Middle East
Oil futures drop on Feb. 24 leaving behind a 28-month high
As MarketWatch reported in a piece yesterday, Crude oil traded as high as $103.41 a barrel Thursday, Feb. 24, as supply disruptions in Libya and fears of contagion among other countries in the Middle East and North Africa spooked investors
Researchers find enzyme cocktail to improve biofuel processing
Virginia Tech researchers announced a discovery of a new method simplify the conversion of biomass into fuels.
Study confirms viability of Jatropha plant oil for power generation
SG Biofuels and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have released results of a study revealing the performance and emissions benefits of using Jatropha oil as a drop-in replacement for diesel fuel in industrial furnaces used for electric power generation and industrial heating
Saudi Aramco awards EPM contracts to consortiums
Saudi Aramco has signed two engineering and project management services contracts as part of its General Engineering Services Plus (GES+) initiative.
US senator urges IOCs to cease Libyan operations
All American and international oil companies should immediately cease operations in Libya until violence against civilians ceases. The Obama administration also should consider re-imposing U.S. sanctions that were lifted during the Bush era
Contract issued for Saudi polyamide 6.6 plant
Jacobs Engineering Group announced today that it signed a contract in December 2010 with the Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) and Arabian Chevron Phillips Petrochemical Co. (ACP) to provide engineering, procurement and construction management services for a polyamide 6.6 manufacturing plant and a number of polymer conversion projects.
$8.8 billion for FGD systems market in 2011
Coal-fired power plant operators will complete investments of $8.8 billion for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems starting operation in 2011. The investment in 2012 will be down and will bounce back in 2013.
Shell, Vitol and Helios reach agreement on African downstream businesses
Shell today announced it has agreed to divest the majority of its shareholding in most of its downstream businesses in Africa to Vitol and Helios Investment Partners for a total consideration of some $1 billion
Classification guidelines for LNG carriers and FPUs
Classification societies Bureau Veritas (BV) and Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) have signed a three-year cooperation agreement covering the development of joint guidelines for LNG carriers and offshore floating production units (FPUs).
New technology for removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas
The Japanese companies JGC Corp. and I NPEX Corp. jointly with BASF SE have successfully completed tests of a new technology for the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from natural gas under high pressure.

- CNOOC completes construction on $2.9-B, 1.8-MMtpy integrated complex in east China 8/22
- bp's Whiting refinery (U.S.) continues to flare days after severe thunderstorm 8/22
- Bachmann introduces latest version M-Target for Simulink 8/22
- U.S. to rule on biofuel waivers, but big oil refiners may need to wait 8/22
- Chinese independent refiner Hongrun buys Canadian, Brazilian crude 8/22
- Ukrainian attack suspends Russian oil flows to Hungary, Slovakia 8/22