Blog

Before the pandemic hit, the nation’s manufacturing sector — including the refining and petrochemical industries — was wrestling with how to find and train enough young people to replace the wave of Baby Boomers retiring from the workforce at a rate of nearly 6,000 per day.

One of the societal byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an increased emphasis on technology to meet changing needs, and the fuel and petrochemical industries are no exception to that trend.

Beyond digitization (converting analog information to digital) and digitalization (the technology-driven shift to business processes) lies digital transformation.  

The fuel and petrochemical manufacturing industries have come a long way from the simple thermal stills used to create kerosene in the 19th century to today’s sophisticated, high-tech and complex facilities that help provide America — and the world — with the fuels, petrochemicals and products that we all rely upon every day.

Increasing public interest in pipelines in recent months prompted us to speak with AFPM Senior Director of Petrochemicals, Transportation, and Infrastructure Rob Benedict to gain some insight into the hidden role of pipelines in our everyday lives.

Ethanol is a valuable source of octane in fuel, but there is a limit to how much our gasoline can take. Today, there simply isn’t the fuel demand, infrastructure or consumer appetite to absorb an arbitrary 15-billion gallons of ethanol.

In the early hours of August 27, Hurricane Laura came ashore as one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States.