The downstream rundown: In case you missed it 4/1
In case you missed any downstream news, this piece will give you a summary of some of the top stories from last week.
MHI Compressor to deliver equipment for Chevron Phillips Chemical propylene unit
MHI Compressor International Corp. (MCO-I) has secured a contract to deliver compressor train equipment for Chevron Phillips Chemical’s new propylene unit at its Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas.
The contract scope encompasses the supply of an API 612 steam turbine driving an API 617 heat pump compressor and all associated compressor train auxiliary equipment for Chevron Phillips Chemical’s 500,000 tpy C3 splitter unit. The asset will convert a refinery grade mixture of propylene and propane into a high purity propylene product.
Amarinth pumps to be used in SABIC petrochemical refinery
Amarinth has delivered an order through Gas Arabian Services for bespoke compact API 610 vertical in-line pumps to be used in the SABIC petrochemical refinery, Yanbu.
The Yanbu petrochemical refinery in the Al Madinah province of Saudi Arabia processes 400,000 bpd of crude oil from the Manifa offshore field producing high-quality, ultra-low sulfur-refined products. Two horizontal pumps were originally specified for the hazardous area, but these would not fit within the heavily restricted space. Amarinth therefore proposed using API 610 vertical in-line pumps.
Sinopec commissions ionikylation unit to produce high octane alkylate
Sinopec Anqing Company has successfully commissioned a 300,000 tpy (7,400 bpd) ionikylation unit to produce high octane alkylate to meet National VI gasoline quality upgrade requirements. The Anqing alkylation unit is the third ionikylation unit in Sinopec’s portfolio and the sixth commercial project using the technology in China. In 2019 and 2020, Sinopec commissioned similar capacity ionikylation units at its Jiujiang and Wuhan refineries, respectively, with the latter installation being a revamp from an HF alkylation unit.
BASF confirms ambitious climate targets, takes steps to reduce product-related emissions
One year after its initial announcement, BASF has reaffirmed its ambitious climate targets. In an update for investors and financial analysts on its transformation roadmap BASF confirmed that by 2030 it aims to reduce its GHG emissions by 25% compared with 2018 and is maintaining its goal of net-zero emissions globally by 2050. On its path to reducing global emissions to 16.4 MMt by 2030, BASF is publishing an annual CO2 emissions forecast for BASF Group as part of its outlook with a corridor of plus or minus 0.5 MMt.
India's ONGC sells Russia's Sokol oil to Indian refiners
India's ONGC Videsh Ltd has sold at least one cargo of Russian Sokol oil to India refiners Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp after failing to draw interest in a tender earlier this month, sources familiar with the matter said.
Saudi Aramco petroleum storage site hit by Houthi attack, fire erupts
Yemen's Houthis said they launched attacks on Saudi energy facilities and the Saudi-led coalition said oil giant Aramco's petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah was hit, causing a fire in two storage tanks but no casualties.
A huge plume of black smoke could be seen rising over the Red Sea city where the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is taking place this weekend, an eyewitness said. The Iran-aligned Houthis have escalated attacks on the kingdom's oil facilities in recent weeks and ahead of a temporary truce for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Axens and partners to collaborate on SAF in India
Airport operators Groupe ADP and GMR Airports together with Airbus, Axens and Safran have signed today a MoU to conduct a joint study on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and their potential in India.
The objective of the study, conducted under the lead and coordination of Groupe ADP and GMR Airports and with the expertise of all partners, is to understand and evaluate the demand, the challenges and opportunities of supply, infrastructure and fueling, as well as to prepare a business case for SAF production and use in India for all kind of aviation purposes.
Baker Hughes, Dussur to join forces for chemicals project
Baker Hughes and Saudi Arabia's state-owned Dussur have agreed to form a JV focused on providing oilfield services and industrial chemicals in the country. Texas-based oilfield services provider Baker Hughes will hold 51% of the JV under the agreement that is expected to close in the 3Q.
Neste works on commercializing chemical recycling of waste plastic
Proceeding on the target of commercializing chemical recycling of waste plastic, Neste is conducting a feasibility study to examine investing in capacity for processing liquefied waste plastic at its refinery in Porvoo, Finland. The goal is to scale up processing capabilities for liquefied waste plastic by implementing proprietary technologies to pretreat and upgrade liquefied waste plastic and integrating the technologies into the refinery operations. The targeted pretreatment and upgrading capacity of this first step is 400,000 tpy. This development would be a major step towards Neste’s target to process over 1 MMtpy of waste plastic from 2030 onwards.
Russia resumes LPG exports from Sea of Azov
Russia is set to resume supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from a Sea of Azov port on Tuesday for the first time since Moscow started its military operation in Ukraine, data from the port and Refinitiv Eikon showed.
Supplies of LPG, which is used in the petrochemical industry and to fuel vehicles and stationary generators, had been halted from the Temryuk terminal since February 24 following a ban on shipments in the region imposed by the Russian sea and river transport regulator.
Two ITA Airways routes to be powered by SAF
Rome Fiumicino Airport is increasing the availability of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), an aviation biofuel made from renewable raw materials capable of supporting the reduction of CO2 emissions in the aviation sector.
The Leonardo da Vinci airport has become the first Italian airport to employ SAF, allowing ITA Airways to use it on the airline’s first 10 flights on October 15, 2021. It will further increase distribution so that, throughout 2022, ITA Airways will be capable of powering two routes (Rome-Venice and Rome-Barcelona) as part of its decarbonization project.
Clariant wins major contracts to supply petrochemical catalysts to Lihuayi Group
Clariant’s Catalysts business has been awarded three new contracts by China’s Lihuayi Group for its upcoming petrochemicals production units. The agreements include three of Clariant’s high-performance catalysts for the production of ethylene, styrene, and propylene.
SPEC Energy DMCC to use multiple Honeywell UOP technologies at refinery
Honeywell announced that SPEC Energy DMCC will use a range of Honeywell UOP process technologies at its refinery to convert low value vacuum gasoil and vacuum residue into high value products such as gasoline and alkylate.
Phase one of the project includes the installation of a new UOP residue fluidized catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit that is tailored to improve gasoline yield, a UOP/wood solvent deasphalting process unit, which will improve the feed quality to the RFCC. A UOP Merox unit will also be installed that will reduce the level of mercaptans in the liquefied petroleum gas streams, in addition to a UOP InAlk process unit which will process the mixed C4 olefinic rich stream from the Merox unit to produce alkylate, which is a high-octane blending feedstock for the gasoline pool. A UOP SelectFining Process unit will be used to process the RFCC naphtha stream to meet the desired sulfur content.
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