Refiners Guide to Digital Transformation

Refiner's Guide to Digital Transformation
and Top Quartile Performance

Your roadmap to the refinery of the future

Creating a clear and actionable roadmap for digital transformation


Marcelo Carugo

Marcelo Carugo
Vice President
Global Refining and Chemical Industries

The refining industry is constantly changing. There are new regulations, new opportunities with discounted crude oils, changing distribution patterns, and new competitors on the scene. As a result, refineries are challenged to adapt to an extremely complex and dynamic environment—from optimizing process operations to training and upskilling staff—to be flexible enough to capture favorable market conditions, maintain compliance and meet safety standards, while improving efficiency. That’s where digital transformation can make a difference.

Digital transformation is not just a buzzword in the refining industry. It is a gateway to Top Quartile performance which translates into profitability. Industry leaders have embraced this transformation because it’s a driving force enabling them to gain a competitive advantage and achieve their operating and business objectives. Based on extensive interviews with refinery executives globally, three essential conditions were identified as the keys to digital transformation for the refinery of the future. The first one is operational agility. This involves being able to efficiently process different feedstocks while avoiding asset degradation, becoming more flexible to accommodate changing demands for different products, and producing more products for markets not traditionally served.

Digital Transformation and Top Quartile Performance

Hear from leaders at Ergon Refining as they discuss their ongoing digital transformation using Emerson technology, why it has been a core business initiative, and some of the steps they took to realize significant financial and operational benefits.