Refining Nature

Refining Nature
Author: Jon Wlasiuk
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2018-03-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 0822983249

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.

Fundamentals of Petroleum Refining

Fundamentals of Petroleum Refining
Author: Mohamed A. Fahim
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 513
Release: 2009-11-19
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0080931561

Fundamentals of Petroleum Refining presents the fundamentals of thermodynamics and kinetics, and it explains the scientific background essential for understanding refinery operations. The text also provides a detailed introduction to refinery engineering topics, ranging from the basic principles and unit operations to overall refinery economics. The book covers important topics, such as clean fuels, gasification, biofuels, and environmental impact of refining, which are not commonly discussed in most refinery textbooks. Throughout the source, problem sets and examples are given to help the reader practice and apply the fundamental principles of refining. Chapters 1-10 can be used as core materials for teaching undergraduate courses. The first two chapters present an introduction to the petroleum refining industry and then focus on feedstocks and products. Thermophysical properties of crude oils and petroleum fractions, including processes of atmospheric and vacuum distillations, are discussed in Chapters 3 and 4. Conversion processes, product blending, and alkylation are covered in chapters 5-10. The remaining chapters discuss hydrogen production, clean fuel production, refining economics and safety, acid gas treatment and removal, and methods for environmental and effluent treatments. This source can serve both professionals and students (on undergraduate and graduate levels) of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Chemistry, and Chemical Technology. Beginners in the engineering field, specifically in the oil and gas industry, may also find this book invaluable. - Provides balanced coverage of fundamental and operational topics - Includes spreadsheets and process simulators for showing trends and simulation case studies - Relates processing to planning and management to give an integrated picture of refining

Oil in the Sea III

Oil in the Sea III
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2003-03-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309084385

Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.

The Environment of Oil

The Environment of Oil
Author: R.J. Gilbert
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 328
Release: 1992-12-31
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Oil is the lifeblood of the global economy, and its misuse carries the risk of heavy economic and environmental penalties. This book is a collection of essays bearing on economic growth and environmental concerns for a world that will continue to be dependent on oil throughout the next century. Topics include the outlook for petroleum demand and supply, the potential for alternatives to a petroleum-based economy, the costs of controlling automobile emissions, the environmental costs of moving oil by tanker and pipeline, and competition issues in the production and distribution of petroleum products. The wide range of topics reflects the many different ways in which petroleum and use affect the quality of our lives. The essays are the end results of an initiative by the University of California Energy Institute and reflect careful research into the costs and benefits of the petroleum economy. Together, they offer new insights into the critical task of living with oil, for today and for the future.

Hydroprocessing of Heavy Oils and Residua

Hydroprocessing of Heavy Oils and Residua
Author: Jorge Ancheyta
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2007-05-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1420007432

Many oil refineries employ hydroprocessing for removing sulfur and other impurities from petroleum feedstocks. Capable of handling heavier feedstocks than other refining techniques, hydroprocessing enables refineries to produce higher quality products from unconventional- and formerly wasted- sources. Hydroprocessing of Heavy Oils and Residua

Mitigating Environmental Impact of Petroleum Lubricants

Mitigating Environmental Impact of Petroleum Lubricants
Author: Ignatio Madanhire
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2016-06-09
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319313584

This book explores effective environmental impact mitigation for petroleum-based lubricants to reduce their negative persistence during usage and upon end-of-life disposal. The book reviews the basic tribology of lubricants as well as initiatives that may enhance the environmental and economic effectiveness of lubricating oils from the composition design perspective across industries. Considering the blending, application, and disposal of petroleum lubricants in a holistic manner, the book presents and extends current best practices that minimize or eliminate adverse environmental impact throughout the product’s life cycle. The book reviews methods including: raw material substitution, minimizing oil losses during and after manufacturing, raw material and energy consumption reduction, and environmentally friendly applications of oil disposal as ways forward for cleaner and more effective production. This book provides readers with strategies for incorporating cleaner production practices into their operations – a benefit to both environmental legal compliance and business competitiveness – all the while preserving the environment for sustainable development. The book is therefore of interest to both manufacturers and consumers in the lubricants industry.

Environmental Regulation

Environmental Regulation
Author: John F. McEldowney
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014
Genre: Environmental law
ISBN: 9780857938206

Featuring an original introduction by the editors, this important collection of essays explores the main issues surrounding the regulation of the environment. The expert contributors illustrate that regulating the environment in the UK is conceptually complex, involves a diverse range of institutions, techniques and methodologies and crosses geographical and national boundaries. In the USA it is more formalised, juridical, adversarial and formally dependent upon legal rules. The articles highlight the fact that despite differences in the UK and the USA's regulatory styles, environmental regulation today has much in common with both traditions.