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.

Samsung Total Petrochemicals is building aromatics and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer units at its Daesan petrochemical complex in Chungnam Province, South Korea.

The government of South Sudan, faced with alleged obstructions by Sudan, announced plans to build a refinery and pipeline aimed at transporting recently discovered crude oil to an export terminal in Kenya.

Chad’s 50,000-b/d Djarmaya refinery, 40 km north of the capital Ndjamena, has been shut down by government officials again due to a dispute over the price of oil with supplier China National Petroleum Corp. International (CNPCI).

US refiners have enough operating or planned capacity to meet domestic demand for the foreseeable future, but the situation could change if ill-conceived proposed regulations are adopted, American Petroleum Institute officials warned.

Hovensa LLC is closing its 500,000 b/d refinery at St Croix, USVI, the joint venture of Hess Corp. and Petroleos de Venezuela SA reported. After the shutdown, the Hovensa complex will operate as an oil storage terminal.

Petron Corp. Mandaluyong City, Philippines, has let contracts for two conversion units in a major upgrade of its 180,000 b/d refinery at Limay, Bataan, about 150 km southwest of Manila (OGJ, Jan. 27, 1997, p. 74).

OMV AG has taken a step toward refinery divestment in a strategy announced earlier to shift its focus to exploration and production (OGJ Online, Dec. 6, 2011).

Shell Deutschland Oil GMBH let a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. for infrastructure work supporting integration of the 327,000 b/d Rhineland refinery near Cologne, Germany (OGJ Online, Aug. 4, 2009).

Tesoro Corp. plans to sell its 93,700-b/cd hydrocracking Kapolei refinery, the largest of two refineries in Hawaii, along with its Hawaiian retail operations and logistical assets.

Essar Oil Ltd. has commissioned a large amine regeneration unit in the first phase of expansion of its 300,000 b/d Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, India, after commissioning a pentane-hexane isomerization unit last month (OGJ Online, Dec. 12, 2011).