BASF Total Petrochemicals LLC (BTP) has completed a revamp of its steam cracker in Port Arthur, Tex., enabling the 1-million-tonne/year facility to process ethane, supply of which is increasing from US shale plays.

Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing has agreed to pay a $300,000 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of federal air-quality requirements at its 115,000-b/d refinery at Coffeyville, Kan.

The US Environmental Protection Agency proposed standards to reduce vehicle emissions and sulfur content in gasoline beginning in 2017. Comments on the so-called Tier 3 requirements will be accepted until June 13, EPA said on May 21.

State-owned Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. (IOC) has developed and commercialized a technology for coprocessing nonedible vegetable oil in a refinery diesel hydrotreating unit to make biodiesel.

US Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation on May 16 aimed at correcting what they said was unintentional subsidization of foreign ethanol imports under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard.

The US Federal Trade Commission has approved acquisition by Tesoro Corp. of BP PLC’s refining and marketing business in southern California.

The prime contractor for an upgrade of the 180,000-b/d Petroleos de Venezuela SA refinery at Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, has let a contract for construction of key modularized units to Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd. (OGJ Online, July 29, 2011).

BP PLC has commissioned a diesel hydrotreater and hydrogen plant at its 234,000-b/d Cherry Point refinery at Blaine, Washington.

The American Petroleum Institute urged the US Environmental Protection Agency to use a full Clean Air Act rulemaking process for its proposed Tier 3 rule instead of a rushed review process API says the agency is contemplating.

Gazpromneft has let a front-end engineering and design contract to a Foster Wheeler AG subsidiary for an upgrade of its Moscow refinery.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP is expanding its Sweeny Lateral pipeline running between the Kinder Morgan Crude Condensate (KMCC) pipeline and Phillips 66’s Sweeny refinery in Brazoria County, Tex.