Travel through our timeline to see the history of KBC. We're proud of where we've come from and how we continue to deliver value to our customers now and into the future.
KBC founded by Krikor Krikorian, John Brice and Peter Close
Founded in London, our early offerings involved oil refinery yield and energy efficiency optimization.
1982
First major simulation software package for distillation processes
Release of Distop, our first major simulation software package for distillation processes. Followed shortly by Vistop for visbreaking and Catop for thermal cracking processes.
1988
Launch of Petrofine general process simulation system
The first refinery-wide flowsheets and yield and energy efficiency surveys.
1993
Data reconciliation tool launched and Profit Improvement Program® developed
Launch of Sigmafine data reconciliation tool for material balance and accounting.
Profit Improvement Program (PIP) developed from yield and energy efficiency surveys.
1995
Implementation services roll-out
Roll-out of on-site implementation services to sustain benefits identified in each Profit Improvement Program®.
1997
KBC on the London Stock Exchange
KBC floats on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.
New solutions in plant reliability, availability, maintenance, supply chain planning and scheduling integrated into PIPs.
1998
Kinetic reactor simulation software acquired
Profimatics kinetic reactor simulation software acquired from Honeywell and merged with the existing reactor models which are then retired.
Alliance formed with Hyprotech Ltd to develop HYSYS. Refinery, combining Petrofine with Hyprotech's HYSYS.
1999
Sigmafine sold to OSIsoft
2002
Acquired market research and pinch technology companies
Market research company Petroleum Economics Ltd acquired.
Linhoff March Ltd (leader in pinch technology) acquired.
2004
Process simulation software Petro-SIM® is launched
Petro-SIM launched for plant-wide steady state and dynamic simulation and optimization and merged with Petrofine, which is then retired.
2006
Acquisition of pinch technology and operational excellence consulting companies
TTS Performance Systems Inc, international leaders in consulting, personnel development and operational excellence is acquired.
Acquired Veritech Inc. experts in pinch technology.
KBC moves public listing to Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.
2012
PVT and flow assurance modeling software acquired
Infochem Computer Systems Ltd is acquired for pressure, volume, temperature and flow assurance modeling software.
Petro-SIM® released for upstream oil and gas facilities.
2014
Pipeline network simulation software acquired
Acquired FEESA Ltd, a specialized software and services company for pipeline network simulation.
2016
KBC is acquired by Yokogawa
KBC is acquired by Yokogawa Electric Corporation.
Industrial Evolution Inc (IIoT cloud services provider) and Soteica Visual MESA LLC (utilities real-time optimization, scheduling and yield accounting software) both acquired by Yokogawa are integrated into KBC.
2017
New partnerships and products
Strategic partnership formed with Baker Hughes – A GE Company.
Petro-SIM® integrates with PI System from OSIsoft.
Launch of KBC Co-Pilot Program®.
KBC reactor models installed at every single conversion unit for three of top four US refiners.
Ebullating bed reactor simulation technology acquired from Princeton Process Engineers.
2018
Collaborations and partnerships
Collaboration and partnership with Phillip Townsend Associates, Inc.
Interoperability and partnership between Cost Engineering's Cleopatra Enterprise & Petro-SIM®.
Reseller agreement for PETRO, the LP technology from Chevron.
A strategic partnership with HTRI
Partnership with OLI Systems
2019
Launch of Petro-SIM® digital twin
Petro-SIM v7 digital twin launched.
Release of Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Integrator for the OSIsoft PI System®.
Launch of Visual MESA® Multi-Period Optimizer v6 for energy optimization.
2020
Software releases and integrations
KBC and OLI Systems announce predictive software solution to mitigate corrosion and scaling problems across the oil and gas industry.
Maximus® release bridges the gap between field planning and flow assurance.
Release of Visual MESA® Production Accounting 4.0 to digitally manage and integrate scheduling and reconciled balance data into corporate systems.
2021
Development of decarbonization strategies
Integration of MySep and KBC’s Petro-SIM® improves process separator performance.
Multiflash® 7.2 release removes the barrier between design and operations.
Petro-SIM 7.2 software supports roadmap development for decarbonization strategies.
2023
Launch of KBC Acuity™ Industrial Cloud Suite
KBC Acuity Industrial Cloud Suite is a cloud platform to deliver KBC’s software and solutions.
2024
KBC acquired Flaretot
KBC acquired Flaretot Limited, a leading simulation software provider specializing in the design and evaluation of flare systems for hydrocarbon processing plants. The solution will help track and reduce fugitive emissions, and once integrated into KBC’s software portfolio, will help companies accelerate their implementation of decarbonization strategies.
