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Refining

HP Construction: North America

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP has started up a new steam methane reformer (SMR) in La Porte, Texas, just east of Houston. The 120 million scfd of gaseous hydrogen produced by the SMR will feed ..

HP Construction: Asia Pacific

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Meche, Helen

A groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for Evonik’s new hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plant in China. The plant is scheduled to go online, with a production capacity of 230,000 metric tpy, at the e..

HPI major events and trends, 1920s to present

1920s: THE FORMATION OF THE MODERN HPIDuring this period, a new industry was evolving focused on the refining of crude oil into fuels and other products. New demand for crude oil-based products, such ..

US imports of Saudi crude highest since July 2008

US imports of crude oil from Saudi Arabia climbed 45.7% from a year earlier in April to the highest level since July 2008, according to US government data. The rise in US imports from Saudi Arabia came as total crude oil imports from all sources declined in the month amid higher domestic production.

Vitol seals Swiss refinery purchase from Petroplus, plans July restart

Varo Holding SA, the joint venture between oil trader Vitol and investment firm AtlasInvest, has completed its purchase of the 68,000 bpd Cressier refinery and related assets in Switzerland from insolvent Swiss refiner Petroplus. Vitol says it will restart the plant in July.

Solazyme starts up Illinois renewable oil biorefinery

Renewable oil and bio-products company Solazyme said Friday that it commissioned its first fully-integrated biorefinery (IBR) in Peoria, Illinois, to produce algal oil. With the successful production of algal oil from the integrated facility this month, Solazyme has met its start-up goals for the facility on schedule.

ExxonMobil licenses methanol-gasoline technology to Sundrop biofuels plant

The biomass complex in Alexandria, Louisiana, will gasify forest waste supplemented with hydrogen produced from natural gas to make synthesis gas. The syngas then will be converted to methanol and fed into the MTG process, producing 3,500 bpd of renewable gasoline.

Valero idles two US ethanol plants on low margins

Valero suspended production last week at its Albion, Neb., ethanol plant, while its Linden, Ind., facility shut down production on Tuesday. Each plant has the capacity to produce 120 million gal/year of ethanol.

Wison, Hyundai nab EPC contract for Puerto la Cruz refinery in Venezuela

Consortium Hyundai-Wison will carry out engineering, procurement, construction and start-up assistance of the environmental units, auxiliary units and revamp of atmospheric distillation units of the deep conversion project. Facilities will be able to process heavy crude oil, with a capacity of 210,000 bpd.

Brazil ethanol industry needs years to recover lost production, says IEA

Brazil's ethanol industry will take several years to recover from recent production setbacks due to aging agricultural infrastructure and economic uncertainties, an official at the International Energy Agency said. Brazil's growers are struggling to bounce back from a bad crop in 2011-12