PTQ Q4 2022 Issue

collaboration with process corrosion experts, can better deliver value when working closely with FCC unit engineers in safely navigating the exciting transition towards conver- sion of a wider combination of conventional and unconven- tional feedstocks. A Francesco Ragone, Development & Marketing Manager, Process & Deko D&M Dept., Chimec, fragone@ chimec.it: Feedstock for the oil refining industry is changing at a very fast pace, and so are the possible scenarios. Not only the standard industries are running towards reducing the GHG footprint and increasing their ESG Rating, but new play- ers, i.e., chemical industries, are presenting novel conver- sion processes for waste to secondary raw materials. Most of these new processes are still ‘black boxes’, and many of them surely will play an important role in the future diet of refineries. Working side-by-side with several clients and engineer- ing societies has provided the opportunity to deal with different challenges, each of them with different potential solutions both in terms of corrosion inhibition and fouling control. This begins with the lessons learned from co- processing through hydroprocessing units, where different renewable feedstock qualities and loads were tested. A new corrosion inhibition strategy was needed and developed by collaborating with our clients in producing a detailed risk assessment. New antifouling chemicals were The success of this process in delivering quality informa- tion for the refiner is critically important, of course. But even beyond that, if it isn’t governed and managed efficiently across an organisation, there will be very little chance of getting the level of information it needs. It may well be too difficult or too disparate to gather. Therefore, data must be high quality, but it also needs to be easy to use. Critically, too, it needs to be easy to know that they need to do it to be successful in the future. They know they need technology to help them transform their business without impacting operations. They need technology to help them reach as close as possible to zero downtime. That is the problem statement (if you like), but underpinning it is the need to drive simpli- fication and harmonisation from a technology point of view. All this has led to the need for technology to support reli- able information that can help improve performance and decision-making. In technology terms, it is about harmonisation on a com- mon platform, followed by simplification of processes. That is about technology, of course, but the results of the approach also depend very much on the quality of data provided. Typically, there is no lack of volume here. Organisations have access to a raft of different data sources, whether from maintenance or finance processes, for example, or even from the equipment itself, given that most assets today are smart and hold a great deal of information.

also on the stage due to different fouling precursors. Units fed by 100% bio-based feedstock (such as animal fats) shed light on another set of issues: it was possible to endorse the fouling deposition risk and select a tailor-made antifouling chemistry based on a rigorous analytical protocol applied. As far as circular economy projects are concerned, anti- fouling additives may play an important role in limiting the fouling build-up both in the pyrolysis/thermolysis reactor and HEX network. Analytic tools, together with commercial and proprietary software, can help foresee compatibility between different feedstocks, hence fouling-related risk, low-temperature wet corrosion risk (such as PVC, increased water load, increased carbon dioxide and organic acid load), and dry high-temperature corrosion risk (such as TAN-related cor- rosion, pyrolysis chlorides from PVC). Dealing with these new challenges has predicated con- tinuous development of a dedicated portfolio of technolo- gies and chemicals: • Antifouling • Corrosion inhibitors (both water side and process side) • Stabilisers • Compatibility enhancers • Biocides to prevent bio-feed degradation. Considering the wide array of variations, both the choice and the application of each one of the chemical treatment programmes must be strictly tailored to achieve the best results. To make accurate, timely decisions capable of support- ing and driving future strategy forward, refiners and other oil and gas companies need quality of data, and they also need harmonisation and the simplification and optimisation of service delivery. Those companies that get all this right will be well placed to effectively combat the multiple chal- lenges they face today and drive positive outcomes for their businesses long into the future. Stuart Querns is director for enterprise asset management (EAM), Delaware United Kingdom. distribute and disseminate to the ‘right people’ within the organisation. Typically, that involves those taking the big decisions of the company’s strategic direction (on the one hand) or, at a more granular level, those responsible for keeping the engineering department or the IT team running efficiently. The key point is that different kinds of information will be needed, depending on the kinds of people who are likely to be using it. Ultimately, all this data is key for informing the choices that refiners and other oil and gas companies need to make regarding the best approach to take with their assets mov- ing forwards. In the current climate, that is less likely to be around decommissioning of the asset and much more likely to be concerned with security of supply and how to maxi - mise the value of the asset today and in the future.

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PTQ Q3 2022 PTQ Q4 2022