Europe
Project Management: Protect operating margins with outsourced asset management
The oil and gas sector is under pressure to maintain operating margins. Although oil prices have stabilized in recent months, they have, nonetheless, fallen dramatically in the last year. This has bee..
Industry Metrics
Refinery margins weakened in the US due to lower winter demand.
EU urged to set 2030 biofuels target for security
Competition from cheap oil has added to the pressure on the advanced biofuel industry, which so far has only a non-binding 2020 EU target of 0.5% to guide investment.
Italy’s Eni slashes 2016 investment plans after reporting heavy losses
Eni posted a net loss in the quarter of 8.46 billion euros ($9.4 bln) on Friday after booking charges on its stake in oil service company Saipem and chemical unit Versalis.
BASF braces for lower operating profit as Chinese chemical sales slump
Slight profit gains in farming pesticides, and specialty chemicals and plastics, will be overshadowed by considerable declines at its basic petrochemical businesses and at its Wintershall oil and gas division.
Finland to offer financial aid package for biofuels
"Finland will stop using coal in energy production and halve the use of imported oil for domestic needs during the 2020s," the Ministry of Employment and the Economy said.
Bulgaria investigates possible fixing of fuel prices
The Commission for Protection of Competition is investigating the Bulgarian units of Royal Dutch Shell, OMV, Hellenic Petrolleum, Nis Petrol, Lukoil, Rompetrol and Bulgarian Petrol.
AkzoNobel to buy BASF’s industrial coatings unit
The business generated revenue of about €300 million in 2015 and supplies products for a number of end uses, including coil, wind energy and general industry, and commercial transport.
Small diesel cars seen as vulnerable to European emissions test reforms
Industry officials estimate that 5% of planned diesel auto models might be withdrawn or changed during a first phase of implementation, and more later.
Genomatica, Eni’s Versalis make bio-butadiene via renewable feedstocks
The success of this innovative undertaking results from a newly-developed process for the on-purpose production of butadiene which uses various types of sugars as feedstock.
- Valmet to acquire Severn Group to strengthen Process Performance Solutions segment 12/22
- World’s first dynamic green ammonia plant starts operations in Denmark 12/22
- Baker Hughes to supply liquefaction equipment for Commonwealth LNG export project 12/22
- South Korea petrochemical firms on track to cut up to 3.7 MM tons of output 12/22
- MOL and JERA sign HoAs for the charter of ammonia carriers 12/22
- China's November fuel oil imports up 15% from October 12/22

