Americas
Mitsui wins FEED work for Sasol Louisiana PE plant
The project is part of Sasol’s planned world-scale ethane cracker and derivatives complex to be built in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The plant's low-density polyethylene (LDPE) capacity will be 420,000 tpy.
US safety board to probe Williams olefins blast
The CSB looks at all areas of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations and industry standards.
Refinery watch: Planned and unplanned US outages (1)
Citgo Petroleum shut down several units June 12 at its refinery in Lemont, Ill., after the facility was struck by lightning, according to a government filing. Several units at Marathon Petroleum's 80,000 bpd refinery in Texas City, Texas, remained off line June 10 following a leak at the refinery's FCCU.
Explosion hits Williams Louisiana olefins plant
An explosion and subsequent fire rocked the Williams olefins plant in Geismar, Louisiana, leading to evacuations, two deaths and numerous injuries. Ambulances and helicopters transported those injured facility to local hospitals and about 300 workers were evacuated from the scene.
US petrochemical companies seek exports to Asia
Hydraulic fracturing and other drilling technologies are keeping prices for natural gas -- a key raw material for Dow Chemical and other chemical producers -- below $4/MMBtu. That's cheap enough that the US chemical industry can start taking market share from Middle Eastern producers.
BP sees US oil production rising at record pace
In its world energy review, BP revealed that 2012 had the largest single-year increase ever seen in the US, largely from unconventional hydrocarbons such as tight oil. This illustrates an example of the increasing diversity of energy sources as the global market continues to adapt and evolve.
Petrobras mulls Northeast Brazil refinery venture with Korea's GS Energy
Brazil currently suffers from a refining shortfall. Petrobras's plans to build the refinery, called Premium 2, have been pushed back to 2017 or 2018 as the company focuses its $237 billion investment plan through 2016 on boosting crude oil production and development of ultra-deepwater offshore fields.
Petronas plans to invest $20bn in British Columbia project for LNG exports
The company, known as Petronas, is planning two LNG trains of 6 million tpy each under the Pacific NorthWest LNG project by the end of 2019. The export terminal project in British Columbia was acquired by Petronas last year as part of its $5.2 billion purchase of Canada's Progress Energy Resources.
China's CNPC to join key Ecuador refining project
CNPC Chairman Zhou Jiping had signed a framework agreement with Ecuador's Coordinating Minister for Strategic Sectors and Petroecuador's President, under which CNPC "will take a share in the construction of the Pacific Refinery project and participate in the exploration and development."
BP, Coast Guard conclude Gulf oil spill cleanup in three states
The US Coast Guard is ending active Deepwater Horizon cleanup in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, concluding a three-year effort to repair the Gulf of Mexico shoreline.
- USA BioEnergy secures Johnson Matthey and Honeywell technologies for new SAF facility in Texas (U.S.) 9/10
- Consortium receives AiP for floating ammonia cracker unit 9/10
- Southeast Asia set to export surplus biofuels to Europe, Petronas executive says 9/10
- U.S. refinery-state senators look to block Trump from shifting renewable fuel obligation 9/10
- Canada pledges money, regulatory reform to boost biofuels 9/10
- LNJ GreenPET, Sumitomo partner to accelerate recycled PET sector 9/10
