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Americas

Primus, Tauber Oil sign US methanol offtake deal

Tauber Oil will offtake all methanol produced by the Primus Green Energy plant -- utilizing low-cost Marcellus gas feedstock -- to market, sell and distribute into the regional market.

Saudi Aramco extends bid date for Ras Tanura clean fuels project

The Ras Tanura clean fuels project, which includes a naphtha hydrotreater, was to be part of a second phase of upgrades and was originally due to go on stream in 2016.

Newest US refinery cuts rates as market slumps

MDU Resources and Calumet, which jointly own the refinery, said on Wednesday the refinery is running at 75% capacity due to high operating costs and slipping demand for diesel.

US refiner HollyFrontier reports 91% drop in profit

Crack spreads, the difference between the prices of crude oil and refined products, have narrowed sharply due to a spike in distillate and gasoline inventories in the US.

Shell cuts spending further after BG deal, targets downstream moves

In a bid to slim down and raise cash, Shell is pressing ahead with a $30-billion asset disposal program by the end of 2018, targeting first and foremost its downstream division.

US gasoline stockpiles climb as refiners lift rates

Refinery crude runs rose 139,000 bpd as utilization rates rose by 1.6 percentage points. US East Coast refinery utilization rose to the highest level seasonally last week since at least 2010, the EIA said.

Colder winter could save US distillate fuel market

The good news for refiners and heating oil suppliers is that winter 2016/17 will almost certainly be colder, boosting demand in the months ahead.

Lower refining margins cut Valero’s profit in half

Refiners ramped up production in 2015, leading to higher inventories and weaker margins this year as demand softened during the mild winter.

US Gulf gasoline falls as Motiva restarts FCC unit

Traders and brokers noted that aside from planned or unplanned work, refiners are making fuels despite a sharp drop in margins from a year ago, when crude prices were higher.

Argentina’s ethanol producers prepare to boost output by up to 60%

In April, the government raised the amount of ethanol used by motorists by 2 percentage points to 12%. The move boosted the country's sugar industry, which has been battered by low prices.