Europe
PKN Czech refinery to be shut for 10 days due to cracking problems
The company decided late Wednesday to halt all operations at its Kralupy refinery for 10 days due to problems with the cracking unit. "The unplanned shutdown results from a lack of storage capacity for the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit feedstock," Unipetrol said in a statement.
Linde Group to build large Russian ammonia plant
Linde's engineering division will construct the new plant, designed to deliver exceptional levels of energy efficiency, according to project officials. The plant will have a production capacity of 1,340 tpd of ammonia. Construction work is scheduled for completion in 2016.
Gazprom to announce new LNG project in Russia
Gazprom will soon announce another "fundamentally new" liquefied natural gas project, said Alexei Miller, the company's CEO. Gazprom is already building a gas liquefaction plant in Vladivostok to supply the Asia Pacific region. Companies from Japan are in talks to buy supplies from the facility.
Celanese looks to sell Spain vinyl acetate plant
The VAM unit in Tarragona, Spain, has a capacity of 200,000 tpy. Celanese said the decision to sell the plant was driven by a recently completed assessment of the company's overall corporate strategy, which included an assessment of the company’s global manufacturing facilities.
SOCAR awards engineering contracts to construct largest Turkey refinery
A consortium comprised of Itochu and foreign firms won an order from the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic to build Turkey's largest oil refinery in the western city of Izmir. Other members of the consortium are Tecnicas Reunidas, Saipem and GS Engineering and Construction.
Flood of Russian diesel puts European refiners under pressure
Russia's slowing domestic economy is leading to a flood of Russian diesel exports flowing toward Europe, which could soon force a new round of European refinery closures.
Total acquires Shell fuel retail network in Egypt
Gasoline retail activities have decreased in Western Europe, on the back of lower consumption due to the prolonged economic crisis. Lower cost retailers have also emerged, forcing some major companies to rethink their refining and marketing strategy and focus instead on oil exploration and production.
Carbon capture technology becoming cost effective
The Cost Reduction Task Force, which authored the report, found that carbon capture and storage technology could be a viable option for the UK government in meeting its carbon reduction targets. The report estimated that CCS technology could soon generate electricity at a breakeven cost.
BG Group to focus on LNG in streamlined portfolio
The company is seeking to lure investors back. In recent months, BG Group has fallen out of favor with investors and analysts following a write down on the value of its US natural gas assets, big cost overruns at a key LNG project in Australia and downgrades to its production forecasts.
Nigeria to review Trans-Saharan gas pipeline plan
Nigeria and Algeria signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2002 for the 4,000 km gas pipeline to carry gas from Nigeria's Niger Delta region through the Republic of Niger to Algeria's Beni Saf export terminal on the Mediterranean Sea.
- Chiyoda, AVEVA forge strategic partnership to power plantOS with AVEVA CONNECT 6/27
- SABIC announces closure of Olefins 6 facility in Teesside, UK 6/27
- LyondellBasell's polyolefin technologies selected by SHCCIG Yulin for petrochemicals complex in China 6/27
- Damaged unit of Iran's South Pars refinery back operating 6/27
- hte conducts research for JGC to advance decarbonization by identifying suitable catalysts for ammonia cracking 6/26
- TES and CPC Finland to develop 500-MW e-NG project in Finland 6/26
