-
Posts
1188 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Reputation
4450 Surly 10%About PTINS
Recent Profile Visitors
The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.
-
The Makhachkala Refinery is located on the Caspian Sea, which is landlocked, and looks to be primarily for making fuel and loading the Caspian waterborne traffic, like a big gas station. The capacity is ~ 20,000 BPD, well below the top 25 refineries over 100,000 BPD, averaging ~ 220,000 BPD. (I didn't know it even existed.) However, it is unique in being situated on the Caspian; there does not appear to be any similar facility on the Caspian anywhere else, including Russia and Iran. If Makhachkata is offline, the gas station is closed, and you'll have to find your products elsewhere. Iran was probably getting refined oil products from Russia, but those may have been been curtailed in recent months. Not sure what else Russia can give to Iran that has any value (food?), or that Russia doesn't need (weapons). They damn sure don't need crude oil. It is noteworthy that Ukraine is getting towards the bottom of the list for refinery targets. It has to be comforting to shoot at targets with a heat signature that can be seen from space. Most of the refineries and almost all of the gas plants I've been to were in remote locations, as stand alone facilities. Most US gas processing plants migrated to purchase power to facilitate environmental permitting and compliance with regulations, and limiting their emissions as much as practical. If you don't mind, where is your facility? No company name, please.
-
Fred had me when he talked about playing OU; "They better have their head gear strapped on tight!'" I think this needs to be the staple of the offense, to get Arch in motion, by design, and away from a "pocket" that looks more like a jail break. I would think in HS he threw on the run a lot and is more comfortable when he's moving, by choice.
-
The Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant is the biggest power generating station in the north-western region of the united energy system of Russia. Smolensk NPP has an outer appearance similar to that of Chernobyl NPP units 3-4, as both are later generation RBMKs. (Hint: Smolensk does not have a Sarcophagus over one of the reactors.) The three RBMK-1000 reactors of Smolensk NPP were commissioned in 1982-1990 (First Criticality for each unit Unit 1: September 10, 1982; Unit 2: April 9, 1985; Unit 3: December 29, 1989, with grid connection shortly thereafter).[4] The reactors of Smolensk NPP are the improved versions of RBMK with a number of innovative safety systems As you would expect, there is a very large substation near the plant, less than 1/2 mile from the reactor buildings, separated by a water canal. Ukraine looks like they are dialed in to the point they can hit specific towers. But Ukraine needs to stay the fuck away from the nukes!!! I know I joked about "Aim small. miss small" and "This man can hit us any time he wants", but damn. Zelensky showing off his big brass balls to "the Donald." Hmmm? Is that why Trump doesn't like Zelensky? Trump can't take Zelensky balls deep like he can Putin. FYI, most refineries generate their own power for a couple of reasons; they need the low pressure steam and waste heat in the process areas to heat the bottom of the towers, and more important, generated power is more reliable than purchased power.
-
New favorite video: (notice how high the flames get before there is any sign of black smoke (incomplete combustion)) Rosneft Novokuybishev Refinery "Circular error probability zero. Impact with high-order detonation. Have a nice day." Very Good article, worth the time: Inside Ukraine's drone campaign to blitz Russia’s energy industry "You don’t have the cards,” Donald Trump famously told Volodymyr Zelenskiy during their Oval Office showdown in February as he dismissed Ukraine’s capabilities in the war against Russia. As the two leaders prepare to meet in the White House again, Ukraine’s military remains on the back foot — but it has shown it has at least one potent play to hit the enemy where it hurts: long-range drone strikes on Russia’s crucial energy industry. Last month, Zelenskiy described the attacks on the oil sector, which funds and fuels Moscow’s war effort, as “the sanctions that work the fastest”. Ukraine has launched at least 58 attacks on key Russian energy sites since the start of August, sending drones as far as about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) into Russian territory to bomb refineries, pumping stations, storage depots and export terminals, according to data compiled by UK-based non-profit group Open Source Centre (OSC). Drone strikes at various refineries knocked out around 17% of Russia’s refining capacity in mid-August, or 1.2 million barrels per day, which rose to 21%, or 1.4 million barrels per day, by the end of that month, according to Reuters calculations." Reuter's is saying 1.4 million BPD by the end of August. I would think it is ~ 30% by now, ~ 2 MM BPD.
-
That's a good question, for which I don't really have an answer. After thinking and writing what is below, I think the electricity is the answer. That seems like the one thing that affects both the war effort and the social elites. China, North Korea and Iran aren't sending any extra electric power to Russia. The main value of Russian Oil & Gas is export value, the cash and currency that drives their economy. Yes, they need the refineries and finished products, but having money always works, especially when you don't make and sell anything else. They can always buy gasoline and diesel if they have money. Queue Willie, "Turn out the lights The party's over They say that all Good things must end..." My reasoning for the above. Does Russia lose the war because of socialites in Moscow and St. Petersburg are upset, or because the conscripts & criminals on the front limes don't have food, fuel or ammunition? Common sense would say the war effort, but I don't think that is right. Russia has ~ 25 refineries over a 100,000 bbl/day capacity, all of which have been hit repeatedly, other than the 3 located in far eastern Russia. Extrapolating Ukraine's success the past 2-3 months for another 3-6 months would seem to be enough to deprive Russia of transportation fuel in a meaningful way, which means some things quit moving. Taking what I know of the US, and applying it to Russia is folly. The US is all about supply & logistics, and that isn't Russia. The US energy infrastructure is much different than Russia. Our nationwide distribution system is much more pipeline oriented and very little rail. Capitalism, and a free market system with profit opportunity drives a lot of private investment, which means infrastructure anywhere and everywhere. Soviet Russia seemed to be a giant support system for Moscow, with everybody else getting the bare minimum of support and infrastructure. One thing I've notice is most of the energy infrastructure buildings have blue roofs. I assume everything that is blue that isnt energy related is from the graft and corruption in Russia. Google tells me Russian rail is dependent primarily on electricity. Electrified rail moves the food and the oil products. Ukraine has increased strikes on electrical substations, and to a lesser degree power generation plants. It seems the targeting those type facilities has been more discreet and not the wholesale destruction of the power grid, for many reasons. Fuck 'em!!! Deprive the Russian urbanites of electricity, warm food and light, and bring the effects of war to their day to day lives.
-
I believe that Trump has crossed into the zone formerly occupied by Biden in the last few months of his presidency. Ukraine needs to keep doing what they have done the past few months. No, I do not.
-
Full disclosure, I love seeing Russian shit go boom in the night. But, having spent my professional career working in and around gas processing plants, where the marvels of technology showcase the simplicity of Newtonian physics, where everything around you is a hazard and safety is preached every day, all day, until it becomes your way of life, it is with mixed emotions that I share my thoughts here. The people that work here don't carry guns, they carry pictures of their kids. "Russia says overnight Ukrainian drone attack targets gas facility in Orenburg region Governor says fire broke out at a workshop of partially damaged facility, adds no casualties reported" - Burc Eruygur 19.10.2025 Nor was it a just a "workshop fire." I can't even write that without laughing out loud!!! You all have been very patient with me as I drone on (you like that ?) about hitting specific targets rather than simply lobbing grenades over the fence. A gas plant has nothing but large pressure vessels full of high pressure natural gas and Natural Gas Liquids. And massive gas plants with a series of "trains" of multiple process vessels, heat exchangers, pumps and compressors, and separators and condensers, ... My screenshot of the Orenberg Gas Plant. I have highlighted in red the tall Red & White striped smokestacks you see in the photos and the video in the OP. The video is shot from the road to the south, ~ 3/4 mile from where the actual fire is. I have highlighted what I call "Process Towers" in yellow, which is where most of the intense fire is, between the smokestacks. It would appear that massive fireball envelopes most of the process towers. The roar of the fire in the video is the expansion of high pressure gas at sonic velocity, depressuring rapidly from 1,000 PSI to atmospheric pressure, and to make it really exciting, igniting and burning. The heat from a truck fire will melt everything but the wheels and the drive shaft. This fire, with a constant fuel source, won't leave much of anything. Just for fun, crank the sound on the video of the fire up to 10, 11 if you have it. This is from a cell phone 3/4's of a mile from the fire. The Orenburg Gas Plant is one of the largest in the world, 2nd to the massive Empress Plant in Alberta, CA, (maybe something in Qatar?). This plant is 4 times larger than anything in the Lower 48 of the US, processing gas from the Orenburg region of Russia, as well as gas produced from the Karachaganak oil and gas fields in neighboring Kazakhstan. The gas processed at the plant is the two extremes of natural gas; (i) Gas with any helium content is very valuable (used to be ~100x the price of natural gas) and usually becomes government property and has a processing plant built just to extract the helium, and (ii) the other side of the equation, gas with extremely high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), mercaptan sulfur and carbon dioxide (CO2), "acid gases", which are lethal after 1 breath at these levels. The commercial spec on natural gas pipelines is 4 parts per million (ppm); some of this gas has 6.8 % H2S, 68,000 ppm. This is a case where you isolate the fuel source, and let the fire burn itself out. Even then, the products of combustion include sulfuric acid and carbon acid, among other things. You always want to be upwind of these plants. 2 good links below: Ukrainian drones ignite one of Russia’s largest gas plants 1,200+ km from front lines ORENBURG GAS CHEMICAL COMPLEX Some Gas Plant porn: The 7 "smokestacks" are easily identifiable, and the multiple flares can be seen, where the "off gases" are burned in a controlled manner. In the photo below, as you look at the smokestacks, the various process towers can be see in the foreground and to the right. Gas processing towers are not as big and tall as refinery towers, as more of them operate at higher pressures, up to 1,000 PSI, and some of them operate at temperatures as low as - 170 °F. The roadway in the OP video would be to the right in this picture, with most everything in front of the 4 smokestacks within the fireball. Nice shot of a mushroom cloud against the backdrop of a much larger fire, probably a smaller pressure vessel having a "BLEVE", a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. It occurs when a container holding a pressurized liquid, like propane or other industrial gases, is heated to a point where the internal pressure becomes too great for the vessel to withstand (the boiling liquid vaporizes at a higher rate than the capacity of the relief valve). This causes the container to rupture, and the liquid flashes into a large vapor cloud, resulting in a powerful explosion and, if the contents are flammable, a massive fireball.
-
From Euromaidan Press - (me thinks Surly has a new subscriber) Analysis of two months of deep strikes explains what Ukraine really targets at Russian oil refineries Analysis of two months of deep strikes explains what Ukraine really targets at Russian oil refineries. The study reveals a deliberate focus on refinery processing units, whose loss cripples output far more than visible explosions do. by Yuri Zoria, 15/10/2025 - 7 minute read (not a 30 minute Youtube video, ha ha!!!) Ukraine’s two-month strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure wasn’t random — it followed a deliberate pattern. In a detailed analysis for Mezha, Vadym Hlushko, founder of the OSINT group Cyberboroshno, reveals exactly what Ukrainian forces targeted inside Russia’s refineries — and why each strike mattered more than its explosion. Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia is concentrating its strategic bombing campaign on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, seeking to deprive civilians of power and heating ahead of winter. At the same time, Ukraine is in the third month of renewed long-range drone strikes against Russia’s fuel processing and transportation systems — including refineries and pipelines — aiming to disrupt military fuel logistics and reduce export revenues sustaining Moscow’s war effort. Summer campaign marks sharp shift from earlier restraint From spring into early summer 2025, Ukrainian forces largely avoided striking Russia's energy sector. Between 20 March and 30 June, Cyberboroshno documented 19 confirmed hits on Russian defense plants and 5 on military sites, but none on energy targets. This restraint may have stemmed from diplomatic pressure or what was described as an “energy truce,” while the focus shifted to Russia's military-industrial facilities. The effect of those earlier strikes on defense factories was limited. Ukraine’s long-range weapons achieved some success, but without a large supply of heavy warheads, they could not inflict decisive damage on Russia’s military industry. That dynamic shifted when Russia renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid this summer. In response, Ukrainian long-range drone units reactivated their own campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated at the time that Ukraine could now launch 100 to 150 drones into Russia daily. While that figure still trails Russia’s output, the effects are growing more visible. BBC verify counts 21 russian oil refineries hit since — already 48% more than all 2024 A record 14 refineries were hit in Russia in August and another 8 in September, sparking fuel shortages in many Russian regions. Map showing reported Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries across the country, including multiple hits on major facilities. Data confirms growing strike rate and clear targeting logic Cyberboroshno analyzed only confirmed attacks — verified through satellite images or on-site videos — excluding unverified media reports. Between August and September 2025, 30 attacks on Russian energy infrastructure were confirmed. Of these, 23 were successful, 2 failed, and 5 had undetermined results. That translates into roughly three confirmed successful strikes per week. For comparison, from January to March 2025, there were 2.1 confirmed energy infrastructure hits weekly. Ukraine has not only maintained the strike pace but increased it compared to earlier phases. The increased tempo reflects a more concentrated strategy. Instead of hitting warehouses or logistics centers, Ukraine focused its strikes specifically on energy infrastructure. Ukrainian drones hit refinery heart: AVT units and pipeline chokepoints According to the analysis, most confirmed successful strikes — nine in total — targeted atmospheric vacuum distillation units (AVT). These are essential for primary crude oil processing. Damaging them can halt a refinery’s production entirely. Atmospheric-vacuum distillation units (ELOU-AVT series) are the most critical and most frequently targeted installations. They perform the initial distillation of crude oil, feeding the rest of the production chain. When one is disabled, the refinery’s main operation stops. ELOU-AVT-1 – Novokuybyshevsky refinery (1 August) ELOU-AVT-4 – Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat (18 September) ELOU-AVT-6 – Saratov refinery (10 August), Syzran refinery (15 August), Kirishi refinery (14 September), Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat (24 September) ELOU-AVT-11 – Novokuybyshevsky refinery (20 September) AVT (unspecified model) – Krasnodar refinery (30 August), Syzran refinery (15 August) primary oil refining unit AT-22/4 – Afipsky refinery (26 September) The second most frequent targets were technological overpasses — fuel pipeline systems inside the facilities. Five successful hits were recorded, four at refineries and one at a pumping station. These overpasses are critical for internal oil transport between installations. Even partial damage can disrupt entire production chains. Saratov refinery (10 August) Volgograd refinery (14 August, two overpasses) Syzran refinery (15 August) Bashneft-Novoil (13 September) NPS “Vtorovo” (7 September) Third came natural gas fractionation and gas-condensate processing units, with four confirmed hits, and an attack on the natural gas processing plant. These systems are vital for producing liquefied gas and petrochemical products — essential for domestic consumption and exports. Ilsky refinery – gas fractionation unit (7 September) Gazprom Ust-Luga Gas Condensate Complex – cryogenic gas fractionation unit (24 August) Afipsky refinery – joint gas and condensate processing unit (7 and 28 August) Astrakhan gas processing plant – production line (22 September) Ukrainian drones also hit five pumping and dispatcher stations of Russia's oil pipelines. These facilities are central to major pipeline systems. Damaging them can halt crude oil delivery over hundreds of kilometers, affecting both domestic logistics and exports. Unecha – pumping station and transfer zone (13 and 22 August) LPS “Nikolskoye” – substation (18 August) LPS “Naytovichi” – pumping station (29 August) LPS “Samara” – pumping and reservoir installation (20 September) NPS “Zenzavatka” – control station (24 September) NPS “Tingovatovo” – unspecified damage (27 September) Not all explosions signal success Not every attack yielded significant results, as confirmed in two prominent examples. One involved the Ukhta refinery. Media reported explosions, air raid sirens, and a damaged tank, but no fire or critical damage followed. The only confirmed impact was a punctured tank that did not ignite. In another case, video showed a blast near the Saratov refinery. Later, it turned out the drone had hit a nearby lake rather than the facility itself. These examples underscore the need for careful post-strike assessment. As the analysis points out, a dramatic video alone does not guarantee the enemy suffered meaningful losses. Supply disruptions ripple across Russian regions Even some successful strikes brought only short-term effects. Damage to infrastructure tied to the Druzhba pipeline, for example, interrupted Russian fuel supplies to Hungary for only a few days before Russia restored operations. However, many attacks did cause production and logistics disruptions. Russian open sources, reviewed by Cyberboroshno, reported fuel shortages in 33 out of 83 Russian federal subjects. These issues are now affecting consumers nationwide. The timing of Ukraine’s campaign may have amplified its effect. The strikes coincided with peak fuel demand, as farmers require significantly more diesel during the harvest season. However, analysts suggest the Russian military is unlikely to face shortages — the armed forces are likely prioritized, while civilian sectors and exporters absorb most of the impact. ft american intelligence helped ukraine attack over dozen key russian oil refineries since midsummer · post fire rises ilsky refinery following ukrainian drone strike 7 2025 telegram/supernova+ krasnodar krai news Nevertheless, the campaign puts economic pressure on Moscow. Oil and petroleum products reportedly make up roughly 30% of Russia’s budget revenues. Early numbers still misleading — true impact assessment will take time: the campaign continues into October Determining the exact percentage of destroyed oil processing capacity remains difficult. Early in 2024, some reports claimed Ukraine had knocked out 14% of Russian refining capacity. By year-end, Russia had recovered some plants and increased output at surviving facilities. The actual annual decline was just 3%. Now, during the current campaign, various sources report different and sometimes contradictory figures. The Russian outlet RBC claimed 38% of refinery capacity was offline, two-thirds due to Ukrainian strikes. Kommersant reported a 20% fuel shortage and a production drop of 1 million tons in September. Cyberbotoshno notes that Ukraine’s campaign continues and conclusions remain premature. In the first half of October, Ukraine has already hit more Russian fuel facilities. * Ukraine struck more Russian oil refineries, including the facilities in Yaroslavl Oblast more than 700 km from Ukraine, Leningrad Oblast, facilities in Bashkortostan and Orenbug Oblast both 1,400 km away, and other processing plants. * Several attacks targeted the Feodosiia maritime oil terminal in occupied Crimea, causing massive fires. * Another target was a natural gas processing plant in Volgograd Oblast. In its October assessment, the International Energy Agency says Ukrainian drone strikes have cut Russia’s refining output by 500,000 barrels per day and will keep processing rates low until at least mid‑2026 — a forecast that does not include the impact of future strikes from Ukraine’s ongoing deep-strike campaign. My comments: IMO, I think the overall impact on Russian refining capacity is more than the 500,000 BPD going around. Just some of the photos of the burning towers indicate that the main process units were damaged/destroyed. Some of those process towers had individual capacities of ~ 100,000 BPD. I just don't see that Russia has the skilled labor necessary to rebuild any of that any time soon. Anybody that wasn't working on a full time basis was probably conscripted and sent to Ukraine a long time ago. To rebuild refinery process units, there are probably 30-50 types of different craftsman required, each requiring unique skill sets that come from years of experience. "If you don't have the time to do it right the first time, when will you have the time to come and fix it?" I remember the days of 24-36 week delivery times on large equipment items (over a year on large gas turbines) that were critical path items on the project completion schedule, and the shenanigans of other companies trying to "buy" your stuff or jump ahead of what was already on the assembly line. (I myself did not participate in those shenanigans, I just used my insight and ingenuity to get what I was entitled to.) That was from normal supply and demand, not trying replace something intentionally damaged in a war zone.
-
Thanks for the post. We were both writing at the same time! I went back this morning and looked at the recent Ukraine targets. Refineries, pump stations and oil terminals, ammunition plants and storage depots, power plants and electrical substations, critical manufacturing plants (some single source) in the supply chain. The cumulative effect on the Russian supply chain, economy and the capacity to make war has to be staggering. Plotting these on a map, and it's like ... Tomahawks cruise missiles would be a nice add, but Ukraine is fucking dunking on Russia every time they get the ball. Part of me says keep it up and fucking kick their ass back to the 19th century. The sad reality is that Russia will attack schools, hospitals and apartment buildings until somebody makes them stop. When this ends, the free world will be standing in line to help rebuild Ukraine, with nobody willing to walk across the street to piss on a Russian fire. Maybe a massive shower of cruise missiles would do the trick.
-
Updated photo of Feodosia Terminal, Crimea Orange - Attacks prior to August 2025 Red - Attacks last week (early October) Blue - Attacks this week Satellite Photo I think Ukraine is dragging their 'nads showing their capabilities of the systematic destruction of Russian infrastructure. "Satellite images confirm 11 fuel tanks destroyed at Crimean oil terminal after Ukrainian strikes A key fuel supply hub for Russian forces in Crimea has lost 11 storage tanks to Ukrainian strikes this month, with several more tanks unlikely to be restored to operation. by Maria Tril, 18/10/2025 Radio Liberty's Russian service has released satellite imagery documenting extensive damage to the oil depot in Feodosia, occupied Crimea, following Ukrainian strikes on the facility. Ukraine's drone strikes focus on Russian military airbases, manufacturing facilities, oil refineries, and energy infrastructure. According to military analysts, these operations aim to disrupt Russia's fuel supplies and inflict economic pressure. Attacks on oil refineries have hit approximately 38-40% of Russia's refining capacity, damaging production of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel, which has led to shortages and price increases within Russia. The images show 11 fuel storage tanks completely destroyed as a result of Ukrainian attacks on the site, according to Radio Liberty. Several other damaged tanks are unlikely to be recoverable. Ukrainian forces struck the Marine Oil Terminal facilities in Feodosia on 6 October. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine described it as "a multifunctional technological complex for transshipment of oil and petroleum products from railway tank cars to sea vessels and back, as well as to road transport, which is involved in supplying the occupying army of the Russian Federation." The massive fire that erupted following the Ukrainian strike could not be extinguished for more than two days, Radio Liberty reports. On 13 October, Ukrainian military forces struck the Feodosia oil depot again. The result of two Ukrainian strikes on 7 October and 13 – 11 completely destroyed fuel tanks, several damaged and unlikely to be recoverable, according to the reports. The first Ukrainian strike on the oil terminal in October 2024 destroyed or fatally damaged 14 tanks at the hub that supplied fuel and lubricants to the Russian army in occupied Crimea. A Pantsir air defense system installed at the refinery in 2022 failed to prevent any of the three Ukrainian attacks."
-
There are 3 Bashnet Refineries in the Ufa area, Ufa (160,000 BPD), Ufaneftekhim (190,000 BPD, and Novoil (120,000 BPD), with the 3 totaling 470,000 BPD of capacity, and covering over 4,600 acres, or ~ 7 square miles. In Austin, TX, the area between Mopac and I-35, and 38th Street to Town Lake is ~ 3,700 acres. The total refining capacity here is comparable to Highway 225 in Deer Park, or along I-10 in Lake Charles. In the screenshot photo in the OP, you can see a lot of green open space within the refineries. That is not common to the few US Refineries I have been to. With so many different pieces of equipment in the refinery, and as spread out as they are, it is very difficult to tell what exactly was hit, but one thing they all have in common is everything makes big fireballs with thick black smoke. .and I updated my listing of the Russia Refineries over 100,000 BPD, showing the individual process units that have been targeted and/or damaged. In most cases, i think if the large pressure vessel itself was damaged, it is basically a total loss, which would probably take a year to replace, and require a labor force of 500-1,000+ people. Some of these individual towers are 10+ feet in diameter, 100+ feel tall, and refine 100,000+ BPD, or a tank truck full of gasoline every 2-3 minutes. Just to replace the vessel may take 6 months, with another 6-12 months to replace all the other related equipment. As so many of there are linear processes, and interruption in the chain is important, but not necessarily critical. DIesel is a relatively dirty fuel compared to Jet fuel or gasoline, but at the end of the day any "off-spec" fuel would probably work okay with a smallish degradation in performance. I'm betting the Russia and US refining standards would never be confused with each other. I think early in the campaign, Ukraine was content with the equivalent of lobbing grenades over the fence and hoping something blew up. In the past 6 months, they started identifying by name and number the process units they targeted and/or hit, which is indicative of better targeting intelligence, and better weapons and technology. One can infer from the vessel numbers that their multiple units that have similar functions, with the newer versions being bigger and better versions of the older ones. The concept of a "refinery capacity" is kind of a nebulous term, as it is probably the capacity of everything there, when there is a low probability that it all operates at the same time. A lot of the equipment would be an either or operation, but not both. That makes determining the degree to which refining capacity has been reduced not much better than an educated guess. Most equipment operates better at higher rates. Most of the refining equipment are static process vessels with fluids moving in and between them the only "moving parts." The motors driving pumps and fans are relatively simple machines that are basically on or off, with not a lot of difference between operating at 50% load v. 90% load. The most critical thing is the predictive and preventative maintenance on the dynamic pieces. In a higher demand/price environment, the equipment usually operates near the capacity, and even the best companies are prone to delay scheduled maintenance until prices normalize. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. The concept of "run to fail" usually works like it sounds. Please note that delaying maintenance is not the same as compromising safety. Though I don't think maintenance or safety are very important in Russian facilities these days, or if they ever were. Gas processing is similar to oil refining, but gas is much different than oil. One big pump can move a lot of oil. It takes a bunch of really big compressors to move a lot of gas, either large gas turbines with complex and expensive rotating assemblies, or reciprocating compressors that by their nature, are machines that require constant maintenance. Most companies have learned that regular maintenance means regular maintenance.
-
My screenshot; Red icons and the Red polygon in the middle are pre October strikes. The Red icons within the Blue polygon were the Oct 6 strikes. The Blue polygon is from the FIRMS shot in the quoted post. It appears they hit everything on the easy side of the terminal, including the rail loading/unloading facilities. I believe Ukraine has chosen not to target the 3 large tanks on the west side of the property, because they are large, and very close to civilian infrastructure adjacent to the terminal. Should have called me. I put out a diesel fire, at fire school, in a 6'x6' pan ~ 6 " deep, with a dry powder extinguisher. The protocol w/ oil & gas fires, cut off the fuel source, control the fire, and then assess. your options. Burning gas (vapor, natural gas, not gasoline) in a controlled environment is preferable to a large gas plume continuing to vent and grow, looking for an ignition source, that vaporizes everything within the plume. Most big gas fires, like the one next to Walmart in Pasadena, you isolate the fire and let it burn itself out. Most liquid fires, try to put out the fire, and clean up the mess. From the FIRMS data, it appears that most of the facility is burning, which probably includes the fire water system, is compromised and/or to hot to get access to. My first guess is that the terminal if fed by rail rather than pipelines. That would be a long, and expensive, underwater pipeline (don't think they would put it on the Kerch Bridge), and given the Russia love for trains, i expect that is that they use. Similar Dynamic Ronald Reagan used to crush the Soviet Union. Make Russia spend their capital $$$ trying to make a competing (mythical) "Star Wars" defense system, and crush their revenue stream by enticing the Saudi's and friends to flood the oil market. It worked, but the collateral damage to the domestic Oil & Gas Industry was irreversible. Who is gone since then? Mobil, Amoco, Texaco, Arco, Cities Service, Kerr-Mcgee, Occidental, Tenneco. And when the oil price is destroyed, Exxon, Chevron, and Conoco go with it. Conoco is already reducing staff by 25%. (Not really, they will survive and scarf up all the smaller guys that are not integrated (do not make and sell refined products). Today, oil dropped below $59/bbl. Wall Street will force the integrated oil companies (Big Oil) to divest of assets at fire sale prices, again. There are 3 big oil producers; The Saudi's, the US, and Russia. Kicking 2 of the 3 in the nuts is a bold strategy. It will make Greta happy. To be clear. This is the right move. Crush Russia's ability to make war, and they will have to stop. But I put my Good Will Hunting hat on and look down the road a piece, and it looks kind of bumpy. Full disclosure, I went to an estate sell this weekend. Lot of Conoco paraphernalia; he was a gas processing engineer. I saw some personal items, asked around, it turns out I knew the guy. I bought a copy Conoco's 125th Anniversary book, still wrapped in plastic. I've posted pictures of Candi Loving from Ponca City, OK. Conoco's first big well was a lease from the Ponca Native Americans and Chief White Eagle. We lived on White Eagle Lane in Katy. "I remember White Eagle standing near the derrick of the first well when it blew in with a terrific roar. He told me in sign language that I was making "bad medicine, for him, his people, and myself." Whatever the Oil & Gas industry may be, there is a legacy of ingenuity, an unending passion and pioneer spirit, and a romantic ideal of living life on the edge, oscillating between good and bad, and rich and poor. I find it interesting that for me, this board, your posts, and the insights and life experiences that you all share, is all because of Ukraine and their people; they have pulled all of us in, as they personify that romantic ideal and ingenuity and spirit that I thought was a long, tall tale from yesteryear. Yep, dad was a jet engine mechanic and we always lived close to the planes (B-52's) and the flight line. The 12,000 ft runways ware always a choice target. We always did the drills; the older we got, the more funny they seemed. You realized when it happens it happens and there is nothing you can do about it, so ... don't worry and enjoy life. I may not be normal, but I don't care.
-
"AI Overview The Rocket and Space Industry Research Center in Peresvet is the Scientific and Testing Center of the Rocket and Space Industry (NITs RKP), a key facility for Russia's space corporation, Roscosmos. Key facts about the center: Purpose: The facility is a critical hub for the testing and validation of Russian rocket engines, propulsion systems, and spacecraft before launch. History: The test center was established after a 1948 government decree ordered the construction of a rocket test station. It was built in a wooded area with deep ravines, which provided a natural flame trench for testing rocket engines. Past projects: The facility was used for testing major components of the new Angara rocket family in the late 2000s, including test firings of the URM-1 rocket booster." "The Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific Research Center of the Russian Space Agency (FKP NIC RKP) reports a release of Heptyl, an extremely toxic and poisonous rocket fuel." I found this picture on Google Earth: That's a big mo-fo. Accident or Intentional?
-
Thanks guys. I forgot I already knew this. One of earliest memories as a toddler/youngling was touching a radiator in an Air Force hospital. Only happened once. I imagine every refinery has a distillation column similar to this. Additional columns may include operating at a vacuum to enhance separation, or use a catalyst or extreme heat to "crack" the long chain heavy hydrocarbons into lighter, short chain hydrocarbons. A refinery will make 100+ gallons of products from 100 gallons of crude oil. In simple terms, jet fuel is a combination of gasoline and kerosine and other substances. Refining 101 - Distillation "Much like a simple still, in a distillation column, liquid is heated to a vapor and lifted upward to be distilled again into separate substances. This is the beginning of the refining process. Distilling exploits the characteristic of the chemicals in crude oil to boil at different temperatures. Unlike a still, a distilling column contains a set of trays that allow heated vapors to rise and collect at different levels, separating out the various liquids derived from crude oil. The top of the column is cooler than the bottom, so as liquids vaporize and rise, they condense again, collecting onto their respective trays. Butane and other light products rise to the top of the column, while straight-run gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, diesel, and heavy gas oil gather on the trays, leaving straight run residue at the base of the column. Liquids are considered “heavy” or “light” based on their specific gravity, which is determined based on its weight and density compared to that of water. " The bottom of the barrel really is the bottom of the barrel. FIFY Like anything you read, there is some fiction based on fact. You decide how much of which is which. Using an orbiting satellite to identify a specific weld in a large processing plant "for weakness" is Bruce Willis level kind of fiction. (99.9% of welds in a process plant are stronger than the pipes that are welded together, because they are thicker than the pipes.) Now Russian steel might include melted fenders and hood ornaments, so ... In a large power plant or smaller gas plants & NGL fractionation plants that make steam, you will probably have and/or use different levels of steam; ~1,800 PSI (#) steam - to drive a very large turbine-generator sets (~ 10,000+ HP?) 600 # steam - to drive smaller pumps and equipment 80 # steam - the heat medium for heating the process towers Low level steam - auxiliary heating for buildings, etc. The resulting low level steam that is not used in all of the above (condensate) is condensed from steam back to water by using cooling water and/or cooling towers. The less you have to do this, the higher the plant efficiency. That is why nuclear and other large power plants are near oceans, rivers and lakes. As a young District Engineer in the 80's, I got one of my plants licensed as a FERC certified co-generation plant, that had a 90+ % thermal efficiency (~ 93% ?). The water used to make steam is cleaner and purer than distilled water. It is normal for smaller steam turbines to go 10+ years without having to open the case to inspect it. The large turbines are inspected on a more frequent basis as a precautionary measure.
Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... COOKIE MONSTER!