Europe
Global refinery runs to improve in months ahead
Growth in demand could give European refiners, struggling from lackluster regional demand, export opportunities - in particular, gasoline to the US Northeast, the IEA says.
Momentive to close German formaldehyde plant on lower European demand
Momentive Specialty Chemicals says it has commenced consultations with the German Works Council to cease production of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based resins at its Leuna site in Germany. Momentive intends to cease production at the Leuna plant by June 30, 2012, it said.
Oryx starts up lube oil blending plant in West Africa
Oryx Oil & Gas has started up a new lube oil blending plant (LOBP) in Togo, West Africa, the contractor involved with the project said this week. The plant has an output capacity of 18,000 tpy and is expected to serve all segments and markets in West Africa, especially the minerals and mining industry.
BP to start up Hull biorefinery in UK later this year
BP's planned biofuels refinery in Hull will be commissioned later this year, executive director Byron Grote said. When operational, the plant will have capacity to produce 420 million liters of ethanol and 500,000 tons of high protein animal feed from 1 million tons of locally grown wheat.
Jacobs wins engineering work on Afipsky refinery expansion in Russia
Jacobs was awarded a contract from Afipsky Refinery, located in the Krasnodarskij region of Russia, to develop a basic engineering package for an amine regenerator unit, a sour water stripper and an expected 55 tpd sulfur recovery unit (SRU). Officials did not disclose the contract value.
Petroplus UK administrator aims to sell Coryton refinery within month
The administrator of Petroplus Holdings’ UK subsidiaries says he aims to reach a deal to sell the Coryton refinery in England within 30 days. "A couple of potential buyers and investors are now in the due-diligence stage," said Unite trade union regional industrial organizer Russ Ball.
Korea's Kepco signs $3.4bn LNG deal with Vitol
Korea Midland Power said Monday that it has struck a $3.4 billion deal with Switzerland's Vitol SA to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) under a long-term contract. The power-generating unit of Korea Electric Power Corp., known as Komipo, will buy 400,000 tpy of LNG from Vitol from 2015 to 2024.
EuroChem finalizes purchase of BASF fertilizer unit
BASF completed the sale of its fertilizer business in Antwerp, Belgium, to EuroChem. The deal includes plants for CAN/AN fertilizers (calcium ammonium nitrate/ammonium nitrate), NPK fertilizers (nitrogen-phosphate-potassium) and nitrophosphoric acid as well as three related nitric acid plants.
Technip, CIMV to collaborate on 'green' chemistry
Technip signed a cooperation agreement in the green chemistry business with the Compagnie Industrielle de la Matière Végétale (CIMV) to industrialize CIMV’s process. The CIMV technology can be seen as a key enabler for the sustainable green chemistry sector based on non-edible feedstock.
BP, Statoil intrigued by Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline
UK oil major BP and Norway's Statoil are interested in joining the Trans-Anatolian pipeline project to carry Central Asian natural gas across Turkey to Europe. A BP spokesman said it had been asked by Socar whether it might be interested in taking a share in the project and that it is "considering the proposal."
- 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
- Axens, IFPEN, and SMS group Launch Carboverseo™: Essential Technology for e-fuels deployment 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
