Crude oil
Global: Meeting Africa’s demand for oil products
Demand for refined oil products is expected to continue growing in Africa, both in the short and medium terms. However, the continent’s refining capacity is unlikely to keep pace as commercial risks threaten to hold back planned new refineries and the expansion of existing facilities.
Industry Metrics
US refinery utilization rates have increased in some areas following the peak of maintenance season.
Business Trends: Will India be Asia’s next downstream powerhouse?
The Asia-Pacific region dominates in the total number of active projects in all sectors of the downstream hydrocarbon processing industry. Just as China has seen unprecedented growth over the past decade, India is emerging as the globe’s new oil demand center.
Global Project Data
According to <i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s </i> Construction Boxscore Database, there were nearly 90 new project announcements from January 2015 to June 2015.
A new solution to the challenges of crude selection and scheduling
The state-of-the-art approach to solving the crude selection and scheduling problem is to separate the two challenges.
Exxon shareholder vote could see climate activist join board
Voters at ExxonMobil Corp.'s annual meeting on Wednesday approved a measure to let minority shareholders nominate outsiders for seats on the board, meaning a climate activist could eventually become a director at the world's largest publicly traded oil company.
Shell CEO warns on hasty renewables shift
Major investors, including Dutch pension fund PGGM, have criticized Shell's climate change policy in recent months, saying it should do more to mitigate climate change risks.
Argentina’s refiners buy Nigerian crude as second foreign cargo of 2016
Because of quality issues -- Argentina has a surplus of heavy crude that is regularly exported, but it does not produce enough light grades -- refining companies plan to import at least 3 MMbbl of crude.
India sees road building as route to boost fuels
Past experience from the US and other advanced economies suggests massive highway construction will promote the creation of a more integrated national economy and increase freight and passenger traffic further. That will spur further rapid growth in transport fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
US gasoline, distillate inventories drop as refiners raise operating rates
Gasoline stocks fell 2.5 MMbbl, compared to forecasts for a 150,000-bbl drop. Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell 3.2 MMbbl, versus expectations for a 642,000-bbl drop.
- EPA finalizes historic new renewable fuel standards to strengthen American energy security 3/30
- The role of integrated biorefineries in achieving alternative fuel goals 3/30
- Czech government agrees to release 100,000 tonnes of crude from reserves 3/30
- Natural gas liquids exports reached record highs in 2025 3/30
- Australia’s biggest LNG plants suffer outages due to cyclone, straining global supply 3/27
- Iran war chokes petrochemical supply, sends plastic prices soaring 3/27

