Americas
Consultancy KBC predicts global refining margins under pressure through 2015
Energy consultancy KBC Advanced Technologies foresees global refining margins continuing under pressure as recovering global demand is met by a wave of new refining capacity construction, keeping global refining utilisation rates at around 85% of nameplate capacity at least through 2015.
IHS acquires chemical consultancy CMAI
US-based information and analysis provider IHS announced this week that it has acquired consultancy Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI), a leading provider of market & business advisory services for the global petrochemical, specialty chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, fibers and chlor-alkali industries.
Fluor reports record backlog of orders, sees new Q1 projects nearly double from 2010
Fluor reported a record backlog of orders on Friday, saying that new project awards in the company’s first quarter nearly doubled year-earlier levels. The US-based contractor noted the growth in orders as part of its first-quarter earnings, which saw profit climb 2.3% to $140mn amid strength in the company’s industrial and infrastructure business.
Total completes deep conversion at Port Arthur refinery, new units on-stream
Total on Thursday announced the completion of a three-year, $2.2 billion expansion of its Port Arthur refinery, with all new units successfully started and on-stream.
Kinder Morgan buys $920mn in US shale assets, will build $220mn crude/condensate pipeline
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) has agreed to pay approximately $855mn to Petrohawk Energy and assume approximately $65 million in debt for Petrohawk’s 50% interest in KinderHawk Field Services (the natural gas gathering and treating services provider in the Haynesville Shale) and a 25% interest in Petrohawk’s natural gas gathering and treating business in the Eagle Ford Shale.
New NGL fractionation facility to be built in Mont Belvieu, Texas
Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) and Regency Energy Partners will construct a 100,000 bpd natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation facility at Mont Belvieu, Texas, through their Lone Star NGL joint venture.
El Paso Corp. to expand natural gas system
El Paso Corp. said that its subsidiary, El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG), has successfully closed companion open seasons and signed long-term agreements to expand its system.
PPG to acquire Danish coatings firm Dyrup
PPG Industries said it signed a share purchase agreement to acquire Dyrup A/S, a European coatings company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, from public holding company Monberg & Thorsen. The total transaction value, including assumed debt, is around €135mn ($200mn).
Chevron to buy new US acreage in Marcellus Shale
Chevron has agreed to buy 228,000 net leasehold acres in the Marcellus Shale from Chief Oil & Gas and Tug Hill Inc., expanding its position in the rapidly growing US shale play.
Shell starts up new production from Canada oil sands expansion
Shell announced the successful start of production from its Scotford upgrader expansion project in Canada. The 100,000 bpd expansion takes upgrading capacity at Scotford to 255,000 bpd of heavy oil from the Athabasca oil sands.
- thyssenkrupp Uhde to build a low-emission polyester plant for KÖKSAN in Turkey 4/9
- Honeywell to supply digital process and automation technologies to the Dangote refinery 4/9
- Technip Energies awarded contract for Long Son Petrochemicals enhancement project in Vietnam 4/9
- Japan weighs new release of about 20 days' worth of oil from reserves 4/9
- Germany probes Klesch's planned purchase of bp refinery 4/9
- Southern Energy Renewables and Axens Sign MoU to advance SAF projects in Louisiana and beyond 4/8
