REFINING GAS PROCESSING PETROCHEMICALS ptq Q3 2025
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Q3 (Jul, Aug, Sep) 2025 www.digitalrefining.com ptq PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY
3 Expand product diversity with hydrocracking Rene Gonzalez 5 ptq&a 15 Importance of side strippers in crude distillation unit operations Soun Ho Lee Valero Energy Corporation 23 Accelerating adoption rates of chemical recycling Olav Stadaas and Linnéa Petersson Quantafuel Niklas Jakobsson ChemAcc AB Guillaume Vincent, Lucas Dorazio, Melissa Clough Mastry, and Bilge Yilmaz BASF 30 Efficient separation technologies Victor Scalco General Atomic Electromagnetic Systems Clifford Avery Ketjen 35 Silicon trap unleashed for coker naphtha processing Xavier E. Ruiz Maldonado and Christian Frederik Weise Topsoe 41 Engineering the next step in absorber efficiency and capacity Anh Do Thi Viet, Ton Schlief, and Karl Stephenne Shell Catalysts & Technologies 47 Digital twin corrosion monitoring for CDU overhead systems Jagadesh Donepudi, Michelle Wicmandy, and Ashok Pathak KBC (A Yokogawa Company) 53 Plantwide AI optimisation and beyond Travis Legrande Big West Oil LLC Mitchell McCloud Imubit 59 Wash oil and emulsion breaker selection in ethylene production Jorge Alfonso Garcia Mascareñas and Jorge Cabrera Braskem Idesa, S.A.P.I. Baltazar Suarez Vargas and Joice Gorete Boll Dorf Ketal Chemicals 65 Enhancing solvent system efficiency Sergio A. Robledo UNICAT Catalyst Technologies, LLC 71 Mitigating fouling in crude distillation columns Abhijit Gogoi Nayara Energy Limited Neil Sandford and Sandeep Yadav Koch-Glitsch 79 Operator performance advances enable safer operations David Lee User Centered Design Service, Inc. Tim Olsen Emerson Automation Solutions 85 When dynamic relief calculations give unexpected results Ben Leviton and Harry Z Ha Fluor Canada Ltd. 93 Combating iron poisoning in FCC catalysts Yali Tang, Luis Murillo, Antoinette Bates, Jeremy Mayol, Jarred Drewry, Xunhua Mo, Marie Goret-Rana, and Mehdi Allahverdi Johnson Matthey 101 Reproducibility of high throughput hydrocracking catalyst testing Giada Innocenti, Jochen Berg, Kai Dannenbauer, Felix Hilpert, Ioan-Teodor Trotus, and Jean-Claude Adelbrecht hte 106 Technology In Action Rethinking safety in reactor maintenance Johnson Screens Bringing hydrotreating units online after catalyst change-out Evonik Catalysts
Cover Magnetic mastery: the filtration revolution of MagAFS UNICAT Catalyst Technologies, LLC
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Editor Rene Gonzalez editor@petroleumtechnology.com tel: +1 713 449 5817 Managing Editor Rachel Storry rachel.storry@emap.com Editorial Assistant Lisa Harrison lisa.harrison@emap.com Graphics Peter Harper Business Development Director Paul Mason Paul.Mason@petroleumtechnology.com ptq PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY QUARTERLY Vol 30 No 4 Q3 (Jul, Aug, Sep) 2025
Expand product diversity with hydrocracking
T he global refining industry is competing in a fuels and petrochemical mar - ket demanding a wider diversity of products while also being challenged with emerging transportation sources (such as EVs), layers of regulations (for example, Euro VI), and mandates (such as plastics circularity). Nevertheless, hydrocarbon-based fuels and petrochemicals are expected to dominate the energy value chain for the next 25 years, with biomass-based feedstocks, alternative fuels, and circular polymers (such as polyethylene) becoming more dominant after 2030. Even with strong support and subsidies for alternative energy sources like solar and electric vehicles, capacity expansion for refining, LNG, and petrochemical con - tinues, particularly where populations and industry are expanding. In the summer of 2024, US oil demand rose above 21 million barrels per day (1.043 billion metric tonnes per annum [MMtpa]), its highest levels since 2019. Global demand hit a record of 103.8 million barrels per day (bpd) last year (104.3 MMtpa). Compared to 2024 (and despite lower prices), 2025 demand has dropped to roughly 19.5 million bpd of oil in the US. However, jet fuel demand increased more than 9% year-over-year, according to ADI Analytics. They also expect global SAF demand to grow roughly 6.5 times in 2025 as blending mandates in the EU and the UK come into force. According to Data Insights, the global hydrocracking cata- lyst market is projected to reach $397 million by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period (2025-2033). Market growth is primarily driven by ris- ing demand for cleaner and more efficient transportation fuels, stringent environ - mental regulations, and the expansion of refining capacity in emerging economies. In addition, there could be scope for integrating refinery hydrocrackers with eth - ylene steam cracker operations. Jeff Pro, Hydrocracking Market Specialist at Shell Catalysts & Technologies, recently stated that: “The hydrocracker can be further involved in chemicals circularity since the ethylene steam cracker has some resid- ual components that can then be sent directly back to the hydrocracker.” While precise global figures are not readily available, notable examples in the US of the central role hydrocrackers could play in refinery/steam cracker integration include the ExxonMobil Baytown Complex in Texas. This features a hydrocracker with a capacity exceeding 30,000 bpd and three steam crackers with a com- bined ethylene capacity of 3.6 Mtpa. The integration allows for flexible feedstock utilisation, including hydrocracker outputs, to produce a range of olefins. Another example is the Pemex Deer Park Refinery in Texas, which includes hydrocrack - ing capabilities co-located with petrochemical units, facilitating transfer of hydro- cracker outputs to steam crackers for olefin production. Converting low-value gas oil streams via hydrocracking yields high-value olefins feedstocks integrated with a steam cracking facility. The lower the BMCI (Bureau of Mines Correlation Index), the better the steam cracker feed to produce olefins. The BMCI is directly related to feed paraffinicity. This is why paraffins provide the highest yields of ethylene and other olefins. Along with leveraging hydrocracking units for increasing fossil fuels, biofuels coprocessing, and lubricants quality and flexibility, integrating hydrocrackers with steam crackers is gaining traction as refineries seek to enhance profitability and adapt to changing market demands. By directing hydrocracker outputs, such as naphtha and other light hydrocarbons, into steam crackers, facilities can increase the yield of high-value olefins like ethylene and propylene. This approach aligns with the industry’s shift towards producing more petrochemicals directly from crude oil, often referred to as ‘crude-to-chemicals’ strategies. Rene Gonzalez
tel: +44 7841 699431 Business Development Luke Massingham Luke.Massingham@ petroleumtechnology.com Managing Director Richard Watts richard.watts@emap.com Circulation Fran Havard
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More answers to these questions can be found at www.digitalrefining.com/qanda
Q How is energy transition and product diversification planning affecting revamp projects? A Romain Roux, VP Decarbonization and Consulting, Axens, romain.roux@axensgroup.com, and Leandro Labanca, Business Development Manager Decarbonization and Consulting, Axens, leandro.labanca@axensgroup.com The energy transition represents a significant market shift, characterised by unknown prices of feedstocks, fluctuat - ing product prices, and evolving regulations. This transition necessitates innovative approaches to asset management, particularly by revamping existing assets. This strategy not only reduces initial investments but also aligns with the shift towards sustainable business practices. The EU downstream industry faces several challenges, including high costs, intense competition, multiple EU regulations, reduced margins, and loss of competitiveness. Revamping assets to target new markets can minimise costs and address these challenges. By repurposing existing infra - structure, companies can adapt to market changes and regu - latory pressures while minimising investment costs. A step-by-step approach, from preliminary studies to detailed engineering and start-up, ensures that every aspect of the revamp is carefully evaluated at the right time, optimising costs and finding the best fit for each site. A comprehensive offer accompanying refiners from the very first thoughts to start-up and operation helps find the best fit for each site, gaining time in executing the project and optimising costs associated with developing the revamp. Detailed feasibility studies compare scenarios on Capex vs Opex, evaluate site integration, and assess synergies between refineries. This helps in defining priorities and identifying quick wins for decarbonisation. For example, a European refiner evaluating future transformation options for two of its refineries conducted a feasibility study to compare three scenarios for transforming the facilities. The study aimed to ensure high-quality diesel and jet fuel pro - duction while minimising investment costs. Another example includes the transformation of small teapot refineries in Shangdong, which are not competitive against bigger, newer, and integrated sites. By repurposing their sites, these refineries can avoid closure and capitalise on available feedstocks to produce higher-margin sustain - able aviation fuel (SAF). This innovative approach is driven by the need to adapt to market changes and regulatory pressures while minimising investment costs. The concept of repurposing existing sites or processes in refineries for new applications related to the energy transi - tion is a key strategy. This approach not only reduces initial investments but also aligns with the shift towards sustain - able business practices. By maximising the reuse of exist - ing infrastructure, companies can achieve significant Capex reduction and timeline savings.
The energy transition and product diversification planning significantly impact revamp projects by necessitating inno - vative approaches to asset management. By repurposing existing assets, companies can reduce initial investments, adapt to market changes, and comply with evolving regu - lations. Strategic partnerships, detailed feasibility studies, and comprehensive planning are essential to successfully navigate this transition and capitalise on new business opportunities. A Mark Schmalfeld, Global Marketing Manager, Refining Catalyst, BASF, mark.schmalfeld@basf.com Energy transition and product diversification planning are significantly influencing revamp projects in the refinery and petrochemical sectors. As the industry shifts towards renewable energy sources and sustainable practices, there is a growing need to adapt existing infrastructure to accom - modate these changes and to ensure the specific market economics support these investments. This involves integrating lower-carbon process improve - ments, carbon capture, renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, into traditional refinery operations to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy The transition necessitates the development of advanced process simulation tools and optimisation strategies to manage the increased complexity of operations efficiency. It also involves continuing to look for efficiency improvements. Additionally, the transition necessitates the development of advanced process simulation tools and optimisation strategies to manage the increased complex - ity of operations and ensure seamless integration of inno - vative technologies. Product diversification planning is also driving revamp projects by pushing refineries to produce a broader range of high-value products. This includes shifting focus from tradi - tional fuels to petrochemicals and other specialty products with higher profit margins and are in greater demand. To achieve this, refineries are investing in innovative technolo - gies and upgrading existing equipment to enhance flexibil - ity and efficiency. In some regions of the world, using alternative feedstocks (renewables, recyclables) is important to the product’s car - bon footprint delivered to refinery customers. The use of renewables and recycled feedstocks is increasing in interest
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PTQ Q3 2025
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Rethinking Old Problems
More with Less
Revamp projects are difficult. Limitations imposed by plot space, congested pipe racks, and outdated equipment, to name a few, present unique challenges. Solutions that rely on excessive margins or comfortable designs lead to overspend. Now more than ever, process designers must find solutions that do more with less. P roven M ethods There is growing awareness that better scope definition earlier in the engineering phase saves time, reduces overall engineering cost, and leads to more successful projects. There is no argument that work completed during Conceptual and Feasibility phases is critical to getting a project on the right path. Engineers at Process Consulting Services, Inc. have developed a proven approach that makes the most of this precious time. At site, PCS engineers coordinate rigorous test runs, much of it through direct field measurements. Data collected is invaluable and often leads to low hanging fruit or hidden gems. Some refinery equipment performs better than design, and for various reasons others perform worse. Good test run data allows seasoned engineers to quickly identify what equipment needs investment and what equipment can be exploited. This way, solutions are developed that direct capital expense in the right areas and overspending is avoided. In one example, pressure drop measurements of a long crude oil transfer pipe showed the line could be reused, saving millions of dollars. Contact us today to learn how PCS’ proven methods can help you do more with less in your next revamp.
Projections for global supply and demand of refined products vary greatly depending on the pace of technological progress and degree of government policy enforcement associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Without major advances in technology, it is hard to imagine a future without conventional fossil fuels over the next decade or two. Based on history, continued rationalization of refining assets is likely. Small, low-complexity refineries will struggle, while large, complex ones will thrive. Capacity creep through gradual improvement of refining units will continue to be a differentiating characteristic for remaining players. Focused revamps will play a critical role. Post-pandemic, inflation and a shortage of skilled construction labor have dramatically increased costs for refinery revamps. It is becoming increasingly difficult for many projects to meet corporate return on investment thresholds.
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as regulations change, driving producers and consumers to expect lower carbon footprints in their products. These changes cannot only improve profitability but also help refineries remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market. By addressing these factors, revamp projects can support the industry’s transition towards a more sustainable and diversified future. A Doug White, Principal Consultant, Emerson, doug. white@emerson.com Most revamp projects include a reduction in energy use and emissions as one of their goals. Typical investments include additions of renewable feedstocks if appropriate, increased use of renewable power and other fuels, process modifica - tions to increase energy efficiency, and closer monitoring of the process energy and emissions through better measure- ments and modelling of the process. A Harry Ha, Technical Fellow, Process Engineering, Energy and Chemicals, Fluor Canada Ltd., harry.ha@fluor.com The energy transition will have a big impact on revamp projects. First, a strategy for reducing the carbon footprint has to be considered for all new projects. Low-carbon feed- stocks or fuels are typically considered alternatives in the early stage of an engineering project. Using hydrogen as a fuel to heaters or electrification design of heaters is typi - cally considered in revamp projects. Options of using the amine unit to capture CO₂ or add - ing a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit to remove NOx from post-combustion flue gases are often listed in the scope to reduce the emissions. Renewable feed or product also plays a role in determining the scope of the projects. For example, vegetable oils are added into a hydrocracker feed slate for co-processing with conventional oil to make diesel in order to obtain the ‘credit’ for producing renewable diesels. Product diversification will affect the revamp project in a direct way. First, the process paths need to be defined for the specified products. More often, the selection of avail - able production technologies comes to play when scoping the revamp project. Storage of new products, tie-in con- nection with existing facilities, usage of utility supply, and safety impact on the existing flare system (assume it is to be utilised) all need to be carefully considered and evalu- ated for the project in order to identify the best economic and environmentally-friendly option. Q Can you highlight FCC unit cases where optimal mechanical operation was targeted and achieved? Mark Schmalfeld, Global Marketing Manager, Refining Catalyst, BASF, mark.schmalfeld@basf.com Optimal mechanical reliability in a fluid catalytic crack - ing (FCC) unit involves ensuring that all components and systems operate efficiently and consistently over time, minimising downtime and maintenance needs. Units are designed and operated differently, so the exact factors required to achieve optimal reliability may vary. However, key factors to consider include:
Robust design • Ensure feed nozzles are designed to withstand elevated temperatures and pressures and are easily maintained. Evaluate the system for erosion and make stepwise-based improvements. • Design cyclones to minimise erosion and plugging, ensur- ing efficient catalyst recovery. Cyclone erosion and plugging are common failure areas, predicating a focus on learn- ing about the specific failure mechanisms and developing improvements to extend the service life in the next operating cycle. Erosion mitigation • Use advanced materials and coatings to reduce erosion in critical areas like cyclones and risers. • It is possible to use computation flow simulations. Use computational fluid dynamics simulations to predict erosion patterns. Optimise design and make improvements in each turnaround. Temperature control • Monitor and control temperature profiles to avoid hot or cold spots that can affect reaction efficiency and catalyst life. Temperature control is also critical in the control of refractory curing, as this process improves its service life. • Implement advanced temperature sensors and control systems to maintain uniform temperatures. Fluidisation quality • Optimise fluidisation mode to enhance catalyst contact and reaction efficiency. Optimal fluidisation reduces risks of CO breakthrough, hot spots, and poor distribution in regen - erators, leading to uneven or weak temperature control. Distribution of solids through fluidisation to minimise wear and proper separation of solids and gas streams are critical to ensuring an extended operational run. Accurately model residence time distributions to optimise reaction kinetics and product yields. Maintenance and monitoring • Conduct regular health checks and simulations to anticipate and mitigate issues. Develop design or process improvement plans to implement in each turnaround to mitigate key concern areas. • Use predictive maintenance techniques to identify poten- tial failures before they occur. The literature has many specific examples of achieve - ments that increased FCC unit run length. Modelling, for example, has been used to identify and mitigate erosion in reactor cyclones. A simulation approach has been used to better understand an afterburn problem and mitigate the afterburn, which improved the reliable operation of the FCC unit. Evaluating an expansion joint to improve its design resulted in a longer run length for the unit. Similarly, work on slide value designs and improve - ments has resulted in improved run length. Additionally, developing predictive maintenance tools to understand the expected service life of components and preparing for replacement or design improvement in a turnaround can
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• Economies of scale: Material streams targeted for inte - gration may be a good fit, but not available at a large enough capacity to justify the cost/complexity of the integration. • Logistical challenges: The cost of installing logistical facilities and transporting material between sites can have a significant negative impact on project economics. When developing integration opportunities, it is impor - tant to recognise and mitigate these knowledge gaps early in project development to optimise the opportunity selec - tion process. A structured knowledge transfer process is a valuable tool to integrate available knowledge across teams and organisations so that ‘known unknowns’ can be addressed and ‘unknown unknowns’ can be uncovered. This process should involve stakeholders from all involved entities, including R&D, technology, operations, mainte - nance, management, and financial personnel. A Harry Ha, Technical Fellow, Process Engineering, Energy & Chemicals, Fluor Canada Ltd., harry.ha@fluor. com The first ‘knowledge gap’ that needs to be filled is the chemistry of feedstocks and final products. Knowledge of each molecule’s complete footprint through the entire pro - Modelling the processes at molecular level will carry the chemistry from feed to products, ensuring the product’s quality and production cessing scenario is crucial for process design and opera - tions. Modelling the processes at a molecular level will carry the chemistry from feed to products, ensuring the product’s quality and production. Second, technologies that lead to the individual petro - chemical products need to be better understood. Typically, more than one path can be used to produce the targeted products from selected feedstocks. Knowledge of available technologies, in terms of maturity, consumption of materi - als and energy, catalyst yields and life, product specifica - tions, and potential Capex and Opex, is all instrumental when selecting different technology pathways. Special consideration should be given to retrofitting exist - ing units for revamp projects to achieve the best economic outcome with minimal costs, such as changing hydrocrack - ing or FCC yield patterns to produce more naphtha and C3 olefins to produce more targeted products. Last but not least, knowledge of implementing synergies between process and utility systems should be underlined. Studies of shared infrastructure and storage, logistics, and energy cost should be conducted to synergise the pro - cess unit and utility systems. Better understanding of the interactions of materials and energy handling supplies and needs will help optimise the entire system to save Capex and Opex.
improve the service life. While specific analysis is often unit specific, there is a great deal of learning from collaboration within networks on maintenance reliability issues. Q What ‘knowledge gaps’ need to be filled with expand - ing refinery/petrochemical integration and complexity? A Mark Schmalfeld, Global Marketing Manager, Refining Catalyst, BASF, mark.schmalfeld@basf.com Expanding refinery and petrochemical integration and com - plexity involves addressing several key knowledge gaps to ensure efficient and profitable operations. One of the primary areas requiring attention is the development of advanced process simulation tools. These tools need to accurately model integrated operations at a molecular level, providing detailed insights into the carbon number breakdown from crude assays to blending and petrochemical units. Enhancing knowledge on optimising feedstock selection to balance refinery and petrochemical needs is crucial. This involves identifying the best feed streams for petrochemical production, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), naphtha, and gasoil, and understanding how different feedstocks impact overall operations and product quality. Effective integration strategies are also vital. Identifying and implementing strategies that maximise margins and improve competitiveness is crucial for integrated opera - tions. This includes exploring recent technologies and methods to reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and enhance product quality. Understanding market dynamics and how they impact the value of fuels and chemicals is essential for aligning production with market demand and optimising product revenues. Addressing the environmental impact of inte - grated operations and developing technologies to minimise the ecological footprint is necessary for regulatory compli - ance and sustainability. Managing the increased opera - tional complexity and interdependency of integrated sites requires developing tools and methodologies to manage intricate mass balance and product stream management. By filling these knowledge gaps, the industry can better navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by refinery-petrochemical integration, leading to more effi - cient, profitable, and sustainable operations. A Chris Ploetz, Process Technology Manager, Burns & McDonnell, cploetz@burnsmcd.com Although multiple, large, integrated refinery/petrochemi - cal complexes have been built around the world, there is a learning curve for companies embarking on an integra - tion programme if they have previously operated as a pure refiner or pure petrochemical operator. Several com - mon challenges that can complicate integration initiatives include the following: • Material specifications: Tight feed specifications on the petchem side may require refiners to upgrade side products and focus on trace components that are not currently man - aged. Refiners may not have operational experience and history maintaining different/tighter specs on side products as crude assays shift.
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INTRODUCING
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1
A Alex Sorokin, Business Consulting Engineer, Imubit, alex.sorokin@imubit.com As facilities become more complex and integrated, busi- nesses become commensurately more vulnerable to gaps in institutional and technical expertise. On one hand, decades of know-how, experiential intuition, and mental models vanish as a generation reaches retirement age. A newer console operator may not know how to handle a sticky control valve, a fouled heat exchanger, or a rarely seen feedstock. In the field, he may not recognise a pump’s sound as abnormal, potentially missing much-needed pre- ventive maintenance. Likewise, a newer engineer may not yet know how to weigh different pieces of compelling information, such as catalyst deactivation, feedstock impurities, and fractionator flooding, to make an actionable recommendation to opera - tions, planning, or the capital projects team. Of course, new operators and engineers do become more effective, but over weeks, months, and years. To preserve and promote operating excellence in the face of a generational workforce transition, the industry must preserve and develop institu- tional expertise faster than ever before. Experienced personnel also face new challenges. To a greater extent than previously, they must be fast, flexible, and inventive to optimise tradeoffs in intricate, system-wide challenges rather than individual process units. Engineers and planners must compensate for abnormal operations not only at a single reactor or distillation column but within these interconnected networks. Today, downstream production may be constrained by intermediate qualities, and selectivity is preferable to the upstream plant rate. However, these limits may ease tomorrow, or the market incentive for high-grade products may drop, and the rate will be more valuable than selectiv- ity. With tight cost control and tighter margins, it is impera- tive that these opportunities are identified continuously and attained quickly. To do so, traditional approaches use linearised or first-principles models, which, while powerful, become prohibitively difficult to tune, maintain, and trust due to the large number of parameters, assumptions, and scenarios that describe a multi-unit system. Many sites seek an alternative in novel technologies, but most lack the technical expertise to implement new methods in a cen- tury-old industry. These bespoke human and technical knowledge gaps are connected and can form an intimidating feedback loop, but can also be addressed simultaneously. For example, histori- cal plant data intrinsically contains the cause and effect of every operator move. AI models trained on this data pre- serve a career’s worth of human experience and transfer it to the next generation. Some refiners now integrate AI-based models into operator training. Furthermore, engineers use these models to assess oper- ating strategies and explore alternatives, building expertise and generating value quickly. New technologies with a low barrier to entry help personnel to develop hybrid skillsets, providing the technical expertise that sites need to tackle complex problems. Dozens of refineries and chemical plants now use AI optimisers to achieve a truly global optimum,
even as incentives, qualities of intermediate products, and production constraints shift that optimum hour to hour and day to day. A Dave Loubser, Senior Staff Consultant, KBC, dave. loubser@kbc.global Expanding refinery and petrochemical integration presents significant opportunities for value creation, but also reveals critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed within the oil and gas industry. As integration deepens and asset com- plexity increases, traditional operational competencies are no longer sufficient. One key gap lies in the limited cross- disciplinary understanding between refining and petro - chemical operations. Engineers and planners often spe- cialise in one domain, leading to suboptimal integration strategies and underutilised synergies across the value chain. Another major gap is in digital and data analytics capabil- ities. Integrated sites generate massive amounts of process data, yet many organisations lack the advanced analyt- ics, AI, and machine learning expertise needed to extract actionable insights for real-time optimisation. Additionally, there is a need for better modelling and simulation tools that can bridge refining and petrochemical operations, Teams must better understand market dynamics, product flexibility, and logistic constraints across both refining and petrochemical sectors to maximise profitability accurately reflecting feedstock behaviour, energy integra - tion, and complex reaction kinetics in an end-to-end digital twin environment. Workforce competency also needs to evolve. The shift towards integrated complexes demands a workforce skilled in systems thinking, lifecycle emissions manage- ment, and multi-unit optimisation. There is a gap in training programmes that build these competencies across opera- tions, planning, and technology functions. Furthermore, sustainability and regulatory expectations add another layer of complexity. Integrated facilities must balance profitability with emissions targets and circular economy goals, requiring expertise in carbon accounting, renewable feedstock qualification, and life cycle analysis – areas where current capabilities are still developing. Finally, commercial and supply chain integration is often overlooked. Teams must better understand market dynam- ics, product flexibility, and logistic constraints across both refining and petrochemical sectors to maximise profitability. Bridging these gaps will require targeted training, invest- ment in digital tools, and stronger collaboration across functional and organisational boundaries. The companies that succeed will be those that embrace integration, not just in assets but in knowledge and culture.
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Q The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has esti- mated that global refinery capacity will continue increas - ing to 2028, but what is needed to improve crack spreads? A Mark Schmalfeld, Global Marketing Manager, Refining Catalyst, BASF, mark.schmalfeld@basf.com Improving crack spreads, which measure the profitabil - ity of refining crude oil into petroleum products, requires both immediate and long-term strategies. In the near term, enhancing the efficiency of existing refining operations can yield quick improvements. This includes upgrading equip - ment, adopting advanced technologies, and implementing best practices to maximise output and minimise costs. Refineries can also swiftly adjust their production to meet market demand for higher-margin products like gasoline and diesel. Focusing on the specific economic drivers of the refiner’s market to unlock the value due to the constraints that need to be overcome is one of the best nearer-term approaches a refinery can use to improve margins. Flexibility in refining diverse types of crude oil and producing various refined products can help optimise profitability. As we look towards 2028, the demand for refined prod - ucts globally will increase; however, specific regional and local markets are growing or declining at different rates. Closely monitoring market demand for refined products and adjusting pricing strategies accordingly can help maintain favourable crack spreads. Timely adjustments to produc - tion levels based on market trends are crucial. Additionally, closely monitoring new market developments and trends (such as electric vehicles, new solid-state battery technolo - gies, and regulatory requirements) impacting the refining market is critical to evaluate the best capacity utilisation strategy. For longer-term improvements, investing in innovative technologies that enhance refining efficiency and product quality is key. This includes adopting new catalytic pro - cesses and upgrading infrastructure. Increasing refinery capacity to manage a broader range of crude oils and pro - duce a wider variety of refined products can improve prof - itability. This involves significant capital investment and strategic planning, which is considered relative to alterna - tive uses for the funds. Adhering to environmental regulations and investing in cleaner technologies can improve operational efficiency and reduce costs associated with compliance. Sustainable practices are increasingly important for long-term profit - ability. Streamlining supply chain operations, from crude oil procurement to distribution of refined products, can reduce costs and improve overall profitability. This includes enhancing logistics and storage capabilities. By focusing on these strategies, refineries can enhance their crack spreads both in the near term and over the next few years, ensuring sustainable profitability in a dynamic market. A Doug White, Principal Consultant, Emerson, doug. white@emerson.com There are many investments that can be made to improve crack spreads, but one that can be implemented quickly
and economically is improved feedstock planning with inte - gration of day-to-day plant scheduling and optimisation. Using the latest technology in this area can enable simul - taneous conformance with ever-changing environmental regulations, consideration of an increased set of potential feedstocks, including renewables, reduced working capital through reduced inventories, and effective coordination with shipping and other logistics requirements. Q What new strategies and enabling technology are becoming available to optimise refinery maintenance programmes? A Doug White, Principal Consultant, Emerson, doug. white@emerson.com One major change is the increasing use of AI technologies to enable plants to evolve towards more predictive main - tenance programmes. These technologies identify com - plex signatures in process and equipment data that are early predictors of potential equipment problems, allowing scheduled maintenance for corrective action in place of unscheduled and expensive last-minute responses. Supporting this change are the easy availability and installation of new non-intrusive measurement technolo - gies with built-in wireless transmission capabilities, mak - ing it cost-effective to monitor plant equipment more closely than in the past. In addition, it is now possible to quantify the financial benefits of these changes through the use of modern probabilistic discrete event soft - ware modelling tools and thus optimise the investments required. A Aaron Durke, Product Strategy and GTM Lead, Imubit, aaron.durke@imubit.com New digital strategies and enabling technologies are trans - forming refinery maintenance programmes from reac - tive and calendar‑based approaches towards continuous, data‑driven approaches. Several forces are converging: • Processes degrade gradually, not discretely . Furnace tubes coke, exchanger bundles foul, and catalyst deacti - vates at uneven rates, often silently eroding margins long before a maintenance trigger crosses its threshold. Every incremental process degradation presents a new challenge and opportunity to update corresponding process condi- tions and maintenance plans. Spot checks and interval inspections tend to miss this hidden drift. • Operations and reliability are often siloed . Maintenance planning typically occurs separately from day‑to‑day oper - ations. A common view of the plant reality provided by a single, accurate process model can help close that gap, ensuring decisions are informed by a consistent under - standing of how operating strategy influences asset health, and vice versa. For example, a slight feed rate change flagged by the model may prompt both an operations tweak and a maintenance deferral decision. • Operational historians already contain the clues . Decades of high‑frequency temperature, pressure, and flow signals record how plant health evolves under every experi - enced feed slate and rate change. Yet, the sheer volume of
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data and computational requirements for meaningful ana- lytics can overwhelm traditional analysis methods. • Next‑generation industrial AI is now extracting that value . Data-driven AI platforms can ingest years of time‑series data, automatically identifying subtle, non‑ linear relationships between operating strategy and asset degradation. Think of it as a centralised model that con- tinuously learns: “When I push coker yields by 3% at these cut points, heater coking accelerates; when I back off here, I can safely defer decoking by two weeks.” For organisa- tions pursuing full automation, degradation models like this are embedded inside closed‑loop AI controllers, while lighter‑touch deployments use the same model to surface actionable insights to both operations and reliability teams. This unified approach ultimately maximises uptime and capital efficiency across the refinery. Q With water supply and quality causing more concerns than crude supply in refinery and petrochemical opera ‑ tions, what can be done to maintain the quality of recy‑ cled treatment water? A Mark Schmalfeld, Global Marketing Manager, Refining Catalyst, BASF, mark.schmalfeld@basf.com Maintaining the quality of recycled treatment water in refin - ery and petrochemical operations is crucial for ensuring sustainable and efficient processes. As water supply and quality become more pressing concerns vs crude supply, implementing effective water management strategies is essential. One primary method of maintaining high-quality recycled water is through advanced filtration systems. Technologies such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and reverse osmo- sis (RO) are highly effective in removing contaminants and improving water quality. These systems can filter out fine particles, microorganisms, and dissolved substances, ensuring that the recycled water meets stringent quality standards. Regular monitoring and testing of water quality param- eters are also vital. Continuous assessment of factors like pH, turbidity, and contaminant levels allows for early detection of issues and ensures compliance with regulatory standards. By maintaining a rigorous monitoring schedule, refineries can promptly address any deviations in water quality. Chemical treatment processes play a significant role in enhancing water quality. Techniques such as coagulation, flocculation, and disinfection help neutralise contami - nants and adjust water chemistry. These treatments can effectively remove suspended solids, organic matter, and pathogens, making the water safe for reuse in various operations. Biological treatment methods, including activated sludge processes and biofilm reactors, are also essential for main - taining water quality. These processes utilise microorgan- isms to degrade organic pollutants, resulting in cleaner water. Biological treatments are particularly effective in breaking down complex organic compounds that are dif - ficult to remove through physical or chemical means.
Optimised water management practices are crucial for improving the quality of recycled water. Implementing best practices such as reducing water usage, recycling wastewater, and optimising the treatment process can significantly enhance water quality. By mini - mising water consumption and maximising reuse, refiner - ies can reduce their environmental footprint and improve operational efficiency. Investing in modern infrastructure and technologies is another key strategy. Upgrading water treatment systems to incorporate the latest advancements can enhance their efficiency and effectiveness. Modern infrastructure can better manage the complexi - ties of water treatment, ensuring consistent and high- quality output. By focusing on these strategies, refiner - ies and petrochemical plants can maintain high-quality recycled treatment water, ensuring operational efficiency and environmental compliance. Addressing water quality concerns not only supports sustainable operations but also contributes to the overall resilience and competitiveness of the industry. A Doug White, Principal Consultant, Emerson, doug. white@emerson.com Traditionally, efficient water use in refineries and chemical plants has been a very low priority. However, this is chang- ing as freshwater availability becomes more limited and effluent standards are tightened. There are many ways that plants can reduce their freshwater usage. Steam produc- tion is a major source of water requirements, but the steam condensate recovery is sometimes ignored. A well-run plant should be recovering in excess of 70% of the condensate produced, but many plants are running at 30% recovery or lower. Worse, many plants lack the measurements and systems to even be able to accurately calculate their recovery. Malfunctioning steam traps are an easy target with non-intrusive measurements available to identify which traps are not working. Cooling towers are another major user of fresh water, which can be easily instrumented and controlled to reduce usage. For refiner - ies, desalters are a major user of fresh water and a major source of wastewater. It is easy for desalter water usage to creep up with dirtier and heavier crude processing and not be reduced when switching to lighter crudes, Real-time monitoring and dis- play of important key performance indicators (KPIs) for the desalter and their crude-dependent targets can assist the operators in maintaining effective desalter operation. There are many other process modifications and changes that can be made to reduce water usage. However, the underlying requirement is an overall real-time water and steam bal- ance that monitors daily usage and helps identify problem areas. With regard to wastewater treatment, a number of new technologies, such as reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration, have been proven to be effective in tertiary treatment of wastewater. These technologies allow planned reuse of treated wastewater, which significantly reduces fresh water requirements.
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PTQ Q3 2025
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Mellapak™ – Often copied, never equaled
Mellapak™ is the most widely used structured packing worldwide introduced by Sulzer in 1977.
The newest generation MellapakCC™, structured packing specifically developed for carbon capture, decreases operational costs through improved carbon dioxide capture, absorbing it more efficiently from flue gas streams of fossil-fueled power plants. Sulzer MellapakCC™ significantly reduces the column size and the pressure drop across the carbon dioxide absorber, thus reducing capital and operational expenses and minimize the energy consumption. Carbon capture and storage or utilization (CCS/CCU) is a key strategy that businesses can adopt to reduce their CO 2 emissions. By selecting the right technologies, pressing climate change mitigation targets can be met while benefitting from new revenue streams. This packing is currently applied in several leading CCS/CCU facilities worldwide, delivering considerable process advantages. By partnering with Sulzer Chemtech – a mass transfer specialist with extensive experience in separation technology for carbon capture – tailored solutions that maximize return on investment (ROI) can be implemented. With highly effective CCS/ CCU facilities, decarbonization becomes an undertaking that can enhance sustainability and competitiveness at the same time. sulzer.com/ chemtech
Importance of side strippers in crude distillation unit operations
Role of side stripping, types of side strippers, equipment selection, optimisation strategies, and start-up guidelines in performance targets and unit reliability
Soun Ho Lee Valero Energy Corporation
T he crude atmospheric column is the core of achiev- ing performance targets in the crude distillation unit (CDU). Optimisation and improvement of the column has been cited in numerous industry publications. Meanwhile, side strippers, which are coupled to the col- umn, are often overlooked. Poor side stripper operations downgrade unit performance and economics. Unit performance enhancements using side stripper configuration and operation changes are presented with actual case studies. The first case study covers optimisa - tion strategies for the side stripper under hybrid operation. Repurposing and reconfiguring of multiple side strippers for product yield and quality enhancement is discussed in the second case study. CDU side strippers In the typical CDU design, crude oil is heated and intro- duced to the crude atmospheric column flash zone. The multiple fractionation sections positioned above the flash zone mainly function as rectification services. The back-end compositions of the multiple products are controlled through the sections. Meanwhile, the front-end compositions of the products cannot be controlled precisely in these sections. The streams withdrawn from the crude atmospheric column are at ‘half-fractionated’ conditions. Managing the front-end compositions of the products is necessary to meet target product specifications, including flash point. Therefore, most CDUs are equipped with multiple side strippers. Side stripping actions are driven by either a reboiler or stripping medium. Hybrid configurations, which use reboiler and stripping steam simultaneously, are also observed. A side stripper with a reboiler and a side stripper with strip- ping medium have their own benefits and weaknesses. Details of these side strippers are discussed as follows. Side stripper with reboiler The vapour stream generated by the side stripper reboiler contacts the descending liquid stream in continuous unit operation. As the liquid stream contains a relatively higher amount of the light boiling range materials, this disequilib- rium drives mass transfer of the light boiling range materi- als from the liquid to the vapour at each stripping device of the column.¹ The light boiling range materials are stripped
out of the liquid stream. The transferred light boiling range materials are eventually returned to the crude atmospheric column as vapour, while the stripped liquid is run down as the stripper bottom product. In this stripping mechanism, without the presence of stripping medium, only stripped light boiling range materials are recycled back the crude atmospheric column. The side stripper with reboiler usually retains a high vapour-to-liquid traffic ratio and achieves better stripping performance compared to the side stripper with stripping medium. This performance benefit is more pronounced in the kerosene side stripper, which requires stringent flash point control. Other high-temperature process streams, These unique differences in process conditions between side stripper types should not be ignored for side stripping equipment sizing and operations. Otherwise, inferior side stripping performance can be experienced such as the pumparound draws, are often used as side stripper reboiler heating media to improve the unit energy efficiency. Reboiler fouling is one of the major weaknesses in this side stripper configuration. This fouling often down - grades side stripping performance and unit reliability. Side stripper with stripping medium In the side stripper with stripping medium configuration, the selected stripping medium is introduced to the stripper bottom at gas state. Introduced stripping medium contacts the descending liquid stream and reduces partial pressures of the light boiling range materials in the liquid stream. Reduced partial pressure conditions liberate and vapourise the light boiling range materials. Vapourised light boiling range materials and the stripping medium are transferred back to the crude atmospheric column together. This par- ticular stripping mechanism increases traffic across the
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PTQ Q3 2025
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