Americas
HP Associations: HPI mulls technical innovations at IRPC in Milan, Italy
The third annual International Refining and Petrochemical Conference (IRPC) opened its doors in mid-June, bringing record crowds to Milan, Italy, as leading downstream players shared and debated new h..
HP Construction: North America
Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP has started up a new steam methane reformer (SMR) in La Porte, Texas, just east of Houston. The 120 million scfd of gaseous hydrogen produced by the SMR will feed ..
HPI major events and trends, 1920s to present
1920s: THE FORMATION OF THE MODERN HPIDuring this period, a new industry was evolving focused on the refining of crude oil into fuels and other products. New demand for crude oil-based products, such ..
US imports of Saudi crude highest since July 2008
US imports of crude oil from Saudi Arabia climbed 45.7% from a year earlier in April to the highest level since July 2008, according to US government data. The rise in US imports from Saudi Arabia came as total crude oil imports from all sources declined in the month amid higher domestic production.
US nears Deepwater Horizon settlement with BP
The Justice Department is near civil and criminal settlements with BP and Transocean over the Deepwater Horizon disaster, deals that may have billions in fines and penalties.
Dow Chemical forms carbon fiber, derivatives JV with Turkey's Aksa
Dow Chemical and Turkish acrylic fiber company Aksa have formed DowAksa Advanced Composites, a JV to manufacture and commercialize carbon fiber and derivatives. Aksa and Dow each hold a 50% stake in the JV, which will finance its growth through cash flow from operations and financial institutions.
Solazyme starts up Illinois renewable oil biorefinery
Renewable oil and bio-products company Solazyme said Friday that it commissioned its first fully-integrated biorefinery (IBR) in Peoria, Illinois, to produce algal oil. With the successful production of algal oil from the integrated facility this month, Solazyme has met its start-up goals for the facility on schedule.
API trade group adopts pipeline safety principles
The American Petroleum Institute says the eight liquid pipeline safety principles are zero incidents, organization-wide commitment, a culture of safety, continuous improvement, learning from experience, systems for success, employing technology and communicating with stakeholders.
ExxonMobil licenses methanol-gasoline technology to Sundrop biofuels plant
The biomass complex in Alexandria, Louisiana, will gasify forest waste supplemented with hydrogen produced from natural gas to make synthesis gas. The syngas then will be converted to methanol and fed into the MTG process, producing 3,500 bpd of renewable gasoline.
EPA emissions ruling may threaten US coal sector
Fitch Ratings says the US federal appeals court decision to uphold EPA's greenhouse gas rules will limit the use of coal and increase reliance on other fuels, like natural gas. Fitch says the decision will severely constrain the construction of future coal-fired plants.

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