Flint Hills lets contract for Project Eagle Ford
Flint Hills Resources signed a contract with KBR Inc., Houston, for work related to Project Eagle Ford (PEF), a $600 million project designed to increase processing capabilities for US light, sweet crude oil at its 230,000-b/d West refinery in Corpus Christi, Tex. (OGJ Online, Dec. 2, 2014).
As part of the reimbursable contract, KBR will provide construction management and construction services in phases over 3 years.
Initially announced in 2012 and formerly named the Domestic Crude Project, PEF will involve modifying equipment at the West refinery's continuous catalytic regeneration hot oil heater, as well as the inclusion of a new saturates gas plant and associated hot oil heater (OGJ Online, May 29, 2014; Aug. 27, 2012).
The expansion-modification project will enable the refinery to process 100% light crude oil from the nearby South Texas Eagle Ford shale and boost the refinery's overall crude processing capacity by 7%. The upgrade also will enable efforts to reduce air emissions through improved technology.
PEF will include installation of a mid-plant cooling tower, equipment piping, process vessels, and two storage tanks at the site. Construction, which began in December 2014, is scheduled to take 36 months, Flint Hills and KBR said.
Eagle Ford Legislative Caucus elects chairs
The bipartisan Eagle Ford Shale Legislative Caucus elected Texas State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and Texas State Rep. John Cyrier, R-Lockhart, as its co-chairs. More than 30 legislators belong to the caucus, which focuses on South Texas oil and gas development issues.
Zaffirini is a member of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and vice-chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs Committee. Cyrier is a member of the House Land and Resource Management Committee.
Several bills concerning unconventional oil and gas development were filed in the Texas Legislature after Denton, Tex., voted to ban hydraulic fracturing (UOGR, Jan-Feb 2015, p. 20).
The caucus took no official position on fracturing as a municipal ballot item, although the group discussed it.
Zaffirini and other legislators organized the caucus in 2012 to help address the impacts of shale development on transportation, education, public safety, housing, the environment, and other areas.
Anadarko named VP for onshore E&P
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has named Darrell E. Hollek as executive vice-president, US onshore exploration and production. Charles A. Meloy, who previously held the position, remained as an executive vice-president until his retirement in early June.
Hollek, who most recently served as senior vice-president, deepwater Americas operations, has spent 35 years in the oil and gas industry, launching his career in 1980.
He also previously served as vice-president, US onshore exploration, production, and development, at Kerr-McGee Corp. (OGJ Online, July 8, 2004).
