October 2026

The October issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering opens with a detailed insight into recent disruptions across Middle Eastern oil markets from Contributing Editor, Nancy Yamaguchi. The issue then explores a number of key topics affecting the downstream sector, such as sulfur and gas processing, instrumentation and automation, flaring and emissions control, safety and cybersecurity, water management, and many more.

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

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Middle East: a tumultuous year
Nancy Yamaguchi, Contributing Editor, considers how recent conflict within the Middle East has disrupted global oil markets, and how producers and operators are considering alternative routes to get crude to market.

The renaissance of NRU technology – part 2
In the second of this two-part article, Matthew Watt, Chart Industries, discusses the different equipment used in cryogenic NRU facilities, alongside different process technology options operators can utilise to produce valuable side products in NRU processes.

Solving the challenge of mercaptans in condensate
Cyndie Fredrick, Merichem Technologies, discusses how operators can treat mercaptans in condensate streams to meet both product specifications and operational requirements.

Understanding two-stage sour water stripping
Ralph H. Weiland, G. Simon A. Weiland, and Prashanth Chandran, Optimized Gas Treating Inc., alongside Egbert van Hoorn, Hocon b.v., discuss a solution to some of the issues posed by conventional two-stage sour water stripping.

Sulfur as a global commodity
Alexander Wolf, IPCO, explains why successful sulfur projects depend on a combination of proven equipment, engineering expertise, and global operational support.

Adapting ageing assets
Edwin Blom, Integrated Global Services (IGS), discusses how operators can make better integrity decisions to optimise performance of ageing oil and gas assets.

Why flaring matters now
Matt Martin and Venkatesh Iyer, ClearSign Technologies, consider how the changing regulatory landscape is affecting the need for alternative flaring solutions.

Managing microbial populations
Isabella Igharo, Sterling Multi-Chem, and Paul Campbell, Aster Bio Inc., discuss how microbial community analysis can be used for early detection of microbial contamination and evaluation of biocide performance in cooling water systems.

Addressing risk, enhancing reliability
Lance Cox and Grace Wang, Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company, explore how real-time deposit monitoring can help refineries and petrochemical plants address variability in water quality.

Beyond the algorithm
Simon Rogers, KBC (A Yokogawa Company), evaluates how industrial AI can benefit refinery operations by strengthening engineering judgement through better information and deeper operational insight.

Autonomy is built from the ground up
As AI moves beyond prediction and into decision-making, operators face a new challenge. Success will depend less on the sophistication of the technology and more on the strength of the operational foundations beneath. Cody Falcon, ABB Energy Industries, explains.

Keeping energy moving
Suzanne Lemieux, American Petroleum Institute (API), explores the integral role cybersecurity plays as a critical layer of energy security, and how facilities across the oil and natural gas industry can ensure operations are protected.

Designing resilience
Ram Ramasamy, Siemens Digital Industries, charts how cybersecurity has evolved from an IT function into a core operational discipline that should be considered early in project lifecycles to ensure longevity for facilities.

Protecting the nerve centre
Stephanie Wilder, Hunter, USA, explains why critical electrical infrastructure demands a new safety strategy.

October 2026

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