Europe
South America: Venezuela
Fig. 1 illustrates the annual gross domestic product (GDP) and inflation from 2006 to 2011 for Venezuela. High crude oil prices have helped domestic GDP growth, suggesting a healthy economy. ..
South America: Brazil
Brazil’s economic improvement was remarkable over the past decade, following many years of slow growth. On average, the Brazilian gross output of goods and services increased at an annual average..
Asia: India
The Indian economy has come a long way since the 1991 economic reforms. A decade and a half of economic reform and globalization is yielding returns that cut across all income groups. The domestic eco..
Asia: Japan
The Japanese economy showed steady recovery for 2003–2007. However, due to the global recession in late 2008, Japan’s GDP growth decreased to –1% in 2008 and to –5.5% in 2009. Due ..
Europe: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is Europe’s fourth largest chemical economy, after Germany, France and Italy. It accounts for 8% of the European Union’s (EU’s) $900 billion overall chemical pro..
France's GDF Suez close to buying Repsol LNG unit
GDF Suez is interested in the unit as it is already big on liquefied natural gas production, export and supply shipment, according to company officials. A report says GDF chief executive Gerard Mestrallet may announce a deal during an investors day scheduled next Thursday.
Libyan ex-rebels block access to main oil refinery
The refinery in Zawiyah supplies around 70% of the country's fuel, and a similar four-day protest there in early November cost the government $30 million. Thursday there were already queues forming at petrol stations in Tripoli, although an official said there was no danger of a fuel shortage.
Jacobs licenses sulfur recovery technology to VKG for Estonia shale oil refinery
Services are being provided from Jacobs’ Leiden office in The Netherlands. Under the terms of the contract, Jacobs is licensing its proprietary EUROCLAUS technology to VKG; and is also providing the basic design package, training, start up and commissioning assistance services.
Norway orders BP to implement safety measures
Norway's PSA said that fire protection for the main substructure and process equipment on the Ula P processing platform were inadequate and passive fire protection needed to be installed. Such protection would slow a fire from spreading and protect the steel structure of the platform from deformation.
Essar Energy sees improving UK refining margins
Essar is now processing 11 crude grades at Stanlow, enabling it to take advantage of lower cost opportunities, and it said a new natural-gas supply, to fuel the plant's boilers, will allow more flexibility in the choice of crude oils it processes. Gross refining margins were $8.03/bbl in the period.
- UPM unlocks new bio-based markets as Leuna biorefinery produces its first commercial product 12/19
- Stamicarbon awarded technology licensing contract for new urea plant in Eastern China 12/19
- Ford takes $19.5-B writedown on EV business 12/19
- Babcock & Wilcox awarded $40-MM contract for advanced wet gas scrubbing technology at Canadian petroleum refinery 12/19
- Aarti Industries secures methanol and toluene feedstock supply through multiple long-term contracts 12/19
- bp picks first outsider CEO Meg O'Neill after abrupt Auchincloss exit 12/19

