Refining & Processing

Nelson-Farrar Quarterly Costimating Indexes for selected equipment show varied results

April 5, 2017

Costs for six selected equipment items used in refining construction operations have been surveyed for the 3-year period 2014-16. The accompanying table shows Nelson-Farrar equipment indexes for these equipment items.

Gary Farrar
Contributing Editor

Non-metallic building materials showed the greatest increases in cost, rising to 1,265.3 in the fourth quarter of 2016 from 1,192.0 during the first 3 months of 2014.

Three other items showed more modest increases. The category valves and fittings showed an index gain to 2,490.8 in fourth-quarter 2016 from 2,431.0 in first-quarter 2014. While the index value for tanks and pressure vessels posted gains during the 3-year period, by fourth-quarter 2016, the value returned to 1,174.1, unchanged from first-quarter 2014. Fractionating towers ended fourth-quarter 2014 with a 17-point gain at 1,463.4 vs. its first-quarter 2014 value of 1,446.4.

Tube stills fell to 638.4 during the last quarter of 2016 from 689.2 in first-quarter 2014.

The final category, bubble trays, showed a mild loss during the period, falling to 1,797.2 in fourth-quarter 2016 from its beginning index value of 1,812.8 in the first quarter of 2014.