Petrochemicals
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Marathon Petroleum Corp. has named Gary Heminger, the company's president and CEO, to succeed Thomas Usher as chairman of the board, in addition to his current duties.
US ethane output to rise as petchem exports, consumption expand
Ethane production is expected to increase from 1.1 MMbpd in 2015 to 1.4 MMbpd in 2017.
Shell, thyssenkrupp partner on sulfur-enhanced technology for urea
Combining Shell Thiogro’s sulfur-enhanced urea technology with UFT’s fluid-bed granulation process will enable the largest urea plants in the world to produce granulated sulfur-containing urea.
CF opens new US urea ammonium nitrate plant
This is the second new plant to be commissioned and started-up as part of CF’s capacity expansion projects in North America. It is the largest operating single-train UAN plant in the world.
Spraying Systems to host Houston technology forum for chemical processors
The forum will feature new technology demonstrations, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling simulations in 3D, which give attendees a new perspective on what really happens with fluid flow inside their pipes, ducts and vessels.
INEOS prepares mothballed UK ethane cracker for US shale feedstocks
INEOS says it recently completed successful operational trials at the Grangemouth plant as it prepares to receive shale gas ethane from the US as petrochemical feedstock.
CPChem to expand Texas polyalphaolefins plant
Construction will begin in April 2016, Chevron Phillips says, with completion and startup expected by mid-2017. The expansion will support up to 135 construction and engineering jobs.
US investigates Brazil’s Odebrecht, Braskem over naphtha contracts
Local daily Valor Economico said the Justice Department was focusing its investigation on whether the companies violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in naphtha supply contracts.
Saudi petrochemicals venture SaBuCo starts up new plant at Jubail
The SABUCO plant in Jubail will have a capacity of 330,000 tpy of n-butanol, a type of alcohol used to make other chemicals, and 11,000 tpy of iso-butanol.
US specialty chemicals market sees small growth
Of the 28 specialty chemical segments included in the index, 17 expanded in February, with adhesives, construction chemicals and electronic chemicals experiencing the largest gains..

- CNOOC completes construction on $2.9-B, 1.8-MMtpy integrated complex in east China 8/22
- bp's Whiting refinery (U.S.) continues to flare days after severe thunderstorm 8/22
- Bachmann introduces latest version M-Target for Simulink 8/22
- U.S. to rule on biofuel waivers, but big oil refiners may need to wait 8/22
- Chinese independent refiner Hongrun buys Canadian, Brazilian crude 8/22
- Ukrainian attack suspends Russian oil flows to Hungary, Slovakia 8/22