Costs for six selected equipment items used in refining construction operations have been surveyed for the 3 years 2006-08. The table above shows Nelson-Farrar equipment indexes for these items.
Bubble trays showed the greatest increases in cost, rising to 1,859.2 in third-quarter 2008 from 1,434.6 in first-quarter 2006.
Four other items showed more modest increases. The tanks and pressure vessels category rose to 1,191.5 from 1,000.8 during the 36-month span. Tube stills increased to 706.3 from 549.5. Valves and fittings showed an index gain to 2,093.5 from 1,796.1. Fractionating towers showed a 220-point gain, increasing to 1,405.0 from 1,184.2 during the period.
The final category—nonmetallic building materials—showed a mild gain during the data compilation period. The beginning index value was 941.2, while the final value was 1,110.0.
