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Refining

HP Impact: Biofuel mandate vacated; agency responds by increasing mandate 60%

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

In late January, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2012 cellulosic biofuel mandate, concluding that its forecast was in &#14..

HP Innovations: Innovations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Blume, Adrienne

Coating system gets European patentHempel’s Ultra-High Solids and Speed (UHSS), a two-coat protective paint system certified for C5-M and C4 corrosive environments, has been granted a patent from..

Optimize feed treatment for polypropylene process

Tasnee: Poorkar, H.  |  Shbrain, H.  |  Al-Harbi, S.  |  Al-Saeed, A.

To realize full activity from polymerization catalysts, feed streams need to be as clean as possible from all contaminants and catalyst poisons. A very low level of even a single catalyst poison can reduce catalyst activity drastically.

Catalyst news

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Thinnes, Billy

New step-out catalyst for ULSD and hydrocracker pretreatHaldor Topsøe has announced an improved catalyst preparation technology. In hydrocracking pretreatment and high-pressure ULSD services, the..

TransCanada expects Keystone XL approval soon

TransCanada, which has been waiting for White House approval for the 830,000 bpd pipeline expansion for years, expects to receive the necessary permit "by the first half of 2013," according to Paul Miller, a senior vice president in charge of oil pipelines. He spoke on the sidelines of a Houston conference.

Sunoco Logistics cleaning East Texas pipeline spill

The cause of the spill is being investigated. The oil leaked out of the pipeline Saturday into Otter Creek in Tyler County, Sunoco Logistics said. The oil did not reach the Neches River, which is connected to the creek, according to Tyler County Emergency Management Coordinator Dale Freeeman.

ConocoPhillips looks to reduce stakes in Australian LNG, Canadian oil sands

ConocoPhillips already announced plans to shed billions of dollars in assets to focus on core areas of its portfolio, particularly in unconventional formations in the US. The company plans to "rebalance" its portfolio over time and "lighten up" on these high costs projects in order to keep costs of supply low.

Marathon reports fire at Galveston Bay refinery

A Texas City Emergency Management alert originally stated that a tank was on fire at the 451,000-bpd refinery. But a later alert stated that a pump is on fire next to a tank. Shane Pochard, a spokesman for Marathon, said the fire has not caused any injuries nor had any offsite impact.

US demand for oil, products drops to historic lows

Demand for all major petroleum products was lower in 2012, led by a near 400,000-bpd decline in gasoline demand. Gasoline use fell 0.6% to an average of 8.703 million bpd, the weakest level in 11 years. Gasoline is the most widely used petroleum product in the world's biggest oil consumer.

Magellan to buy refined product pipelines of Plains in Rocky Mountain region

The assets to be sold from Plains include a pipeline system that delivers refined products throughout Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado and associated tankage, as well as a pipeline system that delivers refined products from El Paso, Texas, to Albuquerque, N.M., and Juarez, Mexico.