iKet: turning catalyst intelligence into faster refinery decisions

For decades, Ketjen has invested in research, development and technical services to improve product chemistry, solve complex challenges, and help maximise refinery profitability. Now, Ketjen is applying its extensive catalyst and refinery expertise to help refiners make informed decisions in days, not weeks or months later.

Refinery teams generate vast amounts of operating and catalyst data every day. Yet critical catalyst decisions often depend on periodic reviews, manual data preparation, and the availability of individual experts. By the time information is collected, cleaned, and analysed, the operating window for taking action may already have narrowed or closed. Even if the data is present in a historian or on a dashboard, FCC and HPC unit engineers may not have the knowledge required to make optimal decisions, as many of engineers have a few years of experience.

Ketjen’s iKet™ is designed to change that. Developed through the Ketjen-Imubit partnership, iKet connects refinery operating data with Ketjen’s catalyst expertise, process models, and in some cases artificial intelligence. The result is a connected, collaborative approach to catalyst management and unit optimisation that helps refinery teams identify anomalies earlier, make better-supported decisions, and protect/improve operating margin.

From periodic reviews to connected intelligence

iKet securely connects process and catalyst data from FCC and HPC units with Ketjen’s analytical capabilities. Automated data transfer reduces the need for manual exports and enables Ketjen specialists and refinery teams to work from fresher, shared information in a collaborative environment.

Reports, alerts, and potential actions are delivered through the iKet portal, giving users a consolidated view of catalyst performance and insights via Ketjen advisory models, as well as quick access to certificates of analysis, lab results, reports, and other information. Ketjen models and Imubit AI support anomaly detection and data-driven recommendations.

Refinery engineers are able to see not just what they should do, but understand the why, with the ability to validate alternative scenarios and objectives.

For refinery leaders, this connected approach offers five important advantages:

• Earlier visibility: anomalies can be flagged as they occur rather than waiting for the next scheduled review.
• More productive engineering time: less manual data handling allows process engineers to focus on optimisation.
• Continuous monitoring: connected FCC and HPC units can be monitored on an ongoing basis, either through daily average data or even live data in start-up or troubleshooting scenarios.
• A unified view: performance data, reports, recommendations, and commercial information are accessible in one collaborative environment.
• Improved data driven decisions: when refinery teams and technical service experts see the same information sooner, recommendations can be discussed and validated while there is still time to act.

Protecting margin by identifying issues sooner

The value of connected intelligence becomes clear when operating conditions begin to drift. In one instance, a hydrogen purity drifted off spec, but it was not identified until months later during a periodic review. Unfortunately, a catalyst change had already been locked in. A separate refiner experienced a hydrogen pressure slip during a catalyst load, which was also not identified until months later, cutting the cycle short. iKet could have surfaced these conditions much sooner, creating time for refinery teams to respond.

These examples illustrate the commercial opportunity of shortening the gap between the first sign of an issue and the refinery’s response. Results vary by unit and operating context, but these kinds of issues have been validated to have cost upwards of US$13 million. Understanding the optimal FCC catalyst addition rate for the current feed and operating objectives can result in similar improvements over time.

Secure, controlled, and scalable

Data governance is central to the iKet approach. Refiners retain ownership of their data and control what is shared, how frequently it is shared, and how it may be used. We can connect via Imubit streaming, SEEQ to SEEQ, and SFTP transfer, making it easy to share data with Ketjen without the need for a new IT process and without interfering with refinery operations.

Adoption can also be phased. A refinery may begin by establishing a secure data connection. From there, it can progress to faster catalyst decisions, shared optimisation, and, where use cases are demonstrated, AI-enabled open-loop optimisation. Each stage is intended to provide value while establishing the foundation for the next.

iKet brings together hundreds of years of cumulative refinery experience in FCC and HPC units with the data and digital capabilities needed to act sooner. For refinery leaders seeking higher visibility, more efficient technical support, and stronger margin protection, iKet offers a practical path from periodic analysis to connected catalyst intelligence.

For more information please visit Ketjen.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/special-reports/07102026/iket-turning-catalyst-intelligence-into-faster-refinery-decisions/