Search results

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a fuzzy hybrid approach for ranking the flare gas recovery methods and allocating to refineries.

The proposed approach is containing four stages: in the first stage, experts' assessment is applied to identify relevant criteria and sub-criteria in the evaluation of flare gas recovery methods. In the second stage, the corresponding weights of criteria and sub-criteria are determined via fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation (DEMATEL)-analytical network process (ANP) (DANP) method. In the third stage, the flare gas recovery methods are ranked using fuzzy weighted aggregated sum product assessment method (WASPAS) multi-criteria decision-making (MADM) technique. In the fourth stage, an optimization model is developed to allocate gas recovery methods to refineries while maximizing the total utility of allocations based on model constraints.

According to the results of fuzzy DANP method, technical and operational criterion was the most important followed by economic, political, managerial and environmental criteria. With respect to sub-criteria, international sanctions and political stability were the most important. The results of fuzzy WASPAS method indicated that gas injection was the first ranked alternative. Finally, the mathematical modeling allocated the recovery methods to five refineries of South Pars gas field in Iran based on budget and time constraints.

The proposed approach provides a systematic tool in the selection of flare recovery methods and allocation to refineries. This approach uses a new combination of fuzzy DEMATEL-ANP (DANP) method, fuzzy WASPAS method and mathematical programming. The approach is effectively implemented in a case study for ranking the flare gas recovery methods and allocating to refineries of South Pars gas field in Iran.

While the petroleum industry remains to be the main source of energy in the world, it is responsible for a large amount of resource consumption, environmental emission and safety issues. In this industry, most of the refinery equipment are running out of their designed life cycle, leading to many challenges regarding equipment reliability, products quality, organizations’ profitability, human resources safety and job satisfaction, and environmental pollution, which affects not only the human resources of the refinery but also the people who live in the vicinity. This study aims to model and simulate the maintenance system of an oil refinery to reduce the rotating equipment’s downtime while simultaneously considering the three pillars of sustainability.

Considering the complexity of the system and its inherent dynamism, System Dynamics (SD) approach is applied to model and simulate the maintenance system of an oil refinery, aiming at reducing equipment’s downtime considering the three pillars of sustainability simultaneously. As a case study, the maintenance system of rotating equipment in the Abadan oil refinery of Iran is investigated.

Individual policies are investigated and categorized into three main groups: economic, social and environmental. The dynamic nature of the system demonstrates that applying combinations of the policies would be more effective than performing individual ones or even a combination of all policies at the same time. The findings show that to manage the maintenance and reliability issues in complex industries, only operational level maintenance strategies would not be helpful; rather, a holistic strategic solution counting different suppliers or even the government policies supporting the operational level maintenance decisions would be effective.

This study is the first which brings the perspective of sustainable policy-making in the SD modeling of a complex maintenance system like that of the petroleum industry. The developed model considers economic, environmental and social objectives simultaneously. Besides, it reflects the role of different stakeholders in the system. Furthermore, the policy-making attempt is not limited to the operational level corrective and maintenance solutions; instead, a comprehensive, holistic view is applied.

The aim of this study is to assess the role of CO₂ capture and storage (CCS) technologies in the reduction of CO₂ emissions from European industries.

A database covering all industrial installations included in the EU ETS has been created. Potential capture sources have been identified and the potential for CO₂ capture has been estimated based on branch‐ and plant‐specific conditions. Emphasis is placed here on three branches of industry with promising prospects for CCS: mineral oil refineries, iron and steel, and cement manufacturers.

A relatively small number (∼270) of large installations (>500,000 tCO₂/year) dominates emissions from the three branches investigated in this study. Together these installations emit 432 MtCO₂/year, 8 percent of EU's total greenhouse gas emissions. If the full potential of emerging CO₂ capture technologies was realized, some 270‐330 MtCO₂ emissions could be avoided annually. Further, several regions have been singled out as particularly suitable to facilitate integrated CO₂ transport networks. The most promising prospects for an early deployment of CCS are found in the regions bordering the North Sea.

Replacement/retrofitting of the existing plant stock will involve large investments and deployment will take time. It is thus important to consider how the current industry structure influences the potential to reduce CO₂ in the short‐ medium and long term. It is concluded that the age structure of the existing industry plant stock and its implications for the timing and deployment rate of CO₂ capture and other mitigation measures are important and should therefore be further investigated.

CCS has been recognized as a key option for reducing CO₂ emissions within the EU. This assessment shows that considerable emission reductions could be achieved by targeting large point sources in some of the most emission‐intensive industries. Yet, a number of challenges need to be resolved in all parts of the CCS chain. Efforts need to be intensified from all stakeholders to gain more experience with the technological, economical and social aspects of CCS.

This study provides a first estimate of the potential role for CO₂ capture technologies in lowering CO₂ emissions from European heavy industry. By considering wider system aspects as well as plant‐specific conditions the assessment made in this study gives a realistic overview of the prospects and practical limitations of CCS in EU industry.

Flying J was a family-owned company that operated travel plazas, oil refineries, a bank for trucking companies, and other related businesses. In early 2009, Crystal Call Maggelet, the majority shareholder and new CEO of Flying J, was tasked with saving the company founded by her father in 1968. In the intervening forty years Flying J had grown from four gas stations to a vertically integrated $18 billion company. Declining crude oil prices, decreased cash reserves, and multiple internal challenges forced most Flying J subsidiaries to file for bankruptcy protection. This came as a surprise to the company's lenders, suppliers, customers, and employees, who did not know the company was in trouble until it was unable to meet payroll just days before Christmas 2008.

Maggelet was determined not only to return her family's company to profitability but also to repay all of Flying J's debts, retain as many of the firm's 12,000 employees as possible, and avoid compromising employees' savings (e.g., 401K retirement accounts). All of the company's advisors told her it could not be done. They thought a more likely outcome would be paying creditors nine cents on every dollar owed. If that happened, Maggelet's family's holdings would be almost entirely wiped out according to the “priority of claims” rules in bankruptcy, and the family would end up with only 1.2 percent of a restructured Flying J.

However, to the surprise of its advisors and creditors, Flying J paid its debts in full, mostly by cutting operating costs before selling assets. The family was left with a smaller, but still very profitable company.

After students have analyzed the case they will be able to:

• Determine governance issues in family-owned businesses

• Identify the pursuit of growth as a typical cause of bankruptcy

• Understand why cash flow accounting is more important than GAAP accounting

• Grasp how huge variations can occur when calculating enterprise valuations of distressed businesses

• Understand the differences among law, governance, and ethics

Determine governance issues in family-owned businesses

Identify the pursuit of growth as a typical cause of bankruptcy

Understand why cash flow accounting is more important than GAAP accounting

Grasp how huge variations can occur when calculating enterprise valuations of distressed businesses

Understand the differences among law, governance, and ethics

In this chapter, characteristic of the fuel and energy sector of Republic of Belarus; its organizational structure; the current state of development of power, gas, peat, and oil industries are given. The energy balance of the country and the main power streams is analyzed. Characteristic of key indicators of energy security is presented. The main threats connected with ensuring energy security of Republic of Belarus are allocated. In particular, the characteristic of the directions of reducing the energy dependence of the Republic of Belarus on the supply of natural gas from the Russian Federation is presented. Dynamics of power consumption of GDP is analyzed. Potential of use of renewable and local energy resources, complexity and prospect of their further integration into the Belarusian power system are considered. The prospects of development of nuclear power of Republic of Belarus are described. The advantages and disadvantages connected with input of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in operation are designated. The perspective directions of sustainable power development of Republic of Belarus till 2035 are revealed.

This paper presents a method for estimating the macro‐economic cost of a firm‐level information system disruption within a supply chain.

The authors combine field study estimates with a Leontief‐based input‐output model to estimate the macro‐economic costs of a targeted internet outage that disrupts the supply chain.

The authors find that supply chain vulnerability or resiliency to cyber disruptions is not necessarily dependent on the types of technology employed, but rather how the technology is used to enable supply chain processes and the type of attack experienced. The authors find that some supply chains like oil and gas could be significantly impacted by certain cyber disruptions. However, similar to other causes of supply chain disruptions such as labor disputes or natural disasters, the authors find that firms can be very resilient to cyber disruptions.

The validity of the approach is limited by the accuracy of parameters gathered through field studies and the resolution of government economic data.

Managers should examine how information technology is used to enable their supply chain processes and develop capabilities that provide resilience to failures. Lean supply chains that focus on minimizing inventory may be more vulnerable to major information system failures unless they take special steps to build resilience.

This paper provides a new approach to estimating economic vulnerability due to supply chain information failures.

This paper reviews the potential uses of sanitary landfill biogas, and the possibility of harnessing biogas from the Bellville South Municipal Landfill (within the City of Cape Town, South Africa), as primary energy. This paper will focus on a specific landfill site as a case study. The theoretical research involves investigating aspects on the gas extraction and application possibilities for the site. Thereafter, two industrial gas usage scenarios located within the study area are examined in order to quantify the potential energy production and carbon emissions benefits. The gross energy production from the landfill’s biogas is estimated to be 520 × 10⁶ MJ annually, whilst 262 × 10⁶ and 527 ×10⁹ litres of carbon savings for two different industrial applications are theoretically achievable. On the basis of this analysis, conclusions are drawn regarding the potential for harnessing of the gas in relation to the case study and elsewhere.

This paper aims to study the minimizing of energy consumption in air cooled-heat exchanger through a convenient control system. Thus, the performance of a given air cooler has been considered in different weather conditions for both ideal and non ideal operations.

The minimum number of fans in service has been calculated and used for the study and assessment of a proper controlling system with the purpose of energy saving in air coolers. On-Off controlling has been compared to variable speed drivers controlling to determine a feasible method for the process control of this cooling equipment.

Economical parameters show that installing variable speed drivers could be rational, as the payback period, the net present values of investment and the internal rate of return are completely persuading. The internal rate of return (IRR) for installation of variable speed driver (VSD) controls is 69 per cent. According to the results, there is a possibility of 0.45 and 0.33 MWh energy consumption reduction for VSD control under ideal and non-ideal conditions and consequently reduces annually 318 and 237 ton equivalent CO₂.

Air cooled heat exchangers are used as one of the energy consumption equipment in most plants, but before the emergence of serious problems, not enough attention was given to their operation.

Prodorite Ltd., of Wednesbury, Staffs., have been established in the chemical engineering field for over 30 years. During that period they have extended their range of products to cover almost all corrosive conditions.

This study aims to examine human-made oil–gas disasters to illustrate how a prescriptive model could be developed. Resilience to human-made disasters, such as oil or gas spills, can be improved by using prescriptive models developed by analyzing past behavior. This type of study is useful for urban planning and monitoring, as there is a higher probability of human triggered disasters in densely populated areas.

This study examined 10 years of more than 1,000 oil–gas disasters that were caused by humans in the upstate New York area to illustrate how a prescriptive model could be developed.

A statistically significant predictive model was developed that indicated humans in certain industry categories were approximately six times more likely to have an oil–gas accident resulting in environmental pollution.

A prescriptive environmental protection model based on human accident behavior would generalize to all levels of government for policy planning, and it would be relevant to environmental protection groups in any region with a large population of humans using oil and gas (that covers most countries on earth).

The empirical risk management literature was reviewed to identify factors related to environmental accident prediction with the goal of developing an explanatory model that would fit the oil–gas human accident data.