Environment & Safety
Nebraska approves new Keystone XL pipeline route
The approval by the state's governor, a Republican, is one of the last remaining hurdles the pipeline has to clear before getting a final permit from the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the US State Department is expected to release a draft of its own findings in the coming days.
HollyFrontier reportedly hit by fire at Wyoming refinery's delayed coker
A gas leak caused the fire to break at around 12:00 p.m. MST, and refinery operators, the plant's fire brigade and members of Cheyenne's fire department worked to isolate it at the delayed coker unit and to extinguish it by 1:45 p.m. MST on Wednesday, the local news report said.
RWE, Shell launch integrated sulfur, carbon capture plant at UK power station
RWE reported capturing the first tonne of CO2 at the joint demonstration plant. The announcement of ‘first capture’ highlights the successful commissioning of the ground-breaking regenerable carbon capture testing campaign, which will see 90% of CO2 captured and essentially all SO2 captured.
UK rejects requests to stop Arctic oil, gas drilling
The UK government said that while it recognized the risks of drilling for hydrocarbons in the sensitive Arctic region, high environmental and drilling standards, efforts to enhance oil spill prevention and response mechanisms would be more effective than a complete ban.
US issues new emission rules on diesel generators
The new rules will cut costs for diesel-generator users by $139 million a year, while reducing hazardous air pollutants, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and other pollution, the EPA said. Diesel generators emit pollution that can cause cancer and can aggravate respiratory and heart diseases.
Flint Hills reports seal pump fire at Corpus refinery
The shut down process caused a flaring event at the 70,000-bpd East Plant, which was reported to local emergency planners. There were no injuries associated with the event, nor was there a call for the community to take action. The seal pump fire was extinguished quickly, the company said.
Essar extinguishes furnace fire at UK refinery
Supplies to customers are being largely maintained to schedule, and Essar says it has plans in place to ensure that remains the case while repairs are made to the unit. The fire at the Stanlow refinery didn't impact the two main crude distillation units or the residue catalytic cracking unit.
Motiva shuts leaky CDU at expanded Texas refinery
The Motiva refinery is jointly owned by Shell and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. The new crude unit is the culmination of a $10 billion expansion project that added 325,000 bpd of capacity and made the refinery one of the largest in the world. The unit, first commissioned in May, has experienced several setbacks.
Nebraska agency completes environment review of Keystone XL pipeline
A new pipeline route curves east of the Sand Hills but would still cross the Ogallala Aquifer, a source of drinking water and irrigation supplies, Friday's report from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality said. The new route also avoids many fragile soils in northern Nebraska and shallow groundwater areas.
Phillips 66, Conoco accused of violating California hazardous waste laws
In a civil lawsuit, the state accused the companies of tampering with leak detection devices, and failing to test secondary containment systems and maintain alarm systems, among other violations. Conoco said the California lawsuit "is [Phillips 66's] issue on which to comment, not ours."
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