Emerson Exchange 365

Activity

Jim Cahill
- 14 Nov 2019
Refinery Digital Transformation Case Study

Ergon’s Steve Elwart (l) and Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo (r) discussing Ergon’s digital transformation journey Advancing technology has enabled productivity gains in both capital projects and ongoing operations for manufacturers and producers. Ergon Refining ‘s Steve Elwart and Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo collaborated on a case study presentation on digital transformation at the Ergon Vicksburg, Mississippi refinery for...
Jim Cahill
- 16 Oct 2019
AFPM Summit Crude/Vacuum Distillation and Coking Q&A

One of the key parts of the AFPM Operations & Process Technology Summit is the Q&A Panel sessions. I attended the Crude/Vacuum Distillation & Coking Q&A session with a panel of experienced refiner professionals. The first question was about meeting H2S specification in the vapor space in the shipping or receiving points in shipping intermediate streams from refinery to refinery. The one panelist noted that they were...
Jim Cahill
- 15 Oct 2019
State-based Control Case Study at AFPM Summit

Dustin Beebe At the 2019 AFPM Operations & Technology Summit , Emerson’s Dustin Beebe teamed with a professional with a global chemical producer. Their presentation was case study was on applying state-based control on one of their production processes. Procedural automation addresses the various states in which a continuous process resides. Some examples include startup, upset recovery, planned shutdown, and emergency...
Jim Cahill
- 17 Jun 2019
Improving Refining Agility, Reliability and Collaboration

Marcelo Carugo Production agility is an increasing objective among refiners and petrochemical producers. Changing characteristics of feedstocks and demand for produced products is forcing these companies to look for solutions to increase operational flexibility. In a Petroleum Review article, Future-proofing refining (membership required for access), Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo shares his insights on how transformative...
Jim Cahill
- 5 Mar 2019
Digital Transformation in Health-Safety-Environmental Applications

Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) experts in the manufacturing and production industries gathered recently here in Austin for the 4C Health/Safety/Environmental Conference . Marcelo Carugo Julie Valentine Marcio Donnangelo At this year’s conference, Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo , Julie Valentine and Marcio Donnangelo presented in three of the sessions. Julie and Marcio teamed up to present, How Digital Transformation...
Jim Cahill
- 5 Mar 2019
Digital Transformation in Health-Safety-Environmental Applications

Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) experts in the manufacturing and production industries gathered recently here in Austin for the 4C Health/Safety/Environmental Conference . Marcelo Carugo Julie Valentine Marcio Donnangelo At this year’s conference, Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo , Julie Valentine and Marcio Donnangelo presented in three of the sessions. Julie and Marcio teamed up to present, How Digital Transformation...
Jim Cahill
- 9 Jan 2019
Improving Opportunity Crude Blending Operations

Opportunity crudes provide refiners with lower feedstock costs, but they must be carefully characterized and blended with other crudes to avoid problems during the refining process. These opportunity crudes are typically discounted from typical crudes because of the refining challenges they introduce. In the 4-minute YouTube video, How to Maximize Profit by Characterizing and Blending Opportunity Crudes , Emerson...
Jim Cahill
- 9 Jan 2019
Improving Opportunity Crude Blending Operations

Opportunity crudes provide refiners with lower feedstock costs, but they must be carefully characterized and blended with other crudes to avoid problems during the refining process. These opportunity crudes are typically discounted from typical crudes because of the refining challenges they introduce. In the 4-minute YouTube video, How to Maximize Profit by Characterizing and Blending Opportunity Crudes , Emerson...
Jim Cahill
- 11 Sep 2018
Avoid Corrosion-Induced Asset Integrity Loss

A U.S. Energy Information Administration’s post, When was the last refinery built in the United States? , reveals that more than half the “newest refineries” in their list were built in the 1970s or 1980s, or 30 to 40+ years ago. And, with 137 operating U.S. oil refineries , the rest are even older. A lot has changed over this time, but much of the piping and vessel infrastructure remains the same. In a Chemical Engineering...
Jim Cahill
- 11 Sep 2018
Avoid Corrosion-Induced Asset Integrity Loss

A U.S. Energy Information Administration’s post, When was the last refinery built in the United States? , reveals that more than half the “newest refineries” in their list were built in the 1970s or 1980s, or 30 to 40+ years ago. And, with 137 operating U.S. oil refineries , the rest are even older. A lot has changed over this time, but much of the piping and vessel infrastructure remains the same. In a Chemical Engineering...
Jim Cahill
- 27 Aug 2018
DP Measurement Technologies for Challenging Refinery Applications

The energy derived from crude oil has powered the advancement of civilizations across the globe. Getting this energy into usable forms such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is the work refineries must do safely, reliably and efficiently every day. In a Hydrocarbon Processing article, Adapting instrumentation to the needs of refineries , Emerson’s Douglas Carlson and Dan Cychosz describe the challenging applications...
Jim Cahill
- 27 Aug 2018
DP Measurement Technologies for Challenging Refinery Applications

The energy derived from crude oil has powered the advancement of civilizations across the globe. Getting this energy into usable forms such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is the work refineries must do safely, reliably and efficiently every day. In a Hydrocarbon Processing article, Adapting instrumentation to the needs of refineries , Emerson’s Douglas Carlson and Dan Cychosz describe the challenging applications...
Jim Cahill
- 8 May 2018
Evaluating Right Fuel Blending Strategy for your Refinery Operation

Refiners are driven to produce fuels and other products profitably, while meeting ever-increasing regulatory requirements—all while operating safely, reliably, and efficiently. Fuel blending operations are a key part of the refining process to meet these challenges. I connected with Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo about how refiners develop their blending strategies. Marcelo noted that compliance is paramount due to the...
Jim Cahill
- 8 May 2018
Evaluating Right Fuel Blending Strategy for your Refinery Operation

Refiners are driven to produce fuels and other products profitably, while meeting ever-increasing regulatory requirements—all while operating safely, reliably, and efficiently. Fuel blending operations are a key part of the refining process to meet these challenges. I connected with Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo about how refiners develop their blending strategies. Marcelo noted that compliance is paramount due to the...
Jim Cahill
- 27 Feb 2018
Improving Downstream Hydrocarbon Production Performance

The world’s energy leaders and policy makers gather in Houston next week for the annual CERAWeek conference . These energy leaders in the oil & gas production, distribution, refining, petrochemicals, coal, electrical power and alternative energy industries gather to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities for performance improvement. Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo has written a post, Refiners and Petrochemical Producers...
Jim Cahill
- 27 Feb 2018
Improving Downstream Hydrocarbon Production Performance

The world’s energy leaders and policy makers gather in Houston next week for the annual CERAWeek conference . These energy leaders in the oil & gas production, distribution, refining, petrochemicals, coal, electrical power and alternative energy industries gather to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities for performance improvement. Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo has written a post, Refiners and Petrochemical Producers...
Jim Cahill
- 27 Feb 2018
Improving Downstream Hydrocarbon Production Performance

The world’s energy leaders and policy makers gather in Houston next week for the annual CERAWeek conference . These energy leaders in the oil & gas production, distribution, refining, petrochemicals, coal, electrical power and alternative energy industries gather to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities for performance improvement. Emerson’s Marcelo Carugo has written a post, Refiners and Petrochemical Producers...
Jim Cahill
- 31 Jan 2018
Advancing the Practice of Chemical Engineering

One of the ways you can share your expertise and skills developed in your work in your industry or profession is to join a relevant professional organization serving in these areas. As you participate at different levels in these organizations, you can rise up into leadership positions. I mention this to share one example—Emerson’s Tim Olsen . Tim has worked in with the refining industry for almost 30 years, first...
Jim Cahill
- 31 Jan 2018
Advancing the Practice of Chemical Engineering

One of the ways you can share your expertise and skills developed in your work in your industry or profession is to join a relevant professional organization serving in these areas. As you participate at different levels in these organizations, you can rise up into leadership positions. I mention this to share one example—Emerson’s Tim Olsen . Tim has worked in with the refining industry for almost 30 years, first...
Jim Cahill
- 31 Jan 2018
Advancing the Practice of Chemical Engineering

One of the ways you can share your expertise and skills developed in your work in your industry or profession is to join a relevant professional organization serving in these areas. As you participate at different levels in these organizations, you can rise up into leadership positions. I mention this to share one example—Emerson’s Tim Olsen . Tim has worked in with the refining industry for almost 30 years, first...
Jim Cahill
- 29 Jan 2018
Optimizing Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units and Vapor Recovery Units

The petroleum refining process is a marvel in how it converts crude oil into so many usable and valuable products and feedstocks for other products. If you’re unfamiliar with the refining process or beginning your experience journey in the industry, I highly recommend the Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Waste Not, Want Not , by Emerson’s Bonnie Crossland . Although the focus of the article is about the use of gas...
Jim Cahill
- 29 Jan 2018
Optimizing Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units and Vapor Recovery Units

The petroleum refining process is a marvel in how it converts crude oil into so many usable and valuable products and feedstocks for other products. If you’re unfamiliar with the refining process or beginning your experience journey in the industry, I highly recommend the Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Waste Not, Want Not , by Emerson’s Bonnie Crossland . Although the focus of the article is about the use of gas...
Jim Cahill
- 29 Jan 2018
Optimizing Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units and Vapor Recovery Units

The petroleum refining process is a marvel in how it converts crude oil into so many usable and valuable products and feedstocks for other products. If you’re unfamiliar with the refining process or beginning your experience journey in the industry, I highly recommend the Hydrocarbon Engineering article, Waste Not, Want Not , by Emerson’s Bonnie Crossland . Although the focus of the article is about the use of gas...
Jim Cahill
- 24 Jan 2018
Reducing System Migration Risk for Refinery Blend and Tank Farm Operations

Regulatory bodies across the globe continue to impose stricter specifications for transportation fuels to reduce combustion byproducts. Emerson’s Murali Krishnan and Patrick Truesdale shared a story with me of an Asian refiner who needed to modernize its blend and tank farm operations to meet the sulfur-related regulations and other seasonal volatility specifications. For refiners, blending and their associated tank...
Jim Cahill
- 24 Jan 2018
Reducing System Migration Risk for Refinery Blend and Tank Farm Operations

Regulatory bodies across the globe continue to impose stricter specifications for transportation fuels to reduce combustion byproducts. Emerson’s Murali Krishnan and Patrick Truesdale shared a story with me of an Asian refiner who needed to modernize its blend and tank farm operations to meet the sulfur-related regulations and other seasonal volatility specifications. For refiners, blending and their associated tank...