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Americas

Enterprise expands US natural gas processing unit

Enterprise Products said Monday that work is nearing completion on a series of infrastructure improvement projects designed to optimize the partnership’s Neptune cryogenic natural gas processing facility in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.

US petroleum demand rose slightly in August - API

Total US petroleum deliveries, used to measure demand, rose slightly in August to 19.7 million bpd compared with August a year ago, with demand for gasoline and distillates moving in opposite directions, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API).

NPRA lauds US House bill to delay EPA regulations

National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) president Charles T. Drevna welcomed recent action by the US House of Representatives approving the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act of 2011, and he called on the Senate to pass the measure as well.

RPM buys US restoration, cleaning solutions group

US-based specialty coatings and sealants firm RPM International said that its RPM2 business unit has agreed to acquire the Legend Brands group of companies, providers of equipment and solutions for water and fire damage restoration, professional cleaning and environmental control.

FMC, partners form US air pollution control venture

FMC Corp., Church & Dwight Co. and TATA Chemicals (soda ash) have agreed to form a partnership to manufacture and market sodium-based, dry sorbents for air pollution control in electric utility and industrial boiler operations.

Plains to expand Louisiana crude terminal in 2012

Plains All American Pipeline said it is proceeding with the fourth phase of an expansion at its terminal facility in St. James, Louisiana. This expansion will include construction of an additional 1.2 million bbl of crude oil storage capacity and is targeted to be completed in the third quarter of 2012 at a cost of approximately $50 million.

ExxonMobil plans Texas lubricant base stock plant

ExxonMobil Chemical said it plans to build a world-scale facility for its metallocene polyalphaolefin (mPAO) synthetic lubricant base stocks at its integrated refining and chemical complex in Baytown, Texas. The facility will have the capacity to produce 50,000 tpy of high-viscosity (Hi-Vis) SpectraSyn Elite mPAO.

GE inks over $800m in Brazil turbine supply deals

GE said it has secured more than $800 million in commitments to supply wind and gas turbines for projects in Brazil that will produce 1.4 gigawatts of electricity – 40% of the total amount awarded in energy auctions conducted recently by Brazil’s National Electric Power Agency.

Strategic buyers lead chemical M&A revival - report

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the global chemicals industry surged following the recession, driven by interest from strategic buyers in the specialty chemical sector, according to a report issued Wednesday from Fitch Ratings.

Williams to expand Louisiana ethylene plant by 44%

Williams will expand its olefins production facility in Geismar, Louisiana, the company announced on Tuesday. The expansion will increase the facility's ethylene production by 600 million pounds/year to a new annual capacity of 1.95 billion pounds. It is expected to be completed the third quarter of 2013.