Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Refining

Hess signs three-year contracts to explore Iraq

Energy giant Hess has signed production sharing contracts (PSCs) with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq for the country’s Dinarta and Shakrok exploration blocks.

Rare earths sales likely to triple by 2015 - study

World demand for rare earths is forecast to expand by 7.1%/year to 180,000 metric tons by 2015, according to a new study from US industry market research firm The Freedonia Group. In dollar terms, sales are expected to more than triple from $3.0 billion in 2010 to $9.2 billion in 2015.

Calumet to buy Wisconsin refinery from Murphy Oil for around $475mn

Murphy Oil has agreed to sell its 34,300 bpd refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, for $214 million plus the value of hydrocarbon inventory to refiner Calumet Specialty Products. The hydrocarbon inventory will be valued based on market prices at closing, the company said. The inventory was valued at approximately $260 million as of June 30.

Biofuels firm Gevo to build isobutanol processing demonstration plant in Texas

Renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels firm Gevo will work with a subsidiary of the Arabian American Development Co. to build a hydrocarbon processing demonstration plant at their facility just outside of Houston in Silsbee, Texas.

Süd-Chemie starts work to build cellulosic ethanol plant in Germany

Specialty chemicals firm Süd-Chemie has begun construction at Straubing in southern Germany of a €28mn plant to produce cellulosic ethanol from agricultural waste materials.

Statoil to supply ethane for NOVA Canada cracker

NOVA Chemicals has signed a memorandum of understanding with Statoil to secure a long-term supply of ethane from the Marcellus Shale basin. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bioenergy group Terrabon awarded jet fuel project for US defense agency

Houston-based bioenergy company Terrabon has been awarded a $9.6 million, 18-month contract by Logos Technologies to design a more economical and renewable jet fuel (BioJet) production solution for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

ExxonMobil marine affiliate to build two crude oil tankers for US West Coast use

Exxon Mobil’s US marine affiliate, SeaRiver Maritime, signed a letter of intent with Aker Philadelphia Shipyard to build two US flag crude oil tankers in partnership with shipbuilding technology firm Samsung Heavy Industries.

Chevron forms technology alliance with NASA to improve oil, natgas recovery

Chevron and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have formed an alliance to develop a range of technologies to improve the production and recovery of oil and natural gas resources, the groups said on Monday.

US petroleum demand increased in June - API data

Total US petroleum deliveries in June were up on both a year-on-year and month-on-month basis, according to information released Friday from the American Petroleum Institute (API). Moreover, deliveries were up 1.9% for the first six months of 2011 over the same period in 2010.