Economics
Embracing MACs: A better way of executing automation projects
Historically, automation projects have been executed as single-transaction projects. Often, individual projects, along with phases within a given project, are bid with the potential for new vendors and different engineering teams.
Extend unit life at ammonia-urea plants with debottlenecking and equipment replacement
Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. (NFCL) operates a large, modern, integrated ammonia-urea complex with an annual capacity of 1.6 metric MMtpd of urea from natural gas feedstock. The facility is laid out in two units, located in Kakinada in India’s coastal state of Andhra Pradesh.
Cenovus shareholder seeks to halt purchase of ConocoPhillips assets
TORONTO (Reuters) -- A Cenovus Energy Inc shareholder has asked a Canadian regulator to halt the company's recent $12.6 B purchase of some ConocoPhillips assets, saying the new stock issued to help fund the deal has diluted the value of Cenovus shares.
Dominican Republic ratifies terms of Odebrecht's $184-MM plea deal
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -- A judge in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday approved terms of a $184 MM fine on Odebrecht SA, which sought a plea deal after admitting to bribing officials to win contracts in the country.
EIA: US retail gasoline prices this summer expected slightly higher than 2016
Drivers in the US will pay an average of $2.46 per gal this summer for regular gasoline, according to forecasts in EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). Gasoline prices from April through September are expected to be 23 cents/gal higher than the average price last summer, but this price is still nearly 70 cents/gal below the previous five-year average. The gasoline price increase this summer primarily reflects slightly higher forecast crude oil prices.
Linde-Praxair merger deal falls behind schedule
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) -- Linde and Praxair's $65 B merger talks are facing legal complexities that mean the agreement will not be finalized as planned before Linde's annual shareholder meeting on May 10, a source familiar with the situation said.
Indian state-run companies mull daily fuel price change
MUMBAI (Reuters) -- India's state-run oil marketing companies, which control over 90 percent of the retail fuel market in the country, are mulling a plan that would allow daily changes in the price of automotive fuels, Economic Times reported on Friday.
Business Trends: Standardized modularization—Drivers, challenges and perspectives in the oil and gas industry
Modularization is an alternative way of performing engineering aimed to reduce the number of interfaces, the total installed cost (TIC) and overall schedule length of a project, while optimizing the return on investment (ROI) and allowing standardization for similar future projects.
Industry Perspectives: What is the solution to comply with the IMO’s Global Sulfur Cap regulation?
In October 2016, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced that it will implement a new regulation that calls for the sulfur content in marine fuels to be reduced from 3.5% to 0.5%.
Refining: Uncertainty grips South Africa’s Clean Fuels Program
The planned upgrading of oil refineries in South Africa to produce Euro 5-specified fuels will likely take longer than initially anticipated.

- Emerson's Aspen Technology business releases new software with expanded AI capabilities, enhanced visualization and simplified workflows 5/13
- LanzaJet and BioD announce feasibility study for SAF plant in Colombia 5/13
- U.S. House targets big climate, clean energy rollbacks in budget proposal 5/13
- Chevron attempting to restart El Segundo, California refinery after taking units offline last week 5/13
- Mexico's Pemex plans to export less crude oil as new refinery starts up 5/13
- BASF is expanding its portfolio of raw materials for the production of concrete superplasticizers for the construction industry in the European market 5/13