1929 was a historic year for Curtiss-Wright as we listed on the
New York Stock Exchange. It was also the year the first delayed coking process
went into operation, quite a historic event in the oil refining industry. The
two events were unrelated until 2000 when Curtiss-Wright embarked on a
diversification strategy for highly engineered, critical process technologies
that led to our expansion in the oil and gas market. Aerospace, defense and
energy have a common thread of innovation, critical operations and proven
performance.
Refining industry spending for expansion of existing facilities and new
international capacity is at the highest level in over 40 years, providing a
robust market for Curtiss-Wright products and systems.
Today, our oil and gas business is focused on secondary refining processes
such as delayed coking, catalytic cracking and hydro- treating. Products suited
for these complex operations require significant engineering expertise and
advanced technologies to withstand harsh environments, including extreme heat,
abrasive chemical catalysts and pressure. As the refining industry increases
processing of heavy crude oils, it generates greater demand for our equipment.
While our primary concern is to reduce personnel exposure to hazardous
conditions, our designs also minimize environmental emissions, significantly
reduce maintenance costs and increase process efficiency, all of which maximize
profitability for our customers.
Delayed Coking
In the delayed coking process, crude oil is pumped into 100-foot drums and
heated to over 900 degrees Fahrenheit. The process vaporizes the lighter
hydrocarbons which flow out of the top of the drum while a solid, coal-like
product called coke remains. Unheading, or opening the drum to remove the coke,
is one of the most dangerous processes in a refinery due to the traditional
manually operated valve at the bottom of the drum. Curtiss-Wright revolutionized
the operation by providing an inherently safe, fully automated and remotely
operated system. So safe that our customers have recorded zero incidents in over
six years of operation.
By combining critical service hardware with our integrated controls, we
provide refinery operators with a fully automated coke unheading system,
uniquely designed to deliver unmatched safety, performance, and value. The
addition of isolation valves for overhead vapor lines, coke cutting tools to
remove coke from inside the drums, and ancillary equipment differentiates
Curtiss-Wright’s systems portfolio and establishes a clear growth platform for
delayed coking system solutions.
Catalytic Cracking
Catalytic cracking uses a chemical catalyst to physically break down heavy
crude into lighter refined products. One of the most critical operations in the
refinery, the process requires a network of highly engineered vessels, valves,
actuators, feed nozzles, separators, piping and power recovery systems. The
enormous size of the equipment and the severe operating conditions require
superior engineering and manufacturing expertise. By integrating our critical
service valve and vessel technology with our process control technology,
Curtiss-Wright has engineered a systems solution to substantially improve the
operating reliability and efficiency of the catalytic cracking process.
Critical Path Solutions
Customers value our integrated solutions because they safeguard people and
equipment while simultaneously enhancing production. In addition to our
secondary processing systems, we have developed numerous products to
electronically integrate multiple critical path functions. Our safety relief
valves provide critical over-pressure protection throughout the entire refinery,
as well as in petrochemical and power plants. Our large, fast-acting emergency
shut-down butterfly valves close in less than a ½ second to isolate and protect
employees and multi-million dollar power recovery equipment. Our digital valve
controllers offer state- of-the-art control, monitoring, process protection and
remote diagnostic technology. Predicting equipment failure is another key
advancement in maximizing safety and process reliability while reducing
unscheduled downtime and minimizing costs.
Extending Our Technologies
Improving refining capacity is only one solution to meet the growing energy
demand. Oil and gas supply is also limited by existing production technologies.
Our vision for tomorrow extends beyond the refinery into critical path
opportunities in exploration, production, and transmission. From ultra-deep
water production to more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation
methods, Curtiss-Wright has the ingenuity to advance oil and gas technologies.
By applying our expertise in subsea pumps and high-speed, compact motor designs,
Curtiss-Wright is well positioned to extend its superior technologies in support
of this high-demand market. 1929 was a historic year for Curtiss-Wright as we
listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It was also the year the first delayed
coking process went into operation, quite a historic event in the oil refining
industry. The two events were unrelated until 2000 when Curtiss-Wright embarked
on a diversification strategy for highly engineered, critical process
technologies that led to our expansion in the oil and gas market. Aerospace,
defense and energy have a common thread of innovation, critical operations and
proven performance.
.gif){kind=spacer}
