Valero Energy Corp., San Antonio, will permanently close its 210,000-b/d Delaware City, Del., refinery, citing financial losses caused by “very poor economic conditions, significant capital spending requirements, and high operating costs.”
Silver Eagle Refining Inc. has shut down its 12,500 b/cd Woods Cross refinery in Utah on the suggestion of the US Chemical Safety Board and state officials.
Brazil’s Petroleo Brazileiro SA (Petrobras) and the Rio Grande do Norte state government signed the final contract for expansion works at the Refiniaria Potiguar Clara Camarao, aiming to boost its installed capacity and deploy a gasoline production unit.
Ecopetrol’s Refineria de Cartagena SA has hired CB&I, Houston, to provide engineering, procurement services, and construction for a new 165,000-b/d refinery adjacent Reficar’s refinery in Cartagena, Colombia.
ConocoPhillips has confirmed plans to delay the upgrade of its 260,000-b/d Wilhelmshaven refinery in Germany.
PetroVietnam, apparently at the urging of state officials, reported it will shut down the 148,000 b/d Dung Quat refinery for 10-14 days for maintenance in December.
Unscheduled maintenance on the scrubber at the Valero Energy Corp.’s Paulsboro, NJ, refinery’s 55,000-b/d fluid catalytic cracking unit will force its shut down later this month, according to a company news release.
Three refineries with a total capacity of 465,000 b/d “are in the pipeline,” Pakistan Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar told the National Assembly.
The Fujian Integrating Refining and Ethylene Joint Venture Project in Quanzhou, China, has reached full operation, partners said Nov. 11.
Western Refining Inc., El Paso, is consolidating operations of its two small refineries in New Mexico to reduce operating costs in a period of shrunken refining margins.
The US Chemical Safety Board sent a six-member team to investigate an explosion and fire at Silver Eagle Refining Inc.’s Woods Cross, Utah, refinery.
After several months of delays, Venezuela’s state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) has completed its purchase of a 49% stake in the Dominican Republic’s state refiner Refineria Dominicana de Petroleo SA (Refidomsa), which owns a 34,000-b/d facility in Haina.
Brazil’s state-run Petroleo Brazileiro SA (Petrobras) and Venezuela’s Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) completed negotiations for joint construction and operation of the Abreu e Lima refinery, in Brazil's Pernambuco state.
Refinery desulfurization capacities for gas oil and naphtha in US and Canada will continue to grow through 2013 but more slowly than they did in 2000-08, says a study by GlobalData, London.
Saudi Aramco’s Karan gas project swung into full speed last month as all four contract packages began construction, according to a company announcement.
A division of Vitol Group agreed to acquire Petroplus Refining Antwerp and Petroplus Refining Antwerp Bitumen from Petroplus Holdings for $25 million.
Russia and Turkey, building on earlier discussions, have moved forward with plans to construct a refinery as part of their recent agreement to jointly build the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline.
Algeria’s Sonatrach has received bids from four international companies for the contract to perform front-end engineering and design services for the Tiaret refinery project.
A six-person team from the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) deployed to investigate an explosion and fire that Caribbean Petroleum Corp. reported at a petroleum storage facility near San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A team from the US Chemical Safety Board was sent to investigate an Oct. 21 fire at Tesoro Corp.’s 58,000-b/d Salt Lake City refinery, it was reported on Oct. 23.
