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

Americas

NOVA Chemicals begins Bakken Shale ethane use

“The introduction of Bakken Shale-based ethane into the feedstock diet at Joffre marks an important milestone in the diversification of our ethane sources for the region and our NOVA 2020 strategy to capitalize on North American demand,” said Todd Karran, acting CEO for NOVA Chemicals.

Kobe Steel’s compressor company opens in Brazil

Kobe Steel announced that its subsidiary company, Kobelco Machinery do Brazil, has begun full-scale marketing of nonstandard compressors in the region of South America.

C3 Petrochemicals wins GHG permit from EPA for Texas PDH project

The plant will convert propane to propylene. The PDH process will use a continuous catalytic regenerator that does not use combustion or steam and results in lower GHG emissions.

UOP to license TPC Group process technology for on-purpose butadiene

The two companies will immediately begin working together to license TPC Group's proprietary OXO-D technology, which has been successfully operated for more than 40 years.

Chevron Phillips Chemical starts up world’s largest plant for 1-hexene

With worldwide supply capabilities, the 1-hexene unit is capable of producing 250,000 tpy and is expected to enjoy significant advantages in infrastructure, feedstock availability and operational knowledge by its placement in the existing Cedar Bayou chemical complex in Baytown, Texas.

MarkWest Energy to expand fractionation capacity at Ohio NGL complex

The move comes in order to meet growing natural gas liquids (NGLs) production in the Utica and Marcellus Shale regions under new contracted commitments from numerous producer customers.

Air Products, Matheson open Wyoming helium plant

The Big Piney helium facility purifies and liquefies a helium feedgas stream that is supplied by Denbury Resources' Riley Ridge gas processing plant. The Denbury plant processes a raw gas stream produced from the LaBarge field in Wyoming, one of the largest helium-rich gas fields in the US.

Enterprise picks Houston Ship Channel as site for ethane export plant

Enterprise says it has signed a 30-year agreement with the Port of Houston Authority for use of facilities adjacent to the partnership’s existing Morgan’s Point terminal.

Calumet becomes JV partner in commercial GTL project in Louisiana

The plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is expected to be operational by late 2015, has a total estimated cost of $135 million. The brownfield plant will be owned and operated by Juniper GTL.

Foster Wheeler wins UK engineering safety award

This is RoSPA’s highest achievement award and is only presented to companies which have attained at least 15 consecutive RoSPA Gold Awards for outstanding health and safety performance.