Americas
Albemarle to shutter phosphorous product lines
Albemarle said Thursday that it plans to exit its existing phosphorous flame retardants business, citing a need to restructure its business portfolio and address underperforming assets. Production at both facilities will cease upon completion of customer contracts, according to the company.
Enbridge to expand Canada, US oil pipeline system
Enbridge said Wednesday it's moving ahead with C$3.2 billion ($3.2 billion) in pipeline expansions, mostly to send more crude oil from Canada and North Dakota to the Midwest and eastern Canada. The expansions will accommodate rising crude oil production in Canada and the western US.
SABIC chief seeks more collaboration for US, Saudi business leaders
Mohamed Al-Mady, CEO of SABIC, is calling for “more productive engagement” between US companies and the Saudi private sector to further enhance business relations.
Shell partners with Asian energy giants for Canada LNG export project
Energy companies from China, South Korea and Japan have put aside political and commercial rivalries to ship billions of dollars worth of Canadian liquefied natural gas to Asian markets, but they will face stiff competition for supplies and customers from a raft of competing projects. Exports are expected by 2019.
Lightning sparks fire at Pennsylvania coatings plant of Dow Chemical
Dow Chemical said an early Wednesday lightning strike hit two storage tanks holding ethyl acetate and butyl acetate at its Bristol coatings plant near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fire broke out at 3:35 a.m. local time. Employees at the site were evacuated and none were injured, Dow said.
E15 ethanol fuel can damage auto engines - study
Compared with typical gasoline, issues include damaged valves and valve seats, misfires, lower performance, engine damage, poor fuel economy and increased emissions.
India proposes to import shale gas liquids from US
India has proposed to import shale gas in liquid form from the US, a senior Indian government official said Wednesday. "This is our expectation. This is only a proposal. We proposed our [energy] needs are great," the official said, declining to elaborate further.
Excelerate Energy to build first US floating LNG unit
The Lavaca Bay FLNG project in Texas is the latest twist in a string of planned export plants as domestic gas production soars. First exports from the unit are expected in 2017.
Shell reports fire, unplanned unit outage at Motiva refinery in Port Arthur
Shell Oil said a unit was shut unplanned over the weekend at its joint venture Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, after a relatively brief fire at an associated heater. The Motiva refinery is a joint venture with Saudi Refining. The total throughput capacity is rated at 310,000 bpd.
LSB shuts Arkansas chemical plant after explosion
LSB Industries said its El Dorado chemical facility in Arkansas suffered significant damage to the DSN concentrated nitric acid plant and surrounding equipment when a reactor exploded Tuesday morning. The El Dorado facility is out of operation at the present time due to the damage.
- IHI, Vopak to launch ammonia terminal project in Japan 7/11
- India's BPCL plans to shut Bina refinery unit for 15-day maintenance in August 7/11
- Soaring electric truck sales deal new blow to diesel use in China 7/11
- Russia`s Tatneft launches new hydrocracking unit on TANECO refinery 7/11
- IEA: Global oil market may be tighter than it looks 7/11
- India must boost its petchem output to counter China's dominance, Reliance says 7/11
