2010 Cat Cracker Seminar


Tuesday, August 24 - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
InterContinental Houston Hotel
2222 West Loop South [map]
Houston, TX 77027-3502

"Photo


On-line registration is now closed. On-site registration and badge pick-up begins Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 8:00 a.m. in the Legends Ballroom Prefunction area of the InterContinental Hotel in Houston, TX.

This seminar provides a forum for refiners to meet and share information on the technological advances and regulatory developments that affect the design, operation, and maintenance of FCC units. The program includes a Q&A session with a panel of experts and 12 workshops organized in three topic tracks which enables attendees to focus on a particular aspect of FCC operation or to attend workshops that cover a broader range of interests.

The seminar is designed for people who solve the problems associated with the operation and maintenance of FCCUs. The Q&A session and the workshops encourage open discussions which enable attendees to share their own challenges and benefit from other attendees’ experiences. Whether you are in Operations, Technical Service, Maintenance, Reliability, or Process Engineering, you will find a comprehensive program that meets your needs for improving your FCCU’s operation and reliability.

The Q&A session will have sections on Operations/Technology and Reliability/Mechanical and the workshop topic tracks will be:

• Mechanical: workshops on Metallurgy; Hot Spots; Slide Valves; and Cyclone Inspection and Repair.

• Process/Operations: workshops on Catalyst Loss Troubleshooting; Catalyst Circulation; Avoidable Operational Errors; Wet Gas Scrubber Performance and Reliability; and Processing Atypical Feedstocks.

• Rotating Equipment: Control Systems for Compressors/Turbines; and On-line Maintenance for Compressors/Turbines.

The Seminar attracts experts throughout the industry making it an ideal networking opportunity for anyone whose responsibilities include FCC operations.

An FCC Technology Seminar will be held on Thursday following the Cat Cracker Seminar. Please contact the host company via the link below for more information.
  • Grace Davison FCC Technology Workshop presented by Grace Davison.


Related Web Pages and Sites:
Apply for a Tabletop Space
Edit an Exisiting Space Application
List of 2010 Exhibitors

Related Files:

2010 Exhibitor Prospectus
Final Program
Final Attendee List

Who Should Attend:

The Cat Cracker Seminar and Exhibition is ideal for those individuals in maintenance and operations of FCCU's. Over 500 people are expected to attend this seminar including many FCCU maintenance and operations managers, supervisors, engineers, operators, and representatives from companies servicing the units.

Meeting Attire:

Business Casual - shirts with collars; no ties, jeans, sneakers or shorts.

Registration Fees:

These fees are available through 08/16/2010
Name Price Available To
Member Registration - Early $450.00   Members
Member Registration - Late $550.00   Members
Non-Member Registration - Early $895.00   NonMember
Non-Member Registration - Late $995.00   NonMember
Spouse Registration $100.00  


Cancellation and Other Policies:

By registering for this meeting you signify that you have read, understand, and agree to abide by NPRA's policies on registration, housing, cancellation, spouse/guest registration, and fees.

REGISTRATION POLICY: Those who are present at the site of an NPRA meeting and/or occupy a hotel room in the NPRA room block to conduct business with industry personnel gathered for that meeting are expected to register for that meeting and pay the registration fee, whether or not they attend a specific function.

FEE POLICY: Eligibility for member rates is based on membership information currently on file with NPRA. If your company is not currently a member, the non-member fees will be charged to your credit card.

SPOUSE/GUEST POLICY: A guest is a spouse/significant other, friend or an adult child (18 years old or older) who is not in an industry-related occupation. A co-worker, an associate or spouse who works within the industry may not use the Spouse/Guest Registration category. Guests are not permitted to work the table-top exhibit. Children under 18 are not permitted in the exhibit hall.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Registration cancellations may be made on-line or submitted in writing and faxed to 202.835.0467 or e-mailed to CAT@npra.org. Substitute conference registrations may be made in advance or on arrival with no penalty, and must be submitted in writing to CAT@npra.org.
Cancellations may be made by July 23, 2010 with no penalty. Cancellations made on-line or written cancellations postmarked, faxed, or emailed between July 24 and August 6, 2010 will receive a refund of fees, less a $50 processing fee. No refunds after August 6, 2010. No telephone cancellations.

NO SUIT-CASING PLEASE: Please note that while all meeting registrants are invited to the exhibition, any non-exhibitor registrant who is observed to be soliciting business in the aisles or other public spaces, in another company's booth, or in violation of any portion of the NPRA Exhibition Policy will be asked to leave the show floor. Please report any violations you may observe to show management.

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY AND PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CONDUCT CODE

The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (“NPRA”) has adopted the following “Ethical Responsibility and Professional and Personal Conduct Code” (hereinafter, “the Code”). Every member of NPRA, their designated representatives, and non-member attendees at all NPRA meetings and forums agree to abide by the Code as a condition of membership in NPRA and attendance and participation at NPRA meetings and forums.

The Code requires the following of all individuals attending NPRA meetings and forums:

• Adherence to the NPRA bylaws and the NPRA policies and procedures, as adopted by NPRA’s Board of Directors.
• Strict compliance with federal antitrust laws.
• Adherence to all applicable federal and state laws.
• Maintenance of the highest level of professional and personal ethical behavior while attending NPRA meetings and forums.
• Prevention of certain behaviors, including harassment, violence, intimidation and discrimination of any kind involving race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or, where applicable, veteran or marital status.
• Assurance that conduct at all times and in all professional and personal dealings with each other and other attendees with the highest level of integrity and courtesy.
• Sharing of knowledge and expertise as speakers at NPRA educational events and sessions whenever practicable, without soliciting or explicitly promoting their own organization's products or services.
• Working to instill public and consumer confidence in the petrochemical and refining industries, its member companies, and its professionals, avoiding any action conducive to discrediting members of NPRA.
• Refraining from scheduling general attendance meetings, receptions or other events at times that conflict with substantive programming or social events at NPRA meetings without express written permission of NPRA.

Failure to abide by the Code may result, for the first offense, in informal censure of a company or individual by the NPRA Executive Committee. If violations of the Code continue after such an informal censure, a company may be subject to expulsion from NPRA, or an individual to exclusion from participation in NPRA activities, by the Board of Directors.

ENTERTAINMENT POLICY: We ask your cooperation in observing Association policy on activities held in conjunction with any NPRA meeting:

Meetings or social activities should not be scheduled that take registrants away from NPRA programs and NPRA-sponsored activities;

* Any company sponsoring a function to which 25 or more people are invited should outline its plans for advance approval by NPRA. In general, such functions will be approved if they do not unduly take registrants away from NPRA-sponsored activities;
* All representatives of companies sponsoring hospitality activities are expected to register for the meeting;
* Hospitality suites are expected to close by 1:00 a.m.;
* Food, beverage and service personnel (bartenders, hostesses, etc.) must be obtained through the hotel catering department;
* Suite promotional activities are to avoid the use of elaborate entertainment, expensive door prizes, suite attendance solicitation by individuals who are not full-time employees of the sponsoring company, or other similar activities.

Is Media Allowed?

Yes

Housing

Earliest Check-in Date: August 22, 2010
Latest Checkout-out Date: August 27, 2010
Final Reservation Cut-Off Date: August 8, 2010
(Some hotels may run out of space earlier or be cut-off prior to this date.)

Royal Sonesta Hotel:
2222 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027-3502



    Guest Room
    Rate: $159.00 Single/Double Occupancy
    Deposit: $159.00 Single/Double Occupancy

Travel Information:

AVIS is the official rental car agency for the CAT. Call 800-331-1600 and refer to AWD#:B761399 to receive discounted rates.


Sponsors and Sponsorship Information:

Contact Merla Zollinger merlaz@npra.org or call 202-457-0480 for sponsorship information.

Thank you to our 2010 sponsors:

Coffee Break
Refractory Construction Services

Conference Bag
Grace Davison

Final Program
BASF Corporation, Catalyst Division

Session Audio/Visual Services
Hason Steel - Mechanical Track

Email Contacts:
For Program Information contact Tanya Cooper
For Exhibitor Information contact Mallory Jones
For Registration information contact CAT@npra.org