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Solomon Associates President Dale Emanuel Discusses U.S. Oil Refining in Indianapolis Business Journal Article

mnorris — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:46:51 +0000

Dale Emanuel, president of Solomon Associates, was featured recently in the Indianapolis Business Journal discussing the refining industry in the United States.

Reporter Kathleen McLaughlin sought out Emanuel’s expertise and perspective for her article headlined “Oil refiner Calumet unleashes $150M stock offering.” In the article, Emanuel discussed how refineries in the Midwest are doing better than those on the East and West coasts due to their access to cheaper Canadian crude oil.

Emanuel added that this oversupply of Canadian crude probably won’t last more than three to five more years because Canada is looking to build a pipeline to the West Coast to allow for exports to China. This comes on the heels of Canada being rebuffed in its attempts to create a pipeline to the U.S. gulf coast.

Fuel-focused refineries began to struggle when a 2006 federal mandate called for gasoline with 10 percent ethanol. The oil and gas industry took another hit with the recession that began in 2008.

“Most U.S. oil refineries are struggling financially and have been for five years,” Emanuel said. “That’s prompted a lot of acquisitions.”

Solomon Associates’ Joe Barth Hosting Seminars on Fundamentals and Refining Economics During April 2012

mnorris — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:08:50 +0000

Senior consultant Joe Barth will conduct two refining courses during April 2012, beginning with a one-day seminar titled “Fundamentals of the Petroleum Downstream Industry.” The April 10 session is open to anyone in the refining and petrochemicals business wanting to gain a basic understanding of the industry.

Participants will learn the basic functions and operations of a typical oil refinery, profit drivers in the downstream industry, and common jargon used by industry professionals. Additional topics covered include basic refinery chemistry and key industry trends. The seminar is ideal for newcomers and support staff, and continuing education credit is available for professional engineers registered in Texas and other states.

Barth also will host a two-day Refinery Economics Seminar (RES) to help operators improve planning and maximize refinery profits. The April 11-12 course will focus on tactical economic evaluations that the industry faces. Solomon’s unique approach to marginal economics and linear program (LP) models will be discussed. Barth also will highlight the planning and optimization of best practices.

The RES course is open to anyone who takes part in the development of refinery operating plans or helps decide business strategy; no prior knowledge of refinery economics or use of LP models is required.

Both seminars will be held at Solomon Associates’ corporate office at Two Galleria Tower, Suite #1500, 13455 Noel Road, in Dallas, TX USA.

For more information, contact Karen Black at (972) 739-1775 or KLB@SolomonOnline.com.

Al Poling to Speak at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers’ 2012 Annual Meeting

mnorris — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:04:44 +0000

Solomon Associates’ Al Poling continues to be much in demand for his presentations on the changes manufacturers are seeing in the competitive landscape, specifically when it comes to reliability and maintenance.

In his upcoming presentation, “The Path to World-Class Performance,” Poling will demonstrate how to improve reliability and maintenance performance. He will speak at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers’ (AFPM’s) 2012 Annual Meeting, March 11-13 in San Diego, CA USA.

As the project manager for Solomon Associates’ International Study of Plant Reliability and Maintenance Effectiveness, or RAM Study, Poling will review issues that impact manufacturers on a global scale.

Contemporary benchmarking results reveal that certain benchmarks that have been quoted for decades are now inadequate. Best performers are achieving mechanical availability approaching 99 percent, with costs that are well below previous performance thresholds. Poling will show the path to world-class RAM performance.

The AFPM, formerly the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA), is for key executives, decision-makers, and technical experts from American refining businesses, technology providers, and contracting and consulting firms.

For more information or to register to attend, visit http://www2.afpm.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/AM12,0.

Solomon Associates’ Joe Barth Leads Two-Day Refinery Economics Seminar in Luxembourg

mnorris — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:07:23 +0000

Senior consultant Joe Barth will be conducting a two-day Refinery Economics Seminar to help operators maximize profitability at Haverly Systems’ MUGI 2012 European Conference, March 29-30, in Luxembourg.

Barth will cover the economic and optimization skills needed to improve refinery/petrochemical profits, providing hands-on examples that demonstrate Solomon’s unique approach to the complexities of marginal economics and linear program (LP) models.

A senior consultant with Solomon since 2004 with a prior 33 years of experience in the planning and optimization of refining and petrochemical complexes, Barth will also discuss best practices at the RES forum.

Solomon’s RES course is intended for anyone who takes part in the development of refinery operating plants or helps decide business strategy. The value of the seminar extends to crude and feedstock traders, product marketers, supervisors, and process engineers. No prior knowledge of refinery economics or LP models is required.

To register to attend Solomon’s RES course in Luxembourg, fill out the registration form here http://www.solomononline.com/documents/2012-mar-luxembourg-RES.pdf.

MUGI 2012 is a weeklong conference of discussions, breakout sessions and in-depth courses at the Hotel Novotel Luxembourg Centre in Luxembourg City, March 25-30. To learn more, visit http://www.haverly.com/mugi-2012.

Top Energy Facilities Achieve Never-Before-Seen Levels of Mechanical Availability

mnorris — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:06:41 +0000

Al Poling, Solomon Associates’ project manager for the International Study of Plant Reliability and Maintenance Effectiveness, or RAM Study, continues to reveal new global standards in manufacturing performance at the MARCON 2012 conference, Feb. 27 through March 1, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Poling will present “The Reliability Imperative: Lessons Learned from Reliability and Maintenance Benchmarking” at the conference, which is open to all practitioners, specialists, educators and students interested in discussing innovative technologies and methods in manufacturing.

Solomon data shows that the best plant performers are achieving levels of mechanical ability never seen before with costs that are well below previous world-class performance thresholds. Today, manufacturers are recognizing effective reliability and maintenance as differentiators in the industry.
Data also confirms the increasing trend in the use of benchmarking as a performance tool to drive continuous improvement.

Interested companies may learn more about the RAM Study by visiting http://solomononline.com/ram-study or contacting Al Poling at +1.972.739.1731 or via email at Al.Poling@SolomonOnline.com.

For those interested in attending or learning more about MARCON 2012, visit http://www.rmc.utk.edu/marcon/info.html.

Solomon Associates’ President Dale Emanuel Featured in Two Media Outlets for His Views on the Oil & Gas Industry

mnorris — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:44:18 +0000

Dale Emanuel, president of Solomon Associates, recently was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper and Inc. magazine’s Business Bytes technology blog for his oil industry expertise.

The Inc. blog highlighted the oil and gas industry’s ability to operate dependably and without interruption. In a post entitled “365 Days a Year, the Oil & Gas Industry Delivers,” Emanuel said that while increased environmental regulation has caused the industry to change its operations over the last 10 years, it has not disrupted business.

By reducing the high sulfur content in gasoline and diesel, important public health and environmental benefits were met. The industry incorporated this change without impacting consumers, who depend heavily on oil.

When asked for his thoughts on innovation within the industry, Emanuel said, “The most important thing I can highlight is what the oil and gas industry does every day, 365 days a year. To deliver gasoline to so many consumers so safely and economically is really an incredible feat. I think the American public tends to take this for granted.”

Days earlier, Emanuel was quoted by Philadelphia Inquirer business columnist Mike Armstrong, who was writing on Sunoco Inc.’s decision to exit the refining business; Sunoco’s Philadelphia refinery is the East Coast’s largest.

The column, “With Sunoco move, a setting sun for refining in Phila. Region,” explored the most likely fates for the 335,000 barrel-a-day facility, and said a sale seems unlikely.

Emanuel noted the large amount of consolidation in the refining business over the past decade, and how in the past year, approximately 10 refineries have either been put up for sale or sold.

“The refining business has always been a difficult, volatile business,” he said, “and today we see companies that realize that this business will be more of the same in the future.”

Solomon Associates Congratulates Inventors of Company’s Patented Benchmarking Methodology and Winner of NPRA Lifetime Service Award

mnorris — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:24:05 +0000

Solomon Associates is pleased to recognize those recently awarded a patent for the company’s “Control Asset Comparative Performance Analysis System and Methodology,” a unique benchmarking process used to assess the effectiveness of plant control systems intended to maximize profits and improve safety.

John Havener, Solomon’s net cash margin performance improvement senior consultant, leads a list of the patent authors, which also includes Dr. Gregory D. Martin, Dr. Russell F. Brown, William Horner, and Dr. Richard B. Jones.

Also recognized recently was Kevin Proops, project manager in Solomon’s refining group, who received the Peter G. Andrews Lifetime Service Award at the 2011 NPRA Q&A Technology Forum. Proops was honored for his contribution and demonstrated willingness to pass on his knowledge and industry expertise to future generations of the forum.

Solomon Associates’ Al Poling Presents New Global Standards of Performance at the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Annual Conference

mnorris — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:05:23 +0000

Solomon Associates’ Al Poling last week presented “Reliability and Maintenance Benchmarking: New Standards of Performance in a Global Marketplace” at the 2011 Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals Annual Conference in Greensboro, N.C.

As the project manager for Solomon’s International Study of Plant Reliability and Maintenance Effectiveness, or RAM Study, Poling spoke to industry leaders and practitioners on benchmarking in the refining and petrochemical industry. Poling also presented earlier this month at the International Maintenance Excellence Conference in Toronto, Canada.

Solomon’s RAM Study uses a proprietary gap analysis to identify millions of dollars in potential margin gains through improved equipment reliability as well as millions of dollars in reduced maintenance costs.

Solicitation for the 2011 RAM Study has begun, and early indications suggest this year’s study will experience an increase in participation as manufacturers awaken to the benefits of highly reliable operations with low maintenance costs.

Interested companies may learn more about the RAM Study by visiting http://solomononline.com/ram-study or contacting Al Poling at +1.972.739.1731 or via email at Al.Poling@SolomonOnline.com.

Solomon Associates Announces Studies Designed to Improve Olefin and Butadiene Producer Performance

mnorris — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:10:31 +0000

Solomon Associates recently announced it has begun solicitation for its 2011 Worldwide Olefin Plant Performance Analysis (Olefin Study) and 2011 Worldwide Butadiene Plant Performance Analysis (Butadiene Study).

The studies enable chemical manufacturers to identify performance issues and improve manufacturing processes.

The Olefin Study uses a proprietary gap analysis to identify millions of dollars in potential improvements to chemical manufacturers’ annual margins. Chemical manufacturers can see how feed stock selections are changing around the world and how energy-efficient plants optimize both costs and emissions in their attempt to better manage energy consumption.

Previous Solomon Associates studies have seen participation from chemical manufacturers representing 70 percent of the world’s olefin production. This year’s study is expected to meet or exceed that participation level.

The Butadiene Study is designed to assess operating performance relative to other producers to identify and target specific areas for improvement. The study provides the insight manufacturers need to improve processes across butadiene extraction facilities.

Learn more about Solomon Associates’ Butadiene Study by visiting http://solomononline.com/butadiene-study or by contacting Chris McCloskey at +1.972.739.1818 or Chris.McCloskey@SolomonOnline.com.

For more information on the Olefin Study, visit http://solomononline.com/olefin-study or contact Claire Cagnolatti at +1.972.739.1721 or Claire.Cagnolatti@SolomonOnline.com.

Solomon Associates Teams With New Agents in the Middle East and South Korea to Expand Services to Energy Companies Around the Globe

mnorris — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:13:57 +0000

Solomon Associates recently announced partnerships with two firms to offer Solomon’s benchmarking and consulting services in the Middle East and South Korea.

Reza Investment Company Ltd., based in Saudi Arabia, is Solomon’s partner in the Middle East. In Korea, Solomon is teaming with N-PlusEnter, a Seoul-based agent serving the energy sector, to assist South Korean refineries, chemical plants, and power plants.

The partnerships are further evidence of the global energy industry’s rapid growth and the market for Solomon’s consulting approach, which focuses on sustainable operational improvements designed to maximize margins on existing assets over the long term.

Both Reza in the Middle East and N-PlusEnter in South Korea are experienced teams with a deep understanding of the energy industries in their respective countries. Solomon offers both regions valuable tools to accelerate performance improvement efforts, including a full range of benchmarking and consulting services.

Solomon’s benchmarking studies are conducted on a global basis in all energy sectors – refining, petrochemicals, gas processing, liquid and gas pipelines, terminals, and power generation. New studies include advance process control, automation, and reliability and maintenance.