Refining
Total to lower investments starting in 2014, could cut refining capacity
In a briefing with media ahead of a meeting with investors and analysts, Total's chief financial officer Patrick de la Chevardiere noted that the group is considering cutting capacities at some refineries. "We're going to adapt our footprint to European demand," he said, without elaborating.
India approves new HPCL refinery in Rajasthan
Hindustan Petroleum will own 74% of the project, while the Rajasthan state government will own the rest. The refinery, located in Rajasthan's Bamer town, is expected to go on stream in four years.
Norway nixes big carbon capture project at Statoil refinery in Mongstad
The project has been both challenging and costly, and the risks are now seen as too big to go through with it, the government said. Statoil said it has no plans to shut down the refinery, which ran a surplus in 2012 for the first time in years, and was going through a cost savings program.
European refining sector needs further closures
Europe's refining businesses must slim down further and then pump billions of dollars into what remains, according to the head of European refining trade group Europia.
Finland’s Neste Oil plans to exit shipping business
Under the plan, Neste Oil will sell five tankers and three tugs to companies owned by Finland's National Emergency Supply Agency and the Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company.
Foster Wheeler to help upgrade Russian Far East refinery in Khabarovsk
The objective of the project is to produce more higher-value, lighter products. The complex includes a hydrocracker, hydrotreater, hydrogen unit, amine regeneration unit, sour water stripper, sulfur recovery unit, vapor recovery unit, waste water treatment unit, ground flare, tank farm and pump houses.
China unveils subsidies for fuel-efficient vehicles
The program is to "speed development of the new-energy automobile industry, reduce emissions and help control pollution," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.
Korea National Oil to shop Newfoundland refinery
Korea National Oil Corp., which inherited the 115,000-bpd Come By Chance refinery when it bought Harvest Energy in 2009, has hired Deutsche Bank to sell the facility, according to people familiar with the matter. It is unclear how much, if anything, the refinery could fetch from a buyer.
Brazil to allow Petrobras to raise gasoline prices
The price increase of about 8% for gasoline at the refinery gate would help shore up Petrobras's finances ahead of the sale of Brazil's largest offshore oil discovery under new production-sharing deals.
Neste Oil, Raisioagro research straw feedstock to produce renewable diesel
Microbial oil technology enables straw to be used as a feedstock for producing NExBTL renewable diesel. Neste Oil has tested processing of straw for some years, and pilot-scale microbial oil production trials were started last year when Europe's first microbial oil pilot plant was commissioned at Porvoo.
- HIF Global and German eFuel One GmbH sign HoA for e-methanol offtake 2/20
- Venezuela's refineries boost processing to 35% of capacity 2/20
- New Trinidad gas projects could provide necessary feedstock for country's petchem and LNG sectors 2/20
- MK-Polymer delivers ethylene-propylene rubber to JSC Kazenergokabel 2/20
- Mexican authorities shut down 22-m long tunnel used in illegal smuggling of fuel supplies 2/20
- Digital Feature: First-stage ejector nozzle retrofit achieves meaningful performance improvement 2/20
