US refiners’ ability to meet federal requirements for renewable fuels will be strained for the rest of 2012. But that’s nothing compared with what they face in 2013, according to a recently updated analysis of grains and ethanol by Dallas consulting firm Muse Stancil & Co.

Caltex has decided to close its Kurnell refinery on Botany Bay, just south of Sydney, and convert the facility into a fuel import terminal at a cost of $680 million (Aus.).

Indonesia’s state oil firm Pertamina will partner with Celanese Corp. of Dallas to develop synthetic fuel-ethanol projects in the Asian country, Celanese reported.

Another operator, this time in Canada, is looking to monetize its propane volumes with a propane dehydrogenation unit (PDH). Tulsa-based Williams Cos. Inc. has announced it is exploring construction of a PDH unit in Alberta.

PDVSA Petroleo SA has let a contract to a unit of Foster Wheeler’s global engineering and construction group for the engineering, procurement, and construction management for the expansion of PDVSA’s El Palito refinery near Pto. Cabello, Carabobo state.

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Mumbai, has let a contract to Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) for consultancy services related to an expansion and upgrade of its Kochi refinery at Ambalmugal in the Indian state of Kerala.

Reliance Industries Ltd. has selected Technip to provide technology and engineering for the refinery off-gas cracker expansion at its 1.24 million b/d Jamnagar refinery and petrochemical complex in Gujarat, India.

DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE) let a contract to KBR for engineering and procurement services for DuPont’s first cellulosic ethanol plant, which is to be built in Nevada, Iowa.

A once-doomed 330,000-b/d refinery in Philadelphia will remain in service and receive an upgrade helped financially by the government of Pennsylvania.

State-owned Ecopetrol SA will use Axens technologies for the new hydrocracking and coker naphtha hydrotreating units to be installed in the upgrade and expansion of its 250,000-b/sd Barrancabermeja refinery in Colombia.

Essar Energy PLC has completed the optimization of its recently expanded Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, India, pushing crude capacity to 405,000 b/d.

Tesoro Corp. expects to complete the expansion of its refinery at Mandan, ND, by the end of June, according to Greg Goff, president and chief executive officer.

Motiva Enterprises LLC, Houston, reported the completion of the 325,000-b/d expansion at its refinery in Port Arthur, Tex.