Reducing power consumption — A way to increase production efficiency

The analysis of oil refining costs at Angarsk Petrochemical Company (PCC) indicates that the most important item is the cost of power. According to the operating results for 1998, power consumption accounted for 20.6% of total production costs. Translated fromKhimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel, No. 3, pp. 7–8, May–June, 2000.     

Natural gas matters: Changing estimates and today's low prices could cause bad policies

Gasoline prices are at something like an all-time high, and natural gas prices are at a ten-year low. What a tumultuous, but promising, time for US natural gas. An obvious implication of this massive price disparity is that anywhere natural gas can compete with oil or with oil-based energy pricing, many parties are eager to do so.     

Australia plans more production as gas prices soar

Australia is planning large increases in gas production. Output of both conventional natural gas and coal-bed methane (CBM) are set to soar as demand increases across the Asia/Pacific region. The latest plans for expansion look like offering their backers handsome returns as LNG spot prices in the region reach record levels. Despite all this, though, several schemes are finding it difficult to proceed as rapidly as planned.     

降低聚乙烯醇生产的甲醇消耗

分析了中国石化四川维尼纶厂聚乙烯醇(PVA)老装置扩能后随着新品的不断研发生产,产品中的甲醇消耗升高的原因,提出和采取解决措施,对装置进行相应技术改造和工艺优化后,取得了较好的效果,逐年降低了甲醇消耗。     

聚合物驱生产规律初步分析

研究聚合物驱的生产变化规律对其工业化推广应用意义重大。该文对聚合物驱无因次产液、无因次产油和含水变化作了定义 ,又在此基础上研究了聚合物驱无因次产油的变化及其影响因素 ,并通过分析胜利油区聚合物驱矿场生产过程 ,初步认识了聚合物驱矿场生产动态变化规律 ,以及不同注聚时机和见效阶段对聚合物驱产液量的要求。     

基于产生式规则系统的抽油泵故障诊断

以传统方法对有杆抽油泵系统进行故障诊断存在着很多缺陷,需要寻找可替代的诊断方法。基于人工智能领域中搜索推理技术的原理,分析了产生式规则系统的构架与工作机理。对示功图进行特征提取,将特征参数与抽油系统的抽汲参数、井况数据、故障代码、改进建议等存入总数据库。依据18种典型工况的示功图图谱,借助于领域知识与专家经验将计算所得的特征参数按各典型工况逐一比较匹配,制定推理机和产生式规则存入规则库,最终构造出产生式规则系统。从某油田随机抽取10口油井进行诊断测试,与利用BP神经网络的诊断结果对比表明,本文方法诊断结论正确,改进建议合理,该系统可在线运行,自适应性强,有助于提高采油效率、降低采油成本以及实现远程采油控制的自动化、智能化,建立数字油田。图6表3参13     

甲醛生产中降低甲醇单耗的讨论

对甲醛生产过程中的甲醇损耗进行分析,并对造成损耗的主要因素如副反应和转化不全等问题进行讨论。在总结损耗原因的基础上提出降低甲醇单耗的途径和措施。在近两年实施中取得较为明显的技术经济效果。     

炼油企业提高制氢装置产氢量的技术措施

为满足油品质量升级的要求,某炼油厂相继建设了汽油脱硫装置和柴油脱硫装置。而制氢装置的能力没有变化,因此炼油厂在油品升级后存在氢气缺口,为能够使制氢装置多产氢气,文中从装置实际生产出发通过指标控制、原料选择、设备优化等方面进行调整,提高了装置的氢气产量。     

Prices down, supplies down, prices back up

This section summarizes downstream developments of the previous month. Exploration & Production are covered in 'Upstream Review'.
WTI fell below $70/bbl in early June on reports that Iran was considering a proposal from the EU and the UN to resolve the dispute over Tehran's plans to develop nuclear power. Sellers took further encouragement from the news that the Iraqi leader of al-Qaida, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been killed. July WTI futures went down as far as $69.10/bbl. The euphoria proved to be short-lived. Within a short time, Iran announced that it was to resume the enrichment of uranium, whilst in Iraq, there was no sign whatever that the killing of one terrorist leader was going to bring about peace there. During the month of June, an estimated 1,500 people were killed in Baghdad alone. Attacks on road tankers caused the suspension of exports of heavy fuel oil, which is produced to excess by Iraq's refining industry. Lacking anywhere to store the surplus fuel oil, the government ordered what were described as 'large quantities' to be incinerated. The one piece of good news from Iraq was the reopening of the export pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan for the first time since January. Throughput was reported in late June at 325,000 bpd. Even here, though, the situation was not entirely without its troubles. The state marketing company, SOMO, received disappointing bids for the oil it was offering for sale at Ceyhan.