Europe
Oil tanker firm Frontline sees strong start to 2017
OSLO (Reuters) -- Crude tanker operator Frontline expects strong demand for its vessels at the start of 2017 and could benefit from oil producers' pact to cut output if it forces Asian buyers to go further afield for supplies, its chief executive said.
Russia’s first catalyst test center opens at the Gazprom Neft refinery
Gazprom Neft has opened an engineering center for the testing of secondary-refining catalysts in Omsk. Russia’s first ever pilot facility for catalytic cracking has begun work within the center, allowing catalysts to be tested on various types of feedstock, as well as identifying the conditions and regimes most appropriate for catalytic cracking facilities throughout Russia’s refineries.
Death of diesel in passenger cars of limited concern to refiners
LONDON (Reuters) -- Even if the diesel engine's scandal-driven fall from grace pushes it out of the world's passenger cars, an increasing need for it on ships, in trucks and heavy industry could save the refineries that invested heavily in producing the fuel.
By shielding biggest buyer Asia from supply cuts, OPEC risks prolonging fuel glut
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -- OPEC's efforts to hold market share in Asia by keeping its customers, which take about two-thirds of its exports, supplied amid wider output cuts could prolong the global fuel glut and frustrate its attempt to bolster prices.
Polish regulator approves PGNiG gas price hike for Q1 2017
WARSAW (Reuters) -- Poland's biggest gas firm PGNiG will increase the price of high-methane gas it sells by 12.2% and the price of nitrogen-rich gas by 13.4% from the start of next year, the company said, citing an approval from energy regulator URE.
Shell, Varo in talks on German refinery stake sale
LONDON (Reuters) -- Royal Dutch Shell and Varo Energy are in advanced talks on the sale of Shell's 37.5% stake in the 220,000 barrels per day refinery in Schwedt, Germany, they said on Thursday.
BASF completes acquisition of Chemetall
Ludwigshafen, Germany – BASF has completed its acquisition of Albemarle’s global surface treatment business, Chemetall.
PKN ORLEN, Iranian Oil agreement commences
PKN ORLEN has purchased 1 million barrels of Iranian Light oil. It will be delivered to Naftoport in Gdańsk in January, to be then transported to the PKN ORLEN refinery in Płock.
G20 task force wants companies to come clean on climate risk
LONDON (Reuters) -- Companies will be asked to disclose how they manage the risks to their business from climate change and greenhouse gas emission cuts by a global task force set up to try to prevent market shocks from the warming of the planet.
Leaked report says slack management exposed BP to high safety risk
LONDON (Reuters) -- BP's refining operations are exposed to high safety risks that can lead to deadly accidents and pollution as a result of slack management and a lack of investment, according to a leaked internal report from 2015.
- South Korea approves nearly $1.4-B petrochemical restructuring deal as supply glut weighs 2/25
- Romanian largest refinery to shut down in March for scheduled turnaround 2/25
- Malaysia's Prefchem cuts refinery output after shutting gasoline unit 2/25
- U.S. Chemical Safety Board faults Pemex in 2024 Deer Park refinery's fatal accident 2/25
- Global diesel flows further reshuffle on EU sanctions, discounted Russian exports 2/25
- RFOcean secures first long-term e-methanol supply from ETFuels, driven by FuelEU 2/25
