Petrochemicals
Diversification: The catalyst for the Middle East’s downstream transformation
Over the past several years, the Middle East has made substantial investments to increase its downstream processing capacity.
Optimizing ethylene production with laser technology
Ethylene is one of the most valuable organic compound building blocks in the world.
Industry Metrics
US product crack spreads surged amid refinery outages as Hurricane Harvey affected US Gulf Coast (USGC) refinery operations.
JXTG to shut Muroran petchem plant as Japan gasoline demand fades
TOKYO (Reuters) — JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corp, Japan's biggest oil refiner, said on Wednesday it will shut its Muroran petrochemicals plant due to falling demand for gasoline in Japan.
Petrotechnics’ survey reveals reality of risk in the global hydrocarbon industry
ABERDEEN, Scotland, UK — Petrotechnics, the developer of the hazardous industries’ first software platform for operational excellence, has released its 2017 Operational Risk and Process Safety Management survey results. Insights from more than 200 senior industry leaders reveal that only 6% believe their companies are fully up-to-date with their scheduled safety-critical maintenance.
New project for AXION Energy in Argentina
The project involves the Detail Engineering for the expansion of the Catalytic Cracking Unit at the refinery that Techint E&C has in Campana.
ExxonMobil Baytown, Beaumont refineries begin fuels production
IRVING, Texas — ExxonMobil said that its Baytown and Beaumont refineries have begun producing fuels at reduced rates and that crude oil and refined product pipelines in the Gulf and other regions of Texas have restarted as recovery continues from Hurricane Harvey.
Dow announces start-up of world-scale ethylene production facility, polyethylene unit in Texas
MIDLAND, Mich. — DowDuPont Materials Science, the business division of DowDuPont to be named Dow, announced the startup of its new integrated world-scale ethylene production facility and its new ELITE enhanced polyethylene production facility, both in Freeport, Texas.
LyondellBasell begins production at new PP compounding plant in China
HOUSTON and ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands — LyondellBasell announced the successful startup of a new 20 ktpy polypropylene (PP) compounding plant in Dalian, China. This is the company's third facility in China, strategically located to serve the region's growing automotive market.
Grace Licenses process technology, services to Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group
COLUMBIA, Md. — W. R. Grace & Co., a supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology and polypropylene (PP) process technology, has contracted to license its UNIPOL PP process technology and services to Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co., Ltd. for a new methanol-to-olefin (MTO) facility in Ningxia, China. The new reactor line is expected to begin operations in late 2018.

- thyssenkrupp Uhde completes pre-FEED for HAMR Energy’s renewable fuels project in Australia 8/21
- Europe distillates-diesel profit margins firm 8/21
- U.S.: Indiana's bp refinery restarts after severe flooding 8/21
- Berlin weighs trusteeship extension for Rosneft's German assets 8/21
- Trump administration to rule on biofuel exemption requests, delay reallocation decision 8/21
- TotalEnergies' Donges refinery fire extinguished 8/21