Refining
Total acquires Shell fuel retail network in Egypt
Gasoline retail activities have decreased in Western Europe, on the back of lower consumption due to the prolonged economic crisis. Lower cost retailers have also emerged, forcing some major companies to rethink their refining and marketing strategy and focus instead on oil exploration and production.
Iraq halts northern oil exports after pipeline attack
Exports of crude oil from northern Iraq have been suspended after a new bomb attack against a key pipeline, a Middle East shipping agent said. The attack took place at the north of the al-Shurgat area north of Baiji, some 200 kilometers north of the capital, Baghdad.
Brazil suspends Petrobras environmental licenses for Comperj refinery
Petrobras says it is evaluating all possible measures related to the halt, which would stop work on one of the company's largest projects. The Comperj refinery will have installed capacity to process 165,000 bpd of crude oil when it enters operation in April 2015, with a second phase coming by 2018.
Sunoco Logistics acquires Marcus Hook refinery
Sunoco Logistics Partners has announced the acquisition of the Marcus Hook refinery, located on the banks of the Delaware River just south of Philadelphia, for $60 million. The 780-acre Marcus Hook refinery was owned by Sunoco Logistics' former parent company, Sunoco.
Canada's Enerkem to develop waste-to-biofuels catalytic processes
Enerkem is working on a new research project with the Canadian government to develop new catalytic processes for the conversion of waste into "drop-in" biofuels.
Phillips 66 restarts Sweeny refinery after power cut
The power failure was triggered by a larger outage in Texas and New Mexico, Phillips 66 said in its filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Units affected included the 25.2 crude distillation unit, one of the first steps in the oil refining process, and the 27.1 fluid catalytic cracking unit.
Saudi Aramco, Exxon bring new clean fuels project online at Yanbu refinery
During maintenance, which started in March, SAMREF boosted the reliability of the fluid catalytic cracker, which helps turn crude oil into gasoline, and upgraded the refinery to produce cleaner fuels.
Diesel leaks from Marathon pipeline in Indianapolis
The pipeline wasn't flowing at the time of the leak due to a lull in market demand, Marathon spokesman Shane Pochard said, but it was still pressurized with diesel in it. The company believes the leak occurred slowly over time and wasn't due to a sudden break or external forces.
US West Coast spot gasoline premiums widen on Shell refinery outage
Spot gasoline pricing premiums moved up sharply in West Coast refined products markets as another regional refinery experiences production problems. Shell reported a unit shutdown at its San Francisco area refinery in Martinez, after discovering a valve leak.
EPA seeks improvement on Keystone XL review
The EPA gave the US State Department's review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline a 'C' grade, adding that there is "ample time and ability" to upgrade the analysis.
- CTCI awarded $417-MM EPC contract to build ethylene storage in Qatar 11/15
- Russian refineries cut oil runs due to losses, closures loom 11/15
- Spain's Moeve swings to quarterly loss on weak refining margins 11/15
- Asia naphtha supply expected to remain tight over next two years 11/15
- Countries, companies lag in response to tackle methane emissions, U.N. says 11/15
- U.S. energy draws up a wish list for new Trump administration 11/15
