In 2016, world gas reserves were increased by 0.9 per cent, driven by the US, Nigeria and Iraq, and world gas production was increased by 0.7 per cent, driven mainly by new Australian LNG plants, according to Eni’s second volume of the world oil and gas review

Managing petrochemical plants requires monitoring a variety of complex processes

Preventing accidents is a key concern, as well as ensuring that no product is lost and that the highest quality is maintained. The level and flow instrumentation used to monitor these processes often makes a significant impact on plant efficiency and safety.

Magnetrol^® produces a wide range of level and flow instrumentation that can be used in petrochemical plants. This blog post shares the stories of two plants that improved their petrochemical production and better monitored their facilities by using Magnetrol products.

Case Study #1

One of the world’s largest oil and gas and petrochemical companies was having problems with multiphase applications involving hydrocarbon level with water bottoms and gas vapor space. Guided-wave radar (GWR) technology was introduced to monitor these applications. However, the GWR devices selected did not produce a reliable signal throughout the measurement range, and the dynamics of the interface made it difficult to distinguish between the upper level and the water below. There was a threat of loss of primary containment (LOPC) due to these measurement errors.

Magnetrol pioneered GWR technology for level measurement and its latest device, the Eclipse^® Model 706, is considered the highest performing GWR level transmitter on the market. The Eclipse Model 706 was tested side-by-side with multiple GWR competitors for both top level and interface measurements and it was proven to be best-in-class. The Eclipse 706 tracked level up to the device’s flanged process connection, above 100 per cent level, with no dead zones or blind spots at the top of the probe. It prevented LOPC by tracking the top hydrocarbon level through the vapor space and also measured the interface (water bottom) due to the superior signal strength. In summary, it was the only device tested that could produce reliable measurements with a completely dry probe, a probe having only one of the two process media present, and under varying interface conditions.

Case Study #2

An oil and gas and petrochemical company in China required nitrogen tank blanketing for their flammable liquid containment. Monitoring the nitrogen was essential to account for leakage and verify flow going into the vapor space of the tanks. Due to the number of tanks, the gas flow was monitored to find the right balance between the necessary nitrogen usage and potential cost savings. 

Magnetrol recommended its Thermatel® TA2 thermal mass flow meters to monitor the nitrogen for tank blanketing. The meters came fully calibrated and configured so the company could simply install them and power up. Thermatel TA2 flow meters are very effective in extreme low gas pressures, such as in tank blanketing applications. In addition, total cost of ownership was reduced with calibration verification procedures that could be performed in the field. Since calibrations can cost tens of thousands of dollars and cause process downtime or loss of measurement, this saved money and increased efficiency for the company.

Magnetrol offers numerous level and flow solutions for ethylene applications, including petrochemical production. To learn more about the products we offer and how they can help increase the efficiency and safety of petrochemical plants, download Magnetrols ethylene brochure.

After a tough four years, new research by recruiter NES Global Talent and oilandgasjobsearch.com shows that for the first time since 2014, the oil and gas industry expects more new jobs to be created than lost over the next 12 months

Since the price of oil drop in 2014, it is estimated that more than 440,000 jobs have been cut in the oil and gas sector worldwide. However, with the price of oil having stabilised since July 2017, new research by recruiter NES Global Talent and oilandgasjobsearch.com shows that almost 90 per cent of employers expect staffing levels to either increase or remain the same in 2018.

The survey shows that in total almost 60 per cent of employers expects to recruit significantly over the next 12 months. Of those almost a quarter (23 per cent) of employers expect to increase their workforce by 5 per cent; 19 per cent expect to increase staffing by between 5 and 10 per cent; and 17 per cent by more than 10 per cent.

Almost a third (30 per cent) of employers expect staffing levels to remain the same and just 11 per cent of employers expect to cut jobs.

In total NES Global Talent and oilandgasjobsearch.com surveyed more than 3,000 employers and almost 7,000 workers as part of their Oil and Gas Outlook 2017 report.

Tig Gilliam, CEO of NES Global Talent, said: “Globally we are now increasingly confident that the market supports increased investment in the energy sector.  Energy companies with the support of their partners have right-sized their organisations for the current levels of activity.  With a stabilised price environment and lower cost profile, more and more assets offer attractive returns on investment and operations.  This increasing activity is leading the higher performing companies to refocus on recruiting quality people to lead and deliver value.”

“While this activity is being led by a sharp increase in investment in U.S. shale, there has also been an uptick in capital projects being approved which will positively impact the industry across all regions. With our own staff operating in over 60 countries, the increasingly positive tone of our clients and contractors is a welcome signal of the turnaround in the market and the participants in this survey echo that sentiment.”

Occidental Oman and Gulf Intelligence have teamed up to recognise Omani and Oman-based postgraduates for their achievements in the field of energy