Americas
Marathon formally acquires BP Texas City refinery
The transaction was first announced on October 8, 2012. The base purchase price is approximately $598 million, plus inventories valued at approximately $1.1 billion. The refinery will be renamed and referred to in future Marathon Petroleum communications as the Galveston Bay refinery.
Brazilian oil workers expected to approve wider Petrobras strike – union
Workers are protesting Petrobras's latest profit-sharing offer, which the union contends short-changes workers to the benefit of shareholders. The strike is tentatively scheduled to start Feb. 20, said Joao Antonio de Moraes, general coordinator for the Brazilian Oil Workers Federation, or FUP.
US gasoline exports to Venezuela hit record high
The volume was more than double the October level of 39,000 bpd. The gasoline exports come as Venezuela has suffered persist operating problems at some refineries. The country's largest refinery, Amuay, still has recovered only a little more than 50% of capacity since it was shut down after an August accident.
California safety board fines Chevron $1 million for Richmond refinery fire
The Richmond refinery fire in August lasted for hours, sending plumes of black smoke over the San Francisco Bay and causing an estimated 15,000 local residents to visit emergency rooms. An investigation into the fire is ongoing but so far has focused on a corroded pipe leading from the main CDU.
Williams picks Fluor for propane dehydrogenation project work in Canada
The proposed PDH facility would primarily use the propane recovered at Williams’ existing fractionation facility in Redwater, Alberta, and convert it into polymer-grade propylene, a petrochemical feedstock used in plastics manufacturing. Financial details were not disclosed.
EPA proposes near 9% increase in 2013 for US renewable fuels mandate
The agency said it intended to require US refiners and fuel importers to use a total of 16.55 billion gallons of renewable fuel during 2013, compared to 15.2 billion gallons last year. As in previous years, the lion's share of that mandate is expected to be met with ethanol made from Midwestern corn.
Marathon plans new name, upgrade for BP Texas City refinery
Marathon Petroleum, which officially completes its acquisition of the 415,000 bpd complex on Friday, has begun referring to the Gulf Coast site as the Galveston Bay refinery.
Technip wins engineering for Westlake ethylene expansion in Kentucky
The ethylene production capacity will be increased by 40%, the companies said Tuesday, rising from 450 million lb/year to 630 million lb/year. It will use ethane feedstock instead of propane, as per the original design. Technip's operating center in Claremont, California, will execute the work.
BP names new head of safety, operational risk
Bob Fryar, who is executive vice president for production in BP's upstream business, will take up his new position from Feb. 15. The role includes oversight for security. He will take over from Mark Bly, who has headed BP's safety functions since March 2008 and who plans to retire from BP in the summer.
Idemitsu partners with AltaGas to export LNG, LPG from Canada to Japan
Under the 50:50 plan by oil refiner Idemitsu and gas pipeline operator AltaGas, the two may build an LNG export terminal near Kitimat in British Columbia, possibly starting LNG exports mainly to Japan as early as 2017. The venture also plans to develop a liquefied petroleum gas export business.
- U.S. firms to develop Syria energy masterplan after Trump lifts sanctions 7/18
- Russian seaborne diesel exports for July 1–15 fall 6% month-on-month 7/18
- INEOS invests £30 MM to slash emissions at Hull site by 75% 7/18
- Mitsubishi Chemical Group invests in Licella Holdings, oil conversion technology using supercritical water 7/18
- BASF and Equinor sign 10-yr natural gas supply agreement 7/18
- Oil prices rise after new EU sanctions on Russia 7/18
