Americas
Clariant to expand production of dehydrogenation catalysts at Kentucky plant
The expanded production is planned to start up in September 2013. The catalysts are used in the petrochemical sector to produce C3- and C4-olefins from light paraffins (including butadiene) using the CATOFIN and CATADIENE technologies, exclusively licensed through CB&I.
BP liability talks complicated by new Gulf oil slick
Federal officials said late this week that the oil slick, about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast near where the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, matches crude that gushed from the well, which was being drilled by BP. The source of the thin slick, known as a sheen, isn't clear.
Citgo reports fire at Corpus Christi refinery in Texas
The fire started earlier this week but resulted in no injuries, a Citgo official said. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, the official said. The Corpus refinery has a capacity of 163,000 bpd.
Air Products starts up Chilean liquid gases plant
The new facility, which includes a cylinder filling system, will serve local industry, including the burgeoning aquaculture market. The location in Puerto Varas, which is more than 1,000 miles south of Santiago, makes it the world's southern-most industrial gas plant serving the merchant market.
Fluor to build Canada carbon capture plant for Shell
The Athabasca project produces bitumen, which is piped to Shell’s Scotford upgrader. Fluor will provide full EPC services, using its patented third-generation modular execution approach for the 1.1 million tpy facility at the Scotford upgrader site. It is located near Edmonton, Alberta.
Canada seeks more energy exports to India, less dependence on US
Canada's search for alternative destinations, including India, China and Japan, for its trove of hydrocarbon resources coincides with India seeking stable supplies of oil and gas to augment its own, relatively limited, energy resources, which currently satisfy less than a quarter of its requirement.
OPEC lowers global oil demand forecasts for 2012
Economic growth is mostly set to come from emerging markets, but these countries are reliant on exports to developed economies, which have performed sluggishly this year. Moreover, improvements in the global economy are dependent on the success of government and central-bank action.
California switches to winter gasoline to ease cost
The shortages underscore California's relative isolation from the rest of the nation in terms of energy. The state is the largest fuel market in the nation, but its strict production rules make importing gasoline from other areas difficult; and there are no fuel pipelines connecting it to markets across the Rocky Mountains.
OxyChem picks CB&I for engineering on proposed Texas ethane cracker
The scope of work for CB&I includes the basic engineering for the ethylene technology and five SRT (short residence time) cracking heaters from CB&I's Lummus Technology business unit. Feedstock for the proposed cracker is anticipated to be ethane derived from domestic shale gas.
Fluor, Construcap target client executives for new Brazil engineering venture
Earlier this summer, Fluor and Construcap formed CFPS Engenharia e Projetos, S.A., to pursue engineering, procurement and construction management services in Brazil. Construcap has been active in the Brazilian market for nearly 70 years and is one of Brazil’s largest EPC companies.
- Brazil's Petrobras to invest $4.8 B in integration between Reduc refinery and Boaventura complex 7/8
- Braskem completes first sale of circular polyethylene in South America 7/8
- bp's 440,000-bpd refinery in Whiting, Indiana (U.S.), reported flaring due to operational conditions 7/8
- UK's insolvent Lindsey oil refinery secures some crude supply to keep running for now 7/8
- Brazil's energy minister hints at possible fuel price cuts 7/8
- Marathon Galveston Bay refinery (U.S.) hydrotreater to remain shut until September 7/8
