Americas
Shell CEO says Arctic focus on Alaska, Greenland
Shell’s plans to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic region will be centered on Alaska and Greenland, though the Anglo-Dutch major is also eyeing Russia's far north as an exploration frontier, said CEO Peter Voser. Vast hydrocarbon reserves are believed to lie off the coast of Greenland.
Shell, ORTEC form alliance on technical consulting
Shell and ORTEC formed a global cooperation alliance, focusing on the optimization of supply chain processes and strategic decision making in up - and downstream engineering disciplines like planning & scheduling, gas field production capacity optimization, spare parts management, and cost estimating.
OPEC sees no shortage of oil in any region
OPEC's secretary general said Monday that there is currently no shortage of oil anywhere, despite current supply concerns. Oil markets have been jittery by interruption of supply from countries such as Sudan and fears Iran may preempt a planned European embargo on its oil exports.
Cheniere inks sales pact with Korea Gas to export Sabine Pass LNG
Cheniere Energy Partners has entered into an LNG sale and purchase agreement with Korea Gas Corp.(Kogas) under which Kogas has agreed to purchase 3.5 million tpy of LNG upon the completion of train three operations. The agreement has a term of 20 years and an extension option of up to 10 years.
Air Liquide acquires Georgia Gulf air separation unit
Air Liquide has purchased an air separation unit (ASU) from Georgia Gulf in Plaquemine, La. The ASU will join an existing system of 13 Air Liquide air separation units and utility production facilities serving more than 30 customers along the Mississippi River via Air Liquide’s pipeline network, the company said.
US Republicans plan new tactics to secure approval of Keystone XL oil pipeline
Politicians unveiled a bill that could push through approval of the project over the objections of President Barack Obama.
Shell CEO says current US gas prices too low for shale investment
Investment in shale gas won't be sustained if US natural gas benchmarks stay at their currently depressed levels, Shell chief executive Peter Voser said. US natural gas prices have fallen to their lowest point in a decade as new technologies allow producers to access vast untapped gasfields in Pennsylvania and Texas.
Petrobras to expand Minas Gerais biodiesel plant
Brazilian oil and gas company Petroleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, signed an accord with the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais to boost output of biodiesel there. Petrobras has five biodiesel plants with the total capacity to produce 721.4 million liters of biodiesel per year.
Eastman to buy US specialty chemicals firm Solutia in $4.7 billion deal
Eastman Chemical has agreed to acquire US-based specialty chemicals and performance materials firm Solutia, a global leader in performance materials and specialty chemicals, in a deal valued at about $4.7 billion (including debt). The deal is expected to close in mid-2012.
Siemens buys US water treatment firm Cambridge
The industry automation division of Siemens has agreed to acquire Massachusetts-based Cambridge Water Technology, the company said on Thursday, seeking to strengthen its product portfolio with new technology offerings. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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