ExxonMobil collaborates to accelerate development of open process automation systems

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil said it has signed collaboration agreements with six other companies to accelerate the development of Open Process Automation (OPA) systems, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The companies currently included in this collaboration are Aramco Services Company, BASF, ConocoPhillips Company, The Dow Chemical Company, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Georgia-Pacific LLC and Linde PLC.

Advances in computer hardware, software, networking and security, coupled with increasing global competition and cybersecurity risks, have driven the process industry to consider ways to update the design and maintenance of process automation systems, which serve as the eyes and ears inside industrial manufacturing facilities.

The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to accelerate the creation of a standards-based, open, interoperable, and secure automation architecture that addresses both the technical and commercial challenges of current systems. This transformation is imperative for the competitiveness of both end-users and suppliers in this new digital age.

A test bed is being developed for use and testing by the collaboration partners for the OPA systems, which will act as the foundation for testing the performance and operation of individual components and standards. Once the test bed is fully functional, the collaboration partners will nominate and prioritize new components, standards, and system features to be added and tested. ExxonMobil’s OPA systems test bed is targeted to be operational by year-end 2019.

The results from the test bed will be shared with all collaboration partners and the learnings will support independent field trials. All partners are encouraged to develop their own independent field trials.

The collaboration partners are members of the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF), a group established by The Open Group, with the purpose of identifying and selecting standards to be used for OPA technology and systems. The Open Group works with customers and suppliers of technology products and services, and with consortia and other standards organizations to capture, clarify, and integrate current and emerging requirements, establish standards and policies, and share best practices.

As MRC wrote earlier, in October 2017, ExxonMobil Chemical Company commenced production on the first of two new 650,000 tons-per-year high-performance polyethylene (PE) lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The full project, part of the company’s multi-billion dollar expansion project in the Baytown area and ExxonMobil’s broader Growing the Gulf expansion initiative, will increase the plant’s PE capacity by approximately 1.3 million tons per year.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) has been awarded the license and engineering contracts for a 270 TMTPA (thousand metric tons per annum) Lubricants Base Oil plant at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.’s Haldia Refinery in West Bengal, India, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will use CLG’s ISODEWAXING and ISOFINISHING technologies.

The Haldia unit will be designed to produce mainly premium API Group III base oils by processing unconverted oil from an upstream hydrocracking unit. Growth is projected in India’s base oil market, and the new unit will help reduce dependence on imported base oils.

CLG’s lubricants technologies provide worldwide licensees with vast commercial experience, superior performance, and optimum utilization of existing assets.

As MRC reported before, Nghi Son Refinery & Petrochemical LLC (NSRP) - a joint venture between PetroVietnam, Idemitsu Kosan, Kuwait Petroleum Europe, and Mitsui Chemicals has recently started up a large residuum hydrodesulfurization (RHDS) unit at its new 200,000 barrels per day refinery in Thanh Hoa Province in northern Vietnam. The 105,000 barrels per day RHDS unit started up in May 2018 and passed performance guarantees in December 2018,

Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), a joint venture between Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and McDermott, is a leading process technology licensor for refining hydroprocessing technologies and alternative source fuels, as well as a global leader in catalyst system supply. CLG offers the most complete bottom-of-the-barrel solution for upgrading heavy oil residues. Our research and development experts are continuously seeking advancements in technology and catalysts that will improve operating economics for your next project.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont Clean Technologies (DuPont) has been awarded contracts to supply Shenghong Petrochemical Group Co., Limited (Shenghong) with a STRATCO alkylation technology license, engineering, and proprietary equipment, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Shenghong is undertaking a project to design and construct a new alkylation unit as part of its grassroots petrochemical and refining facility with crude oil capacity of 16 million mtpa (320,000 bpsd) located in Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province, China. The STRATCO® alkylation unit at the Shenghong Petrochemical and Refining facility will be designed to produce 440 kmta (10,987 bpsd) of alkylate product.

The STRATCO alkylation unit will enable the Shenghong Petrochemical and Refining facility to generate low-sulfur, high-octane, low-Rvp alkylate, with zero olefins, that meets the criteria of upcoming China VI standards which will take effect prior to the startup of the Shenghong facility in 2021.

"DuPont looks forward to working with Shenghong on this exciting, new opportunity, as the company sets out to build a world-leading petrochemical industry park," says Kevin Bockwinkel, Global Licensing Business Manager, STRATCO alkylation technology. "We were very pleased an alkylation unit had been included in the complex configuration as Shenghong is looking for the most efficient way to make high quality fuels in its cutting-edge crude-to-chemicals plant. DuPont has a rich history of providing technology that enables customers to produce high quality alkylate, with high octane value and zero olefins or aromatics, in an extremely reliable and energy efficient way. We look forward to continuing to develop the relationship between DuPont and Shenghong - one that will last the lifetime of the alkylation unit."

STRATCO alkylation technology is the established global leader in the industry with over 100 units licensed worldwide and more than 33,300 kmta (850,000 bpsd) of installed capacity. STRATCO alkylation technology is a sulfuric acid catalyzed process that converts low-value olefins into high-value alkylate, a key desirable component for clean fuel. With currently operating units dating back as far as 80 years, the STRATCO alkylation technology is a highly effective, reliable solution for producing clean-burning fuel with high octane, low Rvp, low sulfur and zero olefins.

We remind that, as MRC informed previously, rising demand for DuPont’s Tyvek nonwoven materials has prompted DuPont Safety and Construction, a business unit of DowDuPont Inc., to invest more than USD400 million to expand capacity for the materials at its facility in Luxembourg. The expansion will include the addition of a new building and third operating line at the site. The new capacity will come on stream in 2021.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said its Ruwais Refinery West Cracker is offline for maintenance, reported Reuters.

"The Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) at Ruwais Refinery West is undergoing maintenance and is currently offline," a spokesman said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

"We don’t anticipate any interruptions to supply for the local or international market," he added.

ADNOC has sold up to 320,000 tonnes of straight-run fuel oil (SRFO) for export in July from Ruwais, four trade sources said.

SRFO is a residual oil left after initial crude refining and is further processed in residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) units to produce higher-value products such as gasoline and diesel fuel.

In 2017 and 2018, ADNOC exported about four to five cargoes of 80,000-90,000 tonnes of SRFO from Ruwais on a monthly basis after a fire damaged a 127,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) RFCC at its Ruwais refinery.

As MRC wrote before, a USD3.1 billion project to introduce crude processing flexibility, at ADNOC owned Ruwais oil refinery, was announced in February 2018. Known as the Crude Flexibility Project (CFP), the announcement was another significant step forward as ADNOC accelerates delivery of its Downstream refining strategy that aims to enhance margins by introducing asset flexibility, backed by strong crude and product marketing initiatives.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's output of products from polymers decreased inJune by 5.6% year on year. However, this figure increased by 1.3% year on year in the first six months of 2019, reported MRC analysts.

According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, June production of unreinforced and non-combined films was 100,200 tonnes, compared to 96,700 tonnes a month earlier. Output of films products grew in January-June 2019 by 7.7% year on year to 551,800 tonnes.

Last month's production of non-porous boards, sheets and films rose to 34,100 tonnes from 33,000 tonnes in May. Thus, overall output of these products reached 185,200 tonnes over the stated period, up by 13.4% year on year.

June production of porous boards, sheets and films was 22,800 tonnes, compared to 21,200 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of these products reached 124,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2019, compared to 136,800 tonnes a year earlier.

June production of plastic bottles and flasks grew to 1,858,000 items from 1,809,000 items a month earlier. Overall output of these plastic products totalled 10,400,000 units in January-June 2019, compared to 10,300,000 units a year earlier.

Last month's production of polymer pipes, hoses and fittings was 58,300 tonnes versus 50,800 tonnes in May. Overall output of these products was 372,600 tonnes in the first six months of 2019, up by 1% year on year.

June production of sacks and bags from ethylene polymers reached 2,100,000,000 units, compared to 1,901,000,000 units a month earlier. Overall output of these plastic products totalled 11,955,000,000 units over the stated period, compared to 12,964,000,000 units a year earlier.

Last month's production of plastic windows and windowsills was 2,170,000 sq metres and 82,800 sq metres, respectively, versus 1,880,000 sq metres and 78,100 sq metres a month earlier. January-June overall output of these products was 9,880,000 sq metres and 427,300 sq metres versus 9,850,000 sq metres and 472,400 sq metres, respectively, a year earlier.
MRC