Electrical Reliability Practices
Maintenance
Moderator:
Bill Clark, Phillips 66
Speaker:
Jim Payne, Phillips 66
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Topic
Moderator:
Bill Clark, Phillips 66
Speaker:
Jim Payne, Phillips 66
Experiences with New Chemical Additives in Refinery Operations
Crude, Coking
The intention of the presentation is to share a brief explanation of the Coker operation, how the antifoam is used to control foaming, and the results of a trial in North America using a Low Silicon Antifoam to reduce impact in Hydroprocessing Units & optimize costs.
We will include some information around the questions for the MOC process when the new innovative chemistry is selected and a helpful tool to control foam height at the switch vs true coke outage for reliability purposes.
A trial of the new chemistry was run in several refineries in LA and NA with good results: a reduction of 30-40% of Silicon content in Naphtha and Kero because of the antifoam injection during the Coking cycle. Refiners changed to the new chemistry; savings in the expense costs are expected as chemical usage was reduced vs previous formula with a good control of foaming.
During this presentation, we’ll cover why upstream and midstream use H2S scavengers and to a lesser extent, mercaptan scavenging chemistries. Then, we’ll delve into the different families of scavenger chemistries that can be used and the pros and cons of each, including potential impacts on downstream assets.
Moderator:
Graylon Williams, Nalco Energy Services
Topic 1. Low Silica Anti-foam in Coker Units
Speaker:
Adrian Azpilicueta, Nalco Water
Topic 2. H2S and Mercaptan Scavenger Contamination of Crude Oils
Speaker:
Rich Tereba, Baker Hughes
Session Start End
-
Topic
PFAS Regulatory Update and Strategies
Environmental, Crude, Coking
This presentation will explore the implications of EPA's CERCLA and RCRA designations for PFAS in refineries, focusing on the impact to Marathon. Veolia and Marathon will co-present mitigation strategies, from treatment and disposal to non-PFAS alternatives, with real-world examples of proactive solutions. The presentation will highlight the importance of collaboration in adapting to evolving environmental regulations and maintaining operational resilience.
Moderators:
Greg Cantley, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Sylvain Fontaine, Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions
Jeff Gunnulfsen, AFPM
Speakers:
John Bigham, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Todd Kato, Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions
Session Start End
-
Topic
The Journey: Transforming Reliability Outcomes Through Technology and Maintenance Practices
Lessons Learned, Maintenance
In an era of rapid technological advancement, achieving positive reliability outcomes requires a strategic blend of innovation and foundational maintenance practices. This presentation explores how organizations can harness emerging technologies to enhance awareness and enable early anomaly detection. By integrating data-driven insights with proven maintenance strategies, companies can improve operational reliability and efficiency. Through an open discussion, we will explore the real-world challenges and opportunities that arise when merging traditional maintenance with cutting-edge technology.
The session is designed as an introductory-level discussion that highlights the value of combining traditional hands-on maintenance practices with modern monitoring tools to support a more comprehensive and reliable approach to decision-making. Together we aim to uncover practical strategies for building a resilient, future-ready maintenance culture. Participants will be encouraged to share experiences and insights on navigating common pitfalls—such as over-reliance on digital tools, integration complexities, and maintaining a balance between automation and human expertise.
Moderator:
Dean Roberts, Ergon Refining, Inc.
Speakers:
Jaxson O'Brien, CHS Inc.
Mark Sannes, Flint Hills Resources, LLC
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Topic
Contractor Panel: Attracting and Keeping Young Engineers in Hard Crafts — Pt. 1
Maintenance
Facilitator:
Andy Woods, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
Speakers:
Jim Griffin, San Jacinto College
Ferril Onyett, BrandSafway
Brian Novicki, Valero Energy Corporation
Will the energy industry have enough operating and design & construction personnel to operate and maintain existing assets and build and operate the infrastructure planned for the future? How can we address the changing needs of the generation about to enter the workforce? Are companies adopting and implementing advanced technologies to enhance safety, quality, and efficiency on each jobsite?
The panel, consisting of owners, EPCs, academia, and construction workforce training and development experts, will discuss how we can develop, engage, train and sustain enough personnel to meet the projected energy and infrastructure needs across the country.
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Topic
Crude/Coking Q&A — Pt. 1
Crude, Coking
Review and answer submitted questions with a select panel of experts questions regarding crudes/coking.
Moderators:
Hector Gamboa-Arizpe, CITGO Petroleum Corporation
Jacob Young, Petroval S.A.
Panelists:
Mark Cox, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Gary Gianzon, Becht
Kamur Bantwal Rama, HF Sinclair Corporation
Graylon Williams, Nalco Energy Services
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Contractor Panel: Attracting and Keeping Young Engineers in Hard Crafts — Pt. 2
Maintenance
Facilitator:
Andy Woods, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
Speakers:
Jim Griffin, San Jacinto College
Ferril Onyett, BrandSafway
Brian Novicki, Valero Energy Corporation
Will the energy industry have enough operating and design & construction personnel to operate and maintain existing assets and build and operate the infrastructure planned for the future? How can we address the changing needs of the generation about to enter the workforce? Are companies adopting and implementing advanced technologies to enhance safety, quality, and efficiency on each jobsite?
The panel, consisting of owners, EPCs, academia, and construction workforce training and development experts, will discuss how we can develop, engage, train and sustain enough personnel to meet the projected energy and infrastructure needs across the country.
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Topic
Crude/Coking Q&A — Pt. 2
Crude, Coking
Review and answer submitted questions with a select panel of experts questions regarding crudes/coking.
Moderator:
Hector Gamboa-Arizpe, CITGO Petroleum Corporation
Jacob Young, Petroval S.A.
Speakers:
Mark Cox, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Gary Gianzon, Becht
Kumar Bantwal Rama, HF Sinclair Corporation
Graylon WIlliams, Nalco Energy Services
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Digital Service for Crude Blending and Desalter Operation Using Field-Deployed Handheld NIR Spectrometer
Crude
Facilitator:
Sam Lordo, Becht
Speaker:
Graylon Williams, Nalco Water
Refineries have increased focus on processing unfamiliar opportunity crude oils to improve profitability. However, the introduction of these new crude slates brings uncertainties that can impact refinery operations. One major challenge is crude incompatibility due to asphaltene instability, which affects desalters, emulsion stability, preheat trains and furnace fouling.
For decades, the industry has recognized the importance of tracking asphaltene stability. Suppliers and refineries employ diverse equipment to assess feeds stability including benchtop microscopy and titration equipment. Unfortunately, those methods can require time-consuming offsite laboratory testing.
Now, utilizing a portable, handheld near-infrared (NIR) analyzer, crude oil tanks and other refinery feeds can be assessed for stability and blending suitability with near instantaneous results. NIR spectra from crude oil samples are collected and compared against a database of crudes and crude unit feeds with known asphaltene stability parameters. Asphaltene stability parameters are modeled and reported with a stability assessment.
In the presentation, we will delve into the fundamentals of these available tools, showcasing real-world case studies where they have been successfully applied for crude blends and crude pretreatment to improve and optimize desalter operations and crude preheat train fouling.
Speakers
Session Start End
-
Topic