Americas
US safety board identifies weak refining standards in Chevron fire review
The US agency found shortcomings in industry standards related to comprehensive inspection, effective facility upgrades, and the need for minimum safety requirements.
BP to cut Houston jobs, reduce US Gulf business
This announcement follows job cuts at Houston-based oil field service giants Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes, which have announced a combined 17,000 employee layoffs in recent weeks.
Petrobras develops new FCCU technology to capture CO2, cut emissions
Company officials at Petrobras say this is the first pre-industrial scale FCCU to use oxy-combustion technology to capture CO2 released by industrial processes in refineries.
Methanex starts production at new Louisiana plant relocated from Chile
Methanex has successfully produced the first methanol from its new 1.0 million-tpy plant in Geismar, Louisiana. The plant was relocated from the company's production site in Punta Arenas, Chile.
Petrobras lifts annual processing volume to record at Brazilian refineries
The average volume processed was 2.1 million bpd of oil, up 34,000 bpd (1.7%) from the previous record, set in 2013. Petrobras also achieved a number of monthly records at its refineries.
Matheson to supply gases for new Sasol cracker
Matheson has entered into an agreement with Sasol to supply tonnage oxygen and nitrogen to Sasol’s world-scale ethane cracker, which is part of an$8.1 billion expansion in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Blast at Brazilian refinery burns three workers
The fire and explosion at Petrobras' 323,000-bpd Landulpho Alves (RLAM) complex is the second major accident to occur at Brazil's second-largest refinery within a week.
BASF to expand 1,4-butanediol capacity by 10% from Louisiana plant
BASF will increase its production capacities for the chemical intermediate 1,4-butanediol (BDO) by 10% at its site in Geismar, Louisiana as of 2016.
Greyrock, Nerd Gas to partner on GTL units in US
Through an affiliate, US GTL, the companies are working to ensure that GTL facilities can utilize Wyoming natural gas and produce clean transportation fuels for local consumption.
Petrobras ships first naphtha to Braskem from Abreu e Lima refinery
The first batch of petrochemical naphtha from Petrobras' Abreu e Lima refinery will be delivered to customer Braskem, a petrochemicals group with operations across Brazil.
- Chevron Technology Ventures' Catalyst program selects RapiCure 7/15
- GEA promotes more sustainable refinery processes with energy-efficient high-performance decanters 7/15
- Ariel Green pays claim for plastic recycling facility, demonstrating protection for clean energy projects 7/15
- China taps deeper into oil inventories despite biggest drop in refining on record 7/15
- China's Sinopec establishes four business units in major overhaul 7/15
- Japan refiners to diversify crude sources, explore support for Hormuz bypass routes 7/15
