strategy modi-
fication is needed in how upstream and
downstream companies conduct business
transactions economically and efficiently.
Conversely, petrochemical industries
are based on developing technologies
with complex configurations. Indus-
trial companies cannot exist in isolation
since they rely on extensive supply chain
networks, which can connect suppliers,
partners, distributers and customers
across different geographic locations.
The application of blockchain tech-
nology in the petrochemical industry is
a system integration approach through
engineering, procurement, construction
management and other key service sup-
plier relationships. It allows automated
business transactions to become more
sophisticated, enabling industry net-
works to evolve into self-governing cog-
nitive business networks economically.
The expected outcomes are increases in
profitability and improvements in key
performance indicators (KPIs).
The concept of blockchain. Essen-
tially, blockchain is a mode to manage
transaction processing through transpar-
ent rules to construct non-tampering and
traceable blockchain data structure. It is
an application mode combining computer
technologies such as distributed data stor-
age, consensus mechanisms, peer-to-peer
transmission, and encryption algorithms.
The biggest innovation of blockchain
technology is that transactions are no
longer stored in the central database.
The system is based on peer-to-peer ap-
plication, where the computers in each
node in the network have equal status—
each node has the same network power,
and there is no centralized server. All
nodes share information through spe-
cific protocols. This means that in the
blockchain model, transactions can be
conducted directly between two parties
without third-party intervention, and all
transaction data is stored in the distrib-
uted blockchain.
Key characteristics of blockchain.
Blockchain technology has six main
characteristics: decentralization, immu-
tability, transparency, efficiency, security
and anonymity.
Business Trends
Decentralization. This feature clari-
fies that the blockchain-based system
is no longer dependent on the central
processing node, which realizes the dis-
tributed recording, storage, and data
updates. The status of each node is the
same, and the data blocks are maintained
by the nodes with the maintenance func-
tion in the entire system.
Immutability. Information cannot
be changed after being verified and add-
ed to the blockchain.
Transparency. Transparency is the
basis for blockchain to be trusted since
recorded data and updates are transpar-
ent to the nodes of the entire network.
Therefore, network-wide nodes, with
high transparency, can be used to review
and track data records and operations.
Efficiency. The blockchain technol-
ogy makes the system more transparent
by distributing database records to users
in the system, making it more efficient in
terms of risk and cost.
Security. Since the blockchain-based
system has the characteristics of decen-
tralization, the security of the entire sys-
tem is safe.
Anonymity. In blockchain systems,
both parties can make the transaction
anonymous because the program rules
can automatically determine whether
the exchange activities between nodes
are valid.
Technology cooperation. The devel-
opments of artificial intelligence (AI) and
cloud computing are being researched
for blockchain technology developments
(e.g., AI based on blockchain uses smart
contracts, in terms of user equipment
authorization, authentication and value
exchange, to improve security).
Conversely, the combination of
blockchain and cloud computing will ef-
fectively reduce the cost of blockchain
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 20209
 Business Trends

deployment. In a practical case, block- PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY • Supply chain, pipeline, logistics,
chain-as-a-service (BaaS), developed by BLOCKCHAIN SYSTEM shipping procurement
the combination of blockchain and cloud • Marketing and related programs
computing, aims to provide users with The petrochemical industry can be • Trade in carbon emissions
better blockchain services, such as good divided into three main classes: prima- • JV data/accounting
resource management tools, customized ry, intermediate and end materials. The • Transfer pricing
data analysis and reporting systems. primary class covers feedstocks and raw • Production sharing.
materials. The intermediate products include
High-performance blockchain tech- The intermediate class covers inter- monomers, resins and compounds,
nology. Originally, each blockchain mediate petrochemical materials (e.g., which are directed to processing units
network is a relatively independent net- monomers). to produce finished products. The value
work, and data information cannot be The petrochemical industry includes chain of the petrochemical industry is
interconnected. However, cross-chain the following sections: summarized in TABLE 1.
technology makes blockchain suitable • Capital projects
for industries with complex scenarios, • Commercial trades/deals and Petrochemical industry manage-
such as the petrochemical industry. service execution contracts ment system. The management system
of petrochemical plants can be classified
into three aspects:
TABLE 1. Petrochemical industry value chain
• Reconciliation and paperwork
Primary section Intermediate section Downstream section impacts
• High risk of inefficiency
Natural gas/crude oil Primary petrochemical Compounding and composite
feedstocks materials processes
in transactions
• Third-party management costs.
Primary operations Intermediate petrochemical Petrochemical end products In addition, petrochemical industry ex-
feedstocks
ecutives need to understand how best
Conversion processes Intermediate storage and Storage and handling of end to extract value from blockchain tech-
conditioning products nology and develop an adoption strat-
egy. The following criteria should be
considered in the application of block-
TABLE 2. System architecture of a petrochemical enterprise structure
chain technology:
System/priority Architecture • Business operations position:
Information technology (IT) Corporate workplace
Considering the highest-value
opportunities
IT Server-historian-patch management • Globally accepted standards
IT Data historian, production controller, control room workstation achievements: Exploring the role
of alliances and how profit pools
IT supervisory control and Human-machine interface, operation station, might be redistributed. Consider
data acquisition (SCADA) engineer workstation
blockchain as the new business
SCADA/operational Programmable logic controller, remote terminal unit, environment and collaboration
technology (OT) intelligent electronic device as the optimal way of working.
SCADA/OT Sensors, actuators • Business scale’s lines and applied
revenue models: Looking for
SCADA/OT Feed conditioning, transfer/conveying systems, processing units new sources of revenue as
business models (e.g., explore
TABLE 3. Opportunities and challenges in the petrochemical industry how blockchain might extract
further value from other
Opportunities/challenges Item Cause technologies, such as the IoT
Opportunities • Low transaction costs • Elimination of third parties and cloud computing).
• Convenient transactions • Reduced transaction costs
• High transparency • Decentralized data storage Blockchain aspects in the petro-
and blockchain tracking chemical industry. Since the petro-
• Data sharing is fast and
convenient
chemical industry is a multi-link indus-
try, many transactions and contracts are
Challenges • Asset integrity • Data cannot be tampered with involved in these phases, resulting in rec-
management • The introduction of blockchain will
• Adaption to new market change the mode of operation
onciliation and tracking work.
model supervision • Blockchain guarantees the Smart contracts. These contracts
• Trust data quality costs accuracy of data record terms with computer language
• It will involve many management instead of legal language. Smart contracts
systems and databases can receive transaction requests from
10JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
 Business Trends

outside of the organization and generate
new transactions. The results can be up-
dated, and cannot be forged or tampered
with once confirmed. Smart contracts
can greatly reduce paperwork, simplify
the process and improve efficiency.
The smart contract model comprises
the following contents:
• Input transactions and events
• Process responses and rules
• Contract value and status
• Output transactions and events.
Decision-making and manage-
ment. Blockchain has important appli-
cations in decision-making, such as feed-
stock selection, refinery/petrochemical
integration, maintenance and marketing-
related services. The blockchain applica-
tion will result in the proof of feasibility
study results and can provide records
that cannot be tampered with, which
greatly helps industry control.
Conversely, for management de-
cision-making, blockchain technol-
ogy leads to efficient data exchange and
transmission (e.g., smart contracts can
help automated and transparent voting
applications, which improves the cor-
rectness of decision-making).
Supervision. Many petrochemical
products are distributed through vari-
ous channels such as producers, sup-
pliers and contractors. Blockchain can
track production situations and provide
transparent evaluation of the process,
including asset tracking and equipment
lifecycle. This is the main function of
blockchain technology—solving pet-
rochemical industry KPI evaluation
and supply chain management. TABLE 2
shows a typical system architecture of a
petrochemical enterprise structure.
Opportunities and challenges. Due
to decentralization and transparency,
blockchain technology will bring many
opportunities to the petrochemical in-
dustry. However, it will also encounter
many challenges (TABLE 3). Blockchain
technology, a cyber-secure industry
concept application—which is an opera-
tional concept—could add trust, secu-
rity and a de-centralization approach to
petrochemical plant operation.
Takeaway. Blockchain technology has
excellent potential in the petrochemical
industry. This study introduced the core
theory of blockchain technology, along
with the application status, opportuni-
ties, challenges and risks within the pet-
rochemical industry.
Blockchain can bring many opportu-
nities, such as reducing transaction costs
and increasing transparency. To satisfy
market and management needs, while
navigating feedstock price volatility and
environmental regulations, the industry
should follow blockchain technology to-
ward cross-chain and hybrid consensus
mechanisms.
ABBAS EZZAT is a Petrochemical Professor at
Pharos University and a Distinguished Scientist at
Alexandria University’s materials science department
at the Institute of Graduate Studies and Research.
In addition, he is a local consult for the Egyptian
petroleum/petrochemical sectors and a senior
associate consultant for Channoil Consulting Ltd.,
London. Prior to joining academia, he occupied
several top management positions in the Egyptian
petroleum/petrochemical industries. Dr. Ezzat
earned an MSc degree in chemical engineering from
Washington University and a PhD in petrochemical
applications from Alexandria University in Egypt.

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Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202011

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 HEINZ P. BLOCH, RELIABILITY/EQUIPMENT EDITOR
Reliability Heinz.Bloch@HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Finding a maintenance cost optimum
An Italian company is among those that design and build
industrial machinery for the tissue industry. One of the com-
pany’s service engineers was reading a book on machinery up-
time1 when he asked us to clarify the concept its authors had
tried to convey in FIG. 1. What puzzled the reader was an accom-
panying statement to the effect that maintenance and operat-
ing costs decrease as initial capital increases, up to a benchmark
point of maintenance costs.
We formulated a reply, using a simple, two-point analogy
with airplanes:
1. Suppose an Airbus 380 costs 10 times what an inter-
city/regional plane costs. However, the Airbus 380’s
“per-passenger mile flown” cost of maintenance and fuel
is much lower than what the airline pays for the smaller
plane’s maintenance and fuel.
2. Smaller machines are generally less efficient. Per
kilowatt-hour (kWh) of power consumed by smaller
machines, its owner-operator probably pays more for
maintenance and power; therefore, the curve is high on
the left side and much lower on the right side.
However, FIG. 1 is only an arbitrary example curve. In the
case graphically depicted here, it would be a machine that
costs $40,000 if it has small throughput capacity and $150,000
if the larger model is purchased for high throughput capacity.
In this simple illustrative example, we attempted to demon-
strate the well-known principle of “economy of scale.” How-
ever, this graph can also demonstrate “economy of value,” as
will be explained.
What the low-cost mixer gearbox really cost. An actual
field example involving a mixer gearbox is fully described on a
spreadsheet in the referenced text1; the example dates back to
1992. When gear-tooth pitting after the first year of operation
prompted a reliability engineer to conduct a failure analysis and
design review, it was evident that the American Gear Manufactur-
ers Association (AGMA) service factor was only 1.07. However,
American Petroleum Institute (API) standards require a 1.70 ser-
vice factor for equipment associated with extrusion machinery.
The investigating reliability engineer specified a new gearbox
with a 2.0 AGMA service factor. The gears were wider and the
gearbox bigger; the motor had to be moved several inches. The
cost of the new gearbox and motor relocation was $294,333; the
original gearbox cost $160,000. The new gearbox ran for 5 yr
before requiring significant repairs. Cost performance was com-
pared on a 10-yr basis, with future years assumed to require the
average maintenance costs of the known years.
The spreadsheet1 showed the lifecycle cost (net present cost)
of the 1.07 service factor case as $484,023 vs. the lifecycle cost
(net present cost) of the 2.0 service factor case of $345,756.
160
140
120
Cost, $U.S. thousands
100
80
60 Capital/acquisition costs
Maintenance and operation costs
40 Total LCC
20
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Initial investment cost, $U.S. thousands
FIG. 1. Minimizing total lifecycle cost, top curve.
Obviously, the 2.0 service factor case wins. The stronger gear-
box should have been selected at the beginning. The difference
would have been even greater if production losses had been in-
cluded. However, the example as stated illustrates how lower life-
cycle costs may be achieved despite higher initial cost.
Avoid cheap equipment. In summary, it can be easily seen that
the lowest cost of initial capital may not produce the lowest lifecy-
cle cost in the long run. Maintenance and operating costs can be
quite significant and cannot be ignored in an economic analysis.
Looking at only the initial cost of a machine, or emphasizing
only its better efficiency compared to competing offers, is usu-
ally a serious mistake. Conducting a thorough analysis and al-
lowing a reliability professional to take ownership of a selection
process is valuable. These initiatives often ensure the long-term
continuity and staying power of a commercial entity.
LITERATURE CITED
1
Bloch, H. P. and F. Geitner, Maximizing Machinery Uptime, Gulf Professional
Publishing, Houston, Texas, February 2006.
HEINZ P. BLOCH resides in Montgomery, Texas. His professional
career commenced in 1962 and included long-term assignments
as Exxon Chemical’s Regional Machinery Specialist for the
U.S. He has authored or cowritten more than 760 publications,
among them 21 comprehensive books on practical machinery
management, failure analysis, failure avoidance, compressors,
steam turbines, pumps, oil mist lubrication and optimized
lubrication for industry. Mr. Bloch holds BS and MS degrees (cum laude) in
mechanical engineering from the Newark College of Engineering. He is an
ASME life fellow and was awarded lifetime registration as a professional
engineer in New Jersey. He is one of 10 inaugural inductees into NCE’s
Hall of Fame, which honors its most distinguished alumni.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202013
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 Executive
Viewpoint
Digital twin—Today’s disruptive technology leader
DUNCAN MICKLEM is the Executive Vice
President of Marketing at Yokogawa Corporation
of America and KBC, a Yokogawa Company. He
started his career in the engineering industry
with AMEC. After moving to KBC in a technical
consulting and risk management role, he has
held business management roles focused on
business development, strategy, restructuring
and planning. Mr. Micklem holds degrees in
biology and geography from the University of
Exeter, UK, and an MBA from Cass Business
School in the UK.
Among numerous emerging tech-
nologies in the process industries, the
digital twin is the most powerful and dis-
ruptive. Why? The reason is because it
constitutes a rich way to look at the past,
present and future of an asset. The digital
twin is a new way of describing certain
characteristics of technologies, some of
which are not new, but for which there
are many exciting new innovations. As a
result, the concept is rapidly evolving—
as are perceptions—and, understand-
ably, there are many sceptics.
A digital twin is a virtual, digital copy
of a device, system, human or process that
accurately mimics actual performance in
real time, is executable, can be manipu-
lated and allows a better future to be de-
veloped. The “allows a better future to be
DUNCAN MICKLEM, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Yokogawa Corporation of America, Sugar Land, Texas
developed” is critical and should not be
overlooked. It means a digital twin must
be predictive in nature and constitute an
advanced analytical and decision sup-
port tool. It is not just a system of record,
where model number, serial number,
manufacturer, maintenance history, etc.
are captured. Instead, digital twins draw
on data from these types of sources to cre-
ate comprehensive situational awareness
of the “here and now,” from which robust
forward predictions can be made.
For example, in engineering, these
sources might include engineering in-
formation systems, data warehouses or
document management systems. As capi-
tal projects transition from engineering
into operations, it is critical that models
created from these sources continue to be
leveraged, as well as be augmented by oth-
er sources in operations. In this way, the
digital twin consumes data from multiple
sources to tell a richer story about the as-
set throughout its lifecycle. The digital
twin enables the transfer of designed in-
telligence from engineering phases of cap-
ital projects into applied intelligence to
be leveraged in operations. This enables
project developers and operators to op-
timize the total cost and ownership value
of the models that draw on these various
data sources (FIG. 1).
For these reasons, the digital twin
starts being created during the initial
study to evaluate the feasibility of the as-
set and validate the licenser’s work. It is
then used and further developed during
the design, construction and commission-
ing of the asset. It facilitates the optimum
design of the asset and the training of the
staff who will operate the asset. It works in
the present, mirroring the actual asset in
simulated mode, but with full knowledge
of its historical performance and accurate
understanding of its future potential.
Many people think of a digital twin as
a 3D CAD model. However, the scope of
the digital twin is expanding rapidly. By
extending beyond the 3D CAD model
to incorporate engineering and operating
data, the digital twin is able to represent
increasingly greater dimensions of the as-
set or business in terms of past, present
and future. As a result, the digital twin
concept is encapsulating a broader set of
dynamic but intangible interactions oc-
curring within/around the physical asset.
These interactions are critical for asset
performance management and maintain-
ing facilities within optimum integrity op-
erating windows for safety, reliability and
profitability reasons.
Unfortunately, most assets were built
as far back as the 1970s and thus, many
facilities do not have the benefit of start-
ing from scratch to sequentially apply
their accumulated engineering intelli-
gence from design to applied intelligence
in operations. Where should the starting
point for them be? The answer for most is
undoubtedly where it makes most money.
This involves assessing different areas to
see what models already exist.
The HPI makes most of its money
through molecule management and ma-
nipulation of related inside-pipe condi-
tions. These factors drive asset man-
agement and maintenance practices.
Therefore, it makes most sense to start
with the digital twin that delivers deep
insights into molecule transformation
mechanisms and process operating condi-
tions, while also keeping the asset running
within integrity operating windows to pre-
vent asset failure. The solution involves
operationalizing a single integrated asset
model (IAM) as an online digital twin to
be used for production management, as-
set performance management and supply
chain optimization. These include:
• Upstream production systems
linked to the reservoir model
• LNG liquefaction process and
utilities systems, including wells,
chokes and pipelines through
gathering systems, separation,
acid gas removal and dehydration
(pretreatment systems), main
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202015
 Executive Viewpoint
cryogenic heat exchanger(s) and
storage facilities
• Oil refining and petrochemical site-
wide process and utilities systems,
including crude compatibility
through distillation, upgrading
reactors and catalytic converters,
hydrotreating and cracking, blending
facilities, olefins and aromatics.
For these reasons, assets could have a
multitude of digital twins existing across
the traditional ISA95 Purdue Model archi-
tecture and further afield within the organi-
FEL 1 FEL 2
Conceptual Configuration
studies/available selection/scope
alternatives development
Feed
FIG. 1. Overall value of models.
Ankita Mangal
Senior Product Manager
Aspen Technology, Inc.
Lee Nichols
Editor-in-Chief/Associate Publisher
Hydrocarbon Processing
16JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
zation. As they are increasingly integrated • No unplanned outages
and connected, the scope and scale of these • Rigorous adherence to operating
“twins” will grow, and their transformative plans
effect will amplify. The more expansive • Nimble response to changes
and integrated the digital twin becomes, and disturbances
the larger the territory it encompasses. • A motivated and informed
Digital twins are now emulating central- workforce
ized engineering hubs, remote operations • A culture of profitability.
centers and integrated production centers. A digital twin, as a part of digitalization
A digital twin is a means to an end, not efforts and digital transformation strate-
the end itself. Industry must continue to gies, is simply a vehicle to achieve supe-
strive for every result it can, such as: rior results in these areas—and to achieve
• Operation with no safety incidents them in a sustainable manner.
Project sanction Commissioning and startup Shutdown
FEL 3
Preliminary Detailed Upgrade, revamp,
design/project Construction Operation
engineering decommission
planning
Execute Operate Retire/reinvest
(including procurement)
Applied intelligence for operations
Engineering intelligence for design
Overall value of models
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 Executive
Viewpoint
Digital transformation and how it is advancing
the processing industries
PETER HERWECK is Executive Vice President,
Industrial Automation, and a Member of the
Executive Committee. Mr. Herweck has been
a member of Schneider Electric’s Executive
Committee since 2016 and leads Schneider
Electric’s global industrial automation business.
He is also on the board of AVEVA Group as
a nonexecutive Director since 2018. He has
extensive experience in automation, digitization
and industrial software. He started his career at
Mitsubishi in Japan, later joining Siemens where
he held several executive positions in factory
and process automation, along with leading
corporate strategy as Chief Strategy Officer. He
has a global and extensive executive and senior
management background in Germany, China, the
U.S. and Japan. Mr. Herweck earned an MBA from
Wake Forest University School of Business and
engineering degrees from Metz University and
Saarland University. He is also a Harvard Business
School Advanced Management Alumni.
Hydrocarbon Processing was pleased
to speak with executives Peter Her-
weck (PH) and Chris Dartnell (CD) of
Schneider Electric. The following Q&A
provides insights on the oil and gas indus-
try’s digital transformation and how it is
advancing automation, sustainability and
future operations.
PETER HERWECK, Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation,
Zurich, Switzerland; and CHRIS DARTNELL, President,
Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals, Schneider Electric, London, UK
CHRIS DARTNELL is the President of the Oil,
Gas and Petrochemicals business for Schneider
Electric. He is responsible for driving strategy,
digitization, technology direction, business
performance and customer engagement for
Schneider Electric with global oil and gas
partners. Mr. Dartnell has been working in the oil
and gas sector for 30 yr and has worked in more
than 70 countries. He joined Schneider Electric
in 2014. Most of his career has been spent
working in automation and software where he
has led teams across several senior roles in sales,
marketing and general management, including
general management leadership for Southern
Europe, Africa, China, India and Brazil. Mr.
Dartnell earned a degree in chemical automation
engineering from the University of Kent and an
MBA from the Edinburgh Business School.
HP : How are challenges in
interoperability slowing the drive
for digital transformation?
PH: I would say we are seeing, and
driving, advances in interoperability that
are pushing digital transformation at a
faster pace. It is critical that future archi-
tectures and systems are more portable,
configurable and interoperable, and this
is now becoming achievable. Technology
advances help separate engineering soft-
ware from hardware and, because of indus-
try standards like IEC61499, ensure that
solutions that decouple hardware from
software are compliant.
CD: Our oil and gas customers see in-
teroperability as one of several technology
enablers of digital transformation. Our so-
lutions automatically grant interoperability
and interconnectivity, which is one way
past this challenge. We are taking interoper-
ability a major step further with EcoStrux-
ure Power & Process, an approach that pro-
poses integration and interoperability of
the electrical and process automation sys-
tems. This begins at the early stages of de-
sign and implementation of a digital twin,
through the system integration, and finally
allowing a more comprehensive and digital
approach to asset performance manage-
ment throughout the asset lifecycle.
HP : How is digital transformation
changing/benefitting automation
systems, primarily in the
processing industries?
PH: Digital transformation allows us
to overcome major industry challenges as
traditional automation systems are aug-
mented with digital technologies. These
advances include:
• The push for improved return
on investment (ROI) over the
lifecycle of the asset
• The need for more sustainable
operations and new energies
development
• Addressing the evolution
of the workforce.
We see four important inflection
points. First, a key transformation in au-
tomation systems is delivered through
the integration of power and process. Tra-
ditionally, electrical power management
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202017
 Executive Viewpoint
and process control/automation have
been designed and operated indepen-
dently throughout the lifecycle of a plant
which, in today’s digital economy, can put
organizations at a competitive disadvan-
tage. Multiple systems lead to multiple da-
tabases, additional engineering tools, dif-
ferent operator stations, multiple supply
chains and more system administration,
maintenance and costs. The landscape of
what we call EcoStruxure Power and Pro-
cess can mitigate this.
Leveraging the industrial internet
of things (IIoT) to deliver a single view
of asset management, energy manage-
ment, automation and safety monitoring
systems can extend the life of the asset
and reduce both capital expenditures
(CAPEX) and operating expenditures
(OPEX) significantly.
Second, the easy ability to bring a sin-
gle data point to the cloud allows for more
ROI through additional processing capa-
bility to optimize the process, extend the
asset life and improve the supply chain.
Third and consequently, we move
from site-by-site to a company-wide op-
timization. Remote/centralized monitor-
ing and analysis of process information
can allow for real-time decisions. When
knowledge from various plant teams is
no longer siloed or inaccessible, it cre-
ates previously unattainable transparency
and enterprise visibility. Integration saves
oil and gas companies millions of dollars
in engineering, operations and support/
maintenance costs.
The fourth inflection point is the end-
to-end digital thread for software—de-
sign, build, operate and maintain.
HP : In what ways can digital
technologies help companies
move closer to sustainable and
energy-efficient operations?
PH: Helping the industry ensure more
sustainable operations is a key challenge,
and digitization will be a major factor in
addressing that challenge.
We need to use current technologies
as many economies will continue to need
traditional fuels for the foreseeable future.
The technology is there for deployment
in brownfield plants and new installations
where it is easier to start from scratch.
We believe the journey to more sus-
tainable operations starts with efficien-
cy—an optimized design of complete as-
set and power systems, as well as process
18JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
optimization in operation and over the
asset lifecycle, resulting in better energy
and feedstock efficiency and accidental
leakage avoidance.
To meet sustainability goals and re-
main competitive, companies must also
take actions such as committing to more
modern equipment—such as innovative
SF6-free medium-voltage switchgear, a
proven switchgear solution that replaces
the greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6 ) with air and vacuum. Several digi-
tization technologies and offerings help
this journey to efficiency, often reducing
energy consumption by more than 10%
and avoiding accidental leaks and flaring:
• Digital twin-enabling power system
design optimization, heat balance
design and design optimization
and operations optimization of the
carbon impact of the complete plant
• Simulation and optimization of
process over lifecycle, electrical
distribution and process automation
integration ensure reduction of
CO2 , NOX and energy density and
predictive emissions monitoring.
Another area to explore is the benefits
electrification provides for better control
and optimization of operations for more
sustainability. This may include replacing
mechanical drives by electric motors and
variable speed drives in gas compressors,
water injection pumps, electric heating of
large furnaces, valve actuators, etc. These
benefits are realized by digitizing the
management of electric loads and gen-
eration capacity and using microgrid ap-
plications managing local consumption,
batteries and generation.
HP : How is the use of artificial
intelligence (AI) enhancing/
optimizing refinery and
petrochemical plant operations?
CD: Oil and gas companies should
prioritize operational efficiency by le-
veraging AI, digital twins and analytics,
as well as integration of electrical and
process systems. This means focusing on
lengthening asset uptime and use. This
can help reduce costs and improve pro-
ductivity gains, keeping companies pre-
pared to weather an unstable market.
New AI tools have been deployed to
collect data from plant machines and use
that data to build performance models and
make predictions. Comparisons are made
between the “to be” model and a database
of “as is” real-time information. A machine
learning engine in our software provides
early warning notification and diagnosis
of equipment behavior anomalies—days,
weeks and even months prior to an actual
failure. This provides valuable insights to
engineering and operations teams to sup-
port their decision-making process and
reduce unexpected production loss.
HP : What does the future refinery/
plant look like?
CD: It will be more sustainable, with
less carbon impact, as digitization allows
more optimized processes and stronger
energy management. It will be unified as
systems such as electrical and power and
automation are integrated for greater vis-
ibility into the process, stronger asset life-
cycle management and a true digital twin.
The digital twin and digitized refinery
will ensure better safety as people and as-
sets will be less exposed to accidents, and
more able to simulate changes and train-
ing. It will be less manned with an increase
in remote access and the ability to share ex-
pertise across the fleet. The operations will
be smarter and more agile due to integrat-
ing AI-based knowledge, creating more
predictability of assets and operations.
HP : How does the current
major drop in oil prices challenge
your customers?
CD: This creates many challenges for
producers and downstream operators,
though we see more positive signs for
natural gas. In the upstream production
business, the availability of storage will
become more important as oversupply is
exacerbated.
Although many painful financial mea-
sures will need to be taken, those with
the ability to model their supply chain
and capability to address demand will
have a better ability to remain profitable.
Secondly, they will need the flexibility to
adjust products and geographic locations
quickly to meet regional market needs.
In summary, visibility and agility will
be key. The application of integrated,
cloud-based digital technologies will be
a critical step to providing the visibility
to assets, market opportunities and pro-
duction capabilities. The connection of
these technologies—from global cloud
applications to plant operations (with
appropriate cybersecurity safeguards)—
will provide the agility to respond.
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 Z. OUERTANI, ABB, Mannheim, Germany; and
Digital S. GULDBRANDSØY, ABB, Bergen, Norway

Restricted site access shines a new light

on the benefits of remote operations
It is no secret that the oil and gas sec-
tor has eyed the advantages that can be
gained from remote operations as it seeks
to improve both operational efficiency
and safety. This journey has been has-
tened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remote and autonomous operations
offer substantial benefits to operators;
however, steps taken to implement the
technology have been small and isolated.
As access to sites has become more re-
stricted, operators have refocused their
attention on the benefits remote/auton-
omous operations provide their facilities.
Project delivery models, including
front-end engineering design (FEED)
services, have a strong user case to re-
motely support engineering, procure- FIG. 1. View of PKOP’s Shymkent refinery.
ment and construction contractors.
The target of operations within the
oil, gas and chemicals sectors is to satisfy facilities (The Valhall flank communication systems, cybersecurity
requirements for safety, productivity and developments) approximately 6 km and dashboard technology, the technol-
quality at the lowest available cost. The from the field’s center. ogy is ready to deploy—nothing is pre-
authors’ company’s internal studies have • The Augustino and Barbara gas venting an operator from having an au-
shown that 80% of production downtime fields in Italy, which were both tonomous system.
is preventable—much is due to operator predominantly unmanned and However, it is not just about having
errors. These errors cost the petrochemi- remotely operated. No people the right technology and right work pro-
cal industry approximately $20 B/yr. were on site and all operations cesses. It is imperative to changing the
With challenging prevailing condi- were undertaken remotely from mindsets of the people who will be using
tions, there is likely to be a growth of a control center. However, even a them. If the workforce does not believe in
remote operations supported by modern comparatively simple operation the technology, it will never be adopted.
artificial intelligent platforms. like this introduced several In the hydrocarbon processing sec-
challenges. It highlighted the tor, companies have remained much
Steps to autonomous operations. It task of ensuring safety when not more selective in which technologies
is commonly acknowledged that there are physically present on a site. they choose to adopt. With the the cur-
five steps on the journey toward autono- The final step along the autonomous rent market situation, that sentiment has
my, with key milestones including remote pathway involves moving to a fully un- been accelerated.
automation, unmanned facilities and fully manned operation, which has occurred However, it remains important to
autonomous operations. in several production platforms/sites build confidence and demonstrate capa-
Two examples of remote automation around the world. bility before moving toward adoption.
in upstream field development include: In that respect, the first step for many
• A production platform in the Delivering the key technologies. chemical companies in navigating the
Valhall field in the North Sea. What oil, gas and chemicals companies digital landscape is to upgrade and mod-
Extraction operations at the site are are discovering is that key technologies ernize their assets and infrastructure be-
run from a complex of six separate, required for autonomous operation are fore looking toward remote operations.
bridge-connected steel platforms proven to enhance operations. From For example, the authors’ company
with two identical unmanned automation through the safety systems, was recruited by PetroKazakhstan Oil
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202021
 Digital

Products (PKOP) to upgrade the Shy-
mkent refinery with digital solutions
for asset integrity that will monitor and
assess the real-time health of the plant’s
assets (FIG. 1). In doing so, PKOP will
gain critical, real-time insights into their
assets and production processes. This
first step—opening the data connection
among various systems and breaking in-
formation silos—is pivotal in the jour-
ney toward more remote working. It is
important to understand where you are
to know where you want to go.
This approach is increasingly be-
ing adopted in greenfield sites where
uninterrupted access to, and complete
visualization of, site data is seen as a
fundamental building block to inform
decision-making and drive productivity
and profit.
For example, the intelligent data plat-
form deployed for the Inner Mongolian
Yitai Coal Co. connects electrical equip-
ment, instruments and automation sys-
tems to provide an enterprise view of its
multiple coal-to-chemicals plants. The
digital upgrade has enabled the company
to access new realms of data among vari-
ous systems. This operation has allowed
the company to leverage big data and
collaborate more effectively to improve
productivity and profit, while reducing
investment and operational costs.
Autonomous for safe, smart and
sustainable operations. The industry
has recognized that autonomous opera-
tions can help make systems safer, more
capable and reliable, as well as more cost-
effective. One of the remaining challenges
is how to scale up and apply autonomy to
full-size installations, ensuring they are
not only operationally sound but also safe.
Several layers of autonomy exist, en-
abling operators to advance their auton-
omy knowledge with each step.
Every operator’s journey will be dif-
ferent, but ultimately it is based on the
same overarching question: How can we
improve this operation? With necessity
created by the current global pandemic,
opening the eyes and minds of operators,
the speed of adoption is increasing. What
has been a steady progression is gathering
pace and could herald a paradigm shift in
hydrocarbon operations.
ZIED M. OUERTANI oversees
ABB’s use of technology in helping
transform the chemicals and refining
industries for the future. Dr. Ouertani
joined ABB in 2012 and has served as
the company’s principal scientist in
corporate research and as a business
consultant for corporate strategy. He earned a PhD in
Information Systems. He brings more than 10 years of
global experience, and is skilled at connecting customer
needs to value-added digital solutions. Prior to ABB,
Dr. Ouertani worked at the University of Cambridge,
UK, as a postdoctoral researcher for the Cambridge
Service Alliance, and as a business transformation
consultant for IBM, BAE Systems and Caterpillar.
STEIN GULDBRANDSØY is the
group Vice President Global
Segment Manager, Offshore
General and Floating Production
Units. In this role, he is responsible
for developing and leading ABB’s
product strategy and portfolio
management in the offshore industry. Mr.
Guldbrandsøy joined ABB in 1987 in the automation
system unit in Norway. Over his more than 30-yr
career with ABB, he has held several roles ranging
from sales, engineering, project management and
regional management. Mr. Guldbrandsøy holds an
MSc degree in engineering cybernetics from the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

ON DEMAND WEBCAST

Sagar Irrinki
Quality Control Manager
Coastal Gulf & International, Inc.
Performing Accurate Chloride and Basic Nitrogen
Titrations in Hydrocarbons
Petroleum raw materials, precursors and methanol products are difficult to titrate, and
they require the right solvents, non-aqueous titrants and special electrodes to get accurate
results. While much attention is typically given to TAN and TBN analysis, non-aqueous
chloride titration and basic nitrogen are equally critical and challenging tests to ensure
quality and efficacy of these important hydrocarbon products.

During this webinar, learn from Sagar Irrinki, Quality Control Manager at Coastal Gulf &
Kerri-Ann Blake International, Inc. on how to implement and optimize the IMPCA-002 method for chlorides
Titration Product Manager in methanol and the UOP 269 basic nitrogen method. Sagar shares how his laboratory
Metrohm USA navigates executing these tests on various types of petrochemical samples. Kerri-Ann
Blake, Product Manager for Titration at Metrohm USA, provides guidance for electrode
selection and best practices for electrode care and replacement.

Listen for Free:

HydrocarbonProcessing.com/Webcasts

Mike Rhodes
Managing Editor
22Hydrocarbon Processing
JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com

Digital
Data security and privacy: The five questions
energy company boards need to ask
Over the past 5 yr, the energy indus-
try has been forced to navigate highly
volatile conditions, including unstable
economics, increased sustainability con-
cerns and a shortage of experienced lead-
ers to succeed those approaching retire-
ment. With these issues dominating the
agenda, energy company boards can be
forgiven for regarding data security and
privacy as secondary concerns.
In those same 5 yr, however, dramatic
changes have taken place in the energy
industry’s data landscape. Energy com-
panies now face a wider range of data-re-
lated threats and the potential for greater
damage when those threats materialize.
Separately, heightened public attention
and regulatory scrutiny have been placed
on data privacy, resulting in more aggres-
sive enforcement, significant legal liabili-
ty and the specter of reputational damage
when such incidents occur.
It is worth noting that such reputation-
al damage is not limited to the company;
it reaches the board, as well. Eventually,
boards may also find themselves legally li-
able for breaches, should a suit relying on
Caremark be brought that accuses a board
of failing to establish adequate oversight
of cybersecurity and privacy measures.
In considering a company’s cyber-
security, data security and privacy, it is
important to note that while the three
concepts are closely related, they are
distinct. Cybersecurity involves the pro-
tection of an organization’s electronic
information systems from attack and un-
authorized access. Data security controls
the confidentiality, integrity and access
of all data, whether or not that data is ac-
cessible in cyberspace and whether that
data is in electronic or physical form. Pri-
vacy concerns itself specifically with the
protection and use of personally identi-
fiable data and the rights of individuals
to that data. Thus, an energy company
with extensive cybersecurity capabilities
S. FALK
Winston & Strawn, Houston, Texas
may have considerable privacy vulner-
abilities. A clear picture of forces affect-
ing these three realms can help boards
and management develop a sustained
response to these changes.
Greater vulnerability. Energy compa-
nies may not think of themselves as “data
companies,” but they are. The typical
energy concern is laden with data—and
will become only more so as ongoing
advances in artificial intelligence and the
internet of things generate even more in-
formation in the drive for greater yields
and efficiency. In addition to operational
data, energy companies have troves of
customer and employee data (such as fi-
nancial account data for both groups and
biometric data of employees used in ac-
cess control), as well as trade secrets and
potentially confidential data from busi-
ness partners and vendors.
Energy company networks have be-
come increasingly high-value targets for
malicious actors. Cyberattacks on ener-
gy infrastructure have already occurred
and are likely to be an increasingly im-
portant weapon in terrorist attacks and
conflicts between nation-states. Hackers
are launching ransomware attacks on en-
tire municipalities.
The vulnerability of the industry ex-
tends beyond these high-profile threats,
however. Competitors and business part-
ners steal sensitive information for their
own advantage. Employees and contrac-
tors pose an ongoing internal threat—
even when they have no malicious intent.
A survey by cybersecurity firm Symantec
revealed that half of employees retained
confidential company information after
they left their job and 40% plan to use
that information in their new job. Em-
ployees and contractors also lose compa-
ny devices, fall victim to phishing attacks
and circumvent security measures due to
their perceived inconvenience.
A web of regulations and liabilities.
Energy company boards today must
comply with an array of state, national
and supra-national regulations that con-
tinue to evolve to combat these threats.
The cyber component of protecting in-
frastructure has been a part of industry
risk management for some time, through
established best practices and regulations
such as the Critical Infrastructure Protec-
tion Act in the U.S., the European Pro-
gram for Critical Infrastructure Protec-
tion, and regulations from agencies such
as the Federal Energy Regulatory Com-
mission and the North American Energy
Regulatory Commission.
Energy companies must also comply
with cybersecurity requirements that are
woven into other regulations affecting
corporations generally. For example, an
energy company that misstates the protec-
tions it provides to personal information
may be in violation of the Federal Trade
Commission Act’s prohibition against
unfair and deceptive trade practices. Pub-
licly listed companies must comply with
the Securities and Exchange Commis-
sion’s regulations regarding disclosure of
cybersecurity risks and incidents.
In addition, energy companies now face
an entirely new set of privacy regulations,
such as the EU’s General Data Protec-
tion Regulation (GDPR), the California
Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Illinois’
Biometric Information Privacy Act and
a growing number of similar laws across
various jurisdictions. These regulations
place stringent requirements on the use of
personal data and establish considerable
individual rights regarding that data. They
can also have extraterritorial reach and can
empower individuals to bring civil action
against companies for privacy breaches.
What boards need to know. To stay
ahead of rapidly evolving data and privacy
risks, regulations and liabilities, board
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202023
 Digital

directors do not need to be technical ex-
perts, but they do need to know the es-
sential questions to ask of management—
starting with the following:
1. Do we know what data we
have, and have we mapped the
data flow? Even sophisticated
organizations can easily lose sight
of the amount of data they collect
and store. Identifying data is only
the start; the extraterritoriality of
many privacy regulations require
companies to track how data
moves throughout the enterprise
and beyond. For example, does
the company share data with
business partners, store data with
third-party service providers or
sell data to data brokers? Different
types of data will present different
risks and liabilities and require
different protection strategies.
A thorough data inventory
allows companies to develop
comprehensive strategies rather
than ad hoc responses that can
lead to gaps and vulnerabilities.
NEW VERSION
2. Do we know our data and
privacy strengths and
weaknesses? Energy companies
invariably must set priorities
when executing their data and
privacy strategy. An accurate
assessment of the effectiveness of
current data security and privacy
measures allows companies to
identify weaknesses and prioritize
improvements. Thorough data
and privacy audits and testing, as
well as reviewing certifications and
conformity with benchmarks such
as the National Institute of Science
and Technology’s Cybersecurity
Framework, provide a useful
baseline from which to work.
3. Are we practicing data
minimization? The plunge in data
storage costs and the increased
ability to mine insights through
data analysis has encouraged
organizations to view data
collection and retention in largely
positive terms. The growing
number of data threats and
regulations, however, highlight
the benefits of data minimization.
Companies must scrutinize why
they collect and retain the data
that they do, and have a working
data retention policy to ensure that
data is limited to what is needed.
4. Do we have an agile data security
and privacy function? Data and
privacy threats, countermeasures,
regulations and expectations are
continually evolving. Energy
boards must ensure that the
company has dedicated adequate
expertise and resources to data
security and privacy and its
legal, compliance, technical and
operational components. The
board should keep itself informed
through regular interaction with
functional leadership.
5. Is data security and privacy
integrated throughout the
organization? The key to
effective data security and privacy
is ensuring that the necessary
procedures and behaviors flow
through the enterprise and are
monitored to ensure consistency.
Vendor due diligence must include
assessment of data handling and
privacy practices. Contracts must
be revised to reflect protections

InstruCalc
required by regulations such as
GDPR and CCPA. Marketing
must accurately portray company
security and privacy policies, and
compliance must ensure timely
CONTROL VALVES • FLOW ELEMENTS • RELIEF DEVICES • PROCESS DATA communication of breaches and
other incidents. Often, these
efforts will require coordination
InstruCalc 9.0 calculates the size of control valves, flow elements across functions.
and relief devices and calculates fluid properties, pipe pressure These questions will undoubtedly lead
loss and liquid waterhammer flow. Easy to use and accurate, it is to others, depending on the company’s ex-
the only sizing program you need, enabling you to: Size more than posure to data and privacy liability and the
50 different instruments; Calculate process data at flow conditions
maturity of its data security and privacy
for 54 fluids, in either mixtures or single components, and 66 gases,
and; Calculate the orifice size, flowrate or differential range, which
function. However, the insight these ques-
enables the user to select the flowrate with optimum accuracy. tions generate should help boards ensure
that they are exerting the appropriate over-
Updates include Engineering Standard Upgrades and sight of this complex and dynamic area.
Operational Improvements in InstruCalc Version 9.0 SHERYL FALK is recognized as
a leading lawyer in privacy, data
security and trade secrets. As
For More Information: co-leader of Winston & Strawn’s
Contact J’Nette Davis-Nichols at Global Privacy and Data Security Task
Force, she brings significant litigation,
GulfPub.com/InstruCalc or call privacy and data protection expertise
+1 (713) 520-4426. to help her clients protect their critical data and comply
with fast-changing privacy and data security
obligations. She is a Certified Information Privacy
Professional and has been recognized in The Legal 500.

24JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
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 | Special Focus
THE DIGITAL PLANT
The refining and petrochemical industries continue to evolve.
New products, services and technologies are making operations
more efficient, safer and more profitable. The increased use
of digital technologies is allowing plant personnel to monitor
existing assets to increase reliability and lessen downtime,
as well as aid in conceptual engineering, construction and
maintenance activities. The July Special Focus explores
innovative methods and technologies to optimize refining and
petrochemical operations through increased digitalization.

Photo: Photo courtesy of DuPont Sustainable Solutions.

 Special Focus The Digital Plant
F. MARTINS, AVEVA, São Paulo, Brazil

What if your plant were truly digital?

With the increasing volatility of the oil and gas markets (in-
volving price fluctuations and oil demand uncertainties) and
stricter environmental constraints, a new normal for the world
is being built right in front of us. To succeed, companies must
reinvent the way they manage business and operations. They
will need to be nimble and resilient, connected and collabora-
tive—and this will require radically different thinking.
Higher levels of digital maturity will be required to face new
challenges. Digital transformation used to be driven by an in-
crease in competitive market pressures. However, as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the drivers to invest in digital capa-
bilities have pivoted from optimization and growth toward en-
suring safe remote operations and also toward gathering and
analyzing the right data across the organization to make optimal
business decisions.
In this new normal, only the most robust and agile energy
companies will survive in the long run. The strong players have
full visibility on how market changes impact their business in
real time, and on mechanisms that can enable them to quickly
act to mitigate risks and to explore small windows of opportu-
nity to improve margins.
TOP DIGITAL APPROACHES
TO BEAT UNCERTAINTY
While the market and drivers have changed, new technolo-
gies and digital trends continue to emerge—leveraging mas-
sive remote communications, and continuity of operations and
maintenance. They also provide secure access to information
and analysis tools that enable critical decision making in re-
sponse to constant market fluctuations. While digital solutions
and big data are available, the competitive advantage will come
from the way oil companies explore this technology and em-
ploy it. To be prepared for future downturns, it is important
to evaluate various “what-if ” scenarios. Following are the top
digital approaches that oil companies should consider when
facing these market uncertainties:
long-term plans for maximum profit will define which compa-
nies are going to succeed.
For larger players, single-site and multi-site modeling with
network optimization will help improve the understanding of the
interaction between assets/sites and the business itself (FIG. 1).
This is the type of visibility required to allow the best decisions
when faced with rapidly changing or uncertain information.
Besides selecting the best technology and defining the best
processes to enable traders and planners to work better and
more collaboratively, there is another key aspect to ensure suc-
cess: cloud-enabled solutions. In the past few years, the cloud
was considered an emerging trend adopted by companies that
were ahead of their time and that were seeking to improve ef-
ficiency and reduce information technology (IT) costs. At
present, it is a crucial element to promote speed and collabo-
ration, as most employees are currently working from their
homes. In 2017, BP moved several applications to the cloud,
including its unified supply chain management platform. This
implementation was so successful that Claire Dickson, CIO
for Downstream at BP, made the following statement about
the production planning application: “Believe it or not, for
the same data set, the same crude and feedstocks, the same
units, what used to take us seven hours to run now takes just
over three minutes. I have to admit I didn’t really think that
we’d get that out of the cloud, so it has been quite revolution-
ary for us.”1,2
Value chain optimization. The instability of the oil indus-
try makes the energy value chain even more complicated than

Planning and network optimization. Against the backdrop

of today’s depressed oil prices, along with the global oversupply
and drop in oil demand, oil companies must continually evaluate
their production planning. They need to be flexible and to replan
several times a day to rapidly react to market fluctuations. To
take advantage of economic opportunities and to quickly react
to every change, the planning process must allow the evaluation
of numerous scenarios featuring different crude grades, oil prices
and possible future demands. Having the agility to provide the
FIG. 1. Network distribution optimization model.
best use of assets and to run scenarios for building short- and
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202027
 The Digital Plant
before. Despite the widespread use of technology, refineries
are managed by a series of point solutions throughout their
value chains. With each point solution comes its underlying as-
sumptions, data models and constraints. This makes decision-
making across the value chain opaque and results in a series of
value leaks across the operations value chain. To recover faster
and stronger from today’s market instabilities, an investment
in digital capabilities must be wisely designed. Oil companies
need to develop a strategic roadmap for their digital transfor-
mation journeys that allows for unlocking extra benefits within
their existing assets in the near and long term (FIG. 2).
In addition to production planning, the optimization of
the value chain must include production accounting, offsites
management, process optimization, energy management, daily
scheduling, quality analysis and logistics. In this new world, the
different disciplines in the plant will need to work with com-
mon objectives, and within a single application that drives col-
laboration and knowledge sharing. Value chain optimization
will result in faster and more robust decision-making aligned
with risk management and margin improvements. Typical spe-
cific benefits achieved by companies that have invested in ho-
listically optimizing the value chain include:
• Supply chain:
° Crude purchases: faster feedstock selection,
reduced costs
° Planning, scheduling, and logistics: Increased
throughput and yield
• Process performance: Longer equipment life and
increased availability, quality and yields
FIG. 2. Production scheduling: One of the elements of value chain
optimization.
FIG. 3. The AI-driven predictive maintenance platform.
28JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
• Blending and oil movements: Reduced giveaway,
no rework, minimum inventory and downgrades,
higher fuel agility
• Energy management: Reduced energy conversion
and consumption costs, as well as decreased cost
of crude for energy
• Production management: Reduced accounting losses,
decreased inventory, reduced hydrogen and steam
consumption, increased throughput
• Operations management: Reduced unplanned
shutdowns, increased yield, decreased hydrogen and
steam consumption, increased throughput.
AI-driven predictive maintenance. Process simulation and
artificial intelligence (AI) are consolidated technologies that
are used to understand equipment and process behaviors and
to support the identification of unexpected events. Being able
to run models under different scenarios and to get faster an-
swers during critical times is even more important. Refineries
can operate with 50% of their capacity under very low product
demand phases, which can increase the number of unexpected
events, since operators are not used to operating under those
different conditions.
Some approaches for running models can be time-con-
suming without the full range of options and possibilities. En-
hanced AI can be used to increase model speed and accuracy.
The AI-driven predictive maintenance platform combines AI,
deep learning, rigorous first-principles models and real-time
optimization (FIG. 3). AI is infused with results from the rigor-
ous process simulation and optimization algorithms, creating
a sophisticated model capable of providing advice about the
best cost-effective choices for operations and maintenance.
One of the main results of conventional predictive analytics
models is the provision of early warning notifications about
equipment failures. However, when these models are com-
bined with rigorous models and a deep learning approach, the
benefits are stretched:
• The model’s operational range is extended, as it is
not limited to the operating range used to “train”
the model (i.e., high-dynamic range models).
• The model works for assets with limited historical
data, so it can be applied as soon as the equipment
is commissioned, or as soon as a completely
new operation condition is imposed.
• The model sensitivity is higher, so the process
and equipment failure detection is provided
much earlier, allowing enough time to plan
for maintenance or for a planned shutdown.
• It provides a single enterprise early warning
notification system for any event related to
unexpected process or equipment behavior.
• The system is capable of estimating the remaining useful
life of an asset, prescribing actions for planned outages.
• The system provides automated risk vs. cost impact
analysis, and is capable of determining if constrained
equipment or loss of equipment is a viable scenario.
The AI-driven predictive maintenance platform provides
a 360° view of risks related to asset and process health degra-
dation, enabling the optimization of operational efficiency,
 The Digital Plant

production and costs based on known constraints or loss of

equipment. As a result, the plant can manage risks—thereby
decreasing production loss to downtime and optimizing opera-
tions and maintenance strategies.

Enterprise visibility. The integration of IT and operational

technology (OT) is a critical step. Companies need to bring
data from software and operational silos into a single view to
align the “connection of things” with the “operational actions.”
Remote communications from edge internet-of-things
(IoT) devices, instruments and equipment—as well as from
entire production lines, processes and sites—are now available.
This whole chain of equipment, processes and sites must be
converted into a common single-pane solution for visualization,
analysis and action (FIG. 4). As a result, companies can operate
remotely, safely and intelligently through enterprise visibility to
support real-time decision making.
This single enterprise-wide view consolidates engineering
information with operational context, maintenance strategy,
energy management, real-time operational displays, and in-
terfacing to specific applications (such as process simulation,
real-time optimization and predictive analytics) and financial
data—thus providing actionable guidance considering differ-
ent situations. It is a transformative integration approach for as-
sets, people, processes and technology that is designed to drive
operational excellence across multiple sites, enabling the real-
ization of up to a 40% increase in operational efficiency.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has imple-
mented its Panorama Digital Command Center—a fully in-
tegrated, real-time data visualization center that empowers
ADNOC to gain insights, unlock efficiencies and identify new
pathways to optimize performance (FIG. 5). This application
integrates 14 organizations operating across the hydrocar-
bon value chain (including gas processing facilities, refineries
and petrochemical plants), with more than 120 dashboards
displaying approximately 200,000 data points. The company
can monitor every site and asset in several layers, with a com-
mon source of information. With this application, ADNOC
can monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), predictive
analytics results, planning and scheduling, and energy manage-
ment—guiding its teams, based on trusted information. The
application has generated a paradigm shift for ADNOC per-
sonnel—allowing them to be more data driven and innovative,
and to be more confident to take action. The savings for opti-
mizing the integrated production planning can be $60 MM–
$100 MM from a single model run.3
“The importance of embedding digital technology in busi-
nesses has never been greater, and ADNOC’s continuous in-
vestment in digital transformation over the last three years al-
lows us to be more resilient, agile and responsive in navigating
today’s market landscape,” said Abdul Nasser Al Mughairbi, Se-
nior Vice President, Digital, ADNOC. “Our Panorama Digital
Command Center acts as our ‘eyes on the ground’ and enables
speed, accessibility and integration across our operations—key
attributes that are required to make smart business decisions.”4
What if your plant were truly digital? “What if ” will prob-
ably be the most commonly used term to start a question with
in 2020. There are many aspects of life that we cannot control,
FIG. 4. Enterprise visibility.
FIG. 5. ADNOC’s Panorama Digital Command Center.
so we need to dedicate time and effort to those aspects that we
can address. We cannot predict market changes, but we can be
ready to act fast to ensure business continuity and safety.
For most companies, digital transformation has always been
an objective, but it has become a basic requirement to survive
now and thrive later. The faster a strategic roadmap that increas-
es the digital capabilities is established, the sooner the recovery
can start. If your company has not started on that journey, look
for guidance and for real examples, as well as for proven technol-
ogy, so you can accelerate the time to value. No time should be
wasted in transforming your plant into a truly digital plant.
LITERATURE CITED
1
“BP revolutionizes its oil and gas downstream business with AVEVA’s solution in
the cloud,” https://sw.aveva.com/success-stories/bp-unified-supply-chain
2
Pudwell, S., “BP: Digital transformation enables ‘magical’ innovation beyond
IT,” Silicon UK, June 2017, https://www.silicon.co.uk/cloud/bp-innovation-it-
cloud-216091
3
“ADNOC maximizes value and improves operations,” June 2019 https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=ICe6TArKesw&t=5s
4
Menachery, M., “ADNOC’s Panorama Digital Command Center generates over
$1 B in value and is enabling an agile response during COVID-19,” Refining &
Petrochemicals Middle East, May 2020, https://www.refiningandpetrochemicalsme.
com/products-services/28583-adnocs-panorama-digital-command-center-gener-
ates-over-1bn-in-value-enables-an-agile-response-during-covid
FERNANDA MARTINS is the Global Marketing Manager for the oil
and gas downstream and chemicals industries at AVEVA. In her
nearly 20 yr of experience, she has helped companies adopt and
explore a variety of transformational technologies in areas such as
process engineering, optimization and workforce empowerment
for enhanced operations and maintenance. She earned a BS
degree in chemical engineering from the Universidade de
São Paulo and has a post-graduate degree in business administration.

Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202029

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 Special Focus
Define operational roles for industrial
digital transformation
The term “industrial transformation”
is sometimes used to describe digital
transformation in plants, factories, mills
and other industrial environments. Al-
though the basic concept is the same, the
implications can be quite different. Jobs
and roles commonly found in process or
manufacturing operations include op-
erators, engineers, technicians and plant
management. The primary focus tends
to be on safe, reliable and efficient opera-
tions, with non-operations responsibili-
ties delegated to functions such as main-
tenance, supply and distribution, health
and safety, and other infrastructural sup-
port organizations.
Industrial transformation is challeng-
ing the traditional view of operations-
related roles. The increased use of digital
methods and technologies in areas such
as order management, supply chain and
analytics lead to secondary and often
unexpected consequences in operations.
For example, the need for broader access
to production data has resulted in more
computing and network infrastructure in
operations. This creates a need for more
localized expertise in areas such as net-
work design and configuration, and cy-
bersecurity. This, in turn, leads to chang-
es to how key roles in an industrial facility
are defined, from process operators to
operating and improvement engineers.
It is important to review and revise
roles and responsibilities more frequent-
ly than in the past. It is also important
to use industry benchmarks and com-
mon tools, where available, to provide
a more sustainable result. Role descrip-
tions must clearly define accountability,
responsibility, and required skills and
training. Addressing specific needs as
they arise by adjusting existing roles or
simply adding responsibilities to current
personnel can lead to confusion in situ-
The Digital Plant
E. C. COSMAN, ARC Advisory Group
ations where multiple technical and en-
gineering disciplines are involved. Past
practices for defining roles and manag-
ing careers are likely to be inadequate
in the face of accelerated change arising
from trends such as industrial transfor-
mation. Experiences and perspectives
from all stakeholder groups are essential
to address this challenge.
Technology change and opera-
tions. Digital transformation has been a
hot topic of discussion for the past sev-
eral years. Although many define digital
transformation as the introduction or
integration of digital technology to trans-
form functions and business processes,
implications also exist for process defini-
tion and organization design. Industrial
transformation is a more specific term,
focusing specifically on technology-driv-
en change to industrial operations.
Industrial operations personnel in-
clude operators, engineers, technicians
and plant management. These roles focus
primarily on the operation of a facility, as
opposed to supporting functions such as
maintenance, supply and distribution,
health and safety, emergency response,
human resources, security, information
technology and other infrastructural
support organizations. Because of this
singular focus, operations is often viewed
as one of the more stable segments of an
industrial or manufacturing enterprise,
somewhat insulated from shorter-term
business and market influences.
Digitalization challenges this view.
Although using digital technology for
functions such as basic control and op-
timization goes back decades, increased
use in areas such as order management,
supply chain and analytics has second-
ary impacts in operations. The increased
emphasis on the security of data transfer
and access to production systems has
also led to increased demands on opera-
tions personnel. Some of these demands
(e.g., cybersecurity) have resulted in
changes to the definitions for key roles,
from process operators to operating and
improvement engineers.
Role definition. The skills and experi-
ence required in operations are evolving
in the face of changing business needs
and emerging technology. For example,
the increased use of general-purpose
information technology (IT) compo-
nents has resulted in the need for new
skills in their configuration and sup-
port, as well as the tools and techniques
required to address the security of auto-
mation systems. Roles and responsibili-
ties may overlap to some degree with
those of other expertise areas, such as
information management, network de-
sign and cybersecurity.
Many asset owners have processes,
procedures and templates for defining
jobs and roles. The human resources de-
partment usually owns these; however,
to be most effective they must be applied
with involvement of functional experts.
The tools used range from simple work-
sheets and documents to more sophis-
ticated resource management systems.
Regardless of the tools used, role de-
scriptions must clearly define account-
ability, responsibility, and required skills
and training. They should reflect imme-
diate and internal needs, as well as guid-
ance and benchmarking available from
external sources.
Competency models. Competency
models provide a means to define ge-
neric roles that can then be tailored and
applied to specific situations. These are
formal documents that define what a
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202031
 The Digital Plant
person needs to know and be able to per-
form well in a specific role—the knowl-
edge, skills and abilities required. They
FIG. 1. Cybersecurity competency model. Source: U.S. Department of Labor Competency Model
Clearinghouse.
FIG. 2. Digital transformation categories and maturity levels. Source: ARC Advisory Group.
32JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
are typically developed and maintained
through research and industry valida-
tion. Specific examples include the auto-
mation and cybersecurity (FIG. 1) mod-
els developed several years ago.
The National Consortium for Mis-
sion Critical Operations (NCMCO)
provided mission-critical job skills train-
ing to the nation’s workforce by col-
laborating with business and industry
groups to help ensure a demand-driven
approach to educational offerings. The
consortium’s curricula prepare graduates
for employment in a wide range of posi-
tions in IT, operations technology (OT)
and maintenance.
The American Association of Com-
munity Colleges (AACC) represents ap-
proximately 1,800 community colleges
in the U.S. It focuses on program initia-
tives for workforce planning and devel-
opment in a variety of expertise areas,
including automation and cybersecurity.
From theory to practice. Although
many references, guidelines and exam-
ples are available, there is little anecdotal
evidence that asset owners are using
them. To some degree, this may be the
result of a lack of awareness of their exis-
tence. It is possible that more promotion
and sharing of such models may increase
adoption. Many companies prefer to keep
the definition of roles as a strictly internal
exercise. This can make benchmarking
more challenging. Even if external refer-
 The Digital Plant

ences are considered, this may be insuf-
ficient. Effective benchmarking requires
case studies or proven examples.
Although role descriptions may be
used as the basis to manage compensa-
tion, common practice appears to be to
address specific needs as they arise, ei-
ther by adjusting existing roles or sim-
ply adding responsibilities to current
personnel. This can lead to confusing
situations in operations groups, where
multiple technical and engineering dis-
ciplines may be involved. Responsibili-
ties may not map directly to disciplines.
An example includes assigning network
management to plant or control engi-
neers, taking time away from what may
be their primary tasks.
The advance of industrial trans-
formation will only complicate this
situation. Introducing and adopting
disruptive technologies in the indus-
trial operations context will place more
strain on existing roles and increase
confusion about role boundaries. One
example of this is the recognized need
for closer collaboration between IT se-
curity experts and operating personnel
to protect automation systems.
Changes required. Clearly, the status
quo is inadequate, and defining roles on
an individual basis simply does not scale.
Asset owners and their service partners
must look beyond the immediate con-
text for proven and effective practices.
Once they have implemented changes,
they should be encouraged to share their
experiences. This should include what
worked, as well as what did not.
The competency models and oth-
er tools that government, standards
groups, consultants and academia have
developed must be further tested and
validated in the real world. It is particu-
larly important that lessons learned from
practical applications be shared with the
educational community, allowing them
to adjust curricula to better address
practical needs. It is also possible to ap-
ply the same lessons to improve compe-
tency models and other tools, thereby
making them more valuable as future
references (FIG. 2).
The number and variety of potential
stakeholder groups means that it is un-
clear what context or venue would be best
to host this collaboration. Professional so-
cieties could facilitate some of the discus-
sion, but it is not always clear how some
critical roles map to these associations.
Although specific and the most effec-
tive actions may not be clear, it is quite
apparent that past practices used to de-
fine roles and manage careers are likely to
be inadequate in the face of accelerated
change arising from trends such as in-
dustrial transformation. Experiences and
perspectives from all stakeholder groups
are essential to address this challenge.
ERIC C. COSMAN has more than
35 yr of experience in developing,
delivering, managing and supporting
operations information technology
solutions in the process industries.
During his career, his assignments
and responsibilities have included
process automation systems development,
communications network design, functional and
technical architecture design, and technology
lifecycle management. He retired as an operations
IT consulting engineer with Dow Chemical Co.

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 Special Focus The Digital Plant
A. RADACH, DuPont Sustainable Solutions,
Frankfurt, Germany
Productivity gains through
digital turnaround management
Turnarounds are regarded as a necessary evil by most of the
hydrocarbon processing industry. They are costly, time-consum-
ing and complex, yet unavoidable if the maintenance and reliabil-
ity of a plant is to be guaranteed. Every day operations are shut
down means a loss in revenue. Despite such high stakes, turn-
arounds regularly overrun both schedules and budgets. While
a typical turnaround ranges from 24 d–36 d, they can extend to
more than 40 d. Tens of millions of dollars—or an entire year’s
maintenance budget—can be depleted in a matter of weeks.
Many reasons are to blame for poor turnaround outcomes:
inadequate preparation, lack of execution oversight, unreliable
asset data, delayed inspection reports, missing materials and ex-
tensive contractor involvement. The number of onsite person-
nel during a turnaround can triple or even quadruple. If turn-
around managers do not have a good overview and access to
reliable information, it is easy to lose control.
Digitizing the turnaround process allows plant operators to
keep a tighter grip on the project, facilitates the management of
large numbers of people onsite and operating procedures, and
significantly improves performance and productivity. On aver-
age, the implementation of digital turnaround management
saves 20%–40% in costs and 15%–25% in schedule reductions.1
Several elements to digital turnarounds account for these
optimizations. These include:
• Enhanced performance monitoring through real-time
mobile dashboards, mobile web-based interfaces to report
hours, and health, safety and environment (HSE) progress
• Predictive modeling using field data to more accurately
define scope
• More accurate scheduling through Wi-Fi or LTE-linked
tracking of people, materials and equipment
• Integration of project systems with emergency
response plans
• Greater asset security through improved monitoring
of equipment, contractors and sub-contractors
• Foundational data management that focuses on
key facts and extracts value from the floods of
data generated by smart technology
• Improved knowledge retention through gamification,
augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) and
over-the-shoulder coaching via video stream.
In this article, the benefits and pitfalls of digital turn-
arounds that have resulted in optimal turnaround planning
and execution are discussed.
Digital planning tools for optimized turnarounds. Turn-
arounds are planned shutdowns scheduled to allow plants to
maintain, revamp or replace equipment or entire processing
units. The aim is to ensure the reliability and performance
of plant assets to avoid costlier unplanned shutdowns due to
equipment failure. Considering the complexity of the work
involved, the tight time frame, the number of interfaces and
the substantial manpower, largely made up of contractors un-
familiar with the assets, the amount of information that must
be digested, analyzed and acted on is vast. This is where many
turnarounds fail to complete work in a timely manner. It is not
deficient technical knowledge, will or effort that leads to proj-
ects overshooting schedules and budgets. In most cases, it is
not extreme weather events or unexpected disasters either. It
is lack of control, often due to missing, timely, reliable infor-
mation about the condition of equipment, the status of work
completion or the location of materials or people.
While the hydrocarbon processing industry employs a wide
range of operative digital tools—from sensors to historians,
distribution control systems (DCS), computerized mainte-
nance management systems (CMMS), PIMS software, LIMS,
smart personal protective equipment (PPE)—few use digital
planning tools that allow them to capture, interpret and ben-
efit from the data these systems generate. Digital technologies
can provide turnaround managers the information they need
when they need it, from readiness to progress dashboards, per-
day margin savings or loss analyses, and information on actual
rental equipment needs.
Digital technologies already provide support for the front end
of the planning process in the form of work pack development,
round-the-clock remote schedule programming based on data,
and images captured from mobile devices. Cloud-based and
open-source predictive data management platforms collate and
analyze data collected from a wide range of sources including
inspection reports, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, smart
PPE, sensors, digitized permits to work and maintenance logs.
This information feeds into predictive models, which can pro-
vide a more accurate picture of the true scope of a turnaround.
Simultaneously, digital technologies allow for productiv-
ity monitoring in the field and permit fast intervention. Mo-
bile devices are used to capture field data, produce real-time
progress dashboards and enable remote support in the field,
thus making it possible to reduce unproductive times when
workers must wait or search for equipment or information.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202035
 The Digital Plant
Contractors who do not know where to find answers to their
questions about how to perform a task or who do not want to
ask for help because they want to avoid waiting, can be sup-
Digital turnarounds can significantly reduce
inefficiencies, as well as cut turnaround
time and cost by more than a third if tools
are matched to site-specific needs.
ported by remote experts or digital standard operation proce-
dures (SOPs). While this may seem an inconsequential issue,
the cumulative loss of time, procedure compliance and quality
control is significant. Instant support for contractors also cuts
down on potential damage to equipment due to incorrect use.
With the vast number of subcontractors on site, asset integrity
can easily suffer resulting in fires, leaks, spills, etc. Instant data information at their fingertips and will also be able to analyze
capture and reaction to field data not only ensures that time or
information is not lost during long and tiring shifts, but it also
contributes to improved project outcomes.
Another area where digital planning supports faster and
more cost-effective turnarounds is integrating the vast array of
commonly used systems into a single platform. Permits, main-
tenance histories, inspection logs, repair sheets, offsite repairs,
spare parts inventory, material procurement information and
schedules generally cannot be viewed in a single system. Bur-
ied in a blizzard of paperwork, spreadsheets and databases are
critical information that is difficult to identify and retrieve.
When reported, there is often no guarantee that the informa-
tion is up-to-date or accurate. By contrast, digital, cloud-based
platforms can provide an integrated, low-cost overview of
up-to-the minute records, allowing for informed and timely
decision-making.
Simplified, reliable turnaround execution. The benefits
of using digital technologies for turnarounds are not limited
to the planning stage. Digital technologies can also completely
transform turnaround execution. Most turnaround manag-
ers must deal with out-of-date, unreliable information. If they
must wait until next morning’s shift to find out what has hap-
pened to equipment, materials and contractors the day before,
they are already behind.
For example, headcount and compliance data is generally a
day old and hard to verify. Wireless track-and-trace solutions
can address this. They allow for monitoring of equipment and
workforce location at any given time and are easy to introduce
on mobile phones using GPS or Bluetooth, in the form of an
ID chip on employee or contractor identity cards or as an
RFID tag on material or equipment. For example, this can be
useful when managers want to assess the actual need for rental
equipment, and it allows them to cut costs if equipment—such
as bundle pullers or cranes—are not being used or needed.
Simultaneously, wireless tracking of material can reduce
turnaround delays by 2 d–3 d. Imagine no longer having to
phone through long lists of material requirements to vendors
or being able to follow the status of equipment returned to the
original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for repair simply
36JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
by logging onto a website. Employed for these types of tasks,
digital tracking can save 35%–50% on time caused by delays in
equipment repairs.
Track-and-trace solutions also provide real-time
data on how many contractors and employees are
listed on the workforce reports and who is onsite and
can display that information by qualification, contrac-
tor company, total hours worked, break times, etc. An
analysis of mass employee movement in comparison
to the shift pattern makes it possible to identify and
eliminate process inefficiencies. Turnaround manag-
ers can identify and address patterns that cause de-
lays, using simple visual analytics dashboards.
Digital turnarounds are also set to change daily progress
and vendor meetings. With progress information based on
digital reporting calculated using permit issue times, location
data of contractors and equipment cross-referenced with the
turnaround schedule, turnaround managers will have progress
contractor and vendor performance in real time in all areas.
Operators who have introduced forms of digital progress re-
porting cut times by an average of 40 min.–50 min. per worker
per 12-hr shift, while the introduction of e-permits to work can
save 20 min.–30 min. per employee per 12-hour shift.
Takeaway. On-time, on-budget turnarounds are rare and usu-
ally only achieved if operators have all the necessary informa-
tion, required equipment, materials and labor on hand at the
right time. In the hydrocarbon processing industries, 90% of
turnarounds are routinely over budget, over time or do not
achieve their quality target. Labor productivity of 40% is com-
monly tolerated and considered hard to improve. That is large-
ly because the root cause is a lack of control due to inaccurate
or missing information. Digital turnarounds can significantly
reduce these inefficiencies, as well as cut turnaround time and
cost by more than a third.
However, digitizing turnarounds is only effective if the tools
employed fit the status quo and match site-specific needs.
They are enablers for process optimization, not an automatic
fix. Many solutions exist on the market. Therefore, operators
must be clear about what they want to achieve. They need to
build an integrated, holistic system instead of being tempted
into buying individual gadgets or technology solutions that do
not work together. An assessment of needs can highlight focus
areas where digital solutions can offer fast, cost-effective sup-
port and be integrated into existing management systems to
create substantial added value.
LITERATURE CITED
1
DuPont Sustainable Solutions’ 2015 turnaround database.
ALEXANDER RADACH has the role of Principal at DuPont
Sustainable Solutions. He is a highly experienced strategy
and operational consultant with a focus on maintenance,
operational excellence, capital projects, turnarounds and
digital plant transformations. He acted as the Asia-Pacific
maintenance and reliability lead for the asset and operations
practices of one of the largest consultancies, coordinating
initiatives in various countries in Asia-Pacific, as well as around the world. Mr.
Radach has developed turnaround improvement programs for many large oil
and gas and petrochemical companies. In recent years, he has focused on
designing, developing and implementing customized digital solutions for
turnarounds, capital projects and maintenance programs globally.
 Special Focus
How AI can better serve the chemical
process industry
Years of production have accumulated
rich data assets throughout the chemical
process industry (CPI). In the age of ar-
tificial intelligence (AI), there is a strong
momentum to use AI in process mod-
eling, optimization, advanced control,
debottlenecking, troubleshooting, etc.,
in case a first-principles-based approach
cannot solve the problem effectively.
However, it may be very difficult to ex-
plain or interpret the resulting black-box
AI models, and this hinders the trust and
adoption of AI approaches. In this article,
a brief introduction is provided of a novel
method of “trustworthy AI (TAI)” for the
CPI and its successful application in two
chemical processes for improving opera-
tional excellence.
Process development is a daunting task
for the CPI, which faces constraints on
budget, time and manpower, and a limited
number of pilot tests. Even though design
engineers can use process simulation pack-
ages to run different scenarios or build in-
house process models, the eventual pro-
cess still could be suboptimal, and some
important variables may still not be moni-
tored and controlled. Additionally, some
practical issues may not be exposed until
the production stage, market conditions
may change, and the original design pur-
pose may not fit anymore. These factors
indicate that room exists for further im-
provement in CPI performance metrics.
Most CPI plants accumulate years of
data and records from the distributed con-
trol system (DCS), lab tests, enterprise
information systems, etc. If fully utilized,
tremendous value can be extracted from
these gold mines. There are hundreds,
even thousands, of variables in a process,
and most of the relationships are non-lin-
ear. However, human cognition has a se-
verely limited capacity: adult humans can
The Digital Plant
H. H. LOU and H. GAI, Lamar University,
Beaumont, Texas
retain only about four items “in mind.”1
Engineers and decision-makers always
appreciate causal relationships and feel
confident when they can see the direc-
tion guided by clear causal relationships.
Based on sound principles in mass and en-
ergy balance, thermodynamics, reaction
kinetics and mass transfer, first-principles
models gain their trust easily. Simple lin-
ear regression models, like Eq. 1, can also
be understood or explained easily.
y = a1 × x1 + a2 × x2 + ... + ai ×
xi + ... + an × xn
Models and datasets. Based on trans-
parency, interpretability and explainabil-
ity, mathematical models are classified
as “white-box” (or glass-box) models vs.
black-box models.2 For example, linear
regression models, linear logistic models
(for classification) and simple decision
Original data set Pre-
X1 X2 ... Xn processing
FIG. 1. Trustworthy AI for the chemical process industry.
trees are white-box models. Artificial
neural networks (ANN, including deep
learning), random forests (many deci-
sion trees) and support vector machines
(SVM) are black-box models.
AI methods applied on large datasets
are now influencing business decisions in
various industries. However, the accep-
tance and application of AI methods are
hindered since most of them are black-
box models. It is often difficult to inter-
pret these black-box models’ behavior
(1) and explain the results to users. As models
become more complex, the task of pro-
ducing an interpretable/explainable ver-
sion of the model becomes more difficult.
For example, how can you tell some-
one, “You have a higher chance of devel-
oping a heart attack in the next two years,”
or “We cannot approve your loan applica-
tion,” just because the black-box model
predicted it? In the CPI, how can you
Expanded data set
X1 ... Xn Xn + 1 ... Xn + m
Data analytics
Model prediction
Explanation
OK
Implementation
Decision-
making
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 2020 37
 The Digital Plant

convince the plant to use a control system
that changes the manipulated variables
automatically just because the black-box
model indicated that it should be so?
Raw datasets are often large and com-
plex, with many anomalies and noises.
Furthermore, in the CPI, due to the lim-
ited understanding of the intertwined
reaction/mass transfer/energy transfer
phenomenon, some key variables may
not even be shown on the list of data tags
or DCS dashboard, making it challenging
to understand, evaluate and be confident
about results of AI algorithms or models.
Therefore, it is critical to develop new AI
algorithms that can pinpoint the hidden
key variables, clearly explain why and how
AI algorithms perform and convince the
domain experts in the CPI.
½ O2
O shown in the list of data tags or on the DCS
H2C
ΔH  106.7 kJ mol-1
ф
Explainable AI. In the past a few years, in then creates new variables that are un-
the domain of computer science and data documented and produces the associated
science, two types of explainable AI (XAI) data for these new variables based on the
methods were developed: post-hoc and existing dataset. The new variables can be
ante-hoc. Ante-hoc techniques involve created from combination techniques, or
seeding explainability into a model right from scientifically proven grouped num-
from the beginning. Post-hoc techniques bers. For example, the Reynolds number
continue with the black box phenom- (Re) is an important grouped number in
enon, where explainability is based on fluid mechanics.
various test cases and “their results.”3,4 For Then, data analysis and model predic-
highly complicated problems, post-hoc tion algorithms will be applied to the ex-
and ante-hoc methods may be combined panded dataset, and the results will be ex-
to enhance the explainability of current AI plained accordingly. Decisions can be made
algorithms. XAI has become increasingly after a convincing explanation is given.
popular in the health care industry and
consumer business. CASE STUDIES
Even though XAI methods can explain Plant DCS historian data was extracted,
the results of black-box models, they still and the authors applied the TAI method to
cannot find and explain the importance an ethylene oxide process and an ethanol-
of key variables (features) that are not yet amines process, respectively.
dashboard. So the AI models built—even Case A: Ethylene oxide production.
CH2 with high accuracy—still can be flawed, Ethylene is oxidized with oxygen to form
and the results from XAI may just be a su- ethylene oxide over silver alumina cata-

H2C  CH2 ethene

perficial explanation of a flawed model. lysts in parallel plug flow reactors (PFR)
To overcome the limitations, the au- operated at 220°C–300°C (428°F–572°F)
3O2
2CO2 + 2H2O thors have developed a TAI method, as and 10 bar–30 bar pressure. Inhibitors are
ΔH  1323 kJ mol-1 illustrated by FIG. 1. Rather than just using ejected to the reactors to prevent the gen-
ф

the variables documented in the existing eration of byproducts, mainly carbon di-
FIG. 2. Major reactions in ethylene oxide data set and selecting key variables from oxide (CO2 ) and water (H2O). The major
production. them, TAI cleans the original data set first, reactions are shown in FIG. 2.
The schematics of a typical ethylene
oxide process5 are shown in FIG. 3.
O2, Ar 0 3 305 Purge
001
The plant wants to improve the selec-
C2H4 M301
4 411 CO2 tivity of ethylene to ethylene oxide, rather
K2CO3 + H2O
002
004 Cond
406 than burning ethylene to CO2 and H2O.
CH4 307
CP301
305 304 M301 402
C402 The ethylene feedrate and catalyst will
003 M302 P401
S302 remain the same. What actions should
303 410 be taken? Where should capital be spent?
101 C401 C402
1 V301
H405
Conventional wisdom focuses on the re-
H101
302 H401
401
action systems. For example, increasing
S301
102
301
H402 407
M302
409
inlet O2 concentration, increasing inlet
403
V401 ethylene concentration, or adjusting the
Makeup water
Reb C402
408 performance of the inhibitor are the most
R101
important aspects for the reaction system.
2 211 Ethylene oxide However, utilizing the TAI method, it
H2O
Mass Heat 204
flux flux Cond
C202
106 106 201 P201 MEA DEA TEA
C202 210

C201 H202
103
H102 H103 EO
104 105 209
Wastewater NH3
C203 Reb S201 Reactor NH3 stripping
C202 Finishing columns TEA bottom
202 V201 207
dehydrator
H2O + EO Flow sheet for monoethanolamine production
EO = Ethylene oxide MEA = Monoethanolamine
DEA = Diethanolamine TEA = Triethanolamine
FIG. 3. Schematics of a typical ethylene oxide process. Sections: 0) Make-up section.
1) Reaction section (multiple parallel reactors). 2) EO absorption section. FIG. 4. Schematic diagram of an
3) CO2 absorption bypass, purge and recompression section. 4) CO2 absorption section. ethanolamines process.

38JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
 The Digital Plant

was determined that the most critical and
safe method to increase selectivity lies in
the absorption section. By improving the
absorption system, the selectivity can be
increased by 3.3%, which yields $4.3 MM
of profit increase.
Case B: Ethanolamines production.
In an ethanolamines process, mono-
ethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine
(DEA) and triethylamine (TEA) were
produced from the reaction of ethylene
oxide with aqueous ammonia solutions
via sequential plug flow reactors with in-
tercooling.6 A representative schematic
diagram of the process is shown in FIG. 4.
The reactions are very complicated, as
shown in Eqs. 2–4:
EO+ NH3 → MEA (2)
EO + MEA → DEA (3)
EO + DEA → TEA (4)
Current market conditions favor only
DEA production, so the plant wants to
maximize DEA production and minimize
the production of MEA and TEA. Admit-
tedly, this is a difficult task since DEA is
generated from the reaction between EO
and MEA, but excessive EO will react
with MEA to generate TEA.
Using the TAI method, the most im-
portant factors contributing to the selec-
tivity of DEA were identified, and an op-
timal production strategy was identified,
reducing the production rate of undesir-
able byproducts DEA and TEA by 66%.
Takeaway. TAI can augment traditional
first-principles models and black-box
models by providing the CPI with the fol-
lowing benefits:
• Discovery of possible new insights,
new knowledge and ideas
• High fidelity
• Easier evaluation of AI results
• Increased confidence in adopting
AI for application
• Easier maintenance of the AI
algorithm or model.
These benefits will enable better pro-
cess optimization, control, troubleshoot-
ing, debottlenecking, etc., which will help
improve the performance of the CPI.
LITERATURE CITED
Complete literature cited available online at
HydrocarbonProcessing.com.
HELEN H. LOU is a Professor in the
Dan F. Smith Department of
Chemical Engineering at Lamar
University in Beaumont, Texas.
Her areas of expertise include big
data analytics, machine learning
and process systems engineering.
She has been applying these technologies for the
sustainable development of the chemical processing
industry. Dr. Lou has successfully implemented more
than 50 projects sponsored by federal, state and private
sectors, and has published extensively. She earned
her MA degree in computer science and her PhD in
chemical engineering, and has trained 16 master’s-level
and 9 doctoral-level chemical engineers, as well as
influenced many undergraduate chemical engineers.
Due to her outstanding achievements, Dr. Lou was
elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of
Chemical Engineers (AIChE) in 2018.
HUILONG GAI is a research scientist
at Lamar University. He received
his PhD in chemical engineering
from Lamar University in 2019.
His work focuses on the modeling
and control of petrochemical
processes and combustion kinetic
modeling and control of industrial flares. Dr. Gai
specializes in various machine-learning algorithms
and first-principles models.

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Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202039

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 Special Focus
Ergon Refining: A digital transformation story
A lot of what is written in the business
media today about digital transforma-
tion—and there is certainly no shortage
of it—fails to focus on what digitalization
means as a practical process that enables
deep, lasting organizational success. Al-
most none of it covers the issue from the
perspective of the people out in the field
and in the front offices who are charged
with making it work.
What keeps many CEOs up at night are
questions about how to integrate sophisti-
cated technologies, such as big data analyt-
ics and machine learning, 3D printing or
virtual reality (VR), into their operations,
and how to do it with a forward-looking
drive to revolutionize business practices.
Ergon Refining Inc., a subsidiary of Er-
gon Inc., a Mississippi, U.S.-based special-
ty lube refiner, is one organization that
has cracked the digital transformation
code. By embracing a judicious, culture-
driven approach to applying new automa-
ton solutions, the company has achieved
transformative results in a market that has
seen significant volatility and increasing
competition throughout the industry.
A specialty lube operation where
quality is crucial. Ergon’s digitalization
journey is the story of a company that
has made hard decisions about how and
when to invest in new technology. It fos-
tered collaboration between information
technology (IT) and operational technol-
ogy (OT) in a way that has served Ergon’s
vision for growth and diversification over
the last decade.
Ergon Inc. was founded in Jackson,
Mississippi, in 1954. It has since grown
into a company with more than 3,000
employees and six business segments,
including refining and marketing (R&M)
and refineries in Vicksburg, Mississippi
and Newell, West Virginia. Ergon’s R&M
facilities produce hundreds of high-qual-
The Digital Plant
S. ELWART, Ergon Refining, Vicksburg, Mississippi;
and M. CARUGO, Emerson, Round Rock, Texas
ity specialty lubes, each with extremely
precise specifications.
Ergon’s refinery in Vicksburg has
grown to become the largest manufac-
turer of naphthenic process oil in the
world, with a capacity of up to 26,500
bpd of crude. Their process is unique:
the plant produces specialty petroleum
products using a distributed control
system (DCS). During product loading,
it is imperative to maintain the highest
standards of product consistency, repeat-
ability, quality and stability—all critical
to Ergon’s business model. Here is where
the need for automation comes in.
Once production is completed, the
specialty oils are stored near the refinery
and then sent by barge, truck or rail direct-
ly to customers or to bulk storage tanks in
terminals around the world. Naphthenic
base, process and insulating oils produced
in Vicksburg are used by Ergon’s global
customers in numerous applications, in-
cluding, but not limited to, transformer
oils, compound blending operations, rub-
ber products, chemical processing, metal-
working fluids, refrigeration oils, hydrau-
lic fracturing oils, paints and greases.
A culture that embraces digitaliza-
tion. What makes Ergon different from
most other refiners is not only the special-
ty aspect of its business, but also its tightly
woven, family-oriented corporate culture.
The company’s leadership has implement-
ed a digitalization plan and a philosophy
that has guided the organization through
periods of change and modernization.
Ergon considers itself an early adopter
of technology, but a shrewd one. “Our
strategy over the years has been to adopt
new technologies, new systems and new
programs that will allow us to differenti-
ate ourselves from our competitors and
expand our global customer base,” said
Vice President of Refining Jeremy Kyser.
Like many refiners, the management at
Ergon keeps close tabs on the latest inno-
vations in process control, wireless instru-
mentation, analytics and other develop-
ments in automation. When it comes to
its overall digital transformation strategy,
however, the company’s leadership has
been vigilant in asking two key questions:
Why change, and why risk investing in
new, unproven technology?
“We’ve spent a lot of money on digital
transformation, and we’ve justified it in
several ways,” says Steve Elwart, Ergon’s
Director of Systems Engineering. “One
of them is simply following best practic-
es. Another way is telling a story. We’ve
been able to show where a lack of tech-
nology has affected us and then use that
to paint a clearer picture of how we could
improve performance, which helps up-
per management see the value in invest-
ing in automation.”
A strategic approach to scaling up.
Ergon has chosen a balanced strategy:
establishing itself as an early adopter of
new automation technology, but doing
so in a way that has allowed the company
to scale up solutions that work while re-
maining agile enough to try a variety of
potential solutions until it finds the right
fit for a given application.
One of the main drivers behind this
approach has been Ergon’s unique busi-
ness model. Digitalization has enabled
the company to augment core key perfor-
mance metrics such as reliability, quality
control, safety and regulatory compliance.
“Every product produced has differ-
ent specifications and parameters,” said
Lance Puckett, Ergon Inc.’s Executive VP
of Refining and Marketing. “Having real-
time data around the manufacturing of
those products is instrumental in main-
taining the consistency that the market
demands today.”
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202041
 The Digital Plant
Focusing on quality control has solidi-
fied the company’s reputation as one of
the leading manufacturers of specialized
lube oils and increased its share of the
global market. As a result, Ergon today ex-
ports products to more than 90 countries
worldwide, and continues to grow.
Prioritizing projects for measurable
results. The key to Ergon’s digital evolu-
tion has been determining how best to
prioritize potential digitalization projects
that would make the best sense opera-
tionally and financially.
When making these choices, the com-
pany has focused on three criteria: scal-
FIG. 1. Ergon has used digital technology to
help gain greater insight into machinery health.
FIG. 3. Ergon worked closely with its partner to execute the blender modernization, from
drawing up wiring schematics for the scale house and optimizing the control software, to
minimizing the hardware footprint and aiding with the cutover.
42JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
ability, workforce empowerment and IT/
OT integration. Management identified a
handful of operational challenges—some
obvious and others that were added to the
list over time—and set about searching
for solutions that met the criteria. This
process occurred organically. Flexibility,
communication and collaboration among
Ergon’s business units were essential.
As the automation industry introduced
new innovations over the years, the first
benchmark Ergon applied, when deciding
whether to integrate a new piece of hard-
ware or software, was to ensure that if it
ended up being a good fit, management
could easily scale up the solution across
a broader part of the operation. This not
only ensured buy-in at the enterprise lev-
el, but it also meant the company could
conduct pilot programs with minimal op-
erational and financial risk, and then make
decisions based on preliminary results.
Second, each new digital technolo-
gy—whether an upgrade to the graphical
FIG. 2. Asset management software is
embedded with prediction, protection and
process expertise that identifies potential
equipment breakdowns and ensures that
critical asset health data gets into the hands
of operators when and where they need it.
interface of a control system or predictive
asset management software—must bol-
ster worker productivity, not only due to
experience gaps that might be created by
retiring personnel, but also because the
company is a strong believer in training
staff to be competent in basic aspects of
its operation and increasing their knowl-
edge and skill over time.
Collaboration is key to continuous
improvement. When it comes to IT/
OT integration, the company’s Executive
VP and Chief Information Officer, Jana
Branham, takes a proactive, collaborative
approach to her job. Ergon’s IT group will
regularly ask the OT staff what they need
to make their jobs easier, and then the two
teams will work together to create a solu-
tion that is customized and that leverages
new technologies to serve the needs of
the operational team.
“The role of IT in supporting opera-
tions is to understand more about what
their goals are and what challenges they
have, so that we can partner together, col-
laborate together and help them create so-
lutions that support their needs,” says Ms.
Branham. While it does require time and
a concerted effort, this type of collabora-
tion is a key component to any successful
digital transformation approach.
Ergon sees digital transformation as
an ongoing, evolutionary process. It is
the promise of continuous improvement
that keeps the company one step ahead
of the competition. That said, it is worth
taking a closer look at how the company
has implemented new technologies and
executed capital improvement projects
over the years, and what its vision for
the future looks like at a time when new
breakthroughs are being made virtually
every day.
A transformation journey begins.
One of Ergon’s first substantial ventures
into digitalization was wireless network-
ing and the use of remote sensors to pro-
vide operators with essential data. Before
WirelessHART became the international
standard protocol it is today, the team at
the Vicksburg refinery chose an incre-
mental approach, proving the technology
on less critical applications first. “We be-
gan installing a proprietary wireless sen-
sor on one pressure relief valve to detect
potential issues with its rupture disc, as an
extra safety layer,” said Mr. Elwart. “Once
 The Digital Plant

we felt comfortable, we installed sensors
on 33 more discs, saving us thousands of
dollars on wiring costs.”
From there, the Vicksburg team moved
on to a project that involved installing a
wireless transmitter on a remote chemical
storage building where flammable chemi-
cals were stored. Separated from the con-
trol room by several hundred yards, the
storage building was not normally staffed,
and the existing electrical and data net-
work connections made it impossible to
monitor the building for safety and secu-
rity around the clock.
Comparing a hardwired solution to
wireless, management was concerned
about infrastructure cost, deployment
time, construction logistics and safety. The
solution: a solar-powered field network.
The team installed wireless smoke sensors
inside the building, which transmitted
signals to a solar panel-powered wireless
repeater within a direct line of sight to the
refinery control system. The wireless solu-
tion eliminated the time and expense of
fiber-optic cable trenching in a live process
area, saving more than $230,000.
The rupture disc and storage building
applications were small projects, but they
helped accomplish two important things:
they built confidence in a new digital tech-
nology and its ease of use, and they showed
how solutions can be piloted and scaled
up by testing them on a limited number of
applications first and then applying them
to more assets across the plant.
Success leads to confidence for big-
ger projects. Some of those assets, such
as blowers and fans, are being monitored
automatically since Ergon has recently be-
gun employing equipment integrity sen-
sors, which send vibration data to asset
management software (AMS) that gives
operators greater insight into machinery
health and helps instrument technicians
diagnose problems before they lead to
failures (FIG. 1). AMS can alert mainte-
nance to potential issues with sensors and
transmitters before operators in the con-
trol room notice that anything is amiss.
Asset management applications like
this can be tied into broader plantwide
digital ecosystems, which Ergon uses for,
among other reasons, the convenience of
having off-the-shelf digital solutions avail-
able from suppliers like the author’s com-
pany that function as one-stop-shops for
troubleshooting. The company sees com-
patibility among the products of disparate
vendors as a vital aspect when deciding on
a long-term digitalization strategy.
After Ergon built its networking
and digital ecosystem capabilities, add-
ing more sensors and instrumentation
throughout different process areas, it
began investing in analytics tools, such
as a proprietary softwarea that the Vicks-
burg facility uses for alarm management
(FIG. 2). The software generates weekly re-
ports by process area, enabling operators
to confirm that alarms are working as they
should. As a result, alarm rates and alarm
criticality have dropped, and the number
of disabled alarms has fallen to zero.
Maximizing on-spec production
through modernization. In 2015,
Ergon took on one of its biggest mod-
ernization projects to date—upgrading
the control system in the scale house

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Industry Marketing Director
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Gerald Delaney
Manager of Process Engineering
Zachry Group

Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202043

 The Digital Plant
FIG. 4. Giving technicians secure remote access to control room data, using mobile tablets
and smartphones empowers Ergon’s workforce to monitor and control their processes
from anywhere within the facility, boosting productivity.
at the Vicksburg facility’s blending unit
(FIG. 3). It involved a mix of next-gen-
eration automation technologies that, if
integrated successfully, would improve
operational efficiency.
The blending system is an essential
component of Ergon’s operational model.
The original control system that mixed
the components of specialty lubes and
blended them direct to trains, trucks and
ships, was outdated. A downed system
could result in demurrages and cancelled
orders that quickly run into the millions
of dollars in losses.
Ergon replaced the legacy system
with a proprietary batch controllerb
that made it easier to manage blend
recipes and implement new recipes for
new products, allowing Ergon to handle
greater production volumes. Product
shipments have increased by 30%. The
project also included what turned out to
be the first installation of one of the au-
thor’s company’s virtualization serversc
in North America. The virtualization
system allows workstations and control
system nodes to be run from a common
host computer, significantly mitigating
downtime and reducing the hardware
footprint in the scale house. The vir-
tualization system can also back up the
entire control system data in one file, re-
ducing reboot time in the event that the
system needs to be restarted.
44JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Transforming operations across the
enterprise. The latest step in Ergon’s dig-
italization journey has involved automat-
ing its order-entry system and integrating
it with the company’s business manage-
ment software.d Under the old system,
when an order came in, a clerk in the scale
house would type the order information
into the blending system and have the
blender enter the order information into
a spreadsheet that generated a report of
blends for the day. This procedure al-
lowed for manual input error.
With the new system, when an order
is entered into the SAP system at Ergon’s
customer service center, all the blender
operator will do is pick out the correct
order number when the customer’s truck
arrives, and the rest is automatic. The SAP
system then automatically generates an
invoice, which helps the front office track
orders and close its books more quickly.
Not only does this mean faster turnaround
time for invoices, but it also reduces the
potential for human error and the need
for re-blends, which can cost thousands of
dollars as a result of a single bad keystroke.
The journey continues. Where will Er-
gon go from here? Since digital transforma-
tion is a journey and not a destination, Er-
gon will continue to look for opportunities
to improve operations well into the future.
Mr. Elwart said, “Our goal is to get as much
information as possible into the hands of
the people who need it, whether it is in the
control room or the board room.”
One of the first things the company
plans to do is to take advantage of the
highly-customizable operator interface
capabilities of a proprietary DCSe that
allows users to design operator screens
that enable each worker in the plant to see
what they need to see to do their jobs, on
tablets, phones, laptops or control room
workstations. This level of mobile access
to process data and asset health informa-
tion using standardized HMI graphics can
help expedite loop-checking, turnarounds
and maintenance, while generally simpli-
fying workflows across the plant (FIG. 4).
While it may be still be a few years
off, augmented reality (AR) is another
innovation that the company is seriously
looking at. “Soon, operators will be able
to look at a piece of equipment from
across the refinery and get real-time asset
health data presented in their field of vi-
sion,” said Mr. Elwart.
However, when it comes to high-tech
applications like these or technologies
that have yet to be invented, it is certain
that Ergon will continue to apply its time-
tested approach to digital transformation
that has enabled it to thrive. “Create a
sound digitalization strategy and stick
to it,” advised Mr. Elwart. “Start small,
move incrementally and take advantage
of scalable technology to keep risk at a
minimum. Above all, let company cul-
ture drive technological change—not the
other way around.”
NOTES
a
Emerson’s DeltaV™ Analyze
b
Emerson’s DeltaV Batch controller
c
Emerson’s DeltaV Virtualization
d
Ergon’s SAP® business management software
e
DeltaV Version 14
STEVE ELWART is the Information
Systems Manager for Ergon
Refining and has worked for Ergon
for 35 yr. He has been involved
with automation and information
technology for more than 40 yr.
MARCELO CARUGO is the VP of
Global Refining and Chemical for
Emerson’s Automation Solutions
business. He works with downstream
manufacturers to create a clear
and actionable path to operational
excellence, using advanced
automation and digitalization strategies. Mr. Carugo
joined Emerson in 1998 and has more than 30 yr of
experience as a process control expert in the chemical
and refining fields, both internationally and in the U.S.
 Special Focus
Calculating petroleum quantities in the 21st century
Over the past 100 yr, a number of tech-
nological advances and process improve-
ments have dramatically changed how the
oil and gas industry finds, produces and
refines petroleum. The industry has made
vast improvements in physical property
databases, calculation procedures, and
the determination of density and petro-
leum quantities by incorporating advanc-
es in modern processing technologies and
updating measurement standards.
This article discusses how the oil and
gas industry is reducing measurement
uncertainty through the development of
new physical property standards. It also
examines the history and differences be-
tween various 1980 American Petroleum
Institute (API) standards and their 21st-
century counterparts. Additionally, it
discusses computer hardware technology
and software improvements and how the
ongoing evolution of standards can help
the industry bridge the gap between op-
erations, modern technology and an ever-
changing hydrocarbon supply chain.
A long history of standards. Indus-
try organizations including the API, the
American Society for Testing and Mate-
rials (ASTM), the Energy Institute (EI)
and the Gas Processors Association Mid-
stream (GPA Midstream) have created,
and routinely update, standards that put
in place methodologies for the accurate
measurement of hydrocarbon fluids.1
For the purpose of commodity trading
of petroleum oils, hydrocarbon distillates,
petrochemicals and natural gas products,
the densities, volumes and energy units
are corrected to a contractual reference
base temperature and pressure condition.
In the U.S. and producing countries work-
ing with the U.S., the customary units are
60°F and 0 psig (14.696 psia) or saturation
pressure. Most U.S. international trading
partners use SI units for determining base
conditions. The international community
The Digital Plant
L. S. TANNER, Quorum Software, Houston, Texas
typically trades commodities at 15°C or
20°C and 101.325 kPa as base conditions.
Typically, the fluids properties are
not measured at these base conditions,
but instead at process temperatures and
pressures. The density and volume of
hydrocarbon fluids measured at process
conditions can be significantly different
from their values at base conditions. As a
result, volume correction factors are used
during metering to correct the observed
densities and gross volumes to equivalent
densities and volumes at a base pressure
and temperature.
The first correction factors to account
for the thermal expansion of liquid hydro-
carbons were developed and tabulated in
1916 by the National Bureau of Standards
in the U.S. The work of developing coef-
ficients of thermal expansion of crude
oil and crude products involved taking
careful density measurements of several
commercially available oil samples. From
these measurements, detailed calcula-
tions were developed to correct for the
actual temperature and pressure of the
fluid being measured.
Standards were updated, and many
new ones were introduced, over the past
century. In 1952, the British and Ameri-
can temperature correction factors were
combined into the Petroleum Measure-
ment Tables, which contained many sets
of correction and conversion factor tables
commonly used in the measurement of
various hydrocarbon liquids. These tables
were developed largely from the volumet-
ric data for crudes and crude fractions
published in 1916.
In 1965, the API adopted these tables.
Oil producers, carriers, refiners and mar-
keters all rely on the Petroleum Measure-
ment Tables (also widely known as the
1952 Tables or Blue Book Tables) to cor-
rect their products’ densities and volumes
to the standard temperature. The correc-
tions provided by these tables afford more
equitable and consistent fiscal transac-
tions between parties. They also give gov-
ernment agencies a means to ensure that
any applicable taxes and tariffs are fairly
assessed. With billions of dollars of hydro-
carbons being traded every day, a varia-
tion of just 0.1% due to temperature or
pressure effects can result in a significant
gain or loss of revenue for a single trans-
action. With so much money at stake, the
industry is constantly revising standards
to minimize measurement uncertainties.
Standards evolve with industry
needs. The advent of more sophisticated
computers from the 1960s through the
1980s promised a means for minimizing
variation and tightening up liquids mea-
surements. As a result, the 1952 lookup
tables were replaced in 1980 with new
temperature correction tables for density
and volume that could be incorporated
into computer subroutines. Specifically,
the printed tables were replaced with
mathematical equations that served as the
standard. The equations could then be
implemented into the computer subrou-
tines through consistent procedures.
The 1980 implementation procedures
were the first attempt to provide the pe-
troleum industry with a means to produce
identical numbers on a variety of comput-
er hardware and software configurations.
This was not such a simple task in the late
1970s and early 1980s, when computers
varied widely in processing capacity—
4-bit, 8-bit and 16-bit processors were
commonly used. In addition, the first In-
stitute of Electrical and Electronics Engi-
neers (IEEE) standard for floating-point
arithmetic was not introduced until 1985.
Due to these computer hardware and
software dissimilarities and relatively low
capabilities, users would frequently obtain
different answers from the same subrou-
tine run on different systems. This issue
was addressed by modifying the pub-
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202045
 The Digital Plant
lished 1980 implementation procedures
to include a series of intermediate round-
ing and truncation rules that helped en-
sure consistent answers between different
computer configurations. This made the
procedure very complex, which increased
the risk of programming errors by users.
Between the initial publication of the
1980 tables and the mid-1990s, evolving
industry needs and advances in computer
technology prompted a number of chang-
es to the standards.2 For example:
• The initial 1980 tables were
developed from data obtained
using the International Practical
Temperature Scale 1968 (IPTS-
68), which has since been replaced
with the International Temperature
Scale 1990 (ITS-90). The standard
accounted for this change by
correcting the input temperatures
to an IPTS-68 basis prior to
performing any other calculations.
• The accepted value of standard
density of water at 60°F was slightly
changed from the 1980 standard
value, which affected values of
relative density and API gravity.
• In 1988, the IP extended the
procedures used for the 15°C
tables to include newly developed
procedures for 20°C, which met
the needs of those countries that
use this higher value as their
standard temperature.
• Tables for lubricating oils were
developed and approved, but they
were not immediately documented
as a part of the standard. Initially,
implementation procedures for the
lubricating oil table appeared only
for the 20°C tables.
• The tables were extended to factor
in lower temperatures and lower
API densities (i.e., higher densities)
to account for changing business
dynamics and the need to perform
custody transfer on a wider range
of products.
• Rounding and truncation
were eliminated for initial and
intermediate values, and now only
apply to the final volume correction
factor values. These final values
are consistently rounded to five
decimal places.
• Changes in computer technology
allowed for updates to
implementation procedures. The
46JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
advent of IEEE standards and
widespread adoption of 32-bit and
higher-level machines allowed the
integer (scaled values) arithmetic
used in the 1980 tables’ IPs to be
replaced with a double-precision,
floating-point math procedure
that produces 14 significant
digits (double the number of
significant digits produced with
the previous method).
• Increasing the number of decimal
places and using the floating-
point math format highlighted
discrepancies between the 60°F,
15°C and 20°C tables that were
concealed in the 1980 tables.
These discrepancies produced a
slightly different volume correction
factor value for the same output
temperature. A new procedure
was developed for calculating
temperature on liquid (CTL) and
pressure on liquid (CPL) factors
that ensured that the results would
remain consistent, regardless of the
base temperature used.
• As flow computers in the field
became more commonplace
for real-time measurement of
petroleum-based fluids, improved
convergence methods were
developed to correct the observed
density to a base density.
• Earlier editions of the printed tables
assumed that glass hydrometers were
used to make density measurements;
therefore, a hydrometer correction
was included on the observed
density. Such corrections are no
longer applied, as any density
measurements made with a glass
hydrometer are now corrected prior
to applying the calculations.
• The use of density meters to make
real-time density measurements
has become more prevalent. Since
these measurements are often
made at pressures greater than
atmospheric, the pressure effect
must be accounted for at the same
time as any temperature effect when
determining the density at standard
conditions. As a result, pressure and
temperature corrections are now
combined into one procedure.
As the oil and gas industry moved into
the 21st century, standards organizations
worked diligently to keep pace with the
complex energy requirements of an ever-
growing global population. As a result,
the industry has adopted numerous new
standards to meet changing needs in sus-
tainable ways. Updates and additions to
the standards catalog include:
• A newly adopted water standard
(Chapter 11.4) in 2003
• An updated implementation
procedure in MPMS Chapter 11.1
in 2004 (the update focused on
new computer technology,
expanding the operating density
and temperature ranges, and
addressing shortcomings with
the previous standard)
• A light hydrocarbon standard
(Chapter 11.2.4) in 2007
• IUPAC ethylene density
calculations (Chapter 11.3.2.1),
adopted by API in 2013
• A new ethanol standard (Chapter
11.3.3) in 2015
• An ethanol-blended gasoline
standard (Chapter 11.3.4) in 2019.
These updates were designed to make
the standard more consistent and meet in-
dustry needs; and yet, with the exception
of the development of the new ethanol
and ethanol-blended gasoline standards,
no new hydrocarbon samples or data were
taken. The basic equation forms and the
associated constants used to define the
temperature and pressure correction fac-
tors were not changed. Ranges of density
and temperature over which certain pa-
rameters apply were only slightly changed.
Addressing ongoing industry changes.
While revisions and updates to measure-
ment standards are welcome, these stan-
dards have not yet fully accounted for
major shifts in the industry’s business op-
erations and new technology trends.
Physical properties keep changing.
Today’s crude oils and refined products
do not have the same physical properties
as in the 1970s. The tetraethyl lead (TEL)
that was used to boost octane 45 yr ago
has since been replaced with ethanol.
Feedstocks that were largely composed
of lighter, sweeter, conventional crudes a
generation ago have been replaced with
greater quantities of heavy oils from Cana-
da and crude from a number of shale plays
across North America and elsewhere.
Further complicating matters, stan-
dards like API MPMS 11.1 have a limited
density range. For example, many types

of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and natu-
ral gas liquids (NGL), as well as liquified
natural gas (LNG), are less dense than the
liquids covered by the API MPMS 11.1
standard. As a result, measurement subject
matter experts must have a wealth of phys-
ical properties and standards knowledge.
Despite these dramatic changes to pe-
troleum feedstocks and products and the
industry’s best efforts to keep up with
them, measurement standards must con-
tinue to advance. The API standard still
uses constants developed from empirical
data collected in the 1970s. The graph in
FIG. 1 represents the empirical data set col-
lected in the 1970s, and how the industry
used mathematical models to expand the
empirical data to accommodate change in
the production source.
Demographics keep evolving. Back
in the 1980s and 1990s, a number of oil
and gas companies developed their own
measurement systems, written in software
languages like FORTRAN and COBOL.
The popularity and usage of these pro-
gramming languages has waned over the
past 30 yr, and the number of qualified
personnel who can code in these languag-
es has dwindled.
Even companies that do not have their
own measurement systems have relied
on the knowledge and expertise of baby
boomers in interpreting and using the
measurement tables. The departure of
such knowledgeable employees has many
companies wondering how they will be
able to effectively implement new mea-
surement standards as they are developed.
Technologies keep advancing. As
stated earlier, the limits of electronic tech-
nology available in the early 1980s forced
the industry to implement a series of in-
termediate rounding and truncation in its
measurement calculations. However, the
processing capabilities of modern com-
puters means that intermediate discrimi-
nation is no longer necessary—given the
same processing inputs, different com-
puters can produce the same answers.
Nevertheless, the use of rounding trun-
cation inside calculations is still a standard
process today. Although the industry is
using the most advanced computing sys-
tems, many of the underlying calculations
running in today’s electronic flow mea-
surement systems are still using algorithms
that were written for 4-bit processors.
When it comes to dynamic measure-
ment tickets, the industry is still applying
300
250
200
150
Temperature, °F
100
50
0
-50
-100
-10 -5 0 5 10
FIG. 1. The industry has used mathematical models to expand 1970s empirical data to
accommodate change in the production source.
1970s computer technology. Meanwhile,
advancements in metering and measure-
ment technology are allowing upstream
and midstream operators to track the in-
ventory and movement of multiple fluid
streams with far greater precision. The
use of rudimentary measurement devices,
like a metered stick, has been replaced
with more sophisticated methods and
meters, from traditional orifice, positive
displacement and turbine meters to Co-
riolis and ultrasonic meters. Strapping
tape is still widely used in custody transfer
operations, as is radar- and infrared-mea-
surement equipment.
These newer technologies can im-
prove inventory measurement and man-
agement, but only if the data obtained is
properly handled and interpreted. This
typically requires an operator to con-
solidate datasets from different metering
sources, verify the accuracy of the data,
apply any necessary fluid quality samples
and then recalculate as required.1 Only
then can the operator perform a system-
wide inventory balance to check for any
operational issues or missing data.
Upgrading standards to today’s
needs. The industry is aware of the chal-
lenges of making accurate measurements
with antiquated or outdated systems, and
is working hard to update its standards to
reflect present needs and move fluid quan-
tification into the 21st century. A number
of API standards are being rewritten to re-
flect changes to empirical data, to the type
and composition of petroleum feedstocks,
and to the computing and metering tech-
nologies available.
The Digital Plant
1980 original data
1980 extension
2004 extension
Data range Extrapolated
15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 85 80 85 90 95 100
API density
API Chapter 18.2 was introduced in
2018 to allow for the use of radar-guided
measurement technologies. New tech-
nologies have allowed for the introduc-
tion of new standards, like API Chapter
18.2, that implement safer and more ef-
ficient ways to transport crude oil from
production leases to processing facilities
(FIG. 2). A number of working groups,
with measurement experts from service
companies and operators across the in-
dustry, are rewriting several standards.
API Chapter 12 (covering measurement
tickets) and Chapter 20 (allocation mea-
surement) are being updated, as is Chap-
ter 21, which covers electronic flow mea-
surement for gas and liquids.
One of the major upgrades to Chapter
21.2 will change how liquid inventories
are recorded. Rather than recording liquid
inventories on a batch basis, which might
cover a duration of up to one month, the
standard is being rewritten to put liquids
on a quantity transaction record (QTR)
of an hourly basis, similar to comparable
gas inventories. This change will allow us-
ers to reconciliate smaller time intervals
of data, which will help improve measure-
ment tracking and more accurately pin-
point the time when some measurement
error (due to a transmitter failure or a me-
tering problem, for example) occurred.
Modernizing measurements. The in-
dustry is doing its best to keep up with
the many changes to regulations, supply,
logistics and consumer needs; however,
with limited time, money, dedicated labor
and other resources, keeping up is an on-
going challenge.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202047
 The Digital Plant
FIG. 2. New standards implement safer and more efficient ways to transport crude oil to
processing facilities.
Companies can take measures to mini-
mize uncertainty in the measurements of
today’s crude oils and processed products,
even while using the standards available
today. For example, the empirical data
used to generate the correction tables
contain an inherent temperature bias.
Companies using these tables can correct
for this bias by quantifying their fluids—
running physical tests to gather their own
empirical data of temperature and density.
These data are then regressed to deter-
mine a coefficient of thermal expansion
(or alpha) for each fluid. Table C in Chap-
ter 11.1 requires that users quantify their
fluids in this way to determine an alpha.
This alpha is then plugged directly into
Table C, which uses a physical-property,
binary model to determine densities at
flowing temperatures. To complete the
process, the effects of pressure on density
must be included in the calculations at
saturation temperatures.
Giving users the ability to plug their
own alphas into Table C helps decrease
the uncertainty of their overall measure-
ments compared to using generalized
tables. However, without access to sys-
tems that could automate the process,
this would be a complex operation that
requires significant time and in-house
knowledge to execute correctly.
Another automated solution comes
from an advanced software application
that can be run on any modern-day flow
computer. The software uses a three-
dimensional (density, temperature and
pressure) model that incorporates a sim-
plified equilibrium vapor pressure equa-
tion to predict the Table E densities for
48JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
light hydrocarbons. This model combines
five different standards into a single itera-
tive process, thereby decreasing measure-
ment uncertainty.
This measurement system application
was designed with the input of multiple
companies that understand and imple-
ment best practices in fluid measurement
within the industry. As a result, the ap-
plication brings greater accuracy and
accountability to fluid transfers and in-
ventory management in a number of ad-
ditional ways.
Users can record and analyze their data
with much higher resolution than is possi-
ble from other systems, or is even required
from industry standards. On the gas side,
for example, the application allows com-
panies to scrutinize their data in 15-min
intervals, as opposed to the traditional 60
min. Liquid measurements can also be tak-
en in much tighter time intervals. Further-
more, data can be imported from every
type of measurement point—both static
(tanks, railcars, ships and trucks) and dy-
namic (any kind of metering device).
Users can audit their measurements
and identify any data quality issues or er-
rors. The time and location of an error or
data anomaly is recorded and easily re-
trieved, which allows the user to quickly
identify the source of the problem—such
as a failed transmitter or sampler—and
make the necessary repairs or changes to
address the issue.
Measurement errors are corrected by
using the average of a measurement from
the past several hours as a basis. Once the
error is corrected, the application restates
the data—including pressure, tempera-
ture, volume and mass anomalies—and
creates a complete, SOX- and API-compli-
ant audit trail. The numbers are closed out
at the end of the month (or other appro-
priate reporting period) and sent to down-
stream accounting systems.
The application allows for a complete,
system-wide fluid balance to accurately
determine inventories by location and
any type of product loss. Most other mea-
surement applications cannot track fluid
quantities so closely, deliver detailed fluid
inventories and identify the location of po-
tential problems areas, such as leaks, with
the same level of scrutiny.
Takeaway. To ensure greater measure-
ment accuracy for a wider range of today’s
hydrocarbon fluids, the industry continues
the important work of updating its mea-
surement standards to align with the ad-
vanced processing technologies available.
At the same time, software providers have
continued to update their measurement
application software.
One such advanced application com-
bines all static and dynamic measurements,
physical properties, flow calculations, data
processing, auditing and verification into a
single platform, thereby minimizing uncer-
tainty in fluid measurements. With tools
like this, users can confidently implement
the standards to ensure unprecedented
accuracy and accountability in every fluid
transfer and inventory transaction.
LITERATURE CITED
1
Squyres, M., “Navigating the petroleum mea-
surement perfect storm,” Pipeline & Gas Journal,
December 2014.
Complete literature cited available online at
www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com
SCOTT TANNER is a Hydrocarbon
Measurement Specialist for Quorum
Software with more than 40 yr of
experience in the oil and gas
industry. He is a globally recognized
industry expert in fiscal
hydrocarbon measurement and
physical properties calculations. At Quorum, Mr.
Tanner provides professional guidance to the
management team and development staff in the
design and verification of the FLOWCAL
measurement application. His methodologies have
aided the company in reaching a best-in-class status
for its suite of measurement software applications.
Throughout his career, Mr. Tanner has guided and
directed developmental activities for liquid flow
computers and performed third-party technical audits
for measurement facilities. He is a Chairman and
voting member of several American Petroleum
Institute (API) Standards and Technical Committees.
He is also a member of the American Society for
Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the GPA Midstream.

Improve refinery furnace control with burner
management systems and model predictive control
Under the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) definition, a BMS
includes the field devices, logic systems
and final control elements dedicated to
combustion safety and operator assis-
tance in the starting and stopping of fuel
preparation and burning equipment. It
also defines the prevention of damage to
fuel preparation and burning equipment.
In addition to a BMS, advanced pro-
cess control (APC) application is impor-
tant for refinery furnace operation. The
main and common objectives of model
predictive control (MPC) strategies are:
1. Maintaining the furnace outlet
temperature
2. Maintaining the total feed at target
3. Balancing the coil temperature
4. Balancing the feed flow of each coil.
The function of a BMS is to provide
sequencing, monitoring and interlocks
for the fuel oil heating, furnace purge,
main fuel trip, pilot ignition fuel trip, fuel
oil trip, natural gas trip, etc.
This case study examines the appli-
cation of a BMS at the lube oil plant at
Tüpraş’ İzmir refinery. Seven furnaces
are dedicated to this purpose. Three of
them are capable of firing both natural
gas and fuel oil. The older heaters have
one gas tight shutoff valve, and the new
systems have a double-block-and-bleed
tight shutoff valve.
Diagnostics. Combustion science can be
defined as the science of exothermic chem-
ical reactions in flows with heat and mass
transfer.1 It specifies the amount of oxidant
that is sufficient to burn the carbon, hydro-
gen and sulfur in a fuel to carbon dioxide.2
The need to produce cleaner-burning fuels
to meet environmental regulations is also
Environment
and Safety
Y. AKTAŞ and H. Ç. ŞANLI, Tüpraş, İzmir, Turkey
increasing. At the same time, the dynamic
development of the burner industry is
bringing new challenges and directions.
Operating companies are increasing
their efforts to reduce the risk of cata-
strophic events that can damage the envi-
ronment or plant assets and that can cause
injury or death to employees. Worldwide,
refiners are investing billions to upgrade
and modernize systems for a number of
other reasons:
• Minimizing risks, such as fire,
explosion, poisoning, etc.
• Improving plant safety
• Increasing flexibility to use
oil and gas fuels
• Improving energy efficiency.
This article explains the basic principles of
BMS technology, applications and process FIG. 1. Main burner and pilot gas burner flame.
safety and examines ways to reduce risk.
BMS basics. The BMS has grown in existing systems are not NFPA compliant.
importance as a safety solution for the The new BMS and emergency shutdown
control and monitoring of burner firing (ESD) systems are to be designed accord-
systems (FIG. 1). The system is designed ing to NFPA standards.
to widely used NFPA safety standarts to A process hazard analysis (PHA) and
provide the correct burner sequence, igni- safety integrity level (SIL) assessment are
tion and flame monitoring protection for first completed. A PHA is the first step in
automatically ignited oil, gas and combi- the safety lifecycle, which includes all the
nation fuel burners. steps necessary to achieve required func-
A BMS provides control and monitor- tional safety. Potential hazards related to
ing of the startup and shutdown sequence the processing and handling of hazardous
of burners and related equipment, moni- chemicals, the causes and consequences
tors the operation of the equipment con- of fires and explosions, and the releases
tinuously at all times, and initiates a safe of toxic and/or flammable chemicals are
shutdown procedure upon the detection identified and analyzed during the PHA.
of an unsafe operating condition. The output of the PHA effort is the op-
Operations personnel at Tüpraş’ İzmir erational definition and assignment of
refinery decided to change the exist- an SIL rating to each safety loop. SIL is a
ing burner management and emergency way to specify the safety integrity require-
shutdown systems for seven heaters at ments of safety functions allocated to the
the refinery’s lube oil plant because the safety instrumented system (SIS).
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202049
 Environment and Safety
FIG. 2. Natural gas flow control valves and
2oo3 pressure devices.
FIG. 3. The local control panel of the burner
management system.
An SIL level for each safety instru-
mented function (SIF) is determined by
using a risk assessment matrix (RAM).
The likelihood of SIF is calculated by
conducting a layer of protection analysis
(LOPA), which helps identify the conse-
quences of hazards to economic, health,
safety and environmental parameters.
LOPA is a PHA tool that accounts for
each identifed hazard by documenting
the initiating cause and protection layers
that prevent and mitigate the hazards.
After the LOPA analysis, if additional
risk reduction is required in the form of
SIF, then the appropriate SIL for the SIF
is determined. The design of the SIF must
meet the SIL rating for the probability of
failure on demand (PFD) value.
Safeguarding hierarchy. The safety in-
strumented system (SIS) is built hierarchi-
cally; this means that a higher-level safe-
guarding module includes all the actions
of the lower-level modules. The safeguard-
ing levels are defined in four trip levels:
1. Snuffing steam module—
In this level, total shutdown of the
burners, forced draft (FD) fans and
induced draft (ID) fans will occur
with steam injection to the firebox
2. ESD module—In this level,
total shutdown of the burners,
FD fans and ID fans will occur
50JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
3. Total heater module—
In this level, total shutdown
of the burners will occur
4. Partial heater modules—
In this level, partial shutdown of
the heater will occur if any of the
modules at this level are tripped.
BMS and ESD engineering. The ex-
isting supply systems for pilot gas, fuel
oil, atomizing steam, and flue gas for the
heaters are inspected for compliance to
NFPA. Some of the existing selenoids,
valves and field instruments are deter-
mined to be insufficient and earmarked
for renewal. A 2oo3 voting (FIG. 2) is
implemented for the trip parameters, and
transmitters are used instead of switches.
The interlock system protects valu-
able equipment and operators during
all phases of operation. It also monitors
the interlock chain and gives permission
for the startup of the heaters in the field
by the local burner control panel. The
interlocks of the local control panel for
the BMS (FIG. 3) prevent the main shut-
off valve from opening unless all burner
valves are detected as closed.1 This pre-
vents gas flow until purging is completed.
The heater has valve position instrumen-
tation on each burner.
The BMS and ESD system provide a
safe, automatic shutdown of the heaters
on detection of a potentially dangerous
or abnormal condition. Algorithm flow-
charts and logic diagrams for the BMS
and ESD programs must be run in the
safety PLC systems. The heaters and the
burners must be capable of being manu-
ally tripped by the operator, and remote-
ly tripped by using a human-machine
interface (HMI) console.
Maintenence bypass switches must
be configured in the HMI system for
the trip parameters. A local control
panel (FIG. 4) is provided for limited lo-
cal control of the main gas and ignition
gas burners (FIG. 5). It allows for start-
ing and stopping of the burner, leak tests
and nitrogen or air purges. A local burner
emergency stop button is provided to
trip the entire heater. An entire heater
emergency stop also could be provided
in the control room. Operation from the
local panel is only possible if enabled
through the distributed control system
(DCS), and the emergency stop button
is always active. The ignition test and ni-
trogen purge start functions are enabled
from the local panel only.
Indicator status lights are provided for
several functions:
• Local operation enabled
• Main gas burner running
• Ignition burner running
• Leak test running
• Furnace purge ready to start and
completed
• Gas burner start and stop, burner
emergency stop and ignition test
• FD fan start and stop, leak test
start, nitrogen purge start and
furnace purge start.
Maintenance override switches
(MOSs) are implemented at the request
of the end user. The correct installation
and use of MOS procedures are not the re-
sponsibility of the builder company. How-
ever, enabling MOSs on a 2oo3 voted
signal increases the risk of a “failure on de-
mand.” In other words, it increases the risk
that a safety interlock will fail when it is
required to operate. Maintenance can still
be performed on any 2oo3 signal without
the need to activate MOSs. The 2oo3 vot-
ing system by itself (without MOSs) will
tolerate the deviation of a single transmit-
ter, without causing an interlock.
The override is meant solely for main-
tenance purposes. To ensure that the
MOSs are not misused, a single MOS
will automatically be removed 24 hr af-
ter it has been enabled. Where triplicated
transmitters are arranged in a 2oo3 voting
arrangement, a maintenance override will
be associated with each transmitter. Op-
eration of the override will have the effect
of overriding the transmitter to a forced
healthy state. Note: When the override
is active, both of the remaining transmit-
ters must be healthy and active to achieve
2oo3 tripping functionality.
Maintenance overrides should be con-
trolled by site procedures and should be
carried out only after the necessary risk
assessments have been performed. The
operation of the maintenance overrides
should be restricted to responsible per-
sonnel. Only one maintenance override
per triplicated set is permitted at any time.
A MOS request can be initiated from the
DCS screen. Only one transmitter in each
2oo3 voting arrangement can be overrid-
den. Only if the other two transmitters are
healthy, and if no other transmitter from
the same group is already activated, will
the MOS request be accepted by the BMS.
The BMS will report back to the DCS
when a transmitter MOS is activated.

Once activated, it can be deactivated by
disabling the MOS request from the DCS.
When an individual transmitter MOS is
activated, that particular transmitter will
no longer be used in the 2oo3 voting. The
remaining two will be averaged. Any fault
statuses related to the overridden trans-
mitter will be ignored, and the associated
alarms suppressed. These fault statuses
include exceeding alarm or trip values, or
faulty signals outside the 4-20 mA range.
A common alarm will be activated to indi-
cate that one or more MOSs are still active.
The unit will continue with the re-
maining two transmitters in a 2oo2 setup.
MOSs on 2oo2 voted flame scanners for
each burner row are equipped with 2oo2
voted flame scanners. A MOS will disable
one of the flame scanners and force it to the
“flame off” state. This leaves the remaining
scanner in a 1oo1 voting. The associated
flame loss alarm is not suppressed, since it
serves as a reminder that a MOS is active.
The BMS will report back to the
DCS when a flame scanner MOS is acti-
vated. A common alarm will be activated
to indicate that one or more MOSs are
still active. FIG. 6 shows a natural gas line
equipped with a manually operated block
valve, a filter and a flowmeter with one
pressure transmitter and one temperature
transmitter for flow correction calcula-
tions in the DCS.
A self-acting pressure regulator reduc-
es the pressure to a predetermined fixed
value for the igniter. It has two automati-
cally operated safety shutoff valves, an in-
termediate vent valve, and three pressure
transmitters for safeguarding purposes.
The 2oo3 voting is located downstream
of the second thermal shutoff valve. A
valve is located on each main burner.
The pilot gas system consists of the
same equipment. Based on NFPA code,
the double-block-and-bleed valves and a
vent valve are located in both the natural
gas line and the pilot gas line. The unit is
started manually by the operator. Before
the burner is started, a successful gas leak
test must be performed. Both the main
gas system and the ignition pilot gas sys-
tem should be tested for leaks.
The leak test will prove that the main
isolation valve, header vent valve and the
first of the burner isolation valves are
holding pressure and are leak-tight. This
secures the section between the main iso-
lation valve and each of the first burner
row valves.
FIG. 4. BMS fuel line view in furfural
extraction heater.
The space between the burner row
isolation valves and the burner itself is
not included in the automatic leak test.
It must be manually checked for outside
leaks during regular operation and for
tightness of the valves during mainte-
nance. The leak tests for both the ignition
and main gas systems are automatically
started when a heater is started.
If the supply pressure is low, then the
leak test is not performed. The leak tests
remain valid for 60 min even if the burner
is not started immediately. When ex-
pired, the burner can be manually restart-
ed after a burner trip, and the gas leak test
must be repeated before the burner may
be started again.
Burner start procedure. The burner
may be started after a successful boiler
purge and a successful gas leak test. Burn-
er and boiler conditions must be satisfied
for the burner to operate. Prior to start,
the operator will select the related button.
This can be done from either the DCS
screen or the local control panel. Burner
start is fully automatic after a start com-
mand is given. Some special cases for
burner operation include:
• Flame loss of a single burner shall
trip only that particular burner.
• Both scanners must lose flame for
a burner to trip 2oo2. One flame
scanner may be lost on a row
without tripping. An alarm will
be generated if a scanner is not
detecting the main flame.
• The ignition flame is required to be
detected by only a single scanner.
No alarm will be given for the
second scanner not detecting the
ignition flame. No preference is
Environment and Safety
FIG. 5. Main combined burner view.
FIG. 6. Main natural gas line with a thermal
shutoff valve, a manual block valve and a
flowmeter with one pressure transmitter
and one temperature transmitter for flow
correction calculations in the DCS.
given for which scanner detects
the ignition flame.
More than half of the burners must be op-
erating. If fewer than half of the burners
remain in operation, then the remaining
burners will also be tripped.
Failure of a vent to close during burner
start will interrupt the start. A row vent
valve will stop only that particular row.
The main header vent failing to close will
interrupt the entire burner start. Inadver-
tent opening of one of the burner row vent
valves after the burner has already started
will trip that particular row. Inadvertent
opening of the main header vent valve af-
ter the burner has already started will trip
the entire burner. Although the vent loca-
tion is in a safe area, unlimited venting of
gas is considered a sufficient reason to jus-
tify a burner trip within 60 sec, regardless
of whether or not a flame is detected.
Model predictive control strategy
for furnaces. An advanced process con-
trol (APC) application for furnaces is a
furnace pass balance controller. The main
and common objectives of model predict-
ictive control strategy are maintaining the
furnace outlet temperature, maintaining
the total feed at target, balancing the coil
temperature and balancing the feed flow
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202051
 Environment and Safety
F1
APC
F2
Furnace
F3
Fuel
FIG. 7. Schematic representation of control
system for a furnace with multiple parallel
tube passes.
Furnace
Disturbance variables
TIC
Manipulated variables
Controlled
APC
Optimum moves are calculated for manipulated variables
FIG. 8. Relationships between MV, CV and
DV parameters in an APC framework.
of each coil. The concept of this design is
to ensure that the feed flow of each coil is
equivalent. Initially, the average flow tag is
created in a DCS configuration, and then
new tags are created for high and low lim-
its with an elaborate variables concept.
Ideally, each coil flow should not fluctu-
ate by more than +/–5% of average flow.
The control strategy for coil tempera-
ture is to ensure that the difference of the
outlet temperature of each coil is equiva-
lent. The way to apply this design is to
create the elaborate tags via APC between
coils 1 and 2, coils 2 and 3, coils 3 and 4,
and coils n-1 and n.3 Additionally, it aims
to make furnace outlet temperatures sta-
ble during the feed change.
Pass balance controller design.
There are several basic steps in controller
design. The first is to classify process pa-
rameters. Three main parameters exist for
APC: manipulated variables, controlled
variables and disturbance variables.
Manipulated variables (MVs). The
setpoints for furnace coil flows and furnace
52JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
outlet temperatures are selected as manip-
ulated variables. The main controller gives
set values to furnace coil flows and furnace
outlet temperatures. Base layer aplications
should be completed before APC imple-
mentation for heaters. Through base layer
studies, controller valves and transmitters
TI1
are checked and fixed; configuration of
TI2 proportional–integral–derivative (PID)
TI3
TIn controllers are checked and retuned.
TIC Controlled variables (CVs). Manip-
ulated variables are manipulated by taking
into account the safety conditions and op-
erational and economic objectives. Criti-
cal parameters for furnace process control
are a high limit for skin temperatures, a
low limit for coil flows and a minimum
limit for fuel flow. Therefore, furnace out-
let temperature process values, skin tem-
Process outputs peratures, total feed flow, coil outlet tem-
perature differences, fuel flow amounts
and valve opening by the fuel flow con-
troller are selected as controlled variables.
Disturbance variables (DVs). Dis-
turbance input is a variable that affects
variables the process outputs, but it cannot be
manipulated by an APC controller. An
advanced control scheme of a furnace is
shown in FIG. 7.
Dynamic step tests. After the assign-
ment of MVs, CVs and DVs, the dynamic
step test phase starts. The purpose of dy-
namic tests is to detect the relationship
between MVs and DVs with CVs (FIG. 8).
While designing step tests, the step sizes
should be big enough to observe actual
impacts but also small enough not to dis-
rupt the operation.
Model identification and design.
After implemetation of the step tests, test
data should be collected. The relation-
ships between variables are analyzed via
proprietary software.a Dynamic linear
models are created, and controller design
is completed.
Simulation and commissioning. The
simulation and commissioning phases
come after model identification and de-
sign. Controller tuning and configuration-
al settings are checked through simulation.
Moves are given for manipulated variables
to observe their future trajectory.
Communication checks are done be-
tween APC and the DCS. The “watch-
dog” blocks on the DCS are configured
for both communication and safety is-
sues. Then the controller switches on,
and the next phase starts.
Performance monitoring. After the
controller switches on, the movements
of variables are observed. It is important
to detect the prioritization between CVs
and the pace of MV movements. They
can be fine-tuned and adjusted while the
controller is online. The performance of
the controller is observed with regard to
the stability of MV and CV movements
and how the controller achieves optimi-
zation targets.
Recommendations. An unsatisfactory
parameter for any critical input immedi-
ately shuts down the heater. The control
system typically receives critical input
information from the heater’s equipment
to the DCS.2 Plant personnel should
thoroughly analyze the integration of a
BMS before operating the heater. This
technology can be applied to both single-
burner and multiple-burner systems. A
BMS directly connected to the boiler/
heater is the ideal solution.
As previously mentioned, plant op-
erators can face safety-critical situations
where the valve is incorrectly opened,
closed or left partially open. The most
important function that a burner per-
forms is to provide for the continuous
and reliable ignition of the fuel and air
passing through the burner over a speci-
fied range of operating conditions.3
Implementing a BMS offers many
benefits. It provides a systematic ap-
proach to burner management and in-
creases safety by reducing the risk of
explosion. Use of a BMS also increases
burner efficiency, thereby reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
NOTE
a
Honeywell Profit Suite
LITERATURE CITED
Complete literature cited available online at
www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com.
YAHYA AKTAŞ is a Production Sustainability Manager
at Tüpraş’ İzmir refinery in Turkey. He has 20 yr of
refinery experience, mainly in process improvements,
product blending, oil metering systems, furnace and
boiler combustion control and safety systems, burners
and waste heat boilers. He holds a BSc degree in
chemical engineering and an MBA degree.
HANDAN ÇEVIK ŞANLI is a Process Control
Superintendent at Tüpraş’ İzmir refinery in Turkey. She
is skilled in process control and automation, including
advanced process control, distributed control systems,
alarm management, base layer control and process
optimization. She holds a BSc degree in chemical
engineering and an MEng degree in management.
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 MAINTENANCE

PROCESS TECHNOLOGY

TURNAROUND

PROCESS SAFETY

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Official Conference Publication

 Process Engineering
S. CHADHURI and R. B. SINGH, Bechtel India,
Gurgaon, India

Flare system design for a refinery

mega-complex—front end and beyond
Estimating flare loads for a greenfield
facility is often a challenging activity in the
front end design phase. Flare system design
evolves over the project phases, starting
with configuration; feasibility study; licen-
sor selection; basic engineering; front end
engineering design (FEED); engineering,
procurement and construction (EPC);
and commissioning. Relief loads firm up
at the EPC stage, once all the supplier data
impacting the load estimation is available.
The implementation of the flare sys-
tem involves a significant amount of in-
vestment in terms of capital cost and is an
important consideration in the plot plan.
If a significant change to the flare load is
identified at a late stage of project develop-
ment, the cost involved in design modifi-
cation can be considerable. The challenge
is to make early decisions with limited
availability of project-specific data, while
avoiding overly conservative design that
adds costs and simultaneously limiting
changes that may impact the overall proj-
ect execution (FIG. 1).
This article suggests a method for flare
system design that is based on a mix of
first principles and a database of past proj-
ect relief load and flare system design best
practices. A good first estimate, backed by
smart strategies to mitigate changes, is key
to generating a solid design. In the follow-
ing sections, an overview of the typical
refinery flare system is followed by a step-
by-step approach for flare system design
at each project execution stage. Several
flare load management strategies that have
proven effective in mega-scale refinery
projects are given.
Overview of typical refinery flare sys-
tem. The flare system is designed to col-
lect and safely dispose of a wide range of
fluids at various conditions during normal
or upset operation of processing plants.
These relief fluids are typically flammable
and, in some cases, corrosive and/or toxic.
Typical components of a flare system
include:
• Pressure safety valve (PSV)
tailpipes, subheaders and headers
inside battery limits (ISBL)
• ISBL flare knockout drums
(KODs) and pumps
• Outside battery limits (OSBL)
main flare headers
• Flare area KODs and pumps
• Liquid seal drums and flare seal
• End and emergency purge
• Flare riser, tips and associated
hardware (fuel gas, ignition, steam)
• Associated monitoring and
safety systems.
Each of these subsystems requires a dif-
ferent level of maturity in relief load data
before it can be considered finalized for
proceeding with procurement and con-
struction. This aspect will be discussed
in subsequent sections. A schematic of a
typical refinery acid gas flare is depicted
in FIG. 2.
Stepwise approach tailored for proj-
ect execution needs. Refinery mega-
project execution approach is similar
around the world, with relatively minor
differences based on contracting strate-
gies. Flare system definition requirements
and good practices for greenfield flare sys-
tem design are described in the following
subsections (FIG. 3).
Configuration and feasibility study.
The requirement for typical greenfield
projects is to have a preliminary plot plan
and to achieve a Class 4 (+/– 30%) esti-
mate. At this stage, the estimate of flare
FIG. 1. Key flare design parameters.
system capacity and configuration is
based on data from similar past projects
and any local regulatory requirements.
High-level flare system configuration de-
cisions should be taken at this stage. Typi-
cally, such decisions include:
• Ground vs. elevated flare
• Segregation and number of
flares [e.g., high pressure (HP),
low pressure (LP), acid gas flare,
low low pressure (LLP),
low temperature (LT)]
• Sparing and maintenance
requirements
• Mounting flares on a common
derrick vs. a mix of derrick
and guy-wired flares, etc.
It is critical to ensure that plot plan re-
quirements are adequately considered to
avoid the need for additional land at a lat-
er stage. It is not uncommon for projects
to underestimate plot requirements for
flares at the configuration and feasibility
stage and end up compromising on other
owner requirements to fit the facility in-
side the available plot space.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202055
 Process Engineering
FIG. 2. Schematic of a typical refinery acid gas flare.
FIG. 3. Project development roadmap.
A database of major individual relief
loads for similar technologies/facilities
with comparable capacities is essential
for facilitating early decisions in this
phase. Significant relief loads for any
unit come from a few specific pieces of
equipment; these loads remain fairly
consistent. It is important that the refer-
ence unit capacity is of a similar order of
magnitude as the one to be estimated.
A relief load from a 200-bpsd diesel hy-
drotreater will not be 10 times that from
a 20-bpsd diesel hydrotreater. The licen-
sor or technology provider selected for
the flare loads is another critical con-
sideration. Flare load from two leading
technology providers for the same unit
might differ completely.
When a reference unit for the selected
licensor has been selected, along with a
rough order-of-magnitude capacity and
56JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Selection of flare type is often de-
pendent on client preference (FIG. 4).
Elevated flares are common in refineries
because they are low in cost and sturdy
in design. However, refineries close to
human habitation often select ground or
enclosed flares to control noise and flame
exposure to the communities.
Licensor selection and basic en-
gineering package. An important part
of a flare package is finalizing the relief
and blowdown philosophy, including
the segregation/number of flares and the
estimated backpressures for each flare.
Selected licensors can be asked to share
relief summaries from their databases be-
fore they calculate project-specific relief
information. Some useful pointers in this
exercise are:
• Look for the ratio between
minimum and maximum set
pressure. If the ratio is five times
or higher (which is almost always
the case for complex refineries),
then segregated HP and LP flare
systems are justifiable.
• When combined single-flare header
size is greater than 80 in.–100 in.
with a backpressure of 1.75 barg
(approximately 50% of 3.5 barg), it
is generally economical to segregate
flares in more than one system.
• When LP and HP flare system
segregation is practicable for
design, there are significant savings
FIG. 4. Major factors influencing flare in choosing the sweet spot for
configuration.
setpoint changeover. Generally,
the setpoint cut-off between the
feedstock type, an estimate can be de- HP and LP flares is 100 psig (i.e.,
rived with a simple arithmetic pro-ration. approximately 6.9 barg). The
Note: A risk of oversimplification exists breakpoint is a nominal value to
for this method. It is a common bench- start the flare system design, which
marking principal used by licensors or must be reassessed by the end of
open-art FEED contractors across the FEED when reliable relief loads
industry. TABLE 1 represents a comparison from various process units are
of gas oil hydrotreater FEED level relief available and LP/HP flare system
loads for a general power failure case capacity limits are nearly final. The
from a single licensor. ideal breakpoint for a refinery gives
HP flare load is much higher in the a higher backpressure allowance
reference project than the project under for sizing of the HP flare system,
design, whereas LP flare load is only 20% thereby aiding the selection of
different than the actual relief load shared a slender HP flare header and a
by the licensor. This difference illustrates compact sonic flare tip.
the importance of critically analyzing • Temperature is also an important
reference project data with regard to the criterion for flare segregation.
project under design to pinpoint signifi- Combining wet sources with LT
cant configuration differences or preex- sources must be evaluated carefully
isting mitigation measure incorporated during design, as there is a chance
in the licensor design. of freezing or ice formation within

TABLE 1. Comparison of gas oil hydrotreater FEED level relief loads for general power failure case
Licensor project specific relief load
Gasoil hydrotreater, Capacity,
GPF case thousand bpsd
115
115
Total load Unmitigated at beginning of EPC: 272 tph
the flare header. Temperature also
has a bearing on the metallurgy
selection for the flare system. The
lowest temperature encountered
from depressuring sources,
normalized after ambient heat
exchange, determines the design
temperature. This is addressed
by selecting compatible material
of construction or providing for
increased relief temperature before
release into the main flare header.
• Composition of relief gases affects
the flare system selection in many
ways, metallurgy being the primary
one. The most common example
is an acid gas or sour flare, which
caters to hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-
rich, wet relief sources; therefore,
the metallurgy must be designed for
wet sour service. The acid gas flare
header is steam traced to prevent
condensation and corrosion. In
world-scale refineries, the acid gas
flare is segregated from non-sour
flare systems.
• Composition is also significant
in the selection of flare type. An
aromatic or acid gas flare is always
elevated. An elevated flare allows
for atmospheric dispersion of toxic
relief, preserving personnel safety in
case of a flare burnout.
The segregated relief philosophy is
shared with licensors to ensure that the
project-specific relief summary is devel-
oped accordingly. The licensor basic engi-
neering package does not include all relief
cases for individual PSVs and will typical-
ly not have details of PSV tailpipes, head-
ers/sub-headers, and KODs and pumps
in the ISBL. Also, the loads provided are
unmitigated relief loads. Common mode
failure scenarios such as cooling water
failure, general power failure, etc. are
compiled at this stage, and OSBL flare
header sizing and flare system equipment
preliminary design are completed.
Reference plant relief load
GPF load, Set pressure, Capacity,
t/hr barg Disposal thousand bpsd
105 13.7 HP 109
167 3.5 LP 109
Pro-rated load at beginning of FEED: 399 tph
(load after 30% mitigation: 279 tph)
Front end engineering design. Flare
system development in the FEED phase
has two major components. In ISBL units,
the individual relief loads are analyzed and
scenarios not considered by the licensor
(e.g., fire case, control valve failure, etc.)
are estimated. The ISBL flare network,
KODs and pumps are nearly finalized,
with a few remaining holds for confirma-
tion after future design development.
Governing case scenarios for OSBL
flare network and equipment are now de-
veloped from large individual relief loads
and common mode failure scenarios,
such as general power failure, cooling
water failure, etc. Unmitigated governing
caseloads are analyzed using flare sys-
tem analyzer software tools to identify
hydraulic constraints in headers, KODs
and flare risers/tips, based on practicable
sizes and radiation requirements with re-
gard to the selected height of the riser.
Sterile zone requirements are es-
timated and checked against the plot
space considered. Flare risers more than
200 m in height are not considered prac-
ticable; at many locations, regulations
limit to lower heights. Possible flare load
mitigation measures are studied if the
unmitigated loads lead to impracticable
designs. Typically, at the end of this
phase, a Class 3 (+/– 10%) estimate is
developed. Several strategies for mitiga-
tion can be considered, as explained in
the following subsections.
Steam turbine drives for selected
pumps/compressors. In this approach,
steam system failure is delinked from gen-
eral power failure, and some of the critical
drives are driven by steam turbine. Exam-
ples of drives considered for steam tur-
bine are boiler feedwater (BFW) pumps,
boiler forced-draft (FD)/induced-draft
(ID) fans, condensate pumps, demineral-
ized water pumps, cooling water pumps,
air compressors, reflux pumps, etc.
Dynamic simulation. Transient be-
havior of the flare system depends on
Process Engineering
GPF load, Set pressure,
t/hr barg Disposal
248 10 HP
131 3.5 LP
process dynamics during the emergency
scenario being analyzed. A common ap-
plication is to use this tool to utilize credits
due to line packing (time taken to pres-
surize the flare system, including inactive
parts) and potential for staggered blow-
downs. Theoretically, credit for equip-
ment and control system response can also
be estimated in specific cases, but is gener-
ally avoided in grassroots flare design.
High integrity pressure protection
system (HIPPS). This approach identi-
fies the largest common-mode relief loads
from process units and then mitigates
through HIPPS. The outcome of a typical
flare load mitigation study utilizing HIPPS
is presented as the reference in TABLE 2.
This approach is generally undertaken
in consultation with the owner, and it is
common to consider failure of the largest
HIPPS when accepting mitigated loads.
Segregated power islands. To achieve
significant savings during the design of
the power failure case, the power supply
to the facility can be distributed at source,
such that power failure does not occur in
all sections simultaneously. This concept
can be implemented by creating two seg-
regated electrical islands for the various
process and utility units to accomplish
flare load reduction during a general
power failure (FIG. 5). The key principles
involved in this approach are:
• Both power islands will not fail
simultaneously
• The failure of one island will
cause only part of the refinery
to fail, and the design relief load
is the only load associated with
that part of the refinery
• The plant associated with the
operating (non-tripped) power
island can be shut down safely
with no additional flare load.
In power islanding philosophy, the refin-
ery will not continue to operate on par-
tial load. The intention is to facilitate safe
shutdown with a low flare load.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202057
 Process Engineering

TABLE 2. A typical FEED-phase HIPPS list for a 12-MMtpy refinery

Unit Location Flare system Function
Delayed coker Debutanizer HP flare Trip HP steam to reboiler
Delayed coker Naphtha splitter LP flare Trip feed FCV and HP steam to reboiler
EB/SM/ER Binary refrigerant compressor – Trip compressor on high discharge pressure
and temperature
Fluid catalytic cracker Debutanizer HP flare Trip HP steam to reboiler
Fluid catalytic cracker Deethanizer HP flare Trip HP steam and reboiling medium to reboiler
Alkylation Deisobutanizer HP flare LP steam and feed cutoff
Alkylation Debutanizer HP flare LP steam and feed cutoff
Naphtha hydrotreater Stripper LP flare HP steam and feed cutoff
Naphtha hydrotreater Depentanizer LP flare MP steam and feed cutoff
Naphtha hydrotreater Rerun column LP flare HP steam and feed cutoff
Continuous catalytic reformer Debutanizer LP flare HP steam to reboiler cutoff
Sulfur extraction Extractive distillation AR flare HP steam to reboiler cutoff
XYL fractionation Reformate splitter AR flare MP steam and feed cutoff

FIG. 5. Flow diagram of power islands concept.
To implement the philosophy, the
double bus in the main intake substation
can be designed and configured to func-
tion as two separate islands controlled by
appropriate interlocks and permissive/
supervision systems. Each island can be
provided with the option to feed from the
grid as backup, while the normal opera-
tion is sustained by 100% captive power.
If the grid is to be connected in case of a
generator failure, it is possible to connect
the grid to only one island to prevent in-
terconnecting the bus and avoid the pos-
sibility of common failure.
Process units in a refinery are allo-
cated to achieve an approximate 50:50
split between the islands with respect to
flare loads and power consumption, con-
sidering the shutdown grouping. For a
specific case study of naphtha and diesel
hydrotreaters, delayed cokers and auxilia-
ry process units (i.e., amine regeneration
unit, sour water stripper, hydrogen gen-
eration unit), the units were configured
in two trains to allow flexibility of power
allocation between the two power islands.
This split electrical system resulted in the
electrical loads at a 47:53 ratio between
Island 1 and Island 2, respectively. Simi-
larly, the flare loads were distributed at a
53:47 ratio between Island 1 and Island
2, respectively. The flare system was de-
signed for the higher load of the two.
Distribution of the auxiliary process
units, utilities and offsites between the
islands were undertaken to ensure that
during a general power failure at a single
island, both of the additional flare loads
arising from the impact on the operation
of the running island are minimal. This
was ensured by re-energization of the
buses supporting the critical utility loads,
either from the running island or from
the emergency power, as appropriate via
a power management system.
Engineering, procurement and con-
struction. As progress is made on a proj-
ect, the design focus turns to re-verifying
individual loads based on the final layout
and vendor inputs. Significant increases
in loads are not expected when FEED is
finished. Mitigation measures are applied
and verified throughout the EPC phase to
stay within the FEED design limits. Con-
tractors and owners often rely on the use
of dynamic simulation tools to estimate
reduced individual PSV loads for design
optimization. A typical example is col-
umn relief load reductions.
Recommendations. Flare system de-
sign for refinery mega-projects requires
a stepwise approach that is aligned to the
project execution plan and matches the
data requirements at each stage. As in-
dustry has evolved, the capacity and com-
plexity of projects has grown, and many
tools and practices have been applied to
optimize the design and overcome some
of the constraints. The correct approach
is to tune into the specific project require-
ments and focus on making timely deci-
sions to avoid significant late changes that
can lead to sub-optimal decisions.
SUSHREE CHAUDHURI is a Process
Engineer with Bechtel India. She has
18 yr of experience in petroleum
refining, petrochemicals, offshore
oil and gas and flare systems, and
front end and detailed design. Prior
to joining Bechtel India, she worked
with Fluor Gurgaon and Foster Wheeler. She holds
BS degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering
from the University of Calcutta.
RAJ BHADRA SINGH is a Process
Engineer with Bechtel India. He has
27 yr of experience in EPC, FEED
and basic engineering for petroleum
refining, petrochemicals and gas
processing projects. Prior to joining
Bechtel India, he worked with Fluor
Gurgaon and Engineers India Ltd. He holds BS degrees
in chemical engineering from the National Institute of
Technology in Surathkal and an MS degree in process
engineering design from the Indian Institute of
Technology in Delhi.

58JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
 Sustainability
V. KRISHNAN, IBM Corp., Denver, Colorado

Digitally enabled sustainability

in process manufacturing
Demands for sustainability are per-
vasive and are mandated, legislated or
strongly encouraged in different social,
industrial and political segments. This
was an imperative even before the “new
normal” was defined by the COVID-19
pandemic. Now, sustainability has re-
ceived increased emphasis across indus-
tries. Beyond being a good corporate
citizen, emerging opportunities exist in
the pursuit of sustainability that deliver
economic gains to the enterprise.
This article discusses how process
manufacturing can impact sustainability
within the current operations landscape,
market demands, and disruptive technol-
ogy capabilities.
Relevance and prioritization of sus-
tainability goals. Sustainability has been
a salient topic for some time, but now
it is rapidly moving from being a factor
recognized for global good citizenship to
something essential for all walks of life.
Some would argue that the transition is
at its peak, and that it is something to be
intricately woven into every aspect of life
today. Multiple domains and targets have
been established by global organizations1
to mitigate the threat of uncontrolled in-
dustrialization and social dynamics, such
as consumption patterns. The biggest re-
cipient of this scrutiny is on the planet’s de-
pendence on the hydrocarbon value chain.
From a manufacturing perspective,
the hydrocarbon value chain—and, to a
lesser extent, the inorganics segment—
has a profound impact on our global
sustainability. While many of the sus-
tainability goals can be traced back to an
influence from process manufacturing,
only a few can be materially and directly
impacted (FIG. 1).
Usage of fossil fuels in some form or
Goals impacted directly by process manufacturing
FIG. 1. Several sustainability goals are impacted directly by process manufacturing.
another poses a macro-level challenge
that is being mitigated by investments in
alternative energies and advocacy of the
more prudent use of natural resources.
From a process manufacturing perspec-
tive, energy management is a critical com-
ponent, particularly in operations where
energy is both consumed and generated.
Optimal plant operations with energy
costs as an objective function is becoming
more of a common practice. This is likely
to include frequent trade-offs and com-
promises when it comes to plant objec-
tives that are strictly economic in nature.
Increased usage of water sources in
manufacturing—examples being chlo-
rine, cement, upstream petroleum or
fertilizer production—offers opportuni-
ties for the plant(s) to supply the nearby
community with desalinated potable wa-
ter while also addressing the needs within
the process units. In particular, multiple
greenfield complexes are deploying and
leveraging incremental investments in
technologies like membrane separation
units to ensure supplies of potable water
for local communities.
Achieving speed to market and pres-
sure on realizing increased returns from
research and development (R&D) in-
vestment have been the driving factors
for intermediate and specialty chemicals
manufacturers. To address sustainabil-
ity goals, they also are refocusing on new
processes, improved feedstocks, catalysts
with improved activation/life and process
unit designs that deviate from the tradi-
tional approach. Some are market-driven
(crude-to-chemicals, for example), and
others are sustainability-driven.
The realization has arrived that inno-
vation in this field extends beyond mate-
rials research and into product end-usage
applications. Understanding and address-
ing the demands of the market and the
product’s or application’s end usage is
critical for the enterprises, not only to be
cognizant of the regulations but also to be
relevant and competitive.
From operational excellence to sus-
tainability. Process manufacturing oper-
ations typically function under the target-
ed guidelines of production capacity, yield
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 2020 59
 Sustainability

Optimized EHS processes around sustainability requires … sociated workflows, making these pro-
cesses “intelligent” and optimizing the key
sustainability metrics within the manufac-
Process Field and IoT Asset Material Work orders Inventory Contractor Traffic Terminal Security turing operations environment (FIG. 3).
historians instruments monitoring movements (CMMS) management work permits management automation and badging
system Apart from process and personnel
…precise, accurate and timely information from assets, processes and personnel alike … safety, another operational element that
relates to sustainability is energy. Pro-
duction optimization is typically based
Access control Biometrics Zone Certification and Asset LOTO detection Biometrics Traffic Biometrics
LOTO detection monitoring authorization tracking biometrics AR adherence skills certification on appropriately weighted cost func-
…to be integrated to deliver actionable visibility into appropriate leading indicators of sustainability in EHS
tions that are dictated by the economics
and planning group. The sustainability
Injury rates Incident response GHG metrics Health (heat stress) predictors Traffic rules adherence
MOC frequency Predicted events Severity distribution Loss of containment predictors Training and certification %
aspect comes from the inclusion of en-
Safety drills frequency Instrument accuracy Inspections overdue Turnaround and lay down effectiveness Security breach predictor ergy as a key component in the cost func-
tion. While many plants, particularly the
FIG. 2. Environment, health and safety metrics relate to all operational personnel, processes
greenfield operations, measure energy
and systems.
for monitoring purposes, very few use it
in optimization. Balancing energy pro-
Economics and duction against consumption of utilities,
planning as well as exchange with a public grid, is
Feedstock Regulatory not only the right thing to do—it also of-
management compliance fers significant monetary gains.
Many of the energy balance and optimi-
Transition/batch Projects and zation exercises fail due to various reasons:
management engineering • Lack of dynamic information.
Frequently, one finds that the
Quality/yield Operational energy pricing information is hard-
Worker safety coded or static in the calculation
management excellence of the key indices. Tiered pricing
and an associated lack of visibility
Process Waste management
compound this challenge.
optimization • Lack of incorporation of energy
in the optimization and control
Inventory loops. This requires an alignment
optimization Skills management
with overall economic goals and
might require a compromise in
Asset utilization
the way the units are run.
• Lack of energy stewardship.
FIG. 3. Data from the IIoT and cognitive tools help optimize key sustainability metrics within
This is often the case when
the manufacturing operations environment.
someone is tasked with energy
tracking as an additional
and quality management, while remaining others new. As an example, the environ- responsibility, as opposed to
under the constraints of safety and stabil- ment, health and safety (EHS) metrics a cross-functional steward
ity. Multiple processes, technologies, in- come from field assets, event records and who interacts with operations,
tegrated systems, optimization tools and external information such as audits. The maintenance and engineering
visualization enable the workflows. nature of remote expertise support, social to identify and execute
Techniques such as advanced control, distancing in field operations and contin- improvement opportunities.
integrated planning, unit optimization uous health monitoring are essential for Addressing these factors within the
and supply chain integration have made the return to work after the COVID-19 operational environment in a systemic
it possible for operations to stay on target pandemic. In the case of EHS, this infor- way for an energy improvement program
and achieve the prescribed goals. Some mation relates to all personnel involved would not only improve the sustainabil-
of the more recent efforts broaden this in the operations, from field operators to ity indices, but also identify potential
approach to cover the extended supply contractors (FIG. 2). monetary gains (e.g. the traditional pinch
chain, as well, while newer and disrup- Examples include vehicle telematics, analysis for a heat exchanger).
tive technologies make these workflows drone-enabled inspections, visual and
largely cognitive and automated. acoustic insights, flare monitoring, un- Sustainability: Beyond operational
Meanwhile, the information required structured data such as regulatory require- excellence. Operational excellence, by
from operations that is related to sus- ments, and many more. Such new data itself, is not sufficient to address the sus-
tainability comes from various existing from the Industrial Internet of Things tainability impacts from production pro-
sources, some of them traditional and (IIoT) and cognitive tools enable the as- cesses, the products and their end usage.
60JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
 Sustainability

Energy optimization
End-consumer product usage
traceability

Supplier/customer
collaboration

Consumer market
regulations
Operations/packaging/
logistics safety

Sustainability in process manufacturing

GHG impact management

Economics and
planning
Feedstock Regulatory
management compliance
Re-use beyond designed
Transition/batch Projects and purpose
management engineering

Quality/yield Operational
Worker safety
management excellence

Process
optimization
Waste management Products/process sustainability
research
Inventory
optimization Skills management

Asset utilization

FIG. 4. Sustainability in process manufacturing includes operational excellence.

The goals of the enterprise are to deliver

the desired customer experiences and ex-
pectations from the products—whether
they are fuel products, commodity chem-
icals, specialty chemicals, fertilizers or
• Establish actionable monitoring process
any other part of the value chain (FIG. 4). Sustain and improve • Incorporate continuous improvement through ideation
Any variation to that experience—
regulatory, environmental, specifica-
tions-related or process improvement—
• Define data sources, address gaps, integrate and visualize insights
will need to be predicted or, at the Take action • Align/compromise with enterprise economic commitments
minimum, responsively addressed with
speed for the operations to be relevant
to the customer. This is significant from • Assign stewardship and executive support
Gain mindshare
a sustainability angle, as all members of • Narrow down sustainable metrics to targeted goals that are operations-relevant
the value chain are striving to identify
improved processes, products and ap- FIG. 5. The common guiding elements of gaining mindshare, taking action, and sustaining and
plications that alleviate the problems we improving are essential for a successful change toward sustainability.
pose to the environment.
With the advent of transparency more powerful, as it has a top-down man- A relevant approach toward sustain-
through technologies such as blockchain, date and is a multi-organizational col- ability. Any initiative or transformational
products can be traced2 all the way to laborative effort. Process manufacturing program requires consistency in messag-
their end use and provide the essential in- features as one of the key levers of imple- ing, target-setting and execution enable-
formation for each constituent to tweak/ mentation of such an ambitious initiative. ment. Depending on the nature of the task
adjust their influence. Similarly, a shining example of corporate at hand, these could follow the traditional
For example, the impact of plastics3 in responsibility is demonstrated in the way stage-gate approach that has been in place
circular economy is being addressed all a refiner extends into the value chain by over many decades, or the agile approach
the way from materials research, produc- partnering with an airline client, as is the that focuses on ease of ideation and adop-
tion, usage and repurpose. This is even case4 with Neste and Finnair. tion. A singular, one-size-fits-all approach
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 2020 61
 Sustainability

is unwise in this case, as the specific ini-
tiatives and projects would cover varying
domains and invoke contributions from
different ecosystem participants. Never-
theless, common guiding elements are
essential for a successful change toward
sustainability (FIG. 5), as explained in the
following subsections.
Non-renewables material intensity A normalized measure of non-renewables consumed per unit of feedstock
Raw materials usage
Recycled/reprocessed feed
Water intensity
Energy intensity
Process operations
GHG intensity
Residuals intensity
Reused/recycled content
Products and offerings Recyclability
Restricted substances content
FIG. 6. Standard sustainability metrics are relevant to process manufacturing.
Visibility—Capture all data and associated classified incidents
Analyze—Historical information: What, where, when, who?
Discover—What we do not know or is not intuitive
Predict—What is at risk, in an actionable way
Prevent and advise—Interactively suggest best actions
Plan—Improve processes, barriers, risk mitigation
Augment—Enrich and add new data
FIG. 7. Technology helps augment existing information, enable predictive capabilities, optimize
processes and deliver visualization with actionable insights.
Maintenance Process operations
Manufacturing information sources Ingestion/integration Storage/staging Data/cognitive analytics/visualization
Gain mindshare: Operational excel-
lence and supply chain integration have
economic goals that are easier to com-
municate and empower. Sustainability
metrics sometimes require trade-offs and
compromises with overall economic ob-
jectives. Safety, for example, can never be
articulated with a business value in mind.
Percentage of recycled feed
Total water intake—normalized by unit or volume
Energy consumed in production and overhead
GHGs released in production and overhead
Mass imbalance (products, feeds, consumables)
Percentage of reuse/recycle portion in product
Percentage of recyclable content in product
Percentage of restricted chemicals in product
Information integration
Cloud and APIs
Leading indicators
Data mining
Statistical analysis
Predictive modeling
Cognitive
AI, machine learning
Process improvement
Augment with technology
IoT/sensors/drones
Executive oversight Sustainability stewards
More than any other domain, this requires
a significant top-down mandate for adop-
tion and ease of change management.
Take action: Proliferation of key per-
formance indicators (KPIs), operational
or otherwise, is a sure way to get “lost in
the weeds” and eventually end up as an-
other wasted opportunity. Identifying the
right metrics, the correct calculation basis
and the actionable outcomes are the es-
sential parts of any sustainability program.
To that effect, it makes much more sense
to follow a set of standards when defining
the metrics. Standard sustainability met-
rics that are relevant to process manufac-
turing are shown in FIG. 6.
Sustain and improve: Effectively ex-
ecuting such a transformational initiative
will require change management that is
cognizant of the traditional focus around
operational excellence. Incentivization
and empowerment are key to sustaining
this initiative and incorporating a con-
tinuous improvement program. Leverag-
ing the right technology—IIoT (for addi-
tional/new information), blockchain (for
KPIs, trends
traceability of products to batch lots, etc.)
and hybrid cloud options (for enterprise
platforms)—is the primary enabler of
Correlations such a program.
Leveraging technology for sustain-
ability. Technology disruptors, such as
Contextualization,
models
IIoT, blockchain, artificial intelligence
(AI) and robotics, are being adopted in
process manufacturing5 at an unusually
fast rate, particularly for an industry that
is known to be lukewarm toward risk-re-
ward propositions.
Data analysts and scientists Technology continues to be adopted

in such a way as to augment existing in-

Inspection formation, enable predictive capabilities,
Visualizaton/reporting optimize processes and deliver timely visu-
Authorization and access control Authorization and access control alization with actionable insights (FIG. 7).
Analytics master files Different, equally viable and advantaged
Data warehouse Analytic tools Data lake
approaches are available to accomplish
Central data store Model management
these goals. Organizations adopt a myriad
Operations data store of options for data ingestion, integration,
Reference semantic model
Machine learning tools
staging and analytics. Options such as data
lakes, data warehouses, traditional middle-
Data engineering/prep ware-based integration or contemporary
hybrid-cloud enterprise platforms provide
Process control information Extended value chain
viable paths to efficient information man-
Transactional records IOT sensors information
agement. Delivering context to the data
that can be leveraged by advanced analytics
Incident Warehouse Work Asset monitoring LIMS Process Process Field-force Warehouse Contractor and Supply Sustainability
management and inventory permits historians units automation and materials employee safety chain goals/targets is a key critical success factor to all of these
data-management approaches (FIG. 8).
FIG. 8. Different, equally viable and advantaged approaches are available to accomplish From an adoption perspective, it is easy
a number of operational goals.
to get lost in trying to prove a technology
62JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com

or a piece of new hardware, such that the
business capability focus is overshad-
owed. For example, if the traceability of
a product is the goal from a sustainability
perspective, then the objective should not
deteriorate to a proof-point of blockchain.
This will result in a short-sighted and
simplistic, even if agile, pursuit that keeps
everyone busy spinning wheels without
much progress or measurable attainment.
Sooner or later, this disconnect results in
successful technologies not seeing the
light of day due to poor application.
Instead, the choice of use cases should
be accompanied by aspects such as:
• Use-case definition based on
completeness of sustainability
impact articulation
• Prioritization of measurable
outcomes, organizational readiness
and ease of adoption
• De-prioritization of technology
validation across multiple domains
• Technology adoption strategy
following the success of use case.
The desired business capability, end-
to-end as much as feasible, should be de-
R E G I ST E R N OW AT T P S .TA M U . E D U
SEPTEMBER 14
S H O RT C O U R S E S
S E P T E M B E R 1 5 -1 7
SY M P O S I A & EX H I B I T I O N
signed, tested and delivered by whichever
combination of technologies and process-
es within financial reason. This also estab-
lishes trust, agility and relevance in the IT
delivery arm of the enterprise.
Takeaway. The hydrocarbon value chain
is in the crosshairs of every discussion
surrounding sustainability. Apart from
end usage, process manufacturing is the
next-highest significant contributor. The
desired changes and corresponding im-
pacts would take effort in terms of eco-
nomic compromises, innovation and ad-
justments to social consumption patterns,
with acceleration being necessary in all
these areas. Nonetheless, it is clear that
immediate impacts can be positively de-
livered by integrating existing technolo-
gies, merging operational excellence with
the extended value chain, and adopting a
leadership-sponsored approach.
LITERATURE CITED
1
United Nations Development Programme,
“Sustainable development goals,” online: https://
www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustain-
able-development-goals.html
4 9 T H T U R B O M AC H I N E RY
& 3 6 T H P U M P SY M P O S I A
“The TPS is an excellent opportunity to network with a large cross
section of industry leaders in the turbomachinery and pump fields.
The wide variety of learning and networking opportunities are second
to none for this type of equipment. If you did not get a net positive
experience out of the TPS, you weren’t trying...”
R o b e r t B e n to n , R o to f l ow - A n A i r Pro d u c t s B u s i n e s s
Sustainability
2
Hyperledger, “How Walmart brought unprece-
dented transparency to the food supply chain with
Hyperledger Fabric,” 2019, online: https://www.
hyperledger.org/resources/publications/walmart-
case-study
3
Alliance to end plastic waste, online: https://end-
plasticwaste.org/
4
Neste, “Neste and Finnair partner to reduce CO2
footprint of flying with sustainable aviation fuels,”
Press Release, March 5, 2020, online: https://www.
neste.com/releases-and-news/renewable-solutions/
neste-and-finnair-partner-reduce-co2-footprint-fly-
ing-sustainable-aviation-fuels
5
Krishnan, V., “Business trends: Advent of cognitive
applications and the IoT in process manufacturing,”
Hydrocarbon Processing, June 2018.
VISWANATH KRISHNAN is an
IBM Global Executive who heads
the Industry 4.0 portfolio for the
process industries (chemicals,
petroleum and industrial products).
He is a thought leader in the
domain, with 28 yr of hands-on
expertise in the chemicals and petroleum segments,
particularly around manufacturing and the supply
chain. He has worked in multiple geographies on
various engagements, including greenfield and
established refineries and petrochemical and
chemical complexes. In his present role, Dr. Krishnan
works with clients in their digital transformation
(Industry 4.0 and others), in an era that places a
premium on costs, resilience and sustainability.
Dr. Krishnan holds a PhD in chemical engineering.
#TPS2020
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 2020 63
 REGISTER
HERE
www.petroleum-
LNG TO POWER economist.com/
Events
FORUM SERIES 2020

4 EVENTS, 4 GLOBAL ENERGY HUBS

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Black swans and gray rhinos:
Building future resilience
These are extraordinary days as we collectively work to con-
tain the COVID-19 virus. Each day we learn about varied ef-
forts across the globe to prepare communities and economies
for potential illness, even as it impacts local employment and
business activity.
This is truly a black swan moment—an event that we could
not have predicted and has profound impact on our lives and
businesses. Many business analysts and economists have been
forced to define new metrics and re-draw axes on existing charts
to capture this moment.
During this chaos, the gray rhinos—an important future risk
that may be generally ignored despite the potential for harm—
must not be forgotten. For chemical and energy companies, sus-
tainability is a gray rhino. As all companies have been challenged
by the current economic and health crisis, the successful recov-
ery requires a new view toward future development and growth
with metrics that consider broad and more long-term goals.
The importance of this effort has not been forgotten by
investors, with Black Rock reminding companies that sustain-
ability commitments will remain criteria for future investment.1
Several companies have also reaffirmed sustainability targets—
including Shell, BP and Dow—as the current crisis reminds in-
vestors that external risks can be a real threat.
Digitalization is a crucial enabler for companies to meet
both business and sustainability objectives. The Internation-
al Energy Agency (IEA) has found that digital solutions can
help boost energy efficiency as much as 30% for industrial op-
erations.2 In Europe, the Technology Platform for Sustainable
Chemistry has highlighted digitalization as a key tool to meet
sustainability objectives.3
Digital tools have targeted sustainability-related objectives
for decades, mainly focusing on energy efficiency, pollution
control and value chain optimization. Traditionally, cost sav-
ings drove much of the efficiency efforts, but companies are
increasingly focusing on waste and discharge reduction from
production units, as well as efficiency enhancement through
digital solutions. They are exploring new energy sources with
lower carbon footprints, and new products that better fit the
circular economy.
These solutions provide the visibility, analysis and insight
needed to address the challenges inherent in sustainability
goals. Success begins by harnessing the voluminous data avail-
able—applying new technologies, such as artificial intelligence
(AI)—to control operations and empower operators to make
Sustainability
P. MORSE, Aspen Technology, Houston, Texas
the decisions that will achieve their multiple objectives of cus-
tomer satisfaction, societal sustainability and business profit.
Achieving safety and reliability. With the use of digital tech-
nologies, project engineers can design for process safety from
the beginning, delivering optimal designs that comply with in-
dustry safety standards. Integrated system analysis can gener-
ate comprehensive plans for critical systems, such as pressure
relief and flares across the plant and the entire complex. New
dynamic modeling capabilities enable upgrades of existing flare
and pressure safety valves, as they integrate to create a more ac-
curate model of operations.
Monitoring and control technologies work to continuously
optimize unit operations to stay within safety limits and alert for
equipment failure and process degradation that can lead to un-
expected incidents. The same models that have enabled better
design and operations are also useful tools to prepare new op-
erators to manage unexpected process upsets that often lead to
safety incidents. Operator training systems using digital twins
of current and future operations are becoming the standard
training practice across the industry.
Notable success stories include the use of dynamic model-
ing by Chiyoda Corp. to enable faster startup of LNG opera-
tions, while ensuring critical safety standards are met. In a low-
density polyethylene process, one European-based producer
received 27 d of warning for a central valve failure and avoided
an unplanned shutdown and potential related flaring and emis-
sions release.
Reducing environmental impact. Digital solutions can pro-
vide guidance on environmental impact throughout initial proj-
ect planning and operating processes, and even give insight into
maintenance activities to help avoid equipment breakdowns,
including the emissions and dangerous conditions that often
accompany them.
Companies can use a digital simulation of production pro-
cesses, typically called a digital twin, to determine the best pro-
cess and equipment selection for energy efficiency and reduced
emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and other pollutants and
greenhouse gases. After construction, these same models are
used to improve operations by adjusting to feedstock and opera-
tional variations to ensure efficient resource and energy use. Pro-
cess control capabilities help stabilize operations to optimize en-
ergy use, extending this analysis across the entire supply chain.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202065
 Sustainability
When processes do not run as expected, digital technolo-
gies can provide insight and avoidance measures. AI gives com-
panies advance warning of potential breakdowns so they can
Digital technologies are enabling companies
to increase the efficiency of their operations
and more quickly develop solutions to solve
the challenges of the circular economy.
avoid dangerous conditions, reduce the amount of effluents re-
leased into the environment and minimize maintenance costs.
For complex processes, multivariate analytics take a broad view
of many process variables to identify those that are critical to
reduce off-spec production and reduce waste.
Advanced technology solutions have enabled many compa-
nies to deliver improved environmental performance includ-
ing Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), which
reduced energy use in its refineries by $15 MM/yr and opti-
mized energy sourcing to increase energy efficiency and re-
duce carbon footprint. Petrochemical producer Braskem has
used advanced process control to lower the energy consump-
tion of an ethylene unit by 20%.
Driving efficiency and innovation. The desire to make
significant strides toward sustainability targets will drive many
companies to fundamentally change their energy sources and
shift product portfolios. This transition will take time and will well as businesses across industries. Global efforts to move toward
require substantial investment in new technologies. However,
the potential payoff is significant, with an estimated $1 T in
new business opportunities available.4
Digital technologies are enabling companies to increase the
efficiency of their operations and more quickly develop solu-
tions to solve the challenges of the circular economy. The solu-
tions focus primarily on emissions associated with energy use,
such as CO2 and nitrous oxide (NOx ), in addition to a move
toward the use of alternative energy sources.
Digital twin capabilities give companies a comprehensive
view of energy use across a unit or enterprise, and new visual-
ization tools enable better analysis and reporting of the overall cessful companies.
and discrete energy consumption. Specific modeling of process
energy can also identify potential energy saving opportunities
between units and throughout the complex.
A new emphasis emerging in the industry is “decarboniza-
tion,” or the reduction of the carbon footprint of a process or
energy source. These efforts target a reduction in carbon emis-
sions associated with a process—for example, using a lower-
carbon fuel like natural gas instead of coal, or substituting wind
or solar energy or renewable biomass for a fossil fuel. Digital
solutions aid these efforts by modeling and comparing alter-
native processes for various metrics, such as cost, emissions of
CO2 and other greenhouse gases for the energy delivery.
Simulations can efficiently screen alternative energy sourc-
es and new process routes, while accounting for associated
emissions and resource demand for each. Early efforts are
underway to apply modeling technology to improve the effi-
66JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
ciency of processes based on new energy feedstocks, such as
biomass and plastics waste.
Concern about growing volumes of plastic waste world-
wide has raised the urgency of moving toward a cir-
cular economy, where materials are reused after initial
application so fewer natural resources are consumed
overall. Some companies are pursuing depolymer-
ization processes to deconstruct the plastics back to
their base raw materials—an approach often referred
to as molecular or chemical recycling—allowing for
the same high-quality product to be produced again.
However, most of these processes are inefficient and
can currently only be executed on a small scale. They
will need further development to be competitive solutions for
the global market, and modeling software is an important tool
to boost the speed and efficiency of these experiments and to
optimize commercial processes.
Water productivity is another important component of the
circular economy and can be improved using process optimiza-
tion and improved control. Companies are using modeling to
improve water efficiency in processing, along with the economic
assessment of water treatment and desalination projects. In addi-
tion, process monitoring has enabled leak identification in high-
water-demand processes, such as oil sands extraction and mining.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) was successful in
using a digital twin of existing oil and gas operations in the Mid-
dle East to capture efficiency opportunities and optimize im-
plementation, cutting water use by 10% and energy use by 5%.
The integration of sustainability targets with business goals
will be transformational for energy and chemical companies, as
new energy sources and the circular economy will drive a strategic
shift in business metrics and the practices that will enable success.
Many forward-looking companies have already begun this pro-
cess, investing to build new capabilities and developing innova-
tive technologies and business models to achieve new targets.
Achieving the fragile balance of sustainability goals—equal-
ly considering people, planet and profit—is a considerable
challenge, but one that must be addressed to be competitive in
the energy and chemical markets of today and tomorrow. Dur-
ing this period of market and economic recovery, a renewed
focus on these goals will enable longer-term resilience for suc-
LITERATURE CITED
1
BlackRock releases 2020 stewardship priorities for engaging with public com-
panies, March 2020, https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/newsroom/press-
releases/article/corporate-one/press-releases/stewardship-priorities
2
Energy Efficiency 2019, International Energy Agency, Paris, 2019, https://www.
iea.org/reports/energy-efficiency-2019
3
Filippouse, V.; S. Wilmet; M. Winter; N. G. Ramon, et. al., Innovation pri-
orities for EU and global challenges, European Technology Platform for Sustainable
Chemistry, November 2019
4
The Circular Design Guide, Ellen Macarthur Foundation, https://www.ellenma-
carthurfoundation.org/explore/circular-design
PAIGE MARIE MORSE is the Industry Marketing Director
for Chemicals at Aspen Technology. She has significant
experience with leading operating companies, including
Shell, Dow, Sunoco and Clariant, particularly in R&D, marketing,
commercial and strategy roles. Dr. Morse earned a BA degree
in chemistry from Kenyon College and a PhD in chemistry
from the University of Illinois.

IMO 2020: Keeping ships at sea
while meeting sustainability targets
On January 1, new rules for sulfur emissions on marine
bunker fuel came into force. These rules constitute the biggest
change in decades to environmental regulations in the shipping
industry. The new sulfur emissions rules are part of a more am-
bitious, long-term strategy from the United Nations shipping
agency—the International Maritime Organization (IMO)—
around sustainability, in which 2020 marks the beginning of the
Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet initiative. This ini-
tiative includes the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
from shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008, while
pursuing efforts toward phasing them out totally.
The new IMO regulations ban ships from using fuels with
a sulfur content of more than 0.5% compared with the previ-
ous limit of 3.5%. The objective of this regulatory change is to
reduce air pollution and improve human health, particularly for
those living close to ports and coastlines.
However, questions remain as to how the balance of these
environmental improvements and their potential impact on
the bunker fuel industry and ship owners will be achieved and,
critically, how this first move to low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) will
be implemented in the longer term. Since the new regulations
have come into force, some very large crude container (VLCC)
owners have warned of complications surrounding LSFOs, par-
ticularly in relation to sediment and wax formation.1 Standard
Club, a specialist marine and energy insurer, has stated that,
in a challenge relating to supply, it has been notified by some
concerned members of the non-availability of compliant fuel at
some ports, although they were not specific as to which ports
lacked this fuel.2
The impact of mixing very-low-sulfur fuels of 0.5% (which
still have not been fully tested on ship engines for composition,
compatibility or performance) is clearly a challenge. Crudes and
heavy fuel oils are complex mixtures of various hydrocarbons
ranging from paraffins, aromatics, naphthenes and resins to as-
phaltenes. Long-chain paraffins tend to crystallize when cooled,
which leads to severe sedimentation. In the case of asphaltenes,
sludge tends to form3 when two incompatible fuel types com-
mingle, which can cause damage to engines that leads to serious
mechanical and productivity issues. Monitoring asphaltene sta-
bility in crude oil is recognized by the petroleum industry as a
serious issue that has been the subject of many studies.
While there is guidance on how to avoid mixing different
fuel batches, the issue continues to be a major concern. In 2018,
dozens of ships in the Gulf of Mexico experienced fuel system
Sustainability
K. MÜLLER, Clariant, Frankfurt, Germany
problems after receiving contaminated bunker fuel from Hous-
ton-area suppliers.
In addition, ISO Standard 8217, which specifies fuel re-
quirements for use in marine diesel engines, is general in nature
and does not provide specific guidance on the composition of
LSFOs. Before the new IMO 2020 regulations came into force,
it was common practice to blend marine fuel to meet viscosity
requirements. Now, however, blending fuels requires meeting
the new standards for sulfur content, taking into consideration
not only differences in viscosity but also the compatibility of
the different fuels. This covers concerns of both ship owners
and refineries on which LSFOs can be commingled without
causing engine damage. The shipping industry can contribute
to global sustainability efforts by embracing low-sulfur marine
fuel, which keeps tankers at sea without mechanical and pro-
duction problems.
The author’s company focuses on two key approaches to en-
sure that the bunker industry can be confident in 0.5% blended
fuel oils being stable, compatible, compliant and safe. These ap-
proaches include superior LSFO compatibility enhancers and
pour point depressants, which can ensure the highest perfor-
mance at the lowest treat rate.
LSFO streams can be based on aliphatic hydrocarbons with a
paraffinic character, or they can consist of heavier aromatic com-
ponents including asphaltenes. A novel polymer-based compat-
ibility enhancera for LSFOs, tailormade for IMO 2020 regula-
tions, is an additive designed to improve the stability of aromatic
low-sulfur marine fuel. When aromatic fuel compositions are
commingled with more paraffinic blends, the asphaltenes are de-
stabilized and start to flocculate and precipitate. Sludge can then
form, with the potential of causing serious damage to engines,
engine filters and separators. Extensive damage to these areas
can lead to loss of propulsion and auxiliary power.
More technically, asphaltenes are defined as the heavy com-
ponents of crude oil that are insoluble in non-polar solvents, such
as hexanes—but are soluble in aromatic solvents, such as tolu-
ene. Structurally, they have no exact composition, but they are
complex and contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen
and possibly metals, including nickel and vanadium. In most cas-
es, the stability of the asphaltenes is dependent on their own na-
ture and on resins that are already a part of fuel oil composition.
Since ship owners or fuel suppliers do not know when or
where different LSFO qualities have been commingled, a pre-
ventive treatment is recommended before the asphaltenes
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202067
 Sustainability
FIG. 1. The polymer-based compatibility enhancer a replaces the resin
to stabilize the asphaltene and prevent aggregation.
begin to flocculate. The compatibility enhancer additive was
specifically developed to be added prior to blending to stabi-
lize asphaltenes and to stop the flocculation in the blend, pre-
venting them from precipitating when mixed with paraffinic
components (FIG. 1).
To support the compatibility of fuel oil mixes, the compat-
ibility enhancer functions by acting as a replacement for the
component that usually stabilizes the asphaltenes—surround-
ing them; keeping them in solution; and preventing destabili-
zation, agglomeration and flocculation. Ideally, compatibility
enhancers are added at the refinery stage—prior to, or during,
tank storage—with spot tests (e.g., ASTM D 4740 or ASTM D
7060) to provide good indications of fuel stability. After com-
mingling or storage under extreme storage conditions, the to-
tal sediment accelerated (TSA) method is used to evaluate the
ideal dose rates for best performance. This preventive approach
has no effect on the fuel’s efficiency, viscosity or overall quality.
Recent asphaltene dispersant tests of an aromatic LSFO
blend containing the compatibility enhancer—measured ac-
cording to ASTM D 7061, using a Turbiscan MA 2000—
showed a consistent transmission throughout the test tube,
indicating a homogenous distribution of particles and a low
separability number. This test demonstrated the success of the
compatibility enhancer in preventing sludge from forming, thus
keeping the LSFO blend stable. Using the same test, untreated
blank LSFO showed an increasing transmission over the length
of the tube, reflecting precipitation of insoluble matter, indicat-
ing the formation of sludge.
The use of the compatibility enhancer becomes even more
important, given that many LSFO compatibility tests—put
forward by the International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)—are not always found to be
accurate. The International Council on Combustion Engines
(CIMAC) has recommended four key tests for marine fuel
handling in connection to stability and compatibility. These are
ISO 10307-1, ISO 10307-2, ASTM D4740 and ASTM D 7060.
CIMAC’s guidance serves as a common industry approach to
support the new IMO 2020 regulations and to assist suppli-
ers, as it is their responsibility to ensure that fuel is delivered as
stable. Likewise, it is the responsibility of onboard engineers to
68JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
apply best-practice fuel management to mitigate the risk of mix-
ing incompatible fuels.
The author’s company’s second key approach to solutions
for new IMO 2020 regulations are market-leading pour point
depressants. For LSFO blends with high paraffinic content,
pour point values can be much higher than the 30°C required
for fuel to be liquid—sometimes as high as 50°C. This impacts
the viscosity of a fuel and can also impact flow. A broad range
of tailor-made pour point depressant solutions exists that can
improve the flow of heavy oil blends and bring the pour point to
specification while adhering to IMO 2020 regulations.
These IMO-specific solutions have been the focus of cutting-
edge research and development (R&D) at the author’s compa-
ny’s state-of-the-art crude and fuel oil center in the UK. The lab
is equipped with advanced technology, a wide selection of test-
ing regimes, modern methods of crude oil analysis and perfor-
mance testing, and the unique ability to replicate field conditions
within the laboratory. Technicians can conduct full performance
potential analyses of a product in real-life simulations. For both
fuel stabilizers and pour point depressants, the author’s company
can provide full analyses of fuel compositions, working closely
with customers on field conditions, the potential changes to fuel
properties, storage conditions and other parameters to optimize
product formulations, if required.
As the marine bunker fuel industry continues to assess the
impact of these IMO 2020 regulations, there has been increased
interest from refiners in the use of fuel compatibility enhanc-
ers to deliver safe and high-quality commingled LSFOs into
the market. The industry is learning and adapting in this new
regulatory environment and looking for the best ways to move
forward. The novel polymer-based compatibility enhancer and
customized pour point depressantsb are market-leading, best-in-
class additives, creating solutions for many of the challenges that
ship owners and refiners face. With its continued focus on inno-
vative application development, the author’s company is helping
the maritime industry reach a new sustainable reality.
NOTES
a
Refers to Clariant’s Dispersogen 2020
b
Refers to Clariant’s Dodiflow pour point depressants
LITERATURE CITED
1
Le Dain, M., “IMO 2020 LSFO complications—Potential long term positive for
heavy differentials,” Validere, January 2020, https://validere.com/imo-2020-lsfo-
complications-potential-long-term-positive-for-heavy-differentials/
1
Standard Club, News: Compliant fuel availability issues, January 2020, https://
www.standard-club.com/risk-management/knowledge-centre/news-and-
commentary/2020/01/news-compliant-fuel-availability-issues.aspx
1
Clariant’s pour point depressants: Crude and fuel handling today, https://www.
clariant.com/en/Business-Units/Oil-and-Mining-Services/Refinery-Services/
Pour-Point-Depressants
DR. KERSTIN MÜLLER is Clariant Refinery Services’ product
expert in pour point depressants. She supports global
refiners and fuel trading companies with their crude and
fuel oil additive challenges. She coordinates product
development and field trials, as well as global research
projects related to crude and fuel oil additives, specifically
related to transport and storage. Dr. Müller received her
PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of Marburg in Germany.
Currently, she is focusing on fuel stabilization and compatibility issues that
have occurred due to the recent IMO 2020 standards introduced for bunker
fuel. In her collaborative projects with customers, she has gained a wealth
of experience on fuel composition and compliance with fuel standards.
 Water Management
C. BARON, ChemTreat, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
R. KALAKODIMI, ChemTreat, Ashland, Virginia;
and B. BUECKER, ChemTreat, Lawrence, Kansas

Cooling water microbiological control

The authors’ previous article, “Ad- been recorded over the years due to borne diseases were greatly reduced
vanced cooling tower water treatment,” weight gain in tower fill from fouling. when water consumed by humans was
published in the June issue of Hydrocar- Treatment programs must be carefully treated with chlorine. As understand-
bon Processing, outlined modern chemical planned and implemented to proactively ing of microbiology continued to grow,
treatment methods for scale and corro- prevent fouling and to maintain cooling chlorine’s benefits for cooling water
sion control in cooling towers and asso- systems in proper condition. chemistry also emerged.
ciated cooling systems, which are integral Chlorine gas was the workhorse for
components of refineries, petrochemical The first compound: Chlorine gas. cooling water treatment for many years.
plants and similar facilities. However, Around 200 yr ago, chlorine was first
an issue that can sometimes dwarf other used as a disinfectant in water. Although
problems is microbiological fouling. microbiology was still in its infancy, sci-
Cooling systems provide an ideal entists began to recognize that water-
environment—warm and wet—for mi-
crobes to proliferate and form colonies.
Bacteria will grow in condensers and
cooling tower fill, while fungi will grow
on and in cooling tower wood, and al-
gae will appear on wetted cooling tower
components exposed to sunlight. A ma-
jor problem with microbes, particularly
many bacteria, is that once they settle on
a surface, the organisms secrete a poly-
saccharide layer (slime) for protection.
By itself, this film can severely inhibit
heat transfer, but it also collects silt from
the water and grows thicker, further de-
grading heat exchange (FIG. 1).
However, this is just part of the prob-
lem. Even though the bacteria near the
FIG. 1. Heat exchanger tubes fouled with FIG. 3. Fouled cooling tower film fill.
surface might be aerobic, the slime layer
microbes and slime.
allows the anaerobic bacteria underneath
to flourish. These organisms generate ac-
ids and other harmful compounds that
can directly attack metals. Microbial de-
posits also establish concentration cells,
where the lack of oxygen underneath the
deposit causes the locations to become
anodic to other areas of exposed metal.
Metal loss occurs at anodes, resulting in
pitting (FIG. 2).
Fouling is not limited to heat ex-
changers; cooling towers can also be
very susceptible to fouling (FIGS. 3 FIG. 2. A large under-deposit corrosion pit
and 4). Numerous cases of a partial or (with deposit removed) in a stainless-steel
heat exchanger tube. FIG. 4. Severe algae growth in a cooling tower.
complete cooling tower collapse have
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202069
 Water Management
When the chemical is added to water, the
following reaction occurs (Eq. 1):
Cl2 + H2O } HOCl + HCl
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is the kill-
ing agent. It functions by penetrating cell
walls and then oxidizing internal cell com-
ponents. The efficacy and killing power of
this compound are greatly affected by pH
due to the equilibrium nature of HOCl in
water, as shown in Eq. 2.
HOCl } H+ + OCl–
OCl– is a much weaker biocide than
HOCl, probably because the charge on
the OCl– ion does not allow it to effec-
tively penetrate cell walls. The dissocia-
tion of HOCl dramatically increases as
the pH goes above 7.5. Since most cool-
ing tower scale/corrosion treatment pro-
FIG. 5. Development of sessile bacteria
colonies, which release organisms that can
then establish colonies elsewhere in the
cooling system. Photo is by an unknown
author licensed under CC BY-NC.
100
90 HOCI
1.49V ORP
80
Hypohalous acid, HOCI or HOBr, %
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 100
5 6
FIG. 6. Dissociation of HOCl and HOBr vs. pH. Note: At a pH of 8, approximately 80% of the
HOBr remains undissociated, while only about 25% of the HOCl is still intact.
70JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
grams operate at an alkaline pH, chlorine
chemistry may not be the best choice in
some applications. Chlorine efficiency is
(1) further influenced by ammonia and or-
ganics in the water that react irreversibly
with the chemical and increase chlorine
demand.
Due to safety concerns, liquid bleach
(NaOCl) feed, although more expensive,
has replaced gaseous chlorine at many
facilities. Bleach often contains a small
amount of sodium hydroxide. When it is
injected into the cooling water stream, it
(2) raises the pH, perhaps only slightly, but,
if the water is alkaline to begin with, most
of the reactant will exist as the OCl– ion.
An alternative is onsite generation of hy-
pochlorite, which has proven to be effec-
tive in several applications.
Several factors influence the perfor-
mance of chlorine or bleach-generated
chlorine, and have led to the evolution
of more advanced technologies. First,
oxidizing biocides, such as chlorine, are
very effective on free-floating organisms
(e.g., planktonic bacteria). However, if
gaps in the treatment, or problems with
the treatment program, allow organisms
to settle, some of these sessile bacteria
will quickly begin to form a protective
glycocalyx (slime) layer for protection
(FIG. 5). The colonies may contain a
variety of organisms, including aerobic,
anaerobic and facultative bacteria. The
slime layer can be very protective, and
powerful oxidizers, such as chlorine, are
consumed by the slime and do not reach
the organisms underneath.
HOBr-
1.33V ORP
pKa = 7.5 pKa = 8.5
OCI- OBr-
0.90V ORP 1.33V ORP
7 8 9 10 11
pH
Accordingly, it is quite important, re-
gardless of the oxidizing biocide chosen
for the application, to be proactive in
preventing deposition and buildup of mi-
crobiological colonies. If these colonies
become established, it can be difficult to
remove them. For example, one of the
authors participated in a shock chlorine
treatment of a steam surface condenser at
a former power plant. The condenser had
become microbiologically fouled due to
an upset in the biocide feed system, and
condenser heat transfer had noticeably
declined. The shock treatment killed the
microbes, but the slime layer was so ad-
herent that only a portion of it detached
during the cleaning and subsequent rinse,
such that condenser performance1 did not
fully recover from the upset. A mechani-
cal tube scraping was required shortly af-
ter to remove the remaining slime.
A serious issue that has increasingly
come to the public’s attention (and cer-
tainly to the water technology commu-
nity’s attention) in the last 40 yr is that
of airborne pathogens—most notably
Legionella, which was responsible for
the original Legionnaires’ Disease out-
break in 1976, and causes infection via
inhalation of water droplets or mist (<
5 micron diameter) containing the or-
ganisms. Such small droplets may come
from many sources, including cooling
towers, decorative fountains, potable hot
water systems and shower heads, humid-
ifiers, and whirlpools and spas, among
others.2 These organisms do not grow
independently, but proliferate within
sessile colonies of other microbes. This
makes it quite imperative to keep cooling
0
systems clean, with an oxidizing biocide
10 as a core treatment method. It is also im-
20
portant to eliminate “dead legs” in any
system, where low flow conditions can
30 keep biocides from contacting and kill-
Hypohalite ion, OCI- or OBr- , %
40 ing microorganisms.
Another issue that has caused concern
50 from chlorine treatment is the potential
60 for the chemical to react with organic
compounds in the water to form halo-
70
genated organics. Some of these com-
80 pounds are suspected carcinogens, and
guidelines have been formulated that
90
restrict the concentration of these sub-
stances. This issue has only grown in
importance, given the diminishing avail-
ability of freshwater supplies for new in-
dustrial plants, including those for power
production. Common in some areas of

the U.S. (California is a notable example)
are mandates for the use of treated mu-
nicipal wastewater plant effluent as in-
dustrial facility makeup. These supplies
can introduce a variety of impurities to
the cooling water, including ammonia,
organics and phosphorus, among others.3
Chlorine alternatives. As previously
mentioned, the killing power of chlorine
falls off with a rise in pH, which is prob-
lematic, given that most scale/corrosion
inhibitor programs operate in a mildly
basic pH range. A popular answer to this
challenge has been bromine chemistry,
where a chlorine oxidizer (bleach is the
common choice) and sodium bromide
(NaBr) are blended in a makeup water
stream and injected into the cooling wa-
ter. The chemistry produces hypobro-
mous acid (HOBr), which has similar
killing powers to HOCl, but functions
more effectively at an alkaline pH level.
FIG. 6 compares the dissociation of HOCl
and HOBr as a function of pH.
Another strong oxidizer that has seen
some success is chlorine dioxide (ClO2 ).
Unlike chlorine, ClO2 is not consumed by
ammonia or organics in the water—thus,
it is free to attack organisms. However,
ClO2 must be generated onsite, which
adds to the expense of this chemical.
Some promising alternatives include
monochloramine (NH2 Cl) and mono-
bromamine (NH4Br). While these com-
pounds are weaker oxidizers than the
compounds previously outlined, they
appear to be more effective at penetrat-
ing the protective slime layer that is pro-
duced by bacteria, which enables them to
then directly attack these organisms.
Recently developed is a new halogen
stabilizer/biodetergent that is applicable
for bleach-only oxidizing treatments.
This product has no biocidal properties
and, therefore, does not fall under regula-
tory guidelines, but it is effective in stabi-
lizing chlorine and reducing losses from
irreversible reactions. The critical por-
tion of the formulation is the biodeter-
gent, which disperses the biofilm formed
by the organisms and allows the biocide
to contact the microbes directly.
In many cases, oxidizer feed is lim-
ited to 2 hr/d, which gives microbes time
to settle and form colonies during off
times. Accordingly, a supplemental feed
of a non-oxidizing biocide on a once-
per-week basis can be quite successful
TABLE 1. Non-oxidizing biocides
Chemical Advantages
Isothiazoline Effective against bacteria,
particularly nitrifiers and fungi.
Works well with oxidizing biocides.
Active over a wide pH range.
2,2-dibromo-3- Fast acting and effective against
nitrilopropionamide bacteria. Degrades quickly into
(DBNPA) non-hazardous byproducts.
Quaternary amines Effective against most
microorganisms, particularly algae.
Active over a wide pH range.
Glutaraldehyde Effective against sulfate-reducing
bacteria.
in controlling biological growth. These
non-oxidizers, in conjunction with bio-
detergents, reduce overall chlorine usage
and do not produce halogenated organic
byproducts. TABLE 1 lists properties of
some of the most common non-oxidizers.
Careful evaluation of the microbial
species in the cooling water is necessary
to determine the most effective bio-
cides. Antimicrobial compounds should
not be used or even tested without ap-
proval from the appropriate regulatory
agency. They must be incorporated into
the plant’s National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permit. In
addition, as with all chemicals, safety is
a critical issue with biocides. Safety data
sheet guidelines should be followed when
handling these products.
Takeaway. This article provides an
overview of some of the most important
concerns and treatment methods for mi-
crobiological fouling control in industrial
cooling water systems. It is not designed
to be an absolute reference, but rather to
give plant personnel a starting point for
further inquiry into ideas for establishing
the best program at their plant.
LITERATURE CITED
1
Buecker, B., “Condenser Chemistry and
Performance Monitoring: A Critical Necessity for
Reliable Steam Plant Operation,” International
Water Conference, October 18–20, 1999,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
2
Post, R., B. Buecker, and S. Shulder, “Power Plant
Cooling Water Fundamentals,” pre-conference
seminar, 37th Annual Electric Utility Chemistry
Workshop, June 6–8, 2017, Champaign, Illinois.
3
Post, R. and B. Buecker, “Grey Water—A
Sustainable Alternative for Cooling Water Makeup,”
International Water Conference, November 4–8,
2018, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Water Management
Disadvantages
Skin sensitizer. Degraded by
sulfide, sulfite and reducing
conditions.
Degrades quickly above pH 9,
and is not very effective against
fungi and algae. Degraded by
reducing conditions.
Can cause foaming. Efficacy is
reduced by hardness. Interacts
with anionic dispersants and
fluorescent tracers.
Incompatible with ammonia and
some amines. Weak on algae.
CHRIS BARON received a Bch degree in chemistry
from the University of Illinois-Urbana in 1988. He has
22 yr of experience in industrial water treatment.
After a brief stint working as a bench chemist in
the pharmaceutical industry, he attended Purdue
University, where his graduate research project
involved a study of the formation, equilibration
and decomposition kinetics and mechanisms of
bromamines and bromochloramines. He is the
primary author on 10 technical publications related
to the control of microbial growth in recirculating
cooling and process waters, and is a Tech Staff
Specialist for ChemTreat, Inc.
RAJENDRA P. KALAKODIMI
received an MS degree in physical
chemistry at Andhra University and
a PhD in electrochemistry at the
Indian Institute of Science in
Bangalore in 2003. Dr. Kalakodimi is
the Director of Applied Technology
for ChemTreat Inc., in Ashland, Virginia. Prior to
joining ChemTreat, he served as the Engineering
Technical Leader at the GE India Technology Center
in Bangalore and as a Product Manager for Chemicals
and Monitoring Solutions for GE Water. He has more
than 20 patent filings, 20 international publications
and various conference presentations.
BRAD BUECKER is a Senior
Technical Publicist with ChemTreat.
He has many years of experience
in or affiliated with the power
industry, much of it in steam
generation chemistry, water
treatment, air quality control
and results engineering positions with City Water,
Light & Power (Springfield, Illinois) and Kansas City
Power & Light Co. Mr. Buecker earned a BS degree
in chemistry from Iowa State University, with
additional course work in fluid mechanics, energy
and materials balances and advanced inorganic
chemistry. He is a member of the American
Chemical Society, the American Institute of
Chemical Engineers, the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers, the Cooling Technology
Institute, the National Association of Corrosion
Engineers, the Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop
planning committee and the International Water
Conference Advisory Council. Mr. Buecker has
authored many articles and three books on
power plant and water/steam chemistry.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202071
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 Engineering and
Construction
C. RENTSCHLER, Al Bassami Industries,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and G. SHAHANI,
ShureLine Construction, Kenton, Delaware

U.S. modularization—Keep an eye toward

the most economical approach
Modularization has been discussed
extensively as a means to facilitate the
construction of significant projects. Many
benefits exist for modularization, includ-
ing controlled construction and schedule
improvement. Due to the controlled envi-
ronment for module construction, quality
is more easily achieved and weather is not
an issue. In addition, construction in re-
mote areas (where field labor is a concern)
is minimized.
However, modularization comes with
a price—so it pays to keep costs in check.
In the U.S., shop labor can be costly, and
supplemental steel needed for shipping
can add further cost. An option is to in-
vestigate module construction overseas,
where fabrication labor can be a small per-
centage of labor in the U.S. and steel is also
less costly. Shipping is a large concern, so
the feasibility of shipping from overseas
must be weighed against higher modular-
ization costs in the U.S.
An optimum approach may be to fab-
ricate small modules in the U.S. and con-
sider the fabrication of large modules off-
shore. Small modules are often defined as
structures that are easily truckable or less
than 100 t in weight. By fabricating large
modules overseas, full advantage can be
taken of lower labor costs. Smaller mod-
ules can achieve an acceptable cost-benefit
ratio in the US because labor hours are low.
Of course, shipping must be considered in
both cases. However, it has been shown
that large modules (including shipping)
can be economical from overseas because
of the large differential in labor costs.
In the past, code compliance and
communication were viewed as concerns
in working overseas. Offshoring has
become so prevalent that most interna-
tional companies now work routinely to
U.S. codes, and communications are not
an issue. International fabricators often
employ U.S. representatives to facilitate
project communications.
In planning a project, consideration
should be given to modularization as a
construction technique. Once this deci-
sion is made, the best location for devel-
oping modules at lower cost should be
investigated. Small modules are generally
most economically fabricated in the U.S.,
and larger modules may be more econom-
ical to buy from overseas fabricators. All
factors, including schedule, must be con-
sidered; however, modularization can still
offer an economical alternative to “stick-
building” if low-cost module fabrication
locations are considered.
Early planning. During the bid stage, it
is important to plan the desired approach
to construction, including the idea of us-
ing modules for a portion or all of the
project. While module construction is
often thought to be more economical
than stickbuilt, this is not always the case.
If field labor is inexpensive and construc-
tion conditions present no obstacles,
stickbuilt may be the best choice. How-
ever, if schedule is crucial, then modules
may be considered even if they are slight-
ly more expensive. A hybrid approach of
both stickbuilt and modules represents a
viable approach in some circumstances.
The selected approach should be the ba-
sis throughout the project. Deciding on
one approach initially and then switch-
ing during execution can lead to major
budget problems.
Assuming that modules are to be used
for one or more reasons discussed in ear-
lier articles,1 it is important to structure
the estimate accordingly to capture all
supplemental costs. For example, mod-
ules require additional engineering to be
self-supporting units and often require
temporary support steel that can be re-
moved when the module is in place. Also,
care must be taken to ensure that all pip-
ing components and instrumentation and
electrical (I&E) components can “match
up” across modules. Sufficient engineer-
ing must be completed in the bid stage so
that preliminary bids can be obtained from
fabricators. Experienced domestic and in-
ternational module fabricators can work
from piping and instrumentation diagrams
(P&IDs) and conceptualize modules.
Such companies should be considered, but
owner review is important to ensure that
serviceability of the module(s) is achieved.
Choosing the right fabricator to contain
costs and provide high-quality modules
deserves considerable focus, as depicted
by FIG. 1. Quality and schedule are always
important, but cost also must be carefully
considered. Using modules for construc-
tion convenience and then blowing the
budget by magnitudes will not be viewed
as a successful project. Since fabrication
labor costs in the U.S. can be much greater
than those of foreign companies, interna-
tional companies should be considered.
However, all factors must be taken
into account. Shipping is a huge portion
of module costs and must be factored into
the evaluation process. Since significant
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202073
 Engineering and Construction
FIG. 1. Cost, schedule, risk and quality factors must be considered when choosing a
module fabricator.
labor savings are seen with large modules
fabricated overseas, there is a considerable
margin to address shipping. Smaller mod-
ules that are easily truckable are best fab-
ricated domestically because low shipping
costs can offset higher fabrication costs.
Whatever the module size, it is impor-
tant to involve prospective module fab-
ricators early in the project bid phase. In
addition to providing detailed cost break-
downs, fabricators also offer ideas for im-
proving module design. This is important
to ensure the best design early. With their
experience, fabricators can often offer
suggestions to make the modules more
easily transportable. Experienced module
fabricators can also offer ideas to limit the
supplemental steel needed for shipping.
Smaller modules should be limited to
domestic suppliers since the minimal ship-
ping can offset the higher labor costs. Any-
thing larger than 100 t should be evaluated
both domestically and internationally. It is
likely that international fabrication/ship-
ping will be most economical for large
modules, but medium-size modules may
vary on best price between domestic and
international, depending on the circum-
stances and intricacies of the modules.
Execution guidelines. After a project is
authorized, early steps should be taken to
ensure that costs are contained and qual-
ity modules are delivered to the field. Im-
portant factors to consider include:
1. Achieve a certified P&ID early.
This is necessary to ensure that
certified equipment drawings
can be obtained early in the
design. Late certification of
74JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
P&IDs often results because of
late hazard and operability studies
(HAZOPs), so there should be
focus on this key activity. Having
holds on design drawings leads
to schedule problems.
2. Start engineering early. Starting
early on module engineering
is more important than when
stickbuilding. Modularization
represents an additional activity
in the overall project schedule
and, therefore, accommodations
must be made to fit it into the
overall time frame. It is also
important to configure modules to
a manageable size—an important
outcome of early engineering.
3. Bid module fabrication to
experienced companies with
ready access to appropriate
transportation. For small
modules, it is wise to consider a
local fabricator. For example, it is
not a good idea to bid modules to
East Coast companies for a project
on the West Coast. For large
modules fabricated internationally,
it is important to make sure that
shipping ports are available on
either end of the transport.
4. Ensure that free-issue
components arrive on time at
the fabricator. The effectiveness
of modules is diminished if
mechanical or I&E components
need to be installed in the field,
so extra effort should be spent
to specify and receive these
components in a timely manner.
5. Require fabricators to “match
up” adjacent modules at their
facility. Many field problems
can be avoided if modules come
together easily in the field.
6. Invite the field contractor to
visit the module fabricator
during fabrication. This can help
in catching any problems early and
avoid possible back charges later.
7. Ensure that a detailed shipping
plan is developed early. Whether
domestic or international, it is
important to develop a shipping
plan early. This will ensure no
surprises on size limitations later,
and it will allow ample time to
secure permits.
Considerations for small modules
fabricated domestically. Smaller
modules refer to self-contained process
systems that are less than 100 t in total
weight. These systems can include small
reverse osmosis systems for water puri-
fication, membrane and adsorption sys-
tems for gas separation, and combined
heat and power systems (CHP) for dis-
tributed power generation.
These modular systems are made
to standard specifications and typically
come in standard sizes with well-defined
break points in terms of capacity and
performance. The units are often skid-
mounted (FIG. 2) and contain all the ma-
jor equipment, piping, instrumentation
and controls so that the module can be
described as “plug and play.” The rationale
for modular systems is to save money on
engineering by using the same design for a
number of identical modules.
In terms of module fabrication, it is
possible to capture additional savings in
purchased equipment, material and labor
if multiple units are executed at the same
time. Volume discounts are possible for
purchased equipment and materials by
buying these items in bulk. In addition, it is
possible to minimize the waste of materials
by using all the steel and piping in the ac-
tual fabrication of the modules instead of
discarding the excess. Labor savings can be
realized by sequencing activities efficiently
and minimizing setup time. Small skids
can be fabricated in a normal fabrication
shop with minimal staff, which helps keep
costs down. Compared to larger modules,
shipping is relatively simple and usually
involves a regular-size tractor-trailer truck.

Considerations for large modules
fabricated internationally. As noted
earlier, fabricating large modules (FIG. 3)
overseas offers the opportunity to save
considerable money because of the large
labor cost differential between the US
and some international companies. The
authors have experience that considerable
project savings can be achieved by fabricat-
ing modules overseas, even when tariffs
and shipping costs are taken into account.
However, such savings require scrutiny
when selecting a fabricator. The fabricator
should be able to design and fabricate to
U.S. codes, which is generally not a prob-
lem for most fabricators doing business
for U.S. companies. The foreign company
should have an engineering group that can
create appropriate, detailed drawings. Also,
shipping ports should be within a short
distance of the fabrication shop to avoid
damages and delays during the transporta-
tion of modules. Communication meth-
ods should be discussed early in the bid-
ding, and appropriate systems should be
put in place to facilitate communications.
To achieve these goals, a U.S. represen-
tative can serve as an interface point to ad-
dress communications on a “same-time”
basis as the owner. However, given today’s
excellent internet and satellite communi-
cation techniques, work can be performed
with foreign companies as if they were
located next door. Quality must be veri-
fied on a continuous basis, but the authors
have found that most foreign companies
doing business for U.S. companies have
very high quality standards.
Fabricating modules overseas offers
several opportunities for cost contain-
ment, in addition to lower labor costs.
Steel purchased to American Institute of
Steel Construction (AISC) specifications
limits the availability of low-cost shapes. If
there is owner agreement that Japanese In-
dustrial Standards ( JIS) or Deutsches In-
stitut für Normung (DIN) standards can
be used, the possibility for cost savings is
increased. Use of these standards should
pose no problems for the creation of prop-
erly detailed fabrication drawings. The
same logic can be applied to refractory and
other fabrication items, but it is important
to obtain engineer approval early for alter-
nate products or materials.
Takeaway. Modularization offers the op-
portunity to carry out construction in a
controlled environment, which can greatly
Engineering and Construction
FIG. 2. Small modular process skid.
enhance the schedule and quality. Howev-
er, these enhancements come with a cost
and, therefore, must be carefully managed
to make sure that budgets are not exceed-
ed. Focused, early planning is one way to
make sure costs stay within reason. Early
engineering is important to ensure that
bids are within reason, and involving the
right fabricator is also critical.
The size of modules is a determining
factor in deciding on the most economi-
cal fabricator. Small modules are best
built by a U.S. fabricator, preferably one
near the jobsite. Labor on a small module
is modest in magnitude and not a signifi-
cant impact on the overall project cost.
However, large modules require signifi-
cant fabrication labor hours, so interna-
tional fabricators should be considered.
Since labor is high on large modules,
considerable savings in labor costs can
be achieved by using an international
fabricator instead of a domestic one. All
factors (e.g. U.S. code compliance and
quality) must be considered, but many
international fabricators have a demon-
strated history of building major modules
to applicable codes at high quality.
Modularization is a significant enhance-
ment for construction, but it is important
to consider all factors before building the
modules. By weighing the different fab-
rication options discussed in this article,
there is a greater likelihood that all factors
will remain in check, including cost.
FIG. 3. Large ethylene furnace with
modular sections.
LITERATURE CITED
Complete literature cited available online at
www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com.
CARL RENTSCHLER is the U.S.
sales representative for Al Bassami
Industries, a global steel fabrication
company based in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia. He has more than
40 yr of varied engineering and
management experience with
three international EPC companies in the power
and petrochemical fields. Mr. Rentschler holds a
BS degree in civil engineering from Pennsylvania
State University and an MEng degree from Cornell
University. He is also a licensed professional engineer.
GOUTAM SHAHANI is Vice President
of Sales and Marketing at ShureLine
Construction in Kenton, Delaware.
With 40 yr of industrial experience,
Mr. Shahani specializes in industrial
gases for the energy, refining
and chemical industries. He holds
BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering, as well
as an MBA degree.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202075
MIKE RHODES, MANAGING EDITOR
Mike.Rhodes@HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Bentley Systems
opens full access to
ProjectWise 365
Bentley Systems Inc. has opened its
ProjectWise 365 cloud service, including
waiving subscription fees through Sep-
tember 30, 2020, to virtually connect in-
frastructure project participants forced to
work from home.
ProjectWise 365 (FIG. 1) security en-
ables teams to ensure that only authorized
project participants can access and modify
engineering and design projects informa-
tion. ProjectWise 365 data security begins
with the Microsoft Azure cloud that pro-
vides multi-layered security across physi-
cal datacenters, infrastructure and opera-
tions with cybersecurity experts actively
monitoring to protect business assets and
data. Secure access to the ProjectWise 365
environment is authenticated with Iden-
tity Management System (IMS) login
that can integrate with organizational IT
credentials for a single sign-on experience
for users. Within the ProjectWise 365
environment, access to projects is man-
aged by a list of authorized named-users.
Permissions to access services as well as
read and modify project data is managed
by assigning users to configurable project
roles. ProjectWise 365 multilayer security
combines robust data security and access
controls with the ability to collaborate
from anywhere using just an internet con-
nection and web browser.
To improve collaboration among de-
sign teams from different locations, the
program enables instant communication/
chatting between team members during
design reviews utilizing:
• Secure web browser-based access—
All ProjectWise 365 services are
instant-on and accessible with
just an internet connection
and browser, without special
software or time-consuming
VPN connectivity problems.
• Central project information
repository—ProjectWise 365
enables a single source of truth
for users to share, find and access
design project information, saving
time and eliminating the risks
associated with email and stand-
alone file-sharing services.
• Collaborative ad-hoc design
review—ProjectWise 365 includes
iTwin Design Review, a unique
and immersive hybrid 2D/3D
collaborative review service that
enables design disciplines to
quickly initiate real-time reviews of
work-in-progress design models,
using integrated comments and
markup capabilities to facilitate
communication.
• Collaborative 2D deliverables
review—ProjectWise 365
provides real-time collaborative
PDF review and markup that
enables multidiscipline teams to
perform virtual reviews of drawing
deliverables with integrated
comments and annotations, as well
as issue logging and management.
• RFIs, transmittals and submittals
management—ProjectWise 365
enables teams to create, track and
manage formal and informal project
communications to accelerate
important exchanges, resolve issues
faster and shorten review and
approval cycles.
• Microsoft Teams integration—
ProjectWise 365 services can also
be accessed from the Microsoft
Teams interface to provide an
unmatched virtual collaboration
environment that consolidates the
engineering design-specific services
of ProjectWise 365 with the instant
messaging, video conferencing and
meeting capabilities of Teams.
• Issues management—ProjectWise
365 design review services include
the capability to create and assign
issues and then manage them to
resolution. Issues are linked to
the underlying design content for
traceability and easy follow up.
The combined issues management
Innovations
FIG. 1. Bentley Systems’ ProjectWise 365
cloud service.
capabilities ensure that required
design updates are identified and
executed in timely fashion.
• Audit Trails—ProjectWise 365
displays the most up-to-date version
of design files and provides full audit
trails that enable users to review
change histories by folder and file.
For clients and contractors, the system
will reduce risks by providing faster and
higher-quality collaboration, reducing de-
lays and design errors, and enabling proj-
ect teams to consistently deliver on time
and on budget. ProjectWise 365 enables
organizations and project teams to read-
ily adapt to future stay-at-home workforce
challenges and keep projects on plan. It
avoids the use of out-of-date information
and ensures that concurrent design efforts
always stay in sync. By making it simple
and painless for teams to collaborate, Pro-
jectWise 365 encourages more frequent
coordination and reviews, enabling defects
to be identified early and resolved quickly.
New gas treating
technology to lower
sulfur, CO2 emissions
BASF SE and ExxonMobil Catalysts
and Licensing LLC (FIG. 2) have released
a highly energy-efficient amine gas treat-
ment technology: OASE® sulfexx™. The
technology is based on a proprietary
amine-based solvent that selectively re-
moves hydrogen sulfide (H2S), while
minimizing the co-absorption of carbon
dioxide (CO2 ) from gas streams.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202077
 Innovations
FIG. 2. BASF SE and ExxonMobil Catalysts and
Licensing LLC have collaborated on new amine
gas treatment technology: OASE sulfexx.
FIG. 3. Bently Nevada’s Orbit 60 Series machine
health monitoring and protection system.
FIG. 4. Greene Tweed’s WR650, a next-
generation PFA composite for centrifugal
pumps and other pump applications.
The companies jointly developed the
amine-based solvent to help petroleum
refiners and gas processors meet future re-
quirements, while also increasing capacity
and lowering operating costs on existing
equipment. For new facilities, the use of
this technology will reduce the size of the
equipment and the initial capital invest-
ment compared to conventional amine gas
treatment units.
Multiple pilot plant tests at ExxonMo-
bil and BASF facilities have demonstrated
the superior selective properties of this
solvent compared to methyldiethanol-
amine (MDEA) formulations and FLEX-
SORB™ SE and SE Plus solvents. A com-
mercial demonstration concluded at a tail
gas treating unit located in North America
further confirms the results.
OASE sulfexx will help debottleneck
existing Claus tail gas treating, acid gas en-
78JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
richment and high-pressure acid gas remov-
al units. In Claus tail gas treating units, the
technology can achieve less than 10 ppmv
H2S specifications while rejecting CO2 to
meet future emissions requirements.
Machine health
monitoring and protection Replacing metallic
Bently Nevada has designed a new ma- wear parts for
chine health monitoring and protection centrifugal pumps
system from the ground up in the form
of the new Orbit 60 Series (FIG. 3), which
focuses on securing data directly from the
sensor to the condition monitoring soft-
ware.
The module has been designed and
engineered containing data isolation cir-
cuitry to isolate the condition monitoring
and protection networks, allowing data to
be sent directly to business networks with-
out any security concerns. This module is
known as the Condition Monitoring Mod-
ule (CMM), which primarily functions to
transfer data to condition monitoring soft-
ware for visualization. This module can
listen to all the data from the Orbit 60 data
bus, including process data, alarms and
events, calculated values or dynamic sen-
sor data. The CMM prevents any attempt-
ed changes to be made on the backplane of
the protection monitoring system.
The Orbit 60 is designed to meet IEC
62443-4-2 up to Security Level (SL) 4,
providing confidence that the retrieved
data can be accessed through the CM
module to the business network worry-
free. The CMM’s circuit is a “listen-only
mode” to the process network, which
means it can only receive data and is inca-
pable of affecting the functionality of the
protection system. Accessing data through
the CMM module minimizes the risk of a
cyberattack to the rest of the system while
allowing the insightful and actionable data
to the experts that need it the most.
The Orbit 60 Series is the first intrinsi-
cally cyber-secure machinery monitoring
system. With built-in data isolation in the
condition monitoring module from the
protection system and plant network, the
Orbit 60 connects seamlessly to condi-
tion monitoring software for proactive
monitoring and diagnostics. Some key
benefits of the Orbit 60 include:
• Intrinsic cybersecurity and
data isolation
• More data + more insights =
Better decision-making
• Industry-leading processing power
and channel density
• Centralized and distributed
architecture
• Multiple module choices
• Seamless System 1 integration.
Greene Tweed, a leading global manu-
facturer of high-performance seals, ther-
moplastics, composites and engineered
components, highlights WR®650, a next-
generation PFA composite with superior
dry run characteristics designed to replace
metallic wear parts in centrifugal pumps
and other pump applications.
Metallic wear parts fail quickly in dry
run conditions, giving pump operators
limited time to restore lubrication or
shut down a pump before costly damage
occurs. High-quality composite parts in-
crease this effective response time and can
extend the mean time between repair. Re-
inforced with a 3D carbon-fiber architec-
ture, WR650 (FIG. 4) can sustain 2.5-times
higher dry wear conditions before show-
ing signs of degradation when compared
to the leading PFA-based material.
WR650 delivers high chemical com-
patibility, excellent wear characteristics
and operability from subzero to 500°F
(260°C). The advanced material also pos-
sesses a coefficient of thermal expansion
comparable to steel over a wide range of
temperatures, offering a constant running
clearance, no interference and no effi-
ciency drop. Unlike metallic wear compo-
nents, the malleable nature of PFA ensures
metallic counterparts are preserved, even
those that are relatively soft. This helps
extend pump service life and improve re-
liability. Additionally, WR650’s non-gall-
ing/non-seizing characteristics and abil-
ity to dampen vibrations allow for tighter
clearances and increased efficiency com-
pared to traditional metallic components.
Ideal for stationary wear parts in verti-
cal, horizontal, single and multistage cen-
trifugal pumps, WR650 can improve the
mean time between repair for pumps in
refineries, pipelines, and chemical, power
and water plants.
An expanded version of
Innovations can be found online
at HydrocarbonProcessing.com.
MIKE RHODES, MANAGING EDITOR
Mike.Rhodes@HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Roeland Baan has joined
Haldor Topsoe as its
new CEO. From 2016,
Mr. Baan was President
and CEO of Outokumpu,
a global stainless steel
company listed on the
Finnish stock exchange.
Previously, he held a wide
range of global CEO and
Executive VP positions
at Aleris Intl., Arcelor
Mittal, SHV NV and Shell.
Mr. Baan is Chairman
of the board of SBM
Offshore NV. In addition,
he is Vice Chairman
of the International
Stainless Steel Forum and
member of the executive
committee of Eurofer.
Excelerate Energy has
hired Calvin Bancroft as
Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Bancroft’s experience
includes maritime
security, chartering,
supply chain management
and operational logistics.
He has been recognized
by the industry and
received four public
commendations from the
Department of Homeland
Security. In his role at
Excelerate, Mr. Bancroft
will leverage his vast
maritime experience to
oversee the company’s
ETM ship management
services, which officially
launched in February
2020. This will include
ensuring the largest
FSRU fleet continues
to deliver creative and
timely solutions to clients
across the globe. The
Excelerate fleet will all
be transitioned to ETM
ship management by
the end of 2020.
Sterling and Wilson Pvt. Kristine Wiley has been
Ltd, a leading India EPC named Director of the
company and part of Hydrogen Technology
Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Center at GTI, which
has appointed Raghu encompasses top-tier
Menon as the CEO of subject matter experts,
its CoGen business. Mr. thought leadership,
Menon has been with the recently upgraded labs and
company as a COO since facilities, and decades of
2018. He has more than experience. In this role, she
two decades of experience will serve as the leader for
across industrial products the Hydrogen Technology
and turnkey solutions, Center and related
having played CXO roles business activities, working
in oil and gas and power across GTI to synchronize
generation companies. He deep industry knowledge
has worked with Global and technical expertise
MNCs at the P&L role and to serve customers and
in various functions of stakeholders. Ms. Wiley’s
technology, M&A, business career spans nearly two
development, product decades at GTI, where
development, overseas most recently she served
market penetration, as an R&D Director
vendor development and responsible for GTI’s
operations management. environmental, risk and
integrity management R&D
programs. Previously, she
Sparrows Group has held positions of increasing
promoted Adam Wood responsibility working
to its most senior role in closely with the energy
the Americas. Mr. Wood industry on issues ranging
has worked for Sparrows from utility operations
for 12 yr and has held and environmental
several management compliance to exploring
positions, including VP of the use of low-carbon
service, General Manager fuels. She has also led
of Louisiana operations, industry initiatives on the
and Senior Business introduction, impacts and
Manager. Mr. Wood use of renewable natural
will be responsible for gas (RNG), working closely
advancing the company’s with utilities, pipeline
diversification in the operators, regulators
onshore industrial and and other stakeholders
renewables sectors while to provide technologies
continuing to support and guidance for the
its growth in the oil integration of RNG
and gas market. During into the existing gas
his time at Sparrows, infrastructure. Ms. Wiley
Mr. Wood has led the holds a BA degree in
Slidell service center’s biological sciences from
development, managing the University of Chicago
client maintenance and an MBA from the
programs and technical University of Chicago
requirements. Booth School of Business.
Jon Lederman has
joined the Rajant Corp.
team as VP of artificial
intelligence (AI). Mr.
Lederman will enable
new applications and
capabilities for Rajant’s
Kinetic Mesh partners and
end customers to enhance
their productivity further
using machine learning
(ML). He is the CEO and
founder of New York-
based computer software
firm Spinor, which is
developing AI technology
for creating conversational
voice experiences
for enterprise and
consumer applications.
He also co-founded,
conceptualized and built
the core technology for
San Francisco-based
audio technology startup
SonicCloud that has
received recognition
and acclaim from Apple,
Google and Massachusetts
Eye and Ear Hospital,
among others.
MFG Chemical has
promoted Tim Haggerty
to VP, Oil and Gas. Mr.
Haggerty is an industry
expert with 34 yr of
experience in business
development with
both upstream and
downstream oil and gas
specialty chemicals,
working for such leading
companies as Nalco
Chemical, Shell Chemical,
Halliburton and Shrieve
Chemical before joining
MFG Chemical in 2017. He
is a longtime Member of
the Society of Petroleum
Engineers (SPE) and the
American Association of
Drilling Engineers.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202079
People
Ipsen has hired Janet
Nanni as its new Director
of HR. She is responsible
for managing all personnel
and human resources
programs for Ipsen USA.
Before joining Ipsen, Ms.
Nanni was the Director
of HR at Zenith Cutter
in Rockford, Illinois,
accountable for global HR
initiatives in two countries.
She has more than 20 yr
of HR experience in the
industrial manufacturing
and engineering service
industries. She received
a BA degree in business
administration with an
emphasis in HR from the
University of Wisconsin-
Whitewater. She is also
a Society of Human
Resources Management
Certified Professional.
Marie Robinson has
joined Sysco Corp. as
Executive VP and Chief
Supply Chain Officer.
She is Sysco’s Senior
Supply Chain Leader with
responsibility for leading
the company’s supply
chain transformation.
Prior to joining Sysco,
Ms. Robinson was Senior
VP, Chief Operations and
Transformation Officer
for Capri Holding Ltd., the
parent holding company
of Michael Kors, Versace
and Jimmy Choo, where
her responsibilities
included logistics,
distribution, supply
chain planning, indirect
procurement, industrial
engineering, fulfillment
operations, factory
compliance, customer
support and call center
operations.
 Catherine Watkins, Publisher ADVERTISER INDEX
Phone: +1 (713) 520-4421
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Hydrocarbon Processing | JULY 202081

ALISSA LEETON, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Alissa.Leeton@HydrocarbonProcessing.com
JULY
China International Petroleum
and Petrochemical Technology &
Equipment Exhibition (CIPPE),
July 3–5, New China International
Exhibition Center, Beijing, China
P: +86 10-5617-6922
xhy@zhenweiexpo.com
en.cippe.com.cn
AUGUST
ENTELEC Conference,
Aug. 11–13, George R. Brown
Convention Center,
Houston, Texas
P: 1 888-503-8700
info@entelec.org
www.entelec.org
AIChE Spring Meeting and
16th Global Congress on
Process Safety, Aug. 17–21,
Virtual event
www.aiche.org
AIChE 32nd Ethylene Producers’
Conference, Aug. 17–21,
Virtual event
www.aiche.org
AFPM Summit, Aug. 25–27,
Virtual event
(See box for contact information)
AIChE 65th Annual Safety
in Ammonia Plants and
Related Facilities Symposium,
Aug. 16, The Westin Grand
Munich, Munich, Germany
P: 1 800-242-4363
www.aiche.org
SEPTEMBER
ECC Conference, Sept. 8–10,
Virtual event
www.ecc-conference.org
Gastech Exhibition &
Conference, Sept. 8–10,
Virtual event
operations@gastechevent.com
www.gastechevent.com
Turbomachinery & 36th
Pump Symposia, Sept. 15–17,
George R. Brown Convention
Center, Houston, Texas
P: +1 979-845-7417
info@turbo-lab.tamu.edu
tps.tamu.edu
82 JULY 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Global Conference on
Catalysis, Chemical
Engineering & Technology,
Sept. 21–23, Campanile Roissy-
en-France Hotel, Paris, France
catalysis-conferences.
magnusgroup.org
IRPC Americas, Sept. 22–23,
Gulf Energy Information Events,
Norris Conference Center,
Houston, Texas
HPIRPC.com/Americas
(See box for contact information)
OCTOBER
HP Awards, Oct. 1,
Gulf Energy Information Events,
The Houstonian, Houston, Texas
HydrocarbonProcessing.com/
Awards
(See box for contact information)
Tank Storage Asia, Oct. 7–8,
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
www.easyfairs.com
AFPM 2020 Environmental
Conference, Oct. 18–20, Austin
Marriott Downtown, Austin, Texas
(See box for contact information)
API Fall Committee on Petroleum
Measurements Standards,
Oct. 19–23, Hyatt Regency
Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo,
New Mexico
(See box for contact information)
GasPro 2.0 Web Symposium,
Oct. 21, Gulf Energy Information
Events, Houston, Texas
Virtual event
(See box for contact information)
Sustainability Leadership
Conference in Energy,
Oct. 28–29,
Gulf Energy Information Events
Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria,
Houston, Texas
(See box for contact information)
NOVEMBER
Women’s Global Leadership
Conference in Energy,
Nov. 3–4, Gulf Energy
Information Events,
Royal Sonesta, Houston, Texas
WGLconference.com
(See box for contact information)
API Cybersecurity
Conference for the Oil
& Natural Gas Industry,
Nov. 10–11, Marriott Marquis
Houston, Houston, Texas
(See box for contact information)
AIChE Annual Meeting,
Nov. 15–20, Hilton San Francisco
Union Square,
San Francisco, California
P: +1 800-242-4363
www.aiche.org
International Liquid
Terminals Association (ILTA),
Nov. 16–18, George R. Brown
Convention Center,
Houston, Texas
P: +1 703-875-2011
www.ilta.org
API Fall Refining and
Equipment Standards
Meeting, Nov. 16–19,
Hyatt Regency Denver,
Denver, Colorado
(See box for contact information)
API/AFPM Fall Operating
Practices Symposium,
Nov. 18, Hyatt Regency Denver,
Denver, Colorado
(See box for contact information)
DECEMBER
HP Forecast Breakfast,
Dec. 4, Gulf Energy Information
Events, Royal Sonesta Houston
Galleria, Houston, Texas
(See box for contact information)
NISTM Annual National
Aboveground Storage
Tank Conference,
Dec. 8–9, The Woodlands
Waterway Marriott,
The Woodlands, Texas
P: 1-800-827-3515
mail@nistm.org
www.nistm.org
FEBRUARY 2021
Asia Turbomachinery
& Pump Symposium (ATPS),
Feb. 23–25, Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
P: +1 979-845-7417
info@turbo-lab.tamu.edu
atps.tamu.edu
Events
MARCH 2021
AFPM Annual Meeting, Mar. 7–9,
Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Texas
(see box for contact information)
AFPM International Petrochemical
Conference, Mar. 14-16,
Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Texas
(see box for contact information)
JUNE 2021
ACHEMA, June 14–18,
Messe Frankfurt,
Frankfurt, Germany
www.achema.de
IRPC EurAsia, early June,
Gulf Energy Information Events,
HPIRPC.com
(See box for contact information)
NOTE: Due to the COVID-19
pandemic, industry event dates
are constantly changing, while
others are being postponed
indefinitely or canceled.
Please consult the appropriate
association or organization to
confirm event dates, locations
and details.
Hydrocarbon Processing/
Gulf Energy Information
P: +1 713-520-4475
Melissa.Smith@
GulfEnergyInfo.com
EnergyEvents@
GulfEnergyInfo.com
American Fuel
& Petrochemical
Manufacturers (AFPM)
P: +1 202-457-0480
info@afpm.org
www.afpm.org
American Petroleum
Institute (API)
P: +1 202-682-8195
registrar@api.org
www.api.org
Through print, online, e-newsletters and
associated events, Gas Processing & LNG
covers the latest advances and trends in
the global gas processing industry.

INCLUDES:
• Natural Gas Liquids
• Midstream gas processing
• LNG, NGL, GTL processing technologies
• Pipelines and storage
• Methanol production technologies
• Transport, shipping, and distribution
• Unconventional gas processing
• Small-scale gas processing
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