Environment & Safety
Crude tank explodes at Texas fuel storage terminal
Firefighters have extinguished a crude oil tank fire that began Thursday night at a fuel storage terminal in Galveston, Texas, according to news media reports. The facility has the capacity to handle 1.25 million bbl of liquid cargo storage and 350,000 tons of dry flat storage, according to the Galveston Daily News.
CertifiedSafety opens US Midwest office in Indiana
CertifiedSafety opened a new regional office in this month in Whiting, Indiana, company officials confirmed on Thursday. The new Whiting office is their third regional facility and will serve many clients in US Midwest such as BP Whiting, the nation's seventh-largest refinery.
US officials approve Shell oil spill plan for Alaska
US officials have approved an oil-spill plan for Royal Dutch Shell as the company looks to begin drilling in the Arctic, saying that Shell has demonstrated its ability to respond to potential spills in icy waters despite protests from environmental groups. Shell still has to obtain drilling permits from the Interior Department.
Enbridge discovers eastern Michigan pipeline leak
Enbridge Energy is investigating the cause of a pipeline leak in eastern Michigan, according to a government filing made pubic Thursday. Enbridge said it discovered a small amount of oil Thursday in the soil near the town of Sterling in Arena County, according to the company's filing with the National Response Center.
Shale gas study concludes no link with fracking, water contamination
Hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to extract natural gas has no direct connection to reports of groundwater contamination, based on evidence reviewed in a new study.
BP upgrades dividend as Gulf oil spill trial looms
BP raised its dividend on the strength of improved earnings, but reiterated that it would only settle upcoming litigation related to the 2010 Gulf oil spill if certain minimum conditions are met. CEO Bob Dudley said the company's "bias has always been towards settlement, but only at a fair and reasonable price."
HP Viewpoint: The promise and reality of energy independence
The governance of energy by our federal government is broken, dysfunctional and unfixable in its current form, according to the author.
HP Viewpoint: Transportation and alternative fuels in Asia
The region is facing tremendous pressure to develop a radically different energy and power mix.
HP Viewpoint: Clean fuel challenges for refiners
Operating companies are looking to new technology and innovation to provide practical solutions for meeting market demands and creating shareholder value.
HP Insight: Government, environment and taxes, oh my!
In this issue of HPInsight, the global hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) still battles some very familiar and present day challenges, such as economic cycles, feedstock spikes, government over reg..

- Wood to design upgrades at Ecopetrol refinery for cleaner fuels production 6/24
- Saudi Arabia's CMDC (BCI group) awards thyssenkrupp nucera key contract for chlor-alkali plant expansion in Jubail 6/24
- BEL Valves supplies six-figure order for Europe’s largest processing plant 6/24
- INEOS responds to UK Government's industrial strategy 6/24
- RYAM, Verso Energy sign MoU to advance e-SAF and CO₂ utilization project in Georgia (U.S.) 6/24
- Mideast conflict turbocharges diesel prices, squeezing Europe 6/23