Refining
Repsol shuts FCC unit at Petronor refinery in Spain amid poor margins
Repsol has shut the FCC unit at its 220,000 bpd Petronor refinery in Spain because of dismal refining margins in Europe, Petronor said in a statement. Repsol's Petronor refinery is in the Somorrostro valley, 20 kilometers from Bilbao in northern Spain.
Calumet buys US synthetic lubes unit from Ashland
Calumet Specialty Products completed its previously-announced purchase of the Hercules aviation and refrigerant lubricants business, the polyol/ester-based synlubes subsidiary of Ashland. The Hercules business was previously in Ashland’s water technologies segment.
HollyFrontier plans 45% expansion for Utah refinery
US-based refiner HollyFrontier says it will expand capacity by 45% at its 31,000 bpd refinery in Woods Cross, Utah, raising capacity to 45,000 bpd by the expected completion in late 2014. The company expects incremental yields from the expansion project to be approximately 60% gasoline and 40% diesel, with expansion costs approximately $225 million.
KBR awarded construction deal on ExxonMobil lube base stock plant in Texas
KBR said Thursday it was awarded a construction contract for ExxonMobil’s new synthetics lubricant base stock facility to be built at ExxonMobil’s refinery and chemical plant complex in Baytown, Texas. The award came from Technip USA, the prime contractor responsible for EPC on the project.
Enterprise, Genesis team up for new Gulf pipeline
Enterprise Products Partners and Genesis Energy plan to build a crude oil gathering pipeline in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico for a consortium of six producers. Enterprise will serve as construction manager and operator of the new pipeline, earning fees for both services.
Toyo lands utilities work at Brazil refinery project
A consortium led by Toyo Engineering Corp. has been awarded a contract from Petrobras for utilities construction to be installed in the Comperj refinery project in Itaborai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2014.
Republicans pressure Obama for Keystone XL pipeline decision
Republicans are tightening the screws on US President Barack Obama, seeking to force a decision regarding the controversial oil pipeline.
EU agrees in principle to oil embargo on Iran
European Union member states agreed in principle to press ahead with an oil embargo on Iran over its nuclear program, diplomats said Wednesday, in a move that pushed oil prices higher. An oil embargo would be the latest step in international efforts to isolate Tehran economically over concerns Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Enterprise to build ethane pipeline from Appalachia to US Gulf
Enterprise plans to move ahead with a planned 1,230-mile pipeline to deliver growing ethane production from the Marcellus and Utica shale regions to the US Gulf coast. The pipeline will begin in Pennsylvania with 595 miles of new pipeline extending to Missouri, where Enterprise plans to reverse an existing pipeline and place it in ethane service.
Venezuela seen getting off 'lightly' in $908 million ExxonMobil settlement
An international arbitration panel awarded US oil major ExxonMobil $908 million in a verdict over oil assets nationalized by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2007. The payout is substantially lower than the $7 billion that Exxon was seeking in restitution.
- Sinopec, Aramco start building $10-B petchem complex in China's Fujian province 11/18
- Clariant EnviCat N2O-S catalyst to cut CO2eq by 690,000 tpy at Hengli’s nitric acid plant in China 11/18
- Russia's Ilsky refinery has asked for gov't help over high rates, modernization 11/18
- North Dakota (U.S.) approves Summit Carbon pipeline permit 11/18
- China's oil refinery output falls from a year ago for a seventh month 11/18
- European oil giants step back from renewables path 11/18
