The contribution of industrial gases across the entire petrochemical processing spectrum is fast becoming absolutely critical to optimal outcomes. From extraction to distribution, these gases play a pivotal role throughout the value chain.
High purity specialty gases play a pivotal role across the spectrum of gold mining and the subsequent metallurgical processing, purification and refining of ore into gold bars.
The role of material in fertilizers industries with energy savingPremBaboo4
In Fertilizers industries the material plays a very important role. Right material can save energy as well as plant life and wrong selection of material may lead to catastrophic failures and outage of plants & even loss of Human lives, Right selection of material leads to long life of plant. In urea plant very corrosive chemicals are used for urea production. The raw material of urea plant is Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide gas which makes very corrosive chemical ammonium Carbamate. For reduced corrosion passivation air is used in reactor as well as stripper according to material of selection different quaintly of air is used. Controlled and less quantity of passivation air is required for Titanium and Zirconium material and hence saving of energy because the huge amount of ammonia is waste with venting of inerts, i.e. saving of energy and environments also. Passivation oxygen given in CO2 is directly proportional to ammonia losses in MP section. This paper intended how to increase life of urea reactor liner and energy saving with low passivation air and high N/C ratio, Ammonia is the noncorrosive and ammonia to CO2 Ratio is an important parameter for process optimization occurring less losses and less explosion probability in urea reactor because it affects the amount of produced urea and corrosion to the material in the reactor. Generally we are using urea reactor liner 316L (urea grade), now adopted 2RE69 for large capacity plant (world largest) and Duplex stainless steel.
here we have discuss about Flixborough disaster what are its causes, consequences, how to prevent such kinds of disasters.
it is my college presentation, I have uploaded this document so that it may help other students thank you :)
High purity specialty gases play a pivotal role across the spectrum of gold mining and the subsequent metallurgical processing, purification and refining of ore into gold bars.
The role of material in fertilizers industries with energy savingPremBaboo4
In Fertilizers industries the material plays a very important role. Right material can save energy as well as plant life and wrong selection of material may lead to catastrophic failures and outage of plants & even loss of Human lives, Right selection of material leads to long life of plant. In urea plant very corrosive chemicals are used for urea production. The raw material of urea plant is Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide gas which makes very corrosive chemical ammonium Carbamate. For reduced corrosion passivation air is used in reactor as well as stripper according to material of selection different quaintly of air is used. Controlled and less quantity of passivation air is required for Titanium and Zirconium material and hence saving of energy because the huge amount of ammonia is waste with venting of inerts, i.e. saving of energy and environments also. Passivation oxygen given in CO2 is directly proportional to ammonia losses in MP section. This paper intended how to increase life of urea reactor liner and energy saving with low passivation air and high N/C ratio, Ammonia is the noncorrosive and ammonia to CO2 Ratio is an important parameter for process optimization occurring less losses and less explosion probability in urea reactor because it affects the amount of produced urea and corrosion to the material in the reactor. Generally we are using urea reactor liner 316L (urea grade), now adopted 2RE69 for large capacity plant (world largest) and Duplex stainless steel.
here we have discuss about Flixborough disaster what are its causes, consequences, how to prevent such kinds of disasters.
it is my college presentation, I have uploaded this document so that it may help other students thank you :)
Customer Bulletin 0610 Polyisocyanurate vs. Cellular Glass InsulationJoe Hughes
This Customer Bulletin is another in our series of white papers aimed at providing our clients, engineers, contractors, fabricators, and friends with objective information on our products and those of our competitors. This Bulletin focuses on a comparison of the physical properties of closed cell polyisocyanurate (PIR or polyiso) rigid foam insulation with those of cellular glass insulation for below ambient applications such as chilled water through cryogenic application where moisture intrusion or condensation can be an issue.
Change of management with competent Team Needs to be done For any change in process.When design a plant or process lot of safety were their because of its design .When we change this it might get disturbed and hence revisiting same is required .Two options change should be apple to apple or MOC process and HAZOP study again of entire process.
Chevron Refinery in Richmond the largest oil refinery in Northern California. This is an overview of refinery fire in 2012, including event timeline leading to disaster and the aftermath.
Weld Purging ~ Corrosion Problems in Stainless Steel by WeldingRon Sewell
Abstract
Corrosion is not uncommon in stainless steels, despite their name. Salt water environments in particular can give rise to corrosion and this is even noticeable at domestic level where cutlery discolours in mild salt solutions during dishwashing cycles. Loss of corrosion resistance during welding takes place when oxygen levels in shield and purge gases are high enough to deplete the chromium content.
key lessons learned from mercury mapping of process streams to developing an understanding of the sorption dynamics of mercury in process, accumulation rates, species and mass loading per surface area
Corrosion is the most common problem which is being faced by oil and gas industries. To overcome this problem, there are some steps which we should follow. To know about them, have a look at the attachment provided.
Air entrainment may not be necessary to give concrete structures in northern climates sufficient freeze-thaw resistance in every case, The Concrete Producer magazine. Sidebar by Don Talend, brand storytelling, content management, and content strategy expert. Construction industry
Analysis of Admixtures and Their Effects of Silica Fumes, Metakaolin and PFA...IJMER
This paper presents a review of the properties of fresh concrete including workability, heat
of hydration, setting time, bleeding, and reactivity by using mineral admixtures fly ash (FA), silica
fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), metakaolin (MK), and rice husk ash (RHA).
Comparison of normal and high strength concrete in which cement has been partially supplemented
by mineral admixture has been considered. It has been concluded that mineral admixtures may be
categorized into two groups: chemically active mineral admixtures and microfiller mineral
admixtures. Chemically active mineral admixtures decrease workability and setting time of concrete
but increase the heat of hydration and reactivity. On the other hand, micro filler mineral admixtures
increase workability and setting time of concrete but decrease the heat of hydration and reactivity. In
general, small particle size and higher specific surface area of mineral admixture are favourable to
produce highly dense and impermeable concrete; however, they cause low workability and demand
more water which may be offset by adding effective super plasticizer.
FAQs associated with produced mercury in oil and gas addressing issues and concerns for E&P, midstream, downstream and petrochemical sectors. This is series 1 of a multi-part series planned for publication. We are happy to address questions from contacts, followers and our readers.
An Introduction to Oil Field Metallurgy and Corrosion ControlRobert Heidersbach
Robert Heidersbach, author of "Metallurgy and Corrosion Control in Oil and Gas Production" includes an excerpt from his book in this presentation. Readers will learn about corrosion and its affects on the oil industry and environment. You can purchase Robert Heidersbach's book on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2vq9rA3
Customer Bulletin 0610 Polyisocyanurate vs. Cellular Glass InsulationJoe Hughes
This Customer Bulletin is another in our series of white papers aimed at providing our clients, engineers, contractors, fabricators, and friends with objective information on our products and those of our competitors. This Bulletin focuses on a comparison of the physical properties of closed cell polyisocyanurate (PIR or polyiso) rigid foam insulation with those of cellular glass insulation for below ambient applications such as chilled water through cryogenic application where moisture intrusion or condensation can be an issue.
Change of management with competent Team Needs to be done For any change in process.When design a plant or process lot of safety were their because of its design .When we change this it might get disturbed and hence revisiting same is required .Two options change should be apple to apple or MOC process and HAZOP study again of entire process.
Chevron Refinery in Richmond the largest oil refinery in Northern California. This is an overview of refinery fire in 2012, including event timeline leading to disaster and the aftermath.
Weld Purging ~ Corrosion Problems in Stainless Steel by WeldingRon Sewell
Abstract
Corrosion is not uncommon in stainless steels, despite their name. Salt water environments in particular can give rise to corrosion and this is even noticeable at domestic level where cutlery discolours in mild salt solutions during dishwashing cycles. Loss of corrosion resistance during welding takes place when oxygen levels in shield and purge gases are high enough to deplete the chromium content.
key lessons learned from mercury mapping of process streams to developing an understanding of the sorption dynamics of mercury in process, accumulation rates, species and mass loading per surface area
Corrosion is the most common problem which is being faced by oil and gas industries. To overcome this problem, there are some steps which we should follow. To know about them, have a look at the attachment provided.
Air entrainment may not be necessary to give concrete structures in northern climates sufficient freeze-thaw resistance in every case, The Concrete Producer magazine. Sidebar by Don Talend, brand storytelling, content management, and content strategy expert. Construction industry
Analysis of Admixtures and Their Effects of Silica Fumes, Metakaolin and PFA...IJMER
This paper presents a review of the properties of fresh concrete including workability, heat
of hydration, setting time, bleeding, and reactivity by using mineral admixtures fly ash (FA), silica
fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), metakaolin (MK), and rice husk ash (RHA).
Comparison of normal and high strength concrete in which cement has been partially supplemented
by mineral admixture has been considered. It has been concluded that mineral admixtures may be
categorized into two groups: chemically active mineral admixtures and microfiller mineral
admixtures. Chemically active mineral admixtures decrease workability and setting time of concrete
but increase the heat of hydration and reactivity. On the other hand, micro filler mineral admixtures
increase workability and setting time of concrete but decrease the heat of hydration and reactivity. In
general, small particle size and higher specific surface area of mineral admixture are favourable to
produce highly dense and impermeable concrete; however, they cause low workability and demand
more water which may be offset by adding effective super plasticizer.
FAQs associated with produced mercury in oil and gas addressing issues and concerns for E&P, midstream, downstream and petrochemical sectors. This is series 1 of a multi-part series planned for publication. We are happy to address questions from contacts, followers and our readers.
An Introduction to Oil Field Metallurgy and Corrosion ControlRobert Heidersbach
Robert Heidersbach, author of "Metallurgy and Corrosion Control in Oil and Gas Production" includes an excerpt from his book in this presentation. Readers will learn about corrosion and its affects on the oil industry and environment. You can purchase Robert Heidersbach's book on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2vq9rA3
Comparison Of Corrossion Resistance Of Copper For SamplesIRJESJOURNAL
Abstract :- In order to ensure smooth and uninterrupted flow of oil and gas to the end users, it is imperative for the field operators, pipeline engineers, and designers to be corrosion conscious as the lines and their component fittings would undergo material degradations due to corrosion. This paper gives a comprehensive review of corrosion problems during oil and gas production and its mitigation. The chemistry of corrosion mechanism had been examined with the various types of corrosion and associated corroding agents in the oil and gas industry. Factors affecting each of the various forms of corrosion were also presented. Principles of corrosion must be understood in order to effectively select materials and to design, fabricate, and utilize metal structures for the optimum economic life of facilities and safety in oil and gas operations. This test method covers the determination of the corrosiveness of copper by the petroleum products.
Experience of material in fertilizers industriesPrem Baboo
Materials plays very important role in any industry. Selection of material is vital at design stage itself ,Wrong selection of material may lead to catastrophic failures and outage of plants & even loss of Human lives, Right selection of material leads to long life of plant. In the latest plants specialty 2 RE-69 materials are used for liner. The actual reactor has been constructed using a variety of materials, e.g. Zirconium, Vessel inside a protective liner. This paper intended study Material in urea plant in different vessels and equipment design. In Primary reformer numbers of materials are modified such as micro alloy are also used in tubes.
Marco Sully Perez said Oil and gas workers face unique health and safety challenges and are recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a priority industry sector under the National Workplace Research Initiative (NORA) to identify and develop intervention strategies in the labor sector Protect. health and safety issues. In 2011, the oil and gas and ancillary industries employed more than 450,000 people (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages). Therefore, oil well drilling and field maintenance are two different types of business activities in the oil and gas industry.
Harnessing oxygen to boost performance in wastewater treatment plant upgradeLinde Gas Benelux
The SOLVOX®-V process combines excellent oxygen utilisation and high oxygenation efficiency rates, together with intensive wastewater agitation. It is more economical than other methods and offers high flexibility for oxygen dissolution and process mixing, especially when integrated with existing aeration equipment.
The demand for efficient and cost effective wastewater treatment technology in the refining and petrochemical sector is being driven by not only ever-tightening environmental legislation, but also by the sectors own desire to follow a meaningful sustainability agenda and to take its responsibilities around product stewardship seriously.
Treatment of wastewater from petrochemical plants can be a challenging and costly matter; particularly when needing to comply with the requirements of operational permits and national environmental legislation governing the discharge of treated wastewater into community treatment plants or natural water bodies such as rivers, lakes and oceans.
Harmonizing the global language of safety - a monumental but necessary undert...Linde Gas Benelux
The convergence of several chemical reclassification and labelling initiatives being implemented in the global business arena to boost health, safety and environmental protection to an unprecedented level is poised to have a monumental impact on the world’s industrial sector.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectometry (GC-MS): the superior forensic toolLinde Gas Benelux
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is emerging as the perfect analytical tool for forensic analysis. In fact, its simplicity, sensitivity and effectiveness in separating and identifying components, has made GC-MS one of the most important tools in analytical chemistry today.
Where other analytical techniques fundamentally determine the quantitative issues arising from analysis of a specific sample — answering the question “how much is present?”— GC-MS is one of a very few techniques able to qualitatively identify the actual nature of chemicals in the sample. It answers the question, “What molecules are present?”
Specialty gases: essential for research, production & quality controlLinde Gas Benelux
Laboratories all around the world stand or fall by their reputation for accuracy and quality control. Pivotal to this performance is the quality, purity and composition of the spectrum of gases harnessed every day to accomplish laboratory tasks.
Rapid advancements in production processes across all industry sectors, as well as healthcare, have obliged laboratories to keep up with these changes, while remaining flexible and making allowances for future requirements. Against this background, a variety of role-specific specialised laboratory types have emerged, each addressing specific industry needs.
Linde Gas whitepaper 'Gases: identifying hazards and mitigating risks'Linde Gas Benelux
Although critical for the operation of refineries and petrochemical plants, industrial gases can be associated with a spectrum of possible hazards and need to be treated with respect, assessing and controlling the relevant risks. From minor injury at one end of the scale, to potentially more serious damage to health and - although rare - even death, at the other end, safe handling of gases is vital. Effective product stewardship is therefore required to uphold safety levels at such facilities — a holistic approach to product responsibility that involves identifying the possible hazards and evaluating the risks that may stem from a product throughout all stages of its lifecycle. The risk potential is assessed in relation to employees, neighbouring facilities, and the environment. The aim is then to avoid or reduce these risks as far as possible.
Linde Gas whitepaper 'Employing Oxyfuel Technology for Energy Efficiency'Linde Gas Benelux
With continuing increases in fuel and energy costs, energy efficiency – and by association, decreased fuel consumption - has become one of the most important issues facing the process industries today. Combined with demands to increase production yield and also align processes to comply with environmental regulations - particularly those associated to emissions reduction – industry has seen continued momentum in the uptake of oxyfuel technologies.
Linde Gas whitepaper 'Drug discovery advances inextricably linked to specialt...Linde Gas Benelux
The development and commercialisation of new medical drugs is a complex and costly process, but increasing pressure is being placed on drug companies to accelerate the timeline from discovery of new drugs, through to clinical trials and then to their release onto the market. The pharmaceutical industry continues to demand ever more advanced products aimed at improving health and the quality of modern-day life.
Research and development take place in pharmaceutical laboratories using analytical instruments such as gas chromatographs with multiple detectors, liquid chromatographs coupled with mass spectrometers (LC-MS), ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) spectrometers and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. These significantly accelerate research and development cycles, ultimately bringing beneficial drugs onto the market faster than ever before. The effective operation of these instruments depends on the use of the appropriate gases or gas mixtures.
A look at how automotive emissions legislation and the drive for energy sustainability are impacting the refining industry.
Both recent - and upcoming - legislation on automobile emissions has become the major change agent within this environmental arena. As with all legislation, regulation around emissions levels the playing field for all stakeholders in the automotive industry, effectively ensuring a competitive business climate. All participants must adjust their operations to comply with the latest regulations, leaving no-one at a competitive disadvantage.
Waterstoflekdetectie is een vrij nieuwe methode voor het
opsporen van lekkages in verpakkingen. Doordat waterstof het kleinste molecuul is, kunnen hiermee minuscule lekken vrij eenvoudig worden opgespoord, zij het niet bij alle verpakkingen.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Industrial gases supporting natural gas processing
1. INDUSTRIAL GASES SUPPORTING NATURAL GAS PROCESSING
The contribution of industrial gases across the entire petrochemical processing spectrum is
fast becoming absolutely critical to optimal outcomes. From extraction to distribution, these
gases play a pivotal role throughout the value chain.
For decades global industrial gas companies have partnered with stakeholders in the
petrochemical landscape to ensure they are able to deliver the levels of product quality and
operational safety demanded by changing legislation, environmental regulations and
customer requirements.
Performance in exploration
Industrial gases come into play from the very earliest upstream stage, where offshore
exploration equipment is manufactured from steel and special metal alloys. These materials
need to be cut, heated, welded and coated with the aid of industrial gases. In particular,
many applications associated with drilling equipment now demand the use of higher
performance materials. These materials are a world away from what was being used as
recently as ten years ago and as modern material specifications evolve, metal fabrication
companies need to adapt their gases to suit the latest welding processes.
Offshore exploration equipment is often situated in some of the roughest and most
inhospitable seas, and has to be able to withstand enormous loads from huge waves and
swells and highly corrosive conditions. High quality steel and the most up to date production
methods are necessary for exploration operations under such harsh conditions. In this
context, welding becomes particularly important as the huge steel towers and support stilts
are manufactured from many individual steel segments. A faulty weld seam on a single
component can have catastrophic consequences. Cracks or dangerous saltwater corrosion
could lead to a rupture in one or more the steel components. Performance standards for
exploration equipment components, particularly those operating offshore, therefore confront
manufacturers with tough challenges.
As more high strength steels are being specified to manufacture increasingly tough drilling
equipment, this has resulted in an extra pre-heating stage prior to welding in order to
safeguard the metallurgical properties of the steel. Pre-heating prevents failures, such as
hydrogen-induced cracking, as well as common failures in the heat-affected zone. As more
fine-grained structural steels are being used to construct apparatus and equipment for the oil
2. 2
and gas industry, the importance of pre-heating prior to the welding process is becoming a
focal point.
Welding in this application is a complicated affair. To begin with, the thick metal pieces need
to be pre-heated. If this is not done, the large, cold steel plates will lose heat too quickly and
the metal will not be completely melted in the welding zone, making a secure connection
impossible. Pre-heating will also prevent the build-up of cold cracks, which can occur due to
hydrogen exposure or internal stress in the component.
This is particularly important when treating high strength steels. After the weld, these
materials must be post-heated for around two to three hours to diffuse any rogue hydrogen
atoms in the weld seam. For manufacturers who have to maintain a fast production speed, it
is vital that they quickly reach a pre-heated temperature of greater than 100 degrees
Celsius.
In response, special burners for pre-heating steel before welding are required. Linde has
engineered a unique technology in the form of LINDOFLAMM® acetylene burners for pre-heating
steel before welding takes place. Acetylene provides high heat intensity in the primary flame,
establishing a focused flame, so that pre-heating occurs only in the weld area. This results in an
increase in the speed at which the weld area is heated — as much as two-thirds faster than that
achieved by other fuel gases – plus significant savings on total process cost.
As opposed to a propane gas flame, acetylene gas burns with a very precise, pointed,
‘primary flame cone’, which drives the heat directly into the metal. Additionally, flame
temperatures that can be reached with the associated acetylene-compressed air torch –
approximately 2,400 degrees Celsius – are significantly higher than those achievable using
other oxy-fuel gases in combination with air.
Prolonging the lifespan of these offshore assets is another important factor, since equipment
lifespan impacts the price of the final product. This issue has led to the development of
special coating technologies that lengthen the lifetime of offshore installations. Linde Gases
Division has recently developed a highly innovative, state-of-the-art cathotic protection
technology as a tough first line of defence against metal corrosion.
Traditional ARC spraying processes involve the use of air to coat metals. However, the
enhanced ARC spraying process employs a mixture of air and nitrogen or hydrogen to which
is added zinc – either as a fine power or as zinc wire. The new technique provides “active”
3. 3
protection, meaning the coating materials will actively repair the surface as it detects
corrosion. Results show it can improve the lifetime of heavy exploration and processing
equipment by up to 50%. This is a significant step forward in reducing the number of
maintenance intervals required - and the associated costs involved.
A critical application of specialty gases within the gas extraction and processing industry is
the testing of gas leakage detectors on offshore drilling platforms. With tonnes of natural gas
being handled via the platform each day, any leakage could rapidly build up into an
explosive atmosphere. Offshore platforms, therefore, have permanent monitors in operation
sniffing for gas seepage and these gas detectors need continual testing and calibration with
specialty gas mixtures.
The human element
During the natural gas exploration phase, a lot of the work takes place under the surface of
the ocean as specialised technical divers undertake oil and gas pipeline construction and
maintenance, or maintenance of oil rigs and valves, etc. Underwater these divers breathe a
range of different gases, depending on the depth at which they need to work.
Recreational divers breathe air, but commercial divers plunging to depths of up to 50 metres
need specialised mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen in varying concentrations. When divers
are required to go down to between 50 and 200 metres, helium is introduced into a “tri-mix”
with oxygen and nitrogen, or as heliox, which is helium mixed with low concentrations of
oxygen.
These mixtures are critical to the wellbeing of the diver, as at these depths and pressures
human blood responds to gas in a different way. The mixtures must be certified safe and
need to avoid the presence of dangerous chemical molecules. The gas manufacturing
process must be absolutely precise and quality controlled to ensure that no oils, methane or
carbon monoxide infiltrate the mixtures. The effects of these substances are amplified at
depth and their inhalation could prove fatal.
The human aspect of gas exploration is coming to the fore as gas companies are forced to
go further afield to explore for natural gas deposits, frequently in places where the gas is
difficult to extract. This means deeper exploratory dives and oil rig maintenance at greater
depths.
Extraction and processing
4. 4
N2 and CO2 as bulk gases are used in huge quantities for the extraction and exploration of
natural gas with induced hydraulic fracturing - commonly known fracking. The traditional
process for propagating hydrocarbons trapped in underground fractures had required high
volumes of water, mixed with foaming agents and friction reducers and injected at high
pressure into the fractures, cracking open the shale and creating fissures allowing gas or oil
contained within them to flow freely.
However some of the issues that have arisen over fracking have been linked to chemicals
added to the water to assist in the fracking process. These chemicals are believed to have
occasionally contaminated ground water supplies, with documented cases of seepage into
drinking water wells - often through improperly sealed or abandoned drilling wells. There are
also places where groundwater is only several hundred feet above gas reserves where it is
at risk of being more easily impacted by fracking. Conventional water treatment is often
unable to remove the high concentrations of salts and other toxic and biologically disruptive
compounds that can potentially be generated within wastewater from fracking – and if
groundwater were to become contaminated, it could take years to clean an aquifer system.
Alternative techniques which can help mitigate water-related issues in fracking include
employing CO2 mixed with alcohol or liquid nitrogen (LIN) in a process known as “dry
fracking”. The CO2/alcohol mix is also injected at high pressure underground to open up
fractures, with the CO2 expanding as it vapourises, allowing natural gas to flow out through
the cracks to be collected and processed.
Liquid nitrogen is use for "dry fracking" – a fracking process that has eliminated many of the
problems associated with hydrofracking and could prove to be more acceptable to people
concerned about the environment. It uses very few, or no chemicals and after fracking the
nitrogen is released into the atmosphere, which already comprises 78 percent nitrogen.
Although relatively expensive in comparison to conventional chemical fracking, it is being
used extensively for natural gas extraction in areas of high environmental sensitivity.
Air or pure oxygen as an industrial gas is used for sweetening, or removal of sulfur
compounds from LNG and LPG process stream. This is often done by employing a process
called MEROX from UOP, one of the world’s leading oil and gas processing technology
companies. The MEROX process uses catalysts and caustic soda to extract low molecular
weight mercaptans from the refinery gas stream. The mercaptide-rich solvent must then be
injected with oxygen from compressed air or industrial pure oxygen – for an enhanced
regeneration process - so that the mercaptides present are oxidized to disulfides. The
5. 5
disulfides are subsequently separated from the solvent so that typical mercaptan levels in
the gas product are controlled to less than 10 parts per million.
For refiners, throughput of natural gas production can be limited by the speed at which
plants can de-sulfurise natural gas. However, the more stringent the de-sulfurisation process
becomes, increasing Claus plant loadings with hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, the more
frequent bottlenecks in the production process also become. Claus plants operating in
refineries process concentrated hydrogen sulphide fractions, converting them into elemental
sulfur. The technology is also able to destroy pollutants, particularly ammonia.
Although not new, oxygen enrichment technology has now come to the fore as a viable and
a cost-effective solution for significantly increasing a plant's sulfur handling capacity, as well
as addressing problems associated with contaminants such as ammonia and hydrocarbons.
Therefore, use of oxygen de-bottlenecks the process and enables higher throughput and
better returns on capital assets.
Oxygen enrichment of the combustion air significantly increases sulfur handling capacity.
Associated benefits include increased productivity achieved without changing the pressure
drop, more effective treatment of ammonia-containing feeds and less effort required for tail
gas purification (reduced nitrogen flow). Oxygen enrichment is also a highly customisable
approach to improving Claus plant yield with options varying from low level oxygen
enrichment to employing advanced proprietary technology to bring about capacity increases
of up to around 150 percent.
Transport
Once the natural gas molecule has been located in the exploration phase, it must be
transported on shore, either through natural gas liquefying stations or through pipelines.
Depending on the corrosive nature of the substance being transported, pipelines are
generally manufactured from high value fabrication materials such as high alloy or nickel
cladded steels. These are high investment materials and fabricators are sensitive to the
need to work with them appropriately and sophisticated industrial gases offer protection
during the fabrication process. The smaller diameters and prefabricated steel pipes are
joined using laser welding and the bigger items are plasma or arc welded, all of them
protected from corrosion through the use of purging gas to prevent deterioration. Gas
purging is also environmentally friendly, allowing for a reduction in the use of chemicals to
clean up an otherwise oxidised weld.
6. 6
Where natural gas needs to be transported over long distances, usually by ship, liquefaction
takes place using refrigerant gases such as ethylene, before the LNG (liquefied natural gas)
is pumped into isocontainers or specially designed storage vessels on the ship.
Accurate measurement
Industrial gases also play a major role helping to determine the BTU (British Thermal Unit)
content of natural gas — a measure of how much energy will be liberated when the gas is
burned. Specialty gases calibration standards are made with known BTU values to measure
LNG in the system, as this dictates how much the customer will pay for a specific volume of
gas.
BTU values are very important when it comes to the transfer of ownership of a natural gas
stream from one party to another. Natural gas is a very ‘mobile’ commodity and can be
moved over long distances, often across international borders. It can be traded between
eastern and western markets and, as it moves, it frequently changes ownership from one
party to another. At the point where it changes ownership or crosses borders, the calorific
value must be measured in an extremely accurate way. These massive quantities of gas are
worth billions of dollars and the billing must truthfully reflect the energy value, considering
the high cost of error if the calorific value is not precisely measured.
Taxation authorities also base their revenue on the value of the product being distributed.
The governments of countries involved in this trade have specified by law that the BTU
measurement must be carried out using high quality, high accuracy, accredited gases which
are traceable to international measurement standards.
It is also essential to measure the value of mercury in the gas volume. In oil and gas
production and processing plants, the mercury present in natural gas poses a formidable
threat to the safety of humans and capital equipment, because of its propensity to
amalgamate with the materials of construction used for compressors and high speed rotating
equipment.
For instance, if mercury should amalgamate to pump system components or to the fins of
turbine blades, it could cause considerable disruption by throwing these systems out of kilter,
and therefore potentially cause immense structural damage. Liquid metal embrittlement
(LME), which weakens the original structure of steel, aluminium and other metals in process
plants, is the main threat. LME is a form of cracking that occurs when certain molten metals
7. 7
such as mercury come into contact with structural alloys. The most commonly affected
materials include carbon steel, low alloy steels, high strength steels, 300 series stainless
steel and various alloys – nickel-based, copper, aluminium and titanium.
LME introduces an acute risk to an affected industrial plant. In a worst case scenario,
structural failure could potentially result in a significant explosion in an oil refinery or LNG
facility, resulting in catastrophic loss of life, excessive damage to capital equipment and long
term plant downtime.
When natural gas is shipped into a port, samples are taken not only determine the BTU
value, but also the mercury levels, which again, have a bearing on the function of turbines
used in the transport process.
Linde produces a mercury gas standard typically between 1 and 60 micrograms per metre
cubed, which is the range in which mercury exists in natural gas.
Emissions control, monitoring and analysis
Calibration gas standards are also widely used to monitor emission levels from gas
processing or natural gas fired power plants. With the growing number of fracking operations
being initiated, natural gas is becoming a more cost effective commodity and an increasing
number of natural gas power plants are coming on line. Legislation requires close monitoring
of emissions from these plants, focusing on the by-products of the combustion process,
sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide. Where coal fired power station emission
concentrations are in the 50 to 100 ppm range, natural gas has concentrations around 10
ppm. However, this model is also associated with emissions such as ammonia and nitrous
oxide, both of which are considered greenhouse gases and measurement of these
compounds is enabled with high precision specialty gas mixtures.
When it comes to natural gas combustion control in power generation, plant operators need
accurate information about the combustion gases in the system. To avoid overfeeding or
underfeeding natural gas into the system, operators rely on BTU values to provide insight
and it is therefore imperative to have highly accurate calibration gases made with those
specified BTU values in order to monitor the combustion gases and help maintain control
throughout the process.
Inside the combustion chamber, it is also necessary to monitor oxygen levels to support fuel
and carbon dioxide levels to control the combustion process and minimise greenhouse gas
8. 8
emissions. These measurements also require specialty gases calibration mixtures to support
the instrumentation. Effective monitoring of combustion and optimisation of the process is
the key element of emissions reduction.
High purity ‘zero’ gases are used to zero out the analytical instruments that monitor the
output of flue gases from natural gas processing plants. Accurate and pure zero gases are a
critical element of monitoring, because any trace amounts of impurities can alter or skew
results.
An increasing number of molecules are being analysed and measured to support the
growing trade in emissions from natural gas combustion. In United States there is a strong
drive to monitor all the greenhouse gases being emitted from a process and this trend is
likely to go worldwide, bringing under the spotlight emissions such as nitrous oxide,
ammonia, hydrogen chloride, formaldehyde, sulfur hexachloride and the big one, carbon
dioxide.
The future
As the oil and gas industry advances into the future, the more complex the processing of
natural gas will become. This maturing value chain is going to demand increasingly high
quality and sophisticated gases. Industrial gases will therefore play a progressively critical
role across the entire value chain, helping to ensure that all phases of the process operate
effectively and safely and that environmental impact is minimised.
Ends
WORD COUNT: 2,936