Refining
Flint Hills reports seal pump fire at Corpus refinery
The shut down process caused a flaring event at the 70,000-bpd East Plant, which was reported to local emergency planners. There were no injuries associated with the event, nor was there a call for the community to take action. The seal pump fire was extinguished quickly, the company said.
Essar extinguishes furnace fire at UK refinery
Supplies to customers are being largely maintained to schedule, and Essar says it has plans in place to ensure that remains the case while repairs are made to the unit. The fire at the Stanlow refinery didn't impact the two main crude distillation units or the residue catalytic cracking unit.
IEA says Middle East oil producers are increasingly accepting renewables
Many Gulf countries have made ambitious plans for increasing the share that renewables play in their energy mix. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has said it will adopt a renewable energy program at the start of 2013 while Kuwait said in December that it aims to produce 15% of its energy from renewables by 2030.
Pacific Ethanol eyes yield-enhancing ethanol technology at US plant
Pacific Ethanol Inc. will implement yield-enhancing technology at its Stockton, California ethanol plant. The company has awarded Edeniq, a biomaterials and sustainable fuels developer, with a contract for Edeniq's Cellunators technology to boost ethanol yields by increasing available starch for conversion.
Delek buys North Texas biodiesel plant from EQM
The biodiesel facility has a production capacity of 12 million gal/year. Delek said it intends to spend approximately $3.0 million in capital expenditures during 2013 to improve the feedstock flexibility. At present, the facility produces biodiesel exclusively for Delek under a tolling agreement.
US shale boom to spur manufacturing growth, but not energy independence
The US currently imports approximately half its daily consumption of 19 million bpd of oil and remains both the largest importer and consumer of oil. Conservation and the shale revolution would not eliminate upward pressure on prices from rising emerging market demand.
Saudi Arabia slashes oil production in December
As demand for crude from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries falls this year, the Saudi cut shows that the kingdom, "still wants to have, and does have, the role as the swing producer in the market," said Thina Saltvedt, a senior oil market analyst at Nordea Bank Norge.
Chevron sees weaker US, global refining margins
During the first two months of the fourth quarter, US refinery crude-input volumes decreased by 77,000 bpd compared to the third quarter, driven primarily by the continued shutdown of the Richmond, California refinery crude unit. International refinery crude-input volumes increased 9,000 bpd.
Tesoro to convert Hawaii refinery to import terminal
Tesoro had been trying to sell the 94,000 bpd refinery since January 2012 because of eroding profit margins. The conversion to an import facility, expected to occur in April, will allow Tesoro to cut costs related to processing fuel there while still allowing the company to distribute fuel in the state.
South Korean refining margins boosted by exports
For the January-March period, South Korean refining margins are expected to recover on the back of "rises in [global] kerosene and diesel oil prices amid expanding demand for heating oil" and an "upswing in the chemical business," Hyundai Securities said in a research note.
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- How ASTM approval of methanol-to-jet accelerates SAF at scale 6/19
- EU crafts plan to give industries extra free CO2 permits this year 6/19
- PetroChina forecasts Chinese oil consumption will drop 4.9% this year 6/19
- Digital Exclusive: Water injection pump mechanical seals failure after pump shutdown 6/19
- Russian gasoline output down 25% so far in June after drone attacks on refineries 6/19
