RSS Oil & Gas Journal News

Venezuela uncertain over future of Curacao Island refinery

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:45:20 GMT

March 19,2010 --

Venezuela’s state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), said to be uncertain over its equity standing, has yet to make a final decision over investing $1.5 billion in the 320,000 b/d Isla refinery on Curacao Island.

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Punitive damages rejected in BP leak case

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:00:10 GMT

March 19,2010 --

A federal judge rejected a Galveston, Tex., jury’s award of $100 million in punitive damages against BP PLC concerning injuries to contract workers during a 2007 gas leak at its 446,500-b/cd Texas City, Tex., refinery.

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API: US gasoline demand, production break February records

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:10:20 GMT

March 17,2010 --

US gasoline demand and production broke records for a February last month, the American Petroleum Institute said in its latest monthly statistical report.

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Saudi-Shell refinery boosts ULSD output

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:30:40 GMT

March 17,2010 --

Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Co. (Sasref) has completed a project to increase production of ultralow-sulfur diesel (ULSD) at its 305,000-b/d refinery at Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

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Japan, Australia to launch joint coal-to-gas project

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:56:00 GMT

March 15,2010 --

Japan and Australia are expected to sign an agreement next month or possibly later to work together on a project to convert low-quality coal into natural gas, according to Japanese media.

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Aramco lets contract for sulfur-recovery unit

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:30:30 GMT

March 11,2010 --

Saudi Aramco has hired Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. to develop a basic engineering package for four sulfur-recovery units, each with an expected production capacity of 1,200 tonnes/day.

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P&G: LPG will resume supply growth, expand by 2013

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:06:00 GMT

March 10,2010 --

Global and regional economic recovery during 2010-11 will prompt global LPG supply to resume where it left off when the recession hit.

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French workers reject Dunkirk refinery plan

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:30:30 GMT

March 9,2010 --

Another strike threatens France’s refining industry as workers at the 137,000-b/d Flanders Refinery at Dunkirk rejected a plan Total SA presented to a labor committee not to resume refining operations and to convert the site to other uses.......

Contract let for GTL plant in Uzbekistan

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:05:10 GMT

March 8,2010 --

Uzbekistan GTL LLC has let to Technip a reimbursable services contract for a detailed feasibility study of the gas-to-liquids project it plans to build 40 km south of Qarshi, Uzbekistan (OGJ, Nov. 16, 2009, p. 20).

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Contract let for Camisea cryogenic gas processing plant

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:10:50 GMT

March 5,2010 --

Pluspetrol Peru Corp. SA, operator of Peru’s Camisea natural gas project, has hired CB&I, Houston, to supply a cryogenic natural gas processing plant in Malvinas as part of an expansion of the project.

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UPDATE: Fire hits Navajo Refinery asphalt tank

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:50:30 GMT

March 3,2010 --

Fire at an asphalt tank under construction at Holly Corp.’s 100,000 b/d Navajo Refinery in Artesia, NM, killed at least one contract worker and left another worker missing and feared dead, Holly said.

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One Chilean refinery due back online next week

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:10:10 GMT

March 2,2010 --

Chile’s state-owned oil company Empresa Nacional del Petroleo (Enap) said its 97,650-b/d Aconcagua refinery will be online next week but that no date could be given for the restart of its 113,000-b/d Bio Bio facility.

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French workers end strike at Total units

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:51:00 GMT

February 25,2010 --

Union workers called off a week-long strike at 6 of Total SA refineries and 7 of its 31 storage depots in France after company officials promised not to shut down or sell any more refineries for 5 years.

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Skid-mounted units doubling capacity of Kurdish refinery

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:15:20 GMT

February 24,2010 --

Ventech Engineers Inc. has completed the delivery to northern Iraq of a 20,000 b/d, skid-mounted refinery that it fabricated at its Pasadena, Tex., plant and shipped in modules.

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ExxonMobil to use Air Products' NRU in Texas field work

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:15:40 GMT

February 19,2010 --

ExxonMobil Corp. will employ nitrogen recovery and cryogenic gas processing equipment from Air Products, Lehigh Valley, Pa., for work to extend the producing life of Hawkins field in northeast Texas.

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Strikes hit Total's refineries in France

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:20:50 GMT

February 17,2010 --

Total SA’s six refineries and 12 product depots in France have been hit by labor strikes supporting the Feb. 16 takeover by workers of the idle 137,000-b/d Dunkirk refinery.

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Paramount Petroleum to buy California refinery

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:35:30 GMT

February 17,2010 --

Paramount Petroleum Corp. plans to buy a closed Bakersfield, Calif., refinery from Flying J Inc., and its subsidiary Big West of California LLC, for $40 million, subject to approval from a bankruptcy court.

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Eagle Rock to add cryogenic processing in Texas Panhandle

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:25:50 GMT

February 16,2010 --

Eagle Rock Energy Partners LP will deploy a currently idle high-efficiency cryogenic plant to its operations in the Texas Panhandle to increase efficiency and accommodate volume growth from the Granite Wash play, the company has announced.

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Elme ethylene plant in Nigeria due revamp

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:40:50 GMT

February 11,2010 --

Elme Petrochemicals Co. of Nigeria has let a contract to KBR for a revamp of the company’s 550,000-tonne/year ethylene plant at Elme, near Port Harcourt.

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UFIP chief: French refining industry situation 'critical'

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:30:40 GMT

February 5,2010 --

The French refining industry faces a “critical” situation as part of a European system in which “between 10 to 15% of the 114 refineries should be shut down to restore a demand-supply balance,” says the leader of a trade.......

Valero buys Wisconsin ethanol plant

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:35:20 GMT

February 5,2010 --

Valero Renewable Fuels Co. LLC has completed the purchase of a 110 million gal/year ethanol plant near Jefferson, Wis., from privately held Renew Energy.

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Total delays decision on Dunkirk refinery

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:25:10 GMT

February 2,2010 --

Total SA postponed to the end of June its “final decision” on the future of the Dunkirk refinery that it previously said it would announce Feb. 1 at a special meeting of the Central Works Council.

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Petrobras unit selects Fluor for US refinery study

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:35:10 GMT

February 2,2010 --

Pasadena Refining System Inc. (PRSI), a subsidiary of Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), has selected Fluor to provide front-end engineering study services for a prospective US refinery project.

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QP awards NGL control system contract

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:45:20 GMT

February 2,2010 --

Qatar Petroleum has let a contract to Cegelec of Paris to replace, over the next 18 months the turbine and compressor control system for two NGL production trains in Mesaieed, Qatar.

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Foster Wheeler to study Ugandan refinery

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:35:30 GMT

February 2,2010 --

The Ugandan government has let contract to Foster Wheeler AG’s Global Engineering & Construction Group for a feasibility study of a 150,000-b/d refinery, which would be Uganda’s first.

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Sunoco shuts refinery, sells PP business

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:45:20 GMT

February 1,2010 --

Sunoco Inc. has made permanent its closure of the 150,000-b/d Eagle Point refinery at Westville, NJ, and is selling its polypropylene business to Braskem SA.

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Total mulls over methane terminal at Dunkirk

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:10:40 GMT

January 28,2010 --

Total SA is mulling construction of a methane terminal at Dunkirk as well as diversification of its overall refining business, Industry Minister Christian Estrosi told the National Assembly.

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Petrotrin's cost of refinery upgrade escalates

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:40:40 GMT

January 26,2010 --

State-owned Petroleum Co. of Trinidad & Tobago Ltd. (Petrotrin) said the cost of upgrading its 175,000-b/d Pointe-a-Pierre refinery has escalated to $1.3 billion from earlier projections of just $350 million.

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KBR to offer BP resid hydrocracking process

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:01:00 GMT

January 21,2010 --

BP PLC has signed an agreement under which KBR will offer licensing and engineering services for a proprietary resid hydrocracking process.

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Aramco gets nod to build Jazan refinery

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:25:10 GMT

January 20,2010 --

Saudi Aramco was tapped to build and finance the $10 billion Jazan refinery. Its capacity will be 250,000-400,000 b/d, said Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi.

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Chevron plans downstream restructuring

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:10:50 GMT

January 20,2010 --

Chevron Corp. plans to restructure its global downstream business in a move company officials said would leave the organization smaller and less complex.

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BP, Husky JV to upgrade Ohio refinery

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:56:00 GMT

January 20,2010 --

BP-Husky Refining LLC will undertake a $400 million equipment upgrade at its 155,000 b/d Oregon, Ohio, refinery outside Toledo.

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Planned Mideast refinery lets compressor contract

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:10:30 GMT

January 19,2010 --

The Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemical Co. (Satorp) has hired Elliott Co., Jeannette, Pa., to supply all 17 compressor trains for the joint venture’s export refinery to be built in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

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HEC lets contract for DSU at Turkmenistan gas plant

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:46:00 GMT

January 19,2010 --

Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd. let a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. for license and design of its proprietary Superclaus technology for a desulfurization unit at a gas plant to be built in Turkmenistan.

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Fire hits crude unit at Holly refinery

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:50:50 GMT

January 18,2010 --

Fire broke out Jan. 17 in the crude unit at Holly Corp.’s 100,000-b/sd Navajo Refinery at Artesia, NM.

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Shell Canada to shut Montreal refinery

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:00:10 GMT

January 14,2010 --

Shell Canada Products plans to halt operation of its 130,000-b/d Montreal East refinery and to convert the facility into a terminal for gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel.

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Partnership acquires Gulf brand from Chevron

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:40:40 GMT

January 13,2010 --

Gulf Oil LP, Framingham, Mass., acquired all rights, title, and interest to the Gulf brand in the US from Chevron USA Inc. and plans to expand its use of the brand throughout the US.

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Contract let in Spanish refinery expansion

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:10:20 GMT

January 7,2010 --

Repsol YPF SA has let contract to Foster Wheeler AG to design, supply, and erect a heat recovery steam generator to be integrated in a cogeneration plant under construction in the expansion of its Cartagena refinery in Murcia, Spain (OGJ, Apr. .......

Petrochemical complex advances in Qatar

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:40:20 GMT

January 7,2010 --

Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil Chemical Qatar Ltd. have agreed to advance development of a petrochemical complex that would include the world’s largest steam cracker at Ras Laffan, Qatar.

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FEED pact let for Venezuelan ethylene plant

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:01:00 GMT

January 5,2010 --

A Brazilian-Venezuelan joint venture has let a reimbursable front-end engineering design (FEED) contract to Technip for a 1.3 million tonne/year ethylene plant at Jose, Venezuela.

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Colombia appoints consultant for refinery project

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:10:40 GMT

December 30,2009 --

Foster Wheeler AG said Refineria de Cartagena SA (Reficar) has accepted the offer by a joint venture of Foster Wheeler USA Corp. and Process Consultants Inc. to serve as consultant for the expansion of the Cartagena refinery.

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Petrobras invests more in ethanol production

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:35:20 GMT

December 28,2009 --

Brazil’s state-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has entered into two new agreements aimed at further enhancing its presence in the fuel-ethanol market.

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CBF NGL plant to be expanded at Mont Belvieu

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:01:00 GMT

December 28,2009 --

Targa Resources Partners LP, Houston, plans to expand capacity of its majority-owned Cedar Bayou Fractionators LP (CBF) natural gas liquids fractionation facility at nearby Mont Belvieu, Tex.

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Husky agrees to acquire Suncor outlets

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:30:20 GMT

December 14,2009 --

Husky Energy Inc., Calgary, entered an agreement with Suncor Energy Inc. and Suncor Energy Products Inc. to purchase 98 retail gasoline outlets in the competitive Southern Ontario market, subject to approval by the Canadian Commissioner of Comp.......

Caltex Australia to close lube plant at Kurnell

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:35:10 GMT

December 11,2009 --

Citing global refinery margins “remaining under pressure” in this year’s second half from depressed demand and “expected growth in global surplus refinery capacity,” Caltex Australia announced Dec. 9 it will close .......

Decision due for Total's Dunkirk refinery

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:05:40 GMT

December 11,2009 --

The future is in question for Total SA’s 137,000 b/d Dunkirk refinery, also called the Flanders refinery, in northern France.

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Lawmakers seek study of higher ethanol cap

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:15:40 GMT

December 11,2009 --

Two leading US House Republicans have asked the Government Accountability Office to explore the impact of allowing more ethanol in gasoline.

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CSB issues urgent recommendations in probe of Citgo refinery fire

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:40:40 GMT

December 10,2009 --

The US Chemical Safety Board issued urgent safety recommendations to Citgo Petroleum Corp., calling on the refiner to immediately improve the emergency water system at its Corpus Christi, Tex., refinery and to perform third-party audits of hydr.......

IHS CERA: Downstream capital costs turn upward

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:16:00 GMT

December 10,2009 --

Costs of designing and building refineries and petrochemical plants have ended a brief decline, according to IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

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Shell pulls out of Chinese refinery plans

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:40:50 GMT

December 9,2009 --

Royal Dutch Shell PLC reported last week it has withdrawn from talks with China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) and Kuwait Petroleum Corp. that were to lead to construction of a $9 billion, 300,000-b/d refinery in China’s Guongdo.......

Boiler failure kills Valero refinery worker

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:05:20 GMT

December 7,2009 --

Officials of Valero Energy Corp. and regulatory authorities are investigating the cause of what the company described as “a failure of a boiler” that killed one worker and injured two others at the company’s 225,000-b/cd refin.......

Kupe gas project off New Zealand starts up

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:35:20 GMT

December 4,2009 --

Origin Energy New Zealand Ltd. has begun commissioning the offshore Kupe field with initial production, moving natural gas and liquids ashore via pipeline to a gas processing plant at Hawera (see map, OGJ, July 16, 2001, p. 38).

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Petrobras signs contracts for delayed refinery

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:50:20 GMT

December 4,2009 --

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has signed five contracts, valued at $5.165 billion, for the planned 230,000-b/d Abreu e Lima refinery, a joint venture with Petroleos de Venezuela SA (OGJ, Nov. 9, 2009, Newsletter).

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ExxonMobil starts Rotterdam aromatics unit

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:05:40 GMT

December 1,2009 --

ExxonMobil Chemical has started up an expansion of its Rotterdam aromatics plant (OGJ, Oct. 1, 2007, Newsletter).

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Linde, Sabic say LAO technology commercial

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:06:00 GMT

November 25,2009 --

Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic) and Linde Group say linear alpha olefins (LAO) technology they jointly developed is commercial (OGJ, Jan. 9, 2006, p. 48).

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Valero to close Delaware City refinery

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:55:10 GMT

November 20,2009 --

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 shuts Utah refinery at CSB suggestion

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:46:00 GMT

November 20,2009 --

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.

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Petrobras to start refinery expansion works

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:50:50 GMT

November 19,2009 --

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 .......

New refinery planned for Colombia

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:35:40 GMT

November 19,2009 --

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.

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ConocoPhillips delays refinery upgrade

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:36:00 GMT

November 18,2009 --

ConocoPhillips has confirmed plans to delay the upgrade of its 260,000-b/d Wilhelmshaven refinery in Germany.

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Vietnam's Dung Quat refinery to shut for repairs

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:05:50 GMT

November 17,2009 --

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.

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Valero to shut Paulsboro FCCU until early 2010

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:50:50 GMT

November 13,2009 --

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.

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Three refineries pending for Pakistan

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:20:50 GMT

November 11,2009 --

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.

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Fujian complex reaches full operation

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:40:10 GMT

November 11,2009 --

The Fujian Integrating Refining and Ethylene Joint Venture Project in Quanzhou, China, has reached full operation, partners said Nov. 11.

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Western Refining trimming New Mexico units

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:10 GMT

November 10,2009 --

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.

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CSB to investigate second 2009 Utah refinery incident

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:30:30 GMT

November 5,2009 --

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.

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PDVSA closes purchase of Dominican Republic refiner stake

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:25:40 GMT

November 3,2009 --

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 own.......

Venezuela, Brazil sign accord on Abreu e Lima refinery

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:55:30 GMT

November 3,2009 --

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.

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Slower desulfurization growth seen in US, Canada

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:05:30 GMT

November 3,2009 --

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.

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Construction on Aramco's Karan gas project well under way

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:10:20 GMT

November 2,2009 --

Saudi Aramco’s Karan gas project swung into full speed last month as all four contract packages began construction, according to a company announcement.

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Vitol to acquire Belgium refining assets

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:50:20 GMT

October 28,2009 --

A division of Vitol Group agreed to acquire Petroplus Refining Antwerp and Petroplus Refining Antwerp Bitumen from Petroplus Holdings for $25 million.

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Russia, Turkey agree on new Ceyhan refinery

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:25:40 GMT

October 27,2009 --

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.

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Algeria receives four bids for Tiaret refinery project

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:25:40 GMT

October 26,2009 --

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.

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CSB team deploys to Puerto Rico tank explosion

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:40:50 GMT

October 26,2009 --

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.

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CSB to investigate fire at Tesoro Salt Lake City refinery

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:25:50 GMT

October 23,2009 --

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.

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EPA objects to BP Whiting refinery permit

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:46:00 GMT

October 22,2009 --

The US Environmental Protection Agency issued an objection regarding a federal air permit for BP North America's refinery in Whiting, Ind., leaving the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to review an existing permit.

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Holly to buy, integrate Sinclair refinery in Tulsa

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:05:30 GMT

October 20,2009 --

Holly Corp. has entered a definitive agreement to purchase Sinclair Oil Corp.’s 75,000-b/d refinery in Tulsa and will integrate the facility with its 85,000-b/d refinery 2 miles away.

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Qatar Fertilizer lets urea plant contract

[No Value Specified] — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:05:20 GMT

October 19,2009 --

Qatar Fertilizer Co. SAQ (Qafco) has let a lump sum turnkey contract to partners Saipem SPA and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. for the Qafco 6 project, including a 3,850-tonne/day urea plant.

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Qatar inaugurates Pearl GTL control room

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:30:20 GMT

October 12,2009 --

Qatar Energy Minister Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Attiyah inaugurated the central control room at the massive 140,000 b/d Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in Qatar.

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Petrobras starts refining of first presalt crude

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:55:20 GMT

October 9,2009 --

Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) began refining 264,000 bbl from Tupi field—its first load of oil from the presalt region—at the Henrique Lage refinery in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo state.

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PDVSA withdraws from Vietnamese refinery project

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:20:30 GMT

October 9,2009 --

Suddenly reversing an earlier decision, Venezuela’s Petroleos de Venezuela SA withdrew from a project for the construction of a 200,000 b/d refinery at Long Son in Vietnam.

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Petrobras, PDVSA agree to terms of Abreu e Lima refinery

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:25:10 GMT

October 8,2009 --

Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) said it has resolved all outstanding issues with Venezuela’s Petroleos de Venezuela SA over development of the Abreu e Lima refinery planned for Suape, near Recife in northeastern Brazil.

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Southern Sudan approves plans for 50,000-b/d refinery

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:55:40 GMT

October 7,2009 --

Even as it faces fresh conflict with its northern rival, the government of Southern Sudan approved plans to build a $2 billion refinery, according to a senior official of the semi-autonomous state.

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Sunoco idles Eagle Point refinery in New Jersey

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:56:00 GMT

October 6,2009 --

Another US independent refiner is slashing operations in response to low refining margins.

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Murphy Oil acquires ethanol plant

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:10:30 GMT

October 2,2009 --

A subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corp. has purchased a corn-based ethanol plant in Hankinson, ND, for $92 million.

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Tesoro reports fire knocked out at Wilmington refinery

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:30:50 GMT

September 28,2009 --

A fire that errupted early Sept. 28 in the coking unit of Tesoro Corp.’s 100,000-b/cd Wilmington, Calif., refinery, has been extinguished, the San Antonio-based company reported.

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NPRA to EPA: Take time to determine impacts before changing RFS

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:56:00 GMT

September 28,2009 --

More time should be taken to determine actual impacts before the US Environmental Protection Agency makes significant changes in the federal renewable fuels standard, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association said on Sept. 25.

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Siberian gas plant expansion starts up

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:40:10 GMT

September 21,2009 --

Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur LLC announced earlier this month start-up of the second stage of its expansion at the Yuzhno-Balyksky gas processing plant in the Tyumen region, roughly 600 miles west of Novosibirsk.

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Apache-Santos JV breaks ground on Devil Creek plant

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:00:50 GMT

September 17,2009 --

Joint venture partners Apache Energy Ltd. and Santos Ltd. broke ground at the Devil Creek domestic natural gas processing plant site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia about 50 km south of Karratha.

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Tullow will sell stake to fund Uganda refinery

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:55:20 GMT

September 17,2009 --

Tullow Oil Ltd. plans to sell part of its Ugandan assets to finance an oil pipeline project and other production infrastructure, according to state media.

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Agreement supports more Marcellus processing

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:35:30 GMT

September 16,2009 --

A natural gas processing agreement announced Sept. 15 will underpin a new 120-MMcfd gas plant in the Marcellus shale gas play.

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Pemex refineries due low-sulfur fuel units

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:00:40 GMT

September 15,2009 --

Pemex Refining let engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts worth $638 million to ICA Fluor for low-sulfur gasoline projects at two refineries in Mexico.

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Irving Oil to upgrade St. John refinery

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:45:40 GMT

September 11,2009 --

Irving Oil will spend $220 million to upgrade its 250,000-b/d refinery at St. John, NB.

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Contract let for Suriname refinery expansion

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:40:40 GMT

September 9,2009 --

Staatsolie, the state oil company of Suriname, has let a project management consultant contract to Aker Solutions US Inc. for a doubling of crude capacity of its refinery at Tout Lui Faut to 15,000 b/d.

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Valero shuts Delaware City coker, gasifier

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

September 9,2009 --

Valero Energy Corp. is shutting down the coker and gasifier complex at the 210,000-b/cd refinery operated at Delaware City, Del., by its Premcor Refining Group Inc. subsidiary.

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Costa Rican watchdog approves refinery deal with China

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:01:00 GMT

September 4,2009 --

Costa Rica’s Comptroller Office, reversing an earlier decision, gave its approval of a $1 billion contract signed by state-owned refiner Refinadora Costarricense de Petroleo (Recope) to form a joint venture with China National Petroleum C.......

Vietnam urges quick repair of Dung Quat refinery

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:15:20 GMT

September 4,2009 --

Vietnam has asked general contractor Technip to deal swiftly with the breakdown at the country’s first refinery at Dung Quat so that operations can resume as soon as possible.

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Market surplus forces Total to shut down refinery

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:30:20 GMT

September 3,2009 --

Total SA will shut down for a few weeks beginning mid-September its 137,000 b/d Flanders refinery near Dunkirk, France, because surplus supply has undercut refiners’ margins on products.

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NPRA: US refiners continue to increase total capacity

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:55:10 GMT

September 3,2009 --

US refiners increased their total capacity by 100,000 b/d from 2008 to 2009, reported the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association in its latest annual US refining and storage capacity report on Sept. 2.

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Shell restarts Utorogu gas plant in western Niger Delta

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:50:40 GMT

September 1,2009 --

Shell Petroleum Development Co. has restarted its 300-MMscfd capacity gas plant in Utorogu in western Niger Delta after the vandalized Escravos-Lagos Pipeline (ELP) was repaired by the Nigerian Gas Co.

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