Speakers:
Matt Correnti, Chevron USA Inc.
Matt Jones, Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
Jordan Palka, Chevron USA Inc.
Using Risk Based Inspection (RBI) as part of the unit asset strategy allows for optimized intervals for fixed equipment inspection and turnaround cycles. This opportunity must be balanced against both compliance and economic drivers to ensure the full financial benefits are realized. This session summarizes Hydroprocessing-specific damage mechanisms, lessons learned, and key equipment evaluations that should be considered when extending inspection and maintenance intervals.
A duo of strong storms that swept through the United States has temporarily disrupted domestic fuel markets, but effective responses by the private and public sectors have limited the fallout from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma for Americans who need fuel critical for commerce.
Fuel supply limitations resulting from the impact of hurricanes and other natural disasters on infrastructure, for example, can lead to price increases as the market reacts to rebalance supply and demand.
All eyes are on Hurricane Ian, which is expected to approach Florida’s west coast later Wednesday and into Thursday bringing high winds and massive amounts of rain. Although our nation’s refiners and petrochemical manufacturers do not have facilities in the affected region, we’d like to urge the people in the area to prepare for the storm and heed all evacuation notices. Florida residents can get critical preparedness and evacuation information here.
Visit AFPM’s Hurricane and Weather Event Resource Center for more information on steps being taken to ensure the safety of our members’ facilities, their employees and the communities that surround them.
In July 2024, Parkland Corporation achieved a significant milestone as the first Canadian refinery to produce and market Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through co-processing in a diesel hydrotreater (DHT). This accomplishment underscores the expertise and collaboration of our technical and operations teams, marking a pivotal step toward compliance with British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) requirements. SAF production has gained global attention, driven by regulatory mandates such as the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative and incentives like Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits, LCFS credits, and tax benefits under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While standalone SAF production remains capital-intensive and time-consuming, co-processing within existing units, like the DHT, offers a cost-effective and rapid deployment pathway. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of our SAF production run, during which we successfully produced ASTM-D1655-compliant SAF. It highlights operational challenges, key learnings, and recommendations for optimizing SAF production in a diesel hydrotreater. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of integrating SAF production into existing refining operations with minimal capital investment and rapid scalability. This achievement not only sets the foundation for future SAF production runs at Parkland but also contributes to the global push toward low-carbon aviation fuels. Attendees will gain valuable insights into operational strategies and lessons learned, making this case study a practical blueprint for refineries exploring co-processing as a pathway to decarbonization and regulatory compliance.
Fuel supply restrictions resulting from hurricanes and other natural disasters, often lead to price increases as the market reacts to rebalance supply and demand. To protect consumers, many states have enacted price gouging laws that limit a merchant’s ability to raise prices during an emergency.