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Refining

Canada newspaper owner proposes $13bn refinery

David Black, owner of the British Columbia community newspaper chain Black Press, said the refinery built near Kitimat would process crude oil from Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline into refined products, including gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. The refinery would process 550,000 bpd of oil.

Honeywell develops fuel-saving flight management software for airliners

Some estimates place potential benefits at as much as 3% in savings on reduced fuel use. Others project as much as $200,000 in annual savings per plane while cruising long oceanic routes. United Continental Holdings is running demonstration flights to verify such estimates.

US appeals court rejects industry challenge to EPA ethanol blend decision

Trade groups representing the oil and auto industries had challenged the decision. Bob Greco, downstream director at the American Petroleum Institute, said it is "astounding that the court does not accept that refiners, who must comply with the ethanol mandate, have standing to bring this case."

Novozymes pressured by weak US biofuels market

Bioethanol production and profitability has been hampered by the drought in the US, which has pushed up the prices for corn, the main ingredient in the production of biofuel. Additional pressure has been added by a decline in overall fuel consumption in the US, the Novozymes executive said.

BASF joins collaboration to develop bio-acrylic acid

BASF, Cargill and Novozymes recently signed an agreement to develop bio-based technologies to produce acrylic acid from renewable feedstocks. The annual global market volume of acrylic acid is around 4.5 million tons, with a value of $11 billion at the end of 2011.

Syntroleum secures EPA registration for renewable gasoline blendstock

Dynamic Fuels LLC, Syntroleum Corp.'s joint venture with Tyson Foods, has been granted Part 79 registration for its renewable gasoline blendstock 10 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

US equipment finance sector shows rapid growth, survey says

New business volume grew 16.5% in the equipment finance industry in 2011, according to the 2012 Survey of Equipment Finance Activity (SEFA) released by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.

EPA to propose US biofuel fraud fix by end of 2012

Refiners and oil importers are required to buy certain amounts of fuel made from plants every year under a 2005 law designed to reduce US oil imports. But the market has been in turmoil since last year, when it became clear that some companies were selling fraudulent numbers.

Flash fire injures contractors at BP Indiana refinery

When the fire ignited, the three injured contractors were performing maintenance work on a 105,000 bpd hydrotreater, according to news agency Reuters. BP said the three contractors were in stable condition at a local hospital. Two were being treated for burns and one for smoke inhalation.

Shell picks Jacobs as European downstream services provider

HP Editorial Staff: HP News

Under a five-year deal, Jacobs will perform work ranging from feasibility studies and small plant modifications to discrete projects for major Shell refining and chemical sites.