Oil Refining
The following are units within the oil refining industry that clients frequently call on HRI to maintain, inspect, replace, or repair in extreme conditions and/or scheduled maintenance periods.
Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit
The cat cracker is the heart of a refining facility. If the cat cracker isn’t in operation, production and income for the plant essentially grind to a halt.
When flue gas lines running from the FCCU crack or rupture, they can blow catalyst out at temperatures in excess of 1100 to 1400 degrees, which would normally be cause to shut the unit down for repairs – except when HRI repairs the unit. HRI technicians can perform inspections (including NDT ultrasound testing) on lines and vessel walls, as well as make unit repairs, while the cat cracker remains operational. Our technicians have developed repair procedures that maintain the integrity of the parent material, and they will design a detail repair plan that keeps the parent material integrity of your unit in focus.
Blinds
The extreme temperatures of gases running through pipes and flue gas lines to and from units such as CO Boilers or PRTs can make repairs to a particular unit problematic. When gas lines don’t have shutoff features independent of the unit needing repair, HRI can provide a cost-efficient alternative to shutting the unit completely down for maintenance.
HRI technicians can isolate hot equipment while it’s operational by installing blinds in connecting lines. While the unit’s still running, HRI can cut apart the line, insert a blind, weld a flange onto the line (if needed), bolt the line back together, and then make regular online repairs to the adjoining unit. After unit repairs are complete, HRI can remove the blind. HRI has inserted and removed blinds in a variety of settings, from 10-foot diameter lines with 1,000-degree materials flowing through them down to lines as small as 4 inches.
We can install and remove blinds pre- and post- turnaround to reduce the amount of time needed for unit repairs during turnarounds and to improve the critical path for repairs. After turnarounds, when all equipment is back online and reheated, HRI can hydraulically torque flange studs if needed.
Fin Fans
Routine maintenance and inspections are also available for fin fans if needed.
Skin Casings
When crude oil heaters, boilers, furnaces and similar units develop holes or cracks in their exterior, noxious and high-temperature gases such as CO, sulfer, and H2S pose a considerable safety risk to workers in the immediate area. HRI technicians can repair external ruptures on these units while they are in full operation, so your workers can reenter the area as quickly as possible and experience no drop in operation during the repair period.
Other Areas
• Waste heat coolers
• Expansion joints
• Heaters
• Burner changeouts
