Americas
Braskem Idesa awards engineering deal on Mexico Ethylene XXI project
The EPC contract was awarded to a joint venture made up of Odebrecht (40%), Technip (40%) and ICA Fluor (20%). The new petrochemical complex will include a 1.05 million tpy ethylene cracker and several integrated polyethylene (PE) plants. Ethylene XXI should begin operations in June 2015.
Alliance receives regulatory approval for proposed Bakken gas pipeline
The Tioga pipeline should be running by mid-2013. Although new drilling technology has greatly boosted hydrocarbon production in the Bakken, in North Dakota's Williston Basin, a lack of pipelines has led oil producers to resort to rail cars to move product and gas producers have had to burn excess product.
Westlake to expand Kentucky ethylene plant, convert to ethane feed
With the expansion, Westlake is looking to take advantage of increased site production to provide additional PVC resin amid growing demand from global customers.
New pipelines could worsen US natural gas glut
A recently-released report finds that new natural gas pipelines being introduced later this year could add to the supply glut in the US. Department of Energy data show that there are approximately 1,000 Marcellus shale wells that are uncompleted due to a lack of pipeline access.
Saudi Aramco investigates Tyco valve contracts after bribery charges
Saudi Aramco has suspended further dealings with Tyco Valves & Controls Middle East while it looks into contracts it signed with the firm between 2003 and 2006, according to a source. Tyco pleaded guilty last week in a US court to paying bribes to officials employed by Aramco.
HP Impact: Natural gas vehicles could be gaining traction
Natural gas vehicles could be gaining tractionA new report from PIRA Energy Group says that the sheer volume of US recoverable gas resources relative to expected demand suggests that benchmark Henry H..
HP Impact: Marginal increase forecast in North American lubricant market
Marginal increase forecast in North American lubricant marketAlthough it is estimated that there will be a 3% increase in tonnage carried by private fleet operators in the US through 2016, this is exp..
HP Construction: North America
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has a contract from Methanex Corp. to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for a methanol production facility in Louisiana. Officials estimate the c..
HP Construction: South America
A subsidiary of Foster Wheeler AG’s Global Engineering and Construction Group has a contract from Petrobras for a world-scale grassroots gas-to-chemicals complex—Complexo Gás-Quími..
HP Reliability: Equipment life extension involves upgrades
Every plant wants to get more service life from site machinery. Since about 1990, quite a number of start-up consulting companies have formed to advise clients on equipment life extension. These compa..
- TotalEnergies extends its fuel price cap policy in France until the end of April 4/7
- Navigating the montan wax challenge with renewable alternatives for polymers 4/7
- AFR selects Axens as technology provider for Texas (U.S.) refinery 4/7
- Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia's Jubail petrochemical complex, IRGC says 4/7
- Iran's Marvdasht Petrochemical complex attacked by US and Israel 4/7
- Fluor awarded engineering and design contract for America First Refining's refinery in South Texas 4/7
