May 2026

This issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering opens with Contributing Editor Ng Weng Hoong’s examination of how developments in the Middle East are affecting oil markets across Asia and Australasia. The issue then explores a number of key topics affecting downstream operations today, such as gas treatment and analysers, sulfur, measurement, maintenance, digital technologies, pumps, turbomachinery, water management, and much more.

This month's front cover is brought to you by Optimized Gas Treating, Inc.

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Turbulence and turmoil
Ng Weng Hoong, Contributing Editor, considers how current turbulence in the Middle East could affect oil markets across Asia and Australasia.

Rethinking mechanical integrity
Bryan Clementson, MISTRAS Group, considers how managed mechanical integrity programmes can improve reliability while reducing costs across the hydrocarbon processing industry.

Extending service life
Andre Roodzant, Integrated Global Services (IGS), discusses practical life extension strategies for delayed coking drums.

Optimising pump selection and solutions
Francesca Rizzi, Trillium Flow Technologies, Italy, explores pump solutions to meet the challenges of the downstream oil and gas market, with particular focus on a refinery modernisation project in North Africa.

Expanding into LNG
Dr. Kevin Kaupert, Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group, UAE, describes LNG liquid cryogenic expanders, with an outlook towards increasing their refrigeration benefit using flow flashing.

Systems engineering for surge control – part 1
Attilio Brighenti, Christian Casonato, and Alessandro Mafolino, S.A.T.E. (Systems and Advanced Technologies Engineering S.r.l.u.), Italy, consider the side-effects of early design decisions.

Contamination control and compressor systems
Carl Hahn and Matt Thundyil, Transcend Solutions LLC (a CECO Environmental Company), examine how advanced coalescer design tackles compressor oil carryover to improve reliability, accuracy, and gas processing performance.

A new rate-based model for sulfur removal in liquid treaters – part 2
In the second part of this two-part article, Prashanth Chandran and Ralph H. Weiland, Optimized Gas Treating Inc., present case studies on the effect of solvent and equipment attributes.

Improving LNG safety and purity
Rhys Jenkins, Servomex, discusses how operators can best maximise safety, purity, and profitability across the whole LNG production value chain.

From platform to volume
Dr. Lars Hildebrandt, nanoplus, considers the importance of TDLAS gas detection systems for hydrocarbons in the mid-infrared spectral region.

Engineering trust
Ryan Cumpston and Jeff Wuenschell, AMETEK Process Instruments, discuss how operators can best ensure reliable moisture measurement in real-world natural gas operations.

Modernising water systems
Caroline Bird, Bachan Ramharack, and Tim Meeuwissen, Solenis, examine how cooling water programmes can drive water savings and improve operational reliability.

May 2026

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