Asia/Pacific
HP Reliability: How the best lubricant provides added value
In November 2012, a highly competent lubrication engineer and I met again at the ExxonMobil Maintenance and Productivity Improvement Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. We talked about the small, but pes..
HP Integration Strategies: Wireless sensing benefits from new technology
Wireless sensing is the most important new technology to emerge in decades for process measurement and equipment monitoring applications. For this reason alone, it has attracted the sustained attentio..
HP Viewpoint: Refiners have a new learning curve with shale oil
We’ve all heard the news reports: “Shale resource developments have the potential to make the US energy independent for the first time since 1952.” The long-term impact of shale resourc..
HP Engineering Case Histories: Case 71: Statistical visual data can be useful in troubleshooting—Part 2
In “Case 71: Statistical visual data can be useful in troubleshooting—Part 1,” the editorial focused on how taking data and analyzing it could determine the cause for high reject rates...
HP Brief: Brief
Galveston Bay refineryMarathon Petroleum has closed its transaction with BP to purchase several assets, including the 451,000-bpd refinery located in Texas City, Texas. The refinery will be renamed an..
HP Industry Perspectives: EU leans forward on clean-fuel strategies
In late January 2013, the European Commission (EC) announced ambitious measures to ensure the buildup and standardization of alternative fueling stations across Europe. Much of the earlier EC policy i..
Toyo wins deal to build Indonesia ammonia plant
The plant is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2015. The project plans to produce ammonia as a feedstock for downstream chemicals such as fertilizer, acrylonitrile, caprolactam and ammonium nitrate using natural gas produced from the Senoro and Toili gas fields in Central Sulawesi.
Oxea starts construction on China derivatives plant
The Nanjing plant will produce specialty esters, phthalate-free plasticizers and other oxo derivatives for the local market. Oxea expects the new plant to be mechanically complete at the end of 2013.
ConocoPhillips looks to reduce stakes in Australian LNG, Canadian oil sands
ConocoPhillips already announced plans to shed billions of dollars in assets to focus on core areas of its portfolio, particularly in unconventional formations in the US. The company plans to "rebalance" its portfolio over time and "lighten up" on these high costs projects in order to keep costs of supply low.
Japan's Tepco to import US liquefied petroleum gas from Enterprise Products
Enterprise processed a company record of 707,000 bbl, or 60,800 tons, a day of NGLs in the fourth quarter. Enterprise is putting the finishing touches on nearly doubling its propane-export capacity to 7.5 million bbl/month, which it says will bring its LPG export sales to more than Saudi Arabia.

- AVTL to develop ammonia terminal in Pipavav, India 6/20
- Chevron seeks buyers for 50% stake in Singapore refinery 6/20
- Asian refiners seek more Mideast oil after spot premiums jump on Israel-Iran conflict 6/20
- Mexican authorities discover clandestine mini-refinery in crackdown of illegal hydrocarbon trade 6/20
- Italy's Eni eyes new unit to manage oil refineries 6/20
- Inatech's Techoil implemented by Flint Hills Resources for a modern, integrated future 6/20