Environment & Safety
Investigation into Chevron refinery fire in California finds thinned pipe wall
An inspection of a 4-foot segment of a pipe leading from the refinery's crude distillation unit showed its walls were 1/16 of an inch thick, down from its normal 5/16 of an inch, said Daniel Horowitz, spokesman for the Chemical Safety Board, an independent agency that probes refinery accidents.
Shell proceeds with Alberta oil sands CO2 capture
Starting in late 2015, Quest will capture and store deep underground more than 1 million tpy of carbon dioxide produced during the bitumen processing, reducing direct emissions from the upgrader by up to 35%. Shell Canada owns 60% of the joint venture, which also includes Chevron and Marathon Oil.
EPA waives clean gasoline rules for eight US states following Hurricane Isaac
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson determined that extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist, which may result in a temporary shortage of gasoline compliant with federal regulations. The waiver will help ensure an adequate supply of gasoline in the impacted states until normal supply can be restored.
US reiterates tough stance against BP on Gulf spill
In the filing, made in response to a previous BP request to accept a $7.8 billion settlement between the company and thousands of plaintiffs over economic losses and property damage, the Department of Justice said that BP had a culture of recklessness, and also pointed the finger to Transocean.
Singapore charges Shell with safety lapses over Pulau Bukom refinery fire
The incident arose last year during maintenance work on a pipeline that started from a naphtha tank and passed through a pumphouse where products were blended. The Pulau Bukom refinery is Shell's largest.
CO2 capture from SMRs: A demonstration project
Technical and economic results from this project will be key in determining the most effective path to commercialization.
HP Automation Safety: ‘Sticktion’: A dangerous failure mode
I set a wet glass on the old wooden kitchen table at our home. It sat there all night. The next morning, when I went to grab the glass, it stuck to the table. Yes, this event has happened before. But,..
HP Brief
European refiner affirms renewables project Total has reaffirmed its partnership and financial backing to the technology of renewable products company Amyris, the companies said in a recent statement...
US Gulf producers begin refinery restart processes as Isaac dissipates
The US said Friday some 878,000 bbl of refining capacity remained shut down, with four refineries in the area down and five operating at a reduced rate. Two Louisiana refineries – Motiva’s 250,000 bpd Convent refinery and Placid Refining’s 57,000 bpd Port Allen facility – were in the process of restarting.
BP cited for willful safety violation at Wash. refinery
The Washington state agency began an inspection in February after a major fire caused the 225,000 bpd Cherry Point refinery to shut down. One employee was nearby when the fire erupted. The proposed penalties, related to management of pipeline and refinery processes, total $81,500, the agency says.
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- Yokogawa and CMC Solutions sign global sales and service agreement for predictive emission monitoring systems for industry 2/24
- Update on Asian refinery maintenance/turnarounds and outages 2/24
- NOVA Chemicals commercializes two new recycled polyethylene grades 2/24
- Endress+Hauser investing in U.S. production to power data centers, strengthen core industries 2/24
- UK targets Russia's Transneft in new sanctions on Ukraine war anniversary 2/24
