Archive for January 2022
When are two catalysts really different?
When testing catalysts, we always dedicate one of the four reactors to a reference catalyst sample, to determine the margin of error. For example, here is an excerpt from Hoekstra Research Report 2 showing results for the Albemarle KF767 reference catalyst in three different pilot plant runs testing diesel fuel desulfurization catalysts: Most often, the…
Read MoreAn update on the MPC-PSX stock price spread
Six weeks ago, this comparison of Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC – green) and Phillips 66 (PSX -red) 2021 stock price performance highlighted a striking difference: Since then, oil stocks have surged. Here is how the same chart looks six weeks later MPC and PSX have both increased 20%, relative to the base point on the…
Read MoreStretching catalyst performance claims
One reason refiners want independent catalyst testing is they sometimes get burned by exaggerated vendor claims on catalyst performance. Here is one example from our six-year standardized multi-client catalyst testing program. CENTINEL and CENTERA In 2009, Criterion (now Shell Catalysts & Technologies) was promoting their new CENTERA catalysts for diesel desulfurization. CENTERA was Criterion’s fifth…
Read MoreAccurate modeling of RIN prices
The Hoekstra IMS RIN price spreadsheet model accurately tracked the D4 RIN price during 2021. The green data points are the daily closing price of the 2021-vintage D4 RIN reported by Banyan Commodities. The black line is the price calculated by the model using weekly data on biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur diesel (ulsd) prices. All…
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