Refining
US crude rail deliveries hit record high, still rising
Refiners increasingly depend on rail cars to bring in the oil being produced in increasing quantities throughout the US and Canada. Innovations in drilling techniques have allowed oil companies to cull oil from shale formations faster than pipeline companies can connect the wells to market.
Tanker drivers to strike for three days at Scottish refinery in Grangemouth
The strike, which will affect delivery of aviation and motor fuel from the 210,000 bpd refinery, is being taken in order to defend pension rights ahead of a transfer of their employment contracts from BP to DHL. BP said in a statement that its priority remains the safe delivery of fuel products.
Worker found dead at Valero refinery in Oklahoma
Valero said the cause of death is unknown and is under investigation -- there are no signs of any release, "no fire, no explosion, nothing like that". The refinery's emergency response team called an ambulance after the man was found unconscious, and the man was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Fuel pipeline from key Iraq refinery under attack
The attack hit the pipeline carrying oil from the refinery in Baiji to Mosul in northern Iraq. It's the second attack on the pipeline in less than a week, forcing the country to ship fuel by road through the northern Ninava province. Ninava province gets all of its fuel from the damaged pipeline, which will take days to fix.
Sinopec wins environmental approvals in China to expand Hainan refinery
Sinopec will expand the capacity of its Hainan refinery to 13 million metric tpy of crude oil, or about 261,000 bpd from the current 8 million tons, or 160,000 bpd, the ministry said in a statement Sunday on its website. The company will also build a new ethylene unit with an annual capacity of 1 million tons.
Companies propose 800-mile Alaska gas pipeline
Under the companies' plan, an 800-mile pipeline would be built with the capacity to ship 3 billion to 3.5 billion cubic feet of gas to an area near a port where the gas would be turned into a liquid. The LNG would be stored in tanks and loaded onto tankers from a loading jetty with two berths.
Enbridge, partners plan pipeline to ship Canadian, Bakken crude to US Gulf
The companies said the Patoka hub can receive crude oil from both western Canada and North Dakota's Bakken play through a variety of existing pipelines as well as through Enbridge's Southern Access Extension pipeline, which is under development. The pipeline is expected to be in service by 2015.
Lukoil picks Tecnicas Reunidas for upgrade project at Volgograd refinery
Lukoil and Tecnicas Reunidas will construct a vacuum gasoil light hydrocracker unit with an annual capacity of 3.5 million metric tons and up to 75% conversion ratio, a combined sulphur production unit and hydrogen production facilities at the refinery that is about 1,000 kilometers south of Moscow.
Pemex awards work to Technip for revamp of Lara Sosa refinery in Mexico
The scope of work includes the detailed engineering, procurement, construction, training, commissioning and start up for the recondition of the combustion gases system of the No. 1 catalytic plant (FCC) of the refinery. Technip's operating center in Mexico City, Mexico, will execute the project.
IEA lowers forecast for global oil demand growth, warns of China slowdown
In its closely-watched monthly report on the oil market, the watchdog agency cut its oil demand growth forecasts for the coming year by a marginal 90,000 bpd, but warned that recent signs of recovery in the global oil demand could be the result of one-off factors, rather than sustained improvement.
- NAPCOR releases 2024 PET recycling report highlighting system efficiency gains and continued strength of PET circularity 12/12
- OQ courts other partners for petrochemical complex in Oman as SABIC drops out 12/12
- Brazil's BNDES approves $71 MM for carbon storage project 12/12
- Cuba on edge as U.S. seizure of oil tanker puts supply at risk 12/12
- China oil demand to plateau between 2025 and 2030 12/12
- Germany's PCK refinery says no impact from pipeline leak 12/12
