Europe
BP confirms more limited scope for key European natural gas pipeline
UK energy giant BP confirmed that a key European pipeline project to import natural gas from Azerbaijan, called Nabucco, will be of much more limited scope than hoped and reach only Europe's border with Turkey. The decisions mark the end of a key strategic initiative in the region.
Eastman Chemical wins EU approval for Solutia buy
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition of Solutia by Eastman Chemical, the competition watchdog group said. The merger is not expected to result in any substantial change in the markets concerned since Solutia is not a customer of Eastman in the EEA.
US refiners set to begin exports to West Africa
The US industry will soon expand its exporting to include gasoline sales to West Africa, predicts Valero CEO Bill Klesse. "That's something we haven't seen before," he said.
UK investor warns shale gas industry on emissions
One of Europe's largest institutional investors warned the shale gas industry to do more to prevent the release of the potent greenhouse gas methane during drilling, which is undermining its basis as a cleaner alternative to coal. Comments were directed primarily at drilling operations in the US.
Technip to buy Shaw energy, chemicals business
Shaw is selling the segment to Technip for $300 million in cash, adding that further collaborations between the two companies are possible for Shaw’s core business units. The companies further agreed to work toward developing future business relationships involving Shaw’s core business units.
European refiners under pressure from Middle East refining boom - Eni
Eni said a refining boom in the Middle East is putting pressure on European refiners because the Middle East producers, who have lower costs, are now entering the market in Europe - especially the Mediterranean. The official said output at Eni's Sicilian refinery of Gela had already fallen sharply.
Shell remains committed to natural gas plan - CEO
Royal Dutch Shell believes rising natural gas demand will underpin its future profits, even though oil pricing still accounts for 80% of its margins, its CEO Peter Voser said on Tuesday. Despite a recent drop in US gas prices, the long-term pricing outlook for natural gas remains strong, he noted.
PetroSA partners with China's Sinopec to build new South Africa refinery
South Africa's national oil company PetroSA will partner with China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) to build a new refinery that was originally planned to produce several thousand barrels of oil a day and cost several billion dollars to build. PetroSA first announced plans for the refinery in 2008.
RINA to project manage FLNG terminal in Indonesia
RINA Group will deliver concept selection, FEED, support during negotiations with potential shipyards, project management during construction, and support for commissioning for a new floating LNG terminal in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The terminal is expected to come into service in mid-2014.
Refinery upkeep costs poised to rise, says Tyco
Refinery maintenance will likely become more expensive in the next few years as operators have to make costly changes to comply with new environmental regulations.
- Studi Tecnologie Progetti S.p.A. signs agreement to upgrade Attock refinery in Pakistan for $600 MM 7/1
- Maire's NEXTCHEM awarded engineering contract for Pacifico Mexinol's $3.3-B, 2.1-MMtpy low-carbon methanol project 7/1
- BASF closes purchase of DOMO Chemicals’ shares in Alsachimie JV 7/1
- deugro completes another equipment shipment for INEOS' Project One project in Belgium 7/1
- Shell renews contract with Cyberhawk, enabling a global visualization and data integration platform across its portfolio 7/1
- HyOrc and Acetech partner to develop waste-to-green methanol facility in the UK 7/1
