Environment & Safety
Nearly half of US East Coast refining capacity returns to normal
Two of six refineries in the Sandy-stricken region along the US East Coast were operating at normal rates on Wednesday, while two others remained shut down. Two refineries in Delaware City, Del., and Paulsboro, N.J., both owned by PBF Energy Inc. were running at reduced rates.
BP reports hydrotreater fire at Texas City refinery
BP spokesman Scott Dean said Tuesday afternoon that the fire occurred in one section of the residual hydrotreater unit, and company personnel are responding. Mr. Dean said that all workers around the unit were safely evacuated and there have been no reports of injuries.
Northeast US refiners scale back production as Hurricane Sandy strikes
Analysts estimate that about two-thirds of refining capacity along the US east coast has been shut down because of Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane expected to make landfall late Monday in the Northeast.
BP plugs leak from underwater containment dome after Gulf oil sheen
With US Coast Guard approval, BP deployed remotely operated vehicles and successfully installed a 750-lb cap over an opening on the cofferdam known as the stovepipe and secured it in place with clamps. Initial inspections of the cap and plugs have observed no oil droplets.
TransCanada reopens Keystone after safety tests
The restart of the 590,000-bpd line comes two days after originally scheduled. TransCanada last week idled the line, which delivers heavy crude oil from Canada to refineries in the US Midwest, after finding an unspecified "anomaly" in Missouri. Additional tests are scheduled.
Air Products launches US Gulf hydrogen network
Air Products had operated two hydrogen pipeline systems in Texas and Louisiana before joining them with a new 180-mile segment. The new GCCP network is now able to provide hydrogen to customers along the 600-mile pipeline span from over 20 hydrogen production facilities.
Pemex LPG line catches fire near Guadalajara after backhoe punctures pipe
Pemex said in a series of messages on its Twitter page that two people were injured in the fire that erupted late Thursday - a highway worker and a firefighter. Gas supplies to Guadalajara were affected, the company added, but inventories will allow normal LPG deliveries to customers.
TransCanada shuts Keystone oil line to inspect pipe
The anomaly, found in a section of the pipeline in Missouri, wasn't a leak, a TransCanada spokesman said. The stoppage was taken as a preventative measure and wouldn't affect the oil shipments to customers "for now," and TransCanada was working with shippers to mitigate any interruptions.
New oil slick in Gulf of Mexico traced to abandoned BP containment dome
Remote-controlled submarines that were sent down to search for the source of the light slick earlier this week found a small amount of oil leaking from the dome, a four-story tall steel box which in May 2010 was lowered onto the oil leaking from BP's well some 5,000 feet below the ocean surface.
Petronas, LanzaTech agree to develop acetic acid from waste gases
In this collaboration, the two firms say they will work together to extend the technology to include carbon dioxide (CO2) containing gases from several sources, including refinery off gases and natural gas wells, to produce acetic acid. Investment terms were not disclosed.
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