Europe
Total wins Exxon tender for Slagen refinery lifting
Total has won ExxonMobil Corp.’s 2012 tender for lifting from its 110,000 bpd Slagen refinery in Norway, a fuel oil trader familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Annual fuel oil tenders from Exxon's Northwest Europe refineries are widely followed by traders in the region.
Total buys ExxonMobil stake in Antwerp olefins unit
Total affiliate PetroFina S.A. on Wednesday signed an agreement with ExxonMobil under which ExxonMobil is to transfer to Total its 35% shareholder interest in Fina Antwerp Olefins. This plant is the second largest in Europe for the production of base chemicals products, including ethylene, propylene and benzene.
Dow, Aksa form carbon fiber venture in Turkey
Dow Chemical and Turkey-based Aksa on Tuesday formed a joint venture to manufacture and commercialize carbon fiber and derivatives. Total investment in the project, including third-party investments, is expected to reach $1 billion in five years and create up to 1,000 employment opportunities, the companies said.
Jacobs awarded design work for sulfuric acid coolers in Bulgaria
Jacobs announced Tuesday its Canada-based Chemetics unit in Pickering, Ontario, was awarded a design and fabrication contract by Aurubis Bulgaria for two proprietary designed sulfuric acid coolers to be installed at its acid plant in Pirdop, Bulgaria.
BP to invest $15bn in Angola over next 20 years
BP plans to invest $15 billion in Angola over the next two decades, CEO Bob Dudley said at a press conference in Luanda. BP has already invested $15 billion in various projects in Angola and plans to invest another $15 billion for the next two decades, the CEO said.
Coca-Cola plans to have 100% plant-based bottle
Coca-Cola expects to have a plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based materials ready for commercial use in the next few years as it looks to reduce its reliance on petroleum used in traditional plastic bottles. Coca-Cola believes it can have the plant-based bottle developed by 2015 so that, by 2020, all of its plastic bottles can be using the new material.
Petrobras, Tereos mulling fuel ethanol production in Mozambique
Brazilian state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, and French-controlled sugarcane miller Tereos Internacional said Wednesday they plan to study the possibility of producing and selling ethanol fuel in Mozambique. The two firms already operate a mill in the southern African country that crushes 1.2 million metric tons of sugarcane.
IEA trims 2012 world oil demand growth forecast on economic woes
The International Energy Agency on Tuesday trimmed its forecast for world oil demand growth in 2012 versus its earlier 2012 projection based on the worsening global economic backdrop and persistently elevated oil prices, but said demand will remain robust and markets tight until 2013. The IEA forecast global oil demand at 90.3 million bpd in 2012, up from 89 million bpd this year.
Global refinery runs to rise in first quarter - IEA
Refinery runs across the globe will bounce back in the coming months as refineries return from heavy autumn maintenance and ramp up production even as profits on oil products fall, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday in a monthly report. Refinery runs will rebound to 75.8 million bpd, or 1.2 million bpd higher than the year-earlier quarter, after relatively weak growth since April.
Jacobs awarded work on CO2 capture project at Gassnova refinery in Norway
Jacobs Engineering Group was awarded a framework contract from Gassnova SF for its CO2 Capture Mongstad (CCM) project at its Mongstad refinery site in Norway. Jacobs is providing engineering and technical assistance services to support the installation of a large-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) capture plant for a combined heat and power (CHP) plant at the refinery.

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