Oil and Gas

Laying out an effective heat tracing design requires careful attention to detail. Every aspect of the system must be meticulously considered, including both the temperature requirements of the fluids being protected as well as the physical characteristics of the equipment being heat traced.

In the world of instrumentation, there are a number of different topics discussed and analyzed.  However, one that should not be overlooked is that of instrumentation fittings. Do you know what technologies are available? Do you know the strengths and /weaknesses? Are there any new trends?

Premature heater failures can lead to unexpected process downtime. Tactics such as testing, planned replacement programs and preventing moisture ingress can help prevent premature heater failures.

Developing a strong preventative maintenance plan for plant shutdowns and turnarounds is the best way for operators to minimize the risk of equipment failure, which can lead to unnecessary shutdowns and ultimately, higher costs.

Specifying control valves and engineering a system in which the flow of a particular product is completely optimized for superior performance and yield can be a challenging process. A number of factors must be considered during this practice, not the least of which is trying to prevent any system or process-destroying problems that may arise.

Many engineers may wonder if it is possible to have flashing liquid flow in a control valve even if flow is not choked. The short answer is yes, but it is not very common. This article provides a more detailed answer to this question.

Within a refinery, four main utilities are considered essential to operations: electricity, natural gas, water and compressed air.

With the cold months on the precipice, November is a great time to review the actions that plant managers and operators should take to better ensure a winter free from incident.

I was recently asked how the installed flow characteristic of an equal percentage valve in a system that includes a significant amount of pipe or other pressure-consuming elements “magically” becomes a linear, or approximately linear, installed flow characteristic.

Thermocouples and controllers themselves do not prevent a failure from occurring. What they can do is create a temperature profile for a heater that can be used as a maintenance log.

In the last ten years, the design of pneumatic systems has changed dramatically. Pneumatic manufacturers’ online tools for sizing components have evolved, the fieldbus systems are ever-changing, component designs are constantly improving, and network devices such as the Industrial Internet of Things have reshaped the industry.

Valve sizing and proper application of control valves have always gone hand-in-hand. However, the tools available to valve users have changed and improved significantly over time.

The latest developments in servo technology allow for the benefits of high-performance motion control to be used in harsh environments.

Despite the demand for standardized communication protocols among manufacturers, both the manufacturers and end users face challenges when it comes to agreeing on a path.

Proper filtration is one of the most important functions performed inside refineries. Filtration is the removal of contaminants through some type of synthetic, paper, pleated or wound media. The goal of this process is to achieve a specific level of cleanliness.

When selecting the pipes and valves to be included in a cooling system, it is important to understand the options available — and the possible outcomes associated with each selection. The selection process is often overlooked or is not given proper attention by designers and contractors. Many factors can impact the effectiveness, longevity and quality of the overall cooling system.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a phrase that describes the connectivity between physical objects networked together using an Internet connection. These networks have a wide range of capabilities, mostly centered on collecting or exchanging data. A specialized version of the IoT, referred to as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), enables industrial application engineers to implement new or retrofitted systems with upgraded levels of connectivity that allow more advanced process control.

According to the United States Energy Information Administration, coal power accounted for 39 percent of the country’s electricity production last year.

Valin Corporation now offers single-pump custody transfer units it estimates cost $10,000-$15,000 less than traditional two-pump designs.

Oil and gas engineers face a major problem in accurately and reliably measuring and monitoring the various fluids that are introduced into oil pipelines from well site pumping stations. A thorough understanding of both the oil separation process and the properties of valves and actuators is required to correctly specify a system.

United Electric Controls has introduced a unique new family of HART capable transmitters that provides programmable switching functionality for industrial process monitoring applications. The new One Series 1XTXSW transmitter line is the first to integrate HART 7 compatible 4-20 mA output and two solid-state programmable relays for monitoring temperature or pressure in safety, alarm and emergency shutdown applications.

Workplace safety is—or should be—a primary focus of every organization, regardless of whether we’re talking about a classroom, an office, a manufacturing facility, or an oil rig. Employees deserve a workspace that is as safe and secure as it can possibly be.

This is Part IV in a four-part series based on the contents of the new textbook, “Control Valve Application Technology, Techniques and Considerations for Properly Selecting the Right Control Valve.”

In order to get good control with stability throughout the full range of required flow rates, one must use a control valve that has an installed flow characteristic that is linear, or at least as close to linear as possible in most systems.

Tasked with increased demand for high power output, many operators in North American sectors such as power generation, oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical have been challenged by low-voltage solutions and their associated logistical challenges.

When addressing the needs of measurement operations involving various densities and amounts of liquid, Coriolis mass flowmeters are often chosen for their accuracy, durability and reduced maintenance costs. Applications involving custody transfer benefit from their simple and dependable characteristics.

This is Part II in a four-part series based on the contents of the new textbook, “Control Valve Application Technology, Techniques and Considerations for Properly Selecting the Right Control Valve.”

This article discusses the importance of selecting the correct flow characteristic and correctly sizing the valve in order for the valve to properly control the process.

Loss of containment is one of the costliest things that can go wrong at a plant. Accordingly, smart enterprises employ a variety of measures that ensure loss of containment just doesn’t happen – or when it does, the adverse circumstances are kept to a minimum.

The noise abatement laws and health and safety legislation are becoming increasingly strict. Metso introduces Q2- Trim, the optimum solution for noise problems, that at the same time fulfills all legislative requirements and customer needs.

Emergency order required all rail shippers to test products from the Bakken to ensure proper classifications of the oil within federal regulations before it's transported. The intent was to ensure shippers properly classified crude oil for transportation and to quantify the range of physical and chemical properties.

The accurate allocation measurement of oil, water and gas is a constant priority for managers of surface operations, particularly with the recent oil boom in parts of the U.S. These measurements are the basis of the financial transaction between oil companies and royalty owners.

Valin introduced its new lease ­automatic-custody-transfer (LACT) configurator tool. This new software-application tool assists customers in LACT specification, quotes, component data, and reference documentation.

When developing a practical approach to leakage and pollution prevention, plant managers have a variety of options available in terms of instrumentation and equipment. Depending on the particular process, materials, and type of operation, the method of ensuring the containment of potential contaminants will vary widely.

The recent oil boom in the United States, driven by rapidly advancing extraction technologies, presents new and critical challenges to operators in the measurement of oil, water and gas produced in surface operations.

This innovative new software application tool assists customers in LACT specification, quotes, component data, and reference documentation. The configurator is easy to use and gives customers the flexibility to develop the right solution for their specified application.

Precision measurement expertise is one of the most important parts of transferring oil from a producing oilfield into the oil pipeline, truck or other oil transport method. Precise measurement is absolutely critical. Water or natural gas content is not allowed in the saleable oil steam.

Valin is in the final stages of successfully commissioning 65 Lease Automatic Custody Transfer systems (LACT) for a very large project with one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in North America. The LACT systems were needed for an oil gathering project in the Myrmidon field in the Bakken Shale play in North Dakota.

Standard practices today simply use human machine interfaces (HMI) as windows into a system by allowing some information to be passed back and forth through those windows. This method anticipates the user having the knowledge to use that information both in and out of the system.

When control valve professionals talk about "control valve sizing," they really mean the entire process of selecting the valve that will do the best job of controlling the process. Selecting the right size valve is an important part of the process, but there are other equally important considerations as well.