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Date Published:
10 March 2017

Volume 5, Issue 2


Protect your assets

Feature
The oil and gas (O&G) industry presents great opportunities for profit and growth, but as with many businesses, O&G operations are not without risk. Companies within the industry must contend with increased emissions regulation, hostile environments, and potentially dangerous working conditions. Asset management solutions ensure O&G companies maintain productivity and maximise return... [read more]

Predict your problems

Feature
Owners and operators of industrial plants throughout the world continuously seek to reduce their operating costs withou compromising the safety and reliability of their equipment and processes. Because reducing total cost of ownership is a key business goal, selecting and implementing the most effective maintenance approach for valves and other essential equipment is critical. Maintenance within... [read more]

Leak detection in the spotlight

Feature
There are certain pieces of equipment that those working in the fluid processing and production industries spend a lot of money on, but hope never to use. These kit pieces include all kinds of emergency and safety devices, such as pressure relief valves, emergency shutdown systems, and leak detection solutions. And the operators are right to hope so, as the bill for emergency situations can... [read more]

All the small things

Feature
Often it is the small things that matter, especially when it comes to critical operations and de-bottlenecking. Tasmania Mines (TMM) is a public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. It is involved in the mining, crushing and concentration of scheelite and magnetite from the Kara Mine in Tasmania. Scheelite is sold to customers in Europe who use it in the production of specialty steel... [read more]

Feeling the pressure to reduce leakage?

Feature
Water is a resource that is often taken for granted. As we see the effects of climate change and population growth, the challenges we will face regarding water supply and availability will only increase. But what does pressure management have to do with scarcity of water? Every water utility has some degree of leakage or water loss within their systems, which can be greatly reduced by pressure... [read more]

Large problem, large solution

Feature
In 2009, after years of dealing with poorly performing mill pumps requiring a costly mill outage every 800 hours, leaders of a major Chilean copper mine began looking for an alternate supplier that could help them maintain a more reliable shutdown schedule, minimise expenses, and meet a high safety standard. GIW Industries, a heavy-duty centrifugal slurry equipment, pumps, and parts designer and... [read more]

No seals required

Feature
As part of a continual upgrade process and to ensure the highest levels of health and safety, a refining and petrochemical company in the Far East has recently upgraded several pump installations to meet current American Petroleum Institute (API) standards. The existing single mechanical seal pumps, operating on downstream hydrocarbon processes, were reviewed for suitability against a double... [read more]

Down with energy costs!

Feature
Entek, an international manufacturer of lead-acid battery separators, is making massive savings in energy costs at its European plant in Newcastle-upon- Tyne, UK, having changed the type of pumps used for cooling water duties. Having experienced poor economic performance and breakdowns over several years with submersible pumps, the company decided to replace them with end-suction water pumps,... [read more]

Fair trade for LNG

Feature
Compared to traditional fuels, such as natural gas or petrol, the energy content measurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG) suffers from a large uncertainty, which has been estimated to be up to 1%. One of the hurdles that must be overcome before this relatively clean fuel can be introduced as a common transport fuel is establishing a reliable traceability chain conforming to primary standards.... [read more]

Going with the flow

Feature
In a move that has been widely hailed as a landmark moment for the bunker industry, the use of mass flow metering (MFM) for heavy fuel oil bunker deliveries in Singapore became mandatory on 1 January, 2017. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) efforts have been warmly applauded by many in the industry – including World Fuel Services – who see MFM as an important tool... [read more]

Event preview: StocExpo Middle East Africa 2017

Feature
StocExpo Middle East Africa, held in the Dubai World Trade Centre on 26-27 April, is set to be bigger and better than ever. In this preview you can find out what the attending experts will be talking about and what there will be to see at exhibitor stands.

Non-negotiable quality

Feature
The technology applied in the oil and gas (O&G) industry, and especially in the downstream segment, is getting more sophisticated year by year and consequently also valves and actuators are required to meet more challenging specifications to create reliable and safe plants. Since its origins in 1981, Italian equipment maker Omal has been committed to supplying quality products and solutions... [read more]

Oil logistics: the highest level of data exchange fidelity

Feature
In 2014, Switzerland-based petroleum company Varo Energy experienced a huge jump in profits after it had acquired 45% of the Bayernoil refining company, along with the sales business of various tank storage facilities in southern Germany. To make sure that day-to-day operations would run smoothly from day one after the takeover, software company Implico set up a complex network of data... [read more]

Safety on many levels

Feature
SafCo Engineering was founded in 2003 for the design and manufacture of fire and gas safety systems and equipment for the industrial sector. Initially focussing on products, the company is now more focussed on system integration. Highlighting its systems integration capabilities, it was recently called upon by a leading oil and gas company in the Middle East to develop and deploy an integrated,... [read more]

Keep safe when the pressure is on

Feature
As an inexpensive component, it would be easy to assume that failure of a hydraulic hose should not have serious consequences. That is, however, far from the case. Resulting financial losses can be considerable, but over and above that, from a health and safety point of view, the impact can be quite catastrophic. Hydraulic systems can contain up to 2,000 litres of oil carried through pipes and... [read more]

Tackling thieves

Feature
Effective fuel management is essential to any organisation wanting to successfully monitor their fuel levels and prevent fuel thefts from occurring, especially in third world countries. When completed properly, it can make a vitally important contribution to the profitability of such organisations. The cost of fuel and its usage is a significant overhead for any commercial establishment. Bell... [read more]