The US Environmental Protection Agency proposed 2013 biofuels quotas representing a more than 1.35 billion gal increase from what it mandated for 2012. Officials from two leading petroleum trade associations immediately called the 16.55 billion gal total representing 9.63% of total projected US motor fuel production unrealistic and unreasonable.

Marathon Petroleum Corp. has completed its purchase of BP’s 451,000-b/cd refinery at Texas City, Tex., and will rename it Galveston Bay Refinery (OGJ Online, Oct. 8, 2012).

Plans for Vietnam’s second refinery have advanced with the issuance by Nghi Son Refinery & Petrochemical LLC (NSRP) of a letter of award for key contracts to a consortium of construction firms (OGJ Online, Mar. 28, 2008).

The American Petroleum Institute is considering taking its legal challenge of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s introduction of gasoline with a 15% ethanol blend into the marketplace to the US Supreme Court, an API official said.

Westlake Chemical Corp. has let a contract to Technip for the expansion and modernization of the cracking furnaces and recovery section of its ethylene plant in Calvert City, Ky. (OGJ Online, Oct. 2, 2012).

Hess Corp. will exit refining by closing its 70,000-b/d fluid catalytic cracking unit at Port Reading, NJ, as part of a strategy to concentrate on exploration and production.

Cambodian Petrochemical Co. Ltd., through a contractor, has let a licensing and engineering services contract to KBR for a hydrocracker at a 5-million tonne/year (tpy) refinery planned in Cambodia.

A federal appeals court for the District of Columbia rejected a petition to rehear a legal challenge to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s allowing introduction of gasoline with a higher ethanol blend into the marketplace.

A strong US energy future heavily depends on being able to refine reliable motor fuels, suggested Cindy Schild, refining senior manager at the American Petroleum Institute. Sound decisions on the proposed Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, the Renewable Fuels Standard, and refinery regulations could make a major positive difference, she maintained.

Global demand for fuel additives will increase 4.7%/year to 26.5 million tonnes in 2016, with demand in value terms advancing 8%/year to $59.4 billion.

Phillips 66 signed a 5-year contract with Global Partners LP under which Global will use its rail loading, logistics, and transportation network to deliver crude oil from the Bakken formation of North Dakota to the Phillips 66 Bayway refinery in New Jersey.

Tesoro Corp. will halt refining at its 93,700-b/cd Kapolei refinery in Hawaii after a year-long effort to sell the facility proved unsuccessful (OGJ Online, Jan. 11, 2012).