Oil & Gas

INS-CS-0018 Dewatering of Storage Tanks

Storage tanks containing hydrocarbon feedstocks, intermediates and finished products will, over time, accumulate a water layer in the bottom of the tank (exceptions are water-soluble hydrocarbons such as alcohols and ethers). Standard industry practice is to periodically drain the water from storage tanks so that the water does not adversely impact specifications of the hydrocarbon.

INS-CS-0019 Caustic Wash Systems

By contacting hydrocarbon with mercaptan rich caustic, a very stable emulsion may form in the UOP Merox process. This causes significant quantities of caustic to carry over with the product.

INS-CS-0021 Foam Detection

Common techniques for foam detection include: DP gauges, capacitance probes, guided wave radar, electromagnetic radiation, neutron-backscatter, sonic echo devices, flow meters, and sight glasses. Most of these do not offer early foam detection.

INS-CS-0022 Water Knock Out Controls for Treaters & Separators

Produced oil contains water in highly variable amounts. Heater-treaters heat the produced fluid to break oil/water emulsions and to reduce the oil viscosity. The water is then typically removed by utilizing gravity to allow the free water to separate from the oil.

INS-CS-0023 High Temperature Heavy Oil Steam Flood Applications

As oil becomes heavier and more viscous, it is more and more difficult to get the oil to flow into the well bore where it can be pumped to the surface. This heavy Canadian oil is often referred to as bitumen and has an API gravity ranging from 8—14.

INS-CS-0001 Automated Fire Gas System

In 2012 a large refinery in New South Wales came to a realisation – it needed to convert to a fuel tank farm and subsequently reduce staffing levels. Such a significant change would inevitably lead to the challenge of upgrading its fire protection and detection systems, to allow the site to become more automated and responsive in emergency situations...

INS-CS-0003 Next Generation Of Foam Production

A refining company based in New Zealand recently installed the Turbinator, via an engineering consultant. Below are their comments on the unit...

INS-CS-0007 Det-Tronics EQP Efficiency Savings

The existing fire and gas detection systems at the sites (see The Sites panel) needed to be updated. The STOS I&E engineer responsible for Fire and Gas systems across the company said “The project was initiated to enhance even further the safety of our people, assets and the environment through increased Fire & Gas detection.” STOS enlisted Transfield Worley to undertake a study of the potential systems and detection devices they could use.

INS-CS-0008 Monitoring Once Through Cooling Water

Power plants and paper mills use service water loops and mill water loops respectively for the cooling of lubricating, hydraulic, turbine and transformer oil. These cooling systems feature large, recirculating volumes of water which are treated with biocides, dispersants, and corrosion inhibitors.

INS-CS-0009 Mitigating Risk at LNG Facilities

Worldwide growth in the use of natural gas has increased the need for transporting it – and the most economic method of transporting natural gas is in its liquefied form, which is 600 times denser than its gaseous form. The several proprietary processes used to make LNG involve refrigerating the gas and then expanding it to turn the gas into a cryogenic liquid.

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