On November 22, 1997, a frost ring that signified product leakage was discovered on the bottom center of a tank car that was being unloaded at the Georgia Gulf Corporation chemical plant in Pasadena, Texas. The tank car contained 29,054 gallons of a propylene/propane mixture, a liquefied flammable gas. The tank car had been purged with cryogenic nitrogen on October 17, about a month before the accident. No injuries or fatalities were reported as a result of the failure of the tank car. Georgia Gulf estimated that approximately 52 gallons of the cargo were released. The safety issues discussed in this report are the need to safeguard tank cars adequately when they are being purged with nitrogen and the use of engineering analyses of the properties of tank car steels in the development o industry-recommended procedures for the purging of tank cars with nitrogen. As a result of its investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board issued recommendations to the Compressed Gas Association, Inc., the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Association of American Railroads.

In the late 1890s, at the dawn of the automobile era, steam, gasoline, and electric cars all competed to become the dominant automotive technology. By the early 1900s, the battle was over and internal combustion had won. Was the electric car ever a viable competitor? What characteristics of late nineteenth-century American society led to the choice of internal combustion over its steam and electric competitors? And might not other factors, under slightly differing initial conditions, have led to the adoption of one of the other motive powers as the technological standard for the American automobile? David A. Kirsch examines the relationship of technology, society, and environment to choice, policy, and outcome in the history of American transportation. He takes the history of the Electric Vehicle Company as a starting point for a vision of an ""alternative" automotive system in which gasoline and electric vehicles would have each been used to supply different kinds of transport services. Kirsch examines both the support-and lack thereof-for electric vehicles by the electric utility industry. Turning to the history of the electric truck, he explores the demise of the idea that different forms of transportation technology might coexist, each in its own distinct sphere of service. A main argument throughout Kirsch's book is that technological superiority cannot be determined devoid of social context. In the case of the automobile, technological superiority ultimately was located in the hearts and minds of engineers, consumers and drivers; it was not programmed inexorably into the chemical bonds of a gallon of refined petroleum. Finally, Kirsch connects the historic choice of internal combustion over electricity to current debates about the social and environmental impacts of the automobile, the introduction of new hybrid vehicles, and the continuing evolution of the American transportation system.

Petroleum is not as easy to find as it used to be. In order to locate and develop reserves efficiently, it's vital that geologists and geophysicists understand the geological processes that affect a reservoir rock and the oil that is trapped within it. This book is about how and to what extent, these processes may be understood. The theme of the book is the characterization of fluids in sedimentary basins, understanding their interaction with each other and with rocks, and the application of this information to finding, developing and producing oil and gas. The first part of the book describes the techniques, and the second part relates real-life case histories covering a wide range of applications. Petroleum geology, particularly exploration, involves making the best of incomplete results. It is essentially an optimistic exercise. This book will remove some of the guesswork.
Brings together the most important geochemical methods in a single volume.
Authored by two well-respected researchers in the oil industry.
Real-life, international case histories.

A thorough introduction to environmental monitoring in the oil and gas industry Analytical Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry for Environmental Monitoring examines the analytical side of the oil and gas industry as it also provides an overall introduction to the industry. You'll discover how oil and natural gas are sourced, refined, and processed. You can learn about what's produced from oil and natural gas, and why evaluating these sourced resources is important. The book discusses the conventional analyses for oil and natural gas feeds, along with their limitations. It offers detailed descriptions of advanced analytical techniques that are commercially available, plus explanations of gas and oil industry equipment and instrumentation. You'll find technique descriptions supplemented with a list of references as well as with real-life application examples. With this book as a reference, you can prepare to apply specific analytical methods in your organization's lab environment. Analytical Techniques can also serve as your comprehensive resource on key techniques in the characterization of oil and gas samples, within both refinery and environmental contexts. Understand of the scope of oil and gas industry techniques available Consider the benefits and limitations of each available process Prepare for applying analytical techniques in your lab See real examples and a list of references for each technique Read descriptions of off-line analytics, as well as on-line and process applications As a chemist, engineer, instructor, or student, this book will also expand your awareness of the role these techniques have in environmental monitoring and environmental impact assessments.

For a country accustomed to counting its resources in millions, or even billions, the unit of measure is almost too small to be of interest. But during a lunch break one day, Robert E. Hardwicke asked of his colleagues in the Petroleum Administration for War why American oil is measured by the 42-gallon barrel and no other. Why not 30, 36, or an even 50? No one present had the answer, but a dozen years later, and after extensive research, Hardwicke produced the answer for himself and all others in and out of the oil industry.

This book is of more than ordinary significance, for it tends to consolidate, in interesting and easily understandable terms, the history and definitions, not only of the now-standard oil barrel but also of the units that make it up and the legal pitfalls connected with it. It is a story full of oil-drilling lore--about odd-sized barrels in wagons for transporting the newly discovered petroleum in Pennsylvania in 1859; about Benedict Hagan, who supplied many an empty whiskey barrel to the producers at Oil Run; about Nelly Bly, who is more redoubtable to the oil industry for having been the "mother of steel barrels" than for besting Phileas Fogg's time in circling the globe; about the scientific struggle for accuracy in gauging oil.

"The Oilman's Barrel" has important meaning for historians, metrologists, petroleum lawyers and executives, coopers, distillers, and the petroleum industry generally.

With the oil and gas industry facing new challenges-deeper offshore installations, more unconventional oil and gas transporting through pipelines, and refinery equipment processing these opportunity feedstocks--new corrosion challenges are appearing, and the oil and gas industry's infrastructure is only as good as the quality of protection provided and maintained. Essentials of Coating, Painting, and Linings for the Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industries is the first guide of its kind to directly deliver the necessary information to prevent and control corrosion for the components on the offshore rig, pipelines underground and petrochemical equipment. Written as a companion to Cathodic Corrosion Protection Systems, this must-have training tool supplies the oil and gas engineer, inspector and manager with the full picture of corrosion prevention methods specifically catered for oil and gas services. Packed with real world case studies, critical qualifications, inspection criteria, suggested procedure tests, and application methods, Essentials of Coating, Painting, and Linings for the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries is a required straightforward reference for any oil and gas engineer and manager.

There have been many books on the topic of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) over the last 100 years. They all, however, focus on how to recover more oil faster, taking a rather myopic approach. The solutions presented all work fantastically in theory and even in the laboratory, but each fails to produce results in the field with long-term success. The petroleum industry is almost resigned to the belief that for an EOR technique to be successful, it must be propped up with public funds or must compromise environmental integrity. In line with modern engineering practices, previous books discuss how existing technologies can be tweaked to accommodate for any shortcomings that just came to light. This book is unlike any other book on the topic of recovery in particular and engineering in general. This groundbreaking volume is a continuation of the author's and his research group's work that started publishing on the subject of global sustainability involving energy and the environment, dating back to early 2000s. Starting with a paradigm shift in engineering that involves a long-term focus, rather than looking for short-term solutions, the methods and theories presented here delve into applying green engineering and zero waste principles to EOR. Historically, EOR has received mixed success, mainly because innovations in these disciplines relied heavily on processed materials, which are both uneconomical and toxic to the environment. This book explains how engineers missed entirely the causes of unsustainability in these technologies due to the prevalence of many myths that are embedded in modern engineering. Once these myths are deconstructed, the appropriate technologies emerge and the merits of them both in terms of economic and environmental benefits become clear. The book reveals how previous practices in EOR can be replaced with their sustainable versions while saving in material costs. A number of innovative technologies are introduced that can render well known technologies, such as steam flood, in situ combustion, chemical flooding, and microbial EOR environmentally sustainable and economically attractive. A triple dividend is received once these technologies are applied in otherwise marginal reservoirs, unconventional plays and even abandoned formations. The overall reserve, which reflects recoverable oil with new technologies, goes up drastically. Further benefits are drawn when processes such as value addition of waste material is performed. Overall this book shows how EOR can be rendered green while increasing the profitability. This is in stark contrast to the past practices that considered environmental integrity as a drain on profitability. This book proves that a paradigm shift can turn a "technological disaster" into a technological marvel.

Some Members of Congress have expressed concern about storage and management of petroleum coke (petcoke) in their districts. Despite a lack of data on observed health impacts, local concerns have included potential human health and environmental impacts of fugitive dusts and runoff into waterways. Broader concerns have also been raised about the carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) emissions from petcoke combustion. This book discusses the petcoke issues, small refinery opportunities and provides a background on the industry.

It is a well-known fact that since the start of industrial crude oil extraction, some 150 years ago, the United States has consistently been the nation that consumes a greater proportion of the global production of that precious liquid fuel. What may be less obvious for many, nowadays, is that for most of that period the US was also the country with higher crude oil production. This handbook provides recent research on oil production.

This comprehensive professional reference has been fully revised and updated for the second edition. It is both a training tool and text covering all aspects of pipeline pumping and compression system design, configuration, and operation, in addition to the dynamic behavior of all the elements in each system. The authors provide practical solutions for achieving reliable operation of these systems. This book will serve as a useful guide for the design of liquid and gas pipeline transmissions, as well as a guide to various installation options. For practicing engineers in the pipeline and oil & gas industry, specifically those in involved with the design and operation of pumping and compression systems.

Reduction in refining activity in the Northeast, as reflected in recently announced plans to idle over 50% of the regional refining capacity, is likely to impact supplies of petroleum products. The transition period as supply sources shift could be problematic for Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), gasoline, and jet fuel supplies. Prolonged uncertainty over the coming months with regard to the disposition and operation of important logistical assets such as pipelines, ports and storage would compound adjustment challenges. Reduced short-term product supply flexibility due to longer delivery times and potential transportation bottlenecks for sources outside the region could also increase price volatility. This book explores potential developments of Northeast refinery reductions with a focus on alternative supply options; available pipeline capacity, implications for regional transportation fuels markets, heating oil supply and prices in the Northeast, and fuel security for the military.

The Definitive Guide to Petroleum Production Systems-Now Fully Updated With the Industry's Most Valuable New Techniques Petroleum Production Systems, Second Edition, is the comprehensive source for clear and fundamental methods for about modern petroleum production engineering practice. Written by four leading experts, it thoroughly introduces modern principles of petroleum production systems design and operation, fully considering the combined behavior of reservoirs, surface equipment, pipeline systems, and storage facilities. Long considered the definitive text for production engineers, this edition adds extensive new coverage of hydraulic fracturing, with emphasis on well productivity optimization. It presents new chapters on horizontal wells and well performance evaluation, including production data analysis and sand management. This edition features A structured approach spanning classical production engineering, well testing, production logging, artificial lift, and matrix and hydraulic fracture stimulation Revisions throughout to reflect recent innovations and extensive feedback from both students and colleagues Detailed coverage of modern best practices and their rationales Unconventional oil and gas well design Many new examples and problems Detailed data sets for three characteristic reservoir types: an undersaturated oil reservoir, a saturated oil reservoir, and a gas reservoir

Throughout the twentieth century, cities such as Houston, Galveston, New Orleans, and Mobile grappled with the safety hazards created by oil and gas industries as well as the role municipal governments should play in protecting the public from these threats. James B. McSwain's Petroleum and Public Safety reveals how officials in these cities created standards based on technical, scientific, and engineering knowledge to devise politically workable ordinances related to the storage and handling of fuel. Each of the cities studied in this volume struggled through protracted debates regarding the regulation of crude petroleum and fuel oil, sparked by the famous Spindletop strike of 1901 and the regional oil boom in the decades that followed. Municipal governments sought to ensure the safety of their citizens while still reaping lucrative economic benefits from local petroleum industry activities. Drawing on historical antecedents such as fire-protection engineering, the cities of the Gulf South came to adopt voluntary, consensual fire codes issued by insurance associations and standards organisations such as the National Board of Fire Underwriters, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Southern Standard Building Code Conference. The culmination of such efforts was the creation of the International Fire Code, an overarching fire-protection guide that is widely used in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. In devising ordinances, Gulf South officials pursued the politics of risk management, as they hammered out strategies to eliminate or mitigate the dangers associated with petroleum industries and to reduce the possible consequences of catastrophic oil explosions and fires. Using an array of original sources, including newspapers, municipal records, fire-insurance documents, and risk-management literature, McSwain demonstrates that Gulf South cities played a vital role in twentieth-century modernization.

The Standard Oil Company emerged out of obscurity in the 1860s to capture 90 percent of the petroleum refining industry in the United States during the Gilded Age. John D. Rockefeller, the company's founder, organized the company around an almost religious dedication to principles of efficiency. Economic success masked the dark side of efficiency as Standard Oil dumped oil waste into public waterways, filled the urban atmosphere with acrid smoke, and created a consumer safety crisis by selling kerosene below congressional standards. Local governments, guided by a desire to favor the interests of business, deployed elaborate engineering solutions to tackle petroleum pollution at taxpayer expense rather than heed public calls to abate waste streams at their source. Only when refinery pollutants threatened the health of the Great Lakes in the twentieth century did the federal government respond to a nascent environmental movement. Organized around the four classical elements at the core of Standard Oil's success (earth, air, fire, and water), Refining Nature provides an ecological context for the rise of one of the most important corporations in American history.

"The emphasis throughout is to link the fundamentals of the molecules through to the economic drivers for the industry, because this combination determines the technology used for processing."-From the Introduction The high demand for quality petroleum products necessitates ongoing innovation in the science and engineering underlying oilsands extraction and upgrading. Beginning with a thorough grounding in the composition, fluid properties, reaction behaviour, and economics of bitumen and heavy oil, Murray Gray then delves into current processing technologies, particularly those used at full commercial scale. The tables of data on composition, yield, and behaviour of oilsands bitumen and heavy oil fractions are extensive. Though the focus is on bitumen from Alberta's oilsands-the largest resource in the world-the science applies to upgrading of heavy oil and petroleum residue feeds worldwide. Upgrading Oilsands Bitumen and Heavy Oil lays out the current best practice for engineers and scientists in the oilsands and refining industries, government personnel, academics, and students.

Modeling and Simulation of Catalytic Reactors for Petroleum Refining deals with fundamental descriptions of the main conversion processes employed in the petroleum refining industry: catalytic hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, and fluid catalytic cracking. Common approaches for modeling of catalytic reactors for steady-state and dynamic simulations are also described and analyzed. Aspects such as thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, process variables, process scheme, and reactor design are discussed in detail from both research and commercial points of view. Results of simulation with the developed models are compared with those determined at pilot plant scale as well as commercial practice. Kinetics data used in the reactor model are either taken from the literature or obtained under controlled experiments at the laboratory.

A complete guide to petrochemicals production processes-fully revised to cover the latest advances Get all the information you need on petrochemical processes for major organic chemicals inside this industry-standard one-stop reference. Prepared by leading petrochemical licensing firms, Handbook of Petrochemicals Production Processes, Second Edition clearly explains the powerful techniques used to create the most economically important chemicals in the world. The book offers cutting-edge production methods along with detailed product properties. You will discover how to effectively evaluate licensable processes for new production through the comparison of technologies, environmental factors, and economics. Coverage includes: *General process descriptions, feed definitions, product yields, and simplified flow diagrams *Process chemistries and thermodynamics *Commercial process perspectives, including plant locations and long-term plans *Process details, with flow diagrams and mass and energy balances for major process variations *Feeds and details on unique and key equipment *Brand-new details on gas to petrochemical conversion, biomass to petrochemical conversion, and bisphonal A (BPA)

Trade magazines and review articles describe MWD in casual terms, e.g., positive versus negative pulsers, continuous wave systems, drilling channel noise and attenuation, in very simple terms absent of technical rigor. However, few truly scientific discussions are available on existing methods, let alone the advances necessary for high-data-rate telemetry. Without a strong foundation building on solid acoustic principles, rigorous mathematics, and of course, fast, inexpensive and efficient testing of mechanical designs, low data rates will impose unacceptable quality issues to real-time formation evaluation for years to come. This all-new revised second edition of an instant classic promises to change all of this. The lead author and M.I.T.-educated scientist, Wilson Chin, has written the only book available that develops mud pulse telemetry from first principles, adapting sound acoustic principles to rigorous signal processing and efficient wind tunnel testing. In fact, the methods and telemetry principles developed in the book were recently adopted by one of the world's largest industrial corporations in its mission to redefine the face of MWD. The entire engineering history for continuous wave telemetry is covered: anecdotal stories and their fallacies, original hardware problems and their solutions, different noise mechanisms and their signal processing solutions, apparent paradoxes encountered in field tests and simple explanations to complicated questions, and so on, are discussed in complete "tell all" detail for students, research professors and professional engineers alike. These include signal processing algorithms, signal enhancement methods, and highly efficient "short" and "long wind tunnel" test methods, whose results can be dynamically re-scaled to real muds flowing at any speed. A must read for all petroleum engineering professionals!