Southcross Energy, Dallas, has started construction of a fractionator and NGL and residue-pipeline outlets in South Texas to expand service to producers in the liquids-rich Eagle Ford shale where NGL infrastructure has been constrained.

Methanex Corp. has let a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. to provide engineering services in the possible relocation of a methanol plant from Chile to Geismar, La.

Star Petroleum Refining Co. has awarded a contract to Shaw Group Inc., Baton Rouge, to provide technology license and process design for revamp of a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit at the Map Ta Phut refinery in Thailand.

MarkWest Energy Partners LP, Denver, will add more than 600 MMcfd of processing capacity for the Marcellus and Utica shales, as well as 140,000 b/d of fractionation, the company reported.

Albanian Refining & Marketing of Oil (ARMO) has let a contract to the Global Engineering & Construction Group of Foster Wheeler AG to study feasibility of modernizing its two refineries in Albania.

The pending bankruptcy of refiner Petroplus is only the start of further problems for nearly 40% of the European Union’s 104 refineries now in need of refurbishment, according to a new consultancy report.

ExxonMobil Corp. and TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK have entered into an agreement valued at $3.9 billion that will result in the restructuring of ExxonMobil’s holdings in Japan.