Refining
Neste, Bapco renew base oils agreement produced at Bahrain plant
A new commercial agreement defines a renewed cooperation model for calendar year 2018. It secures Neste a significant share of the output of the base oils JV plant for 2018, allowing Neste to continue supplying its full customer portfolio, and enabling Bapco to launch its own brand to the global market from Jan. 1, 2018.
Indian Oil Corp starts crude oil trading through Singapore subsidiary
NEW DELHI (Reuters) — India’s top refiner Indian Oil Corp on Wednesday began trading crude oil through its Singapore unit, buying a million barrels of Nigerian oil Akpo, the state-run company’s head of finance AK Sharma said.
China sets 2018 non-state crude oil import quota 55% higher than 2017
BEIJING (Reuters) — China has raised its 2018 crude oil import quota for "non-state trade," generally meaning independent refiners, by 55% over 2017, raising the clout of the independents in the global market after a setback this year.
Sulphur ’17: Oil and gas market outlook
ATLANTA — James Preciado, liquid fuel markets team leader, US Energy Information Administration (EIA), spoke about an “in-balance” global oil market, but at what price, during the CRU Group’s Sulphur 2017 conference in Atlanta. In Q4 2017, the market is tight, but in future years oil may need to go over $100/bbl to meet supply demands.
Dangote selects AspenTech software for its refinery
BEDFORD, Mass. — Aspen Technology, Inc., the asset optimization software company, announced that the Dangote Group, the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest on the African continent, has selected Aspen PIMS-AO software for economic and operational planning.
EIA: More US distillate is being exported
US distillate exports have continued to increase in 2017, both in volume and as a share of total distillate production. Domestic distillate demand has remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from January through July 2017.
Oil at $70/bbl already a reality for some as Asian premium bites
SINGAPORE (Reuters) — The rising demand for crude oil that can more easily produce transportation fuels when refined has some Australian and Malaysian producers boasting cargoes valued at close to $70/bbl, a hefty premium to global benchmarks.
Continental receives in-principal approval of first refinery
SAMARINDA, KALIMANTAN TIMUR, Indonesia — Continental Energy Corporation announced that its Indonesian subsidiary PT Continental Hilir Indonesia (CHI) has received the in-principal approval of the Governor of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan for the construction and operation of a crude oil refinery to be built at KIPI Maloy located in the Kutai Timur Regency of East Kalimantan.
Saudi Aramco to push back shutdown at Ras Tanura refinery
(Reuters) — Saudi Aramco is expected to shut down its condensate splitter at its Ras Tanura refinery by the end of November for a month for planned maintenance work, two industry sources said, later than originally planned.
Shell looks beyond road fuels to secure future of refining
LONDON (Reuters) — While the world braces for the electric-vehicle revolution, Royal Dutch Shell is betting on growing appetite for asphalt and plastics to sustain its century-old oil refining business for the coming decades.

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