PETROCHEMICALS
HULS AG let a $10 million contract to Fluor Daniel GmbH for detailed engineering for a new polypropylene train at an existing plant in Scholven, Northwest Germany. Scope of work includes storage, mixing, drying, sifting, and packaging facilities. Completion is scheduled for late 1992.
DEN NORKSE STATS OLJESELSKAP AS will use UOP technology in a 500,000 metric ton/year methyl tertiary butyl ether plant it will build at Karsto north of Stavanger (OGJ, Oct. 14, p. 40). The unit is to start up in spring 1995.
SAUDI BASIC INDUSTRIES CORP. (Sabic) plans to increase ethylene glycol production at Sharq, Saudi Arabia, to 660,000 metric tons/year from 390,000 tons/year. Sabic unit Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co. plans a 500,000 ton/year anhydrous ammonia plant and a 600,000 ton/year granulated ammonia plant at Al-Jubail.
REFINING
INSTRUMENTATION LID., New Delhi, installed an instrumentation and control system, to start up early in 1992, at an undisclosed large refinery in the Soviet Ukraine under a $12 million turnkey contract. Instrumentation Ltd., established with Soviet help, provided Russian language software for the project.
TOTAL completed installation of a deisopentanizer/platforming fractionation complex at its La Mede, France, refinery (OGJ, July 29, p. 35). The unit increases Total's unleaded gasoline capacity. The plant was completed by France's Hydrocarbon Engineering (Krebs Group) under a turnkey contract in a record 15 months.
A ROYAL DUTCH/SHELL GROUP unit signed a formal agreement calling for construction of a 145,000 b/d refinery at Mab Ta Phut, Rayong province, Thailand (OGJ, Mar. 25, p. 40).
INDIA'S IBP CO. LTD. increased the cost estimate for construction of the proposed Assam refinery to $1.2 billion from $850 million, following devaluation of the rupee and revision of India's import duty structure. The revised estimate awaits government clearance. Five companies, mostly in the U.S., have bid on the proposed refinery's secondary processing technology. The 120,000 b/d refinery is to be built at Numaligarh in Golaghat district.
ERDOEL RAFFINERIE NEUSTADT'S fines separating/collection system for the fluid catalytic cracker at its refinery at Neustadt, Germany, is complete. Badger Co. Inc. provided engineering and construction management services for the $3 million project.
ENVIRONMENT
CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS resulting from burning fossil fuels is a contributor to postulated global warming from the green house effect, not carbon monoxide, as Oil & Gas Journal reported incorrectly in quoting presentations at the World Petroleum Congress (OGJ, Nov. 4, p. 23).
DRILLING-PRODUCTION
SOUTH KOREA'S Hyundai Resources Development will begin drilling under a joint venture in the Soviet autonomous republic of Kalmyk in 1992, OPEC News Agency reported. Hyundai estimates an oil resource at 3.6 billion bbl near Elista between the Black and Caspian seas. Hyundai and the Kalmyk government plan a 50-50 investment in first stage development.
CLIFFS DRILLING CO., Houston, completed purchase of the Franklin, Langley, and Forrestal jack ups from Chiles Offshore Corp. Cliffs will refurbish, convert, and mobilize the rigs under contract to Dresser Rand Co. for use as portable compressor units in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela.
EXPLORATION
BRITISH GAS PLC received government approval to acquire a 50% interest in the 20,200 sq km Savannakhet concession in Central Laos held by Enterprise Oil plc and Cie. Europeenne des Petroles (OGJ, Sept. 25, 1989, Newsletter). The deal cuts Enterprise's interest to 35% and CEP's to 15% and calls for seismic surveys with an option to drill at least one wildcat. Enterprise will operate through the seismic phase, after which British Gas has an option to take over.
HUNGARY'S Nawa Oil Co. reportedly is the third foreign operator to obtain exploration acreage in Cambodia (OGJ, Nov. 4, p. 30). After separate offshore awards to Enterprise and Premier Consolidated Oilfields plc, Nawa acquired two blocks, one offshore and one onshore.
SANTA FE ENERGY RESOURCES INC., Houston, acquired a 20% interest in a project, involving a group led by Premier, in Dagestan, U.S.S.R., to conduct a technical and economic evaluation of hydrocarbon potential in the Caspian Sea (see map, OGJ, Oct. 21, p. 40).
BRITISH GAS EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION LTD.'S 110/8a-4 wildcat on its 100% owned 110/8a block in the Irish Sea, 10 miles south of South Morecambe gas field, flowed 30 MMcfd of gas from Triassic Sherwood sandstone. Drillstem testing was restricted by available equipment. The well was suspended after reaching 4,150 ft.
ANGOLA'S Sonangol signed a production sharing agreement with a group led by Elf Aquitaine Angola covering the 4,000 sq km Block 7 off Cabo Ledo about 60 miles southwest of Luanda. Other members of the group are Norsk Hydro AS, a Mitsubishi Petroleum Development Co. Ltd. combine, OMV (Angola) Exploration GmbH, BG Angola SA, Enterprise Oil Exploration Ltd., and Petro-Inett Corp.
EXPORTS-IMPORTS
VENEZUELA halted shipments of 6,500 b/d of refined products to Haiti in protest over the recent military coup that ousted democratically elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Venezuela supplies Haiti oil under the San Jose accord.
COLOMBIA may join the San Jose accord. Under the pact, Venezuela and Mexico supply oil to Central American and Caribbean nations on preferential terms. The recipients pay 80% of the value of their oil bills, with the remaining 20% converted to long term loans.
TAIWAN'S Chinese Petroleum Corp. (CPC) renewed its crude purchase contract with Iran another year covering 30,000 b/d from Oct. 1, 1991, through Sept. 30, 1992. Kuwaiti officials recently discussed with CPC officials renewal of an oil supply contract in force prior to Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait. At that time, Kuwait was Taiwan's second biggest supplier at 75,000 b/d.
COMPANIES
PERU'S government agreed to settle a $38 million debt with Occidental Petroleum Corp. The administration of President Alberto Fujimori late last month authorized the National Bank to transfer the funds to state oil company Petroleos del Peru, which owes Oxy mainly for unpaid crude deliveries. In return, Oxy agreed to invest in additional exploration and development in the country.
Copyright 1991 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
