Refiners, chemical manufacturers and power generation companies should focus less on bells and whistles, more on nuts and bolts, according to consultant. DALLAS (March 30, 2010) – In building new plants, many energy companies fall into the common trap of assuming that by spending millions of dollars on the latest generation of equipment and technology, [...] Charles Reith, vice president of consulting services, shares three of the biggest areas of opportunity for refineries and chemical plants seeking to improve their performance in a Solomon Associates news release. Charles Reith, vice president of consulting services, shares the four most common mistakes that energy companies make in building new facilities in a Solomon Associates news release. Bloomberg reports that Valero Energy Corp., the largest U.S. independent refiner, “will spend $200 million to improve reliability at a gasoline-producing unit at its St. Charles refinery in Norco, Louisiana.” Based on client data, Solomon Associates VP identifies three areas where attention to detail can have a significant impact. DALLAS (March 24, 2010) – While many refiners and chemical plant operators look to big-ticket investments when seeking to improve their performance, they often overlook significant improvements that can be made with little to no capital [...] Bill Westfall, a longtime member of the Solomon Associates family, passed away on March 10, 2010, after an 18-month battle with ALS. He was 56. Bill was an accomplished chemical engineer and performance-improvement consultant who served in the refining and petrochemical industries for 35 years. He was a senior consultant with Solomon Associates for a [...] Jamie Brunk, a Solomon Associates senior consultant, told Lubes’n'Greases magazine that Energy Information Agency data showing a decline in 2009 base oil output comes as no surprise. Domestic base oil output fell 12 percent from 2008, to 55.4 million barrels. It was the first time since 1993 that base oil production did not surpass 60 [...]