Asia/Pacific
PdVSA to supply crude for Reliance refinery in India
Reliance executive P.M.S. Prasad said the crude will feed India's Jamnagar refinery and will help the rapidly growing Asian economy meet its growing energy needs. He said the supply contract could run longer than 15 years. The contract will begin with shipments of 300,000 bbl and increase over time.
Petronas picks GE compressor technology for first Asia floating LNG project
GE was awarded the contract primarily on the basis of its technology as well as its experience in the LNG and offshore sectors, it said. The order is also based on GE’s global frame agreement with Petronas.
Jiutai licenses UOP methanol-to-olefins technology for China coal project
Jiutai will produce 600,000 tpy of ethylene and propylene at its facility in Ordos City, China. In addition to technology licensing, UOP is to provide basic engineering, catalysts, adsorbents, specialty equipment, technical services and training for the project, which is expected to start up in 2014.
IEA aims to halve road transport fuel use by 2050
In two reports published Wednesday, the IEA said there was massive potential for fuel efficiency improvements to reduce demand for transport fuels by 2050, even if the number of road vehicles doubles in the same period. The reports highlight technology available or about to enter the mainstream market.
Canada looks to Asian markets amid LNG glut in US
A decade-long boom in US production of natural gas drove prices to a record low of $1.91 per million British thermal units in April, and has created more energy independence for the US, which is virtually Canada's only energy export market. Thus, Canada has set its sights on energy-hungry Asian markets.
PolyOne expands polymer innovation centers in US, China, South Korea
PolyOne says its investment to upgrade the centers will further serve the needs of customers interested in collaborating to solve product and performance challenges, while accelerating their speed to market.
Fluor forms Philippines joint venture with modular engineering group AG&P
The new entity will provide a full range of integrated engineering, fabrication, module assembly and construction services to Fluor’s clients. AG&P, established in the Philippines in 1900, fabricates modules for refineries, power plants, offshore platforms and mining processing and refining operations.
IEA sees high refinery activity boosting fuel supply
The Paris-based energy watchdog, which represents major oil-consumer nations, expects refiners to process around 75.7 million bpd of crude in the third and fourth quarters, 1.3 million bpdmore than in the last quarter of 2011. Behind the output rise is unexpectedly high production in developed economies.
UOP licenses production technology to isobutylene, butane project in China
The new units, expected to start up in 2014, will produce 180,000 tpy of isobutylene and 150,000 tpy of normal butane at a facility in Heilongjiang Province, China. This will be the first facility in China to dedicate a process unit for isobutylene production using Honeywell’s UOP C4 Oleflex process.
Air Products acquires Guizhou China gas liquefier
Liquid product will be sold predominantly to the region's industries on the merchant market, with some also being sold to Guizhou Kaiyang Chemical. The Air Products-owned ASU and liquefier are to be onstream in October 2012. Investment terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

- IHI, Vopak to launch ammonia terminal project in Japan 7/11
- India's BPCL plans to shut Bina refinery unit for 15-day maintenance in August 7/11
- Soaring electric truck sales deal new blow to diesel use in China 7/11
- Russia`s Tatneft launches new hydrocracking unit on TANECO refinery 7/11
- IEA: Global oil market may be tighter than it looks 7/11
- India must boost its petchem output to counter China's dominance, Reliance says 7/11