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Africa

Business Trends: Anticipated market and pricing impacts from new marine fuel regulations

EnSys Energy: Tallett, M.  |  Witmer, T.  |  Dunbar, D.
Navigistics Consulting: St. Amand, D.

In October 2016, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced that it will implement a new regulation that calls for the sulfur content in marine fuels to be reduced from 3.5% to 0.5%. The new regulation will go into effect in January 2020. This action by the IMO will have a profound impact on the maritime and refining industries worldwide, as well as on the environment. This month’s Business Trends section provides an overview on the anticipated impacts of the IMO’s decision on petroleum product markets.

Industry Perspectives: Global desulfurization capacity to skyrocket over the long term

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

According to OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2016, desulfurization capacity additions represent the largest capacity increases among all process units to 2040. This trend is due to increased regulations on the amount of sulfur allowed in transportation fuels.

Editorial Comment: The future of refining lies in clean fuels

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Each year, <sub>Hydrocarbon Processing</sub> devotes an issue to the topic of clean fuels—and rightly so. As the world continues to welcome more vehicles on the road, and as emerging economies invest in civil, industrial and energy projects, global fuels demand is forecast to increase through the end of the decade.

Nigeria's Trans Forcados pipeline to reopen near end Q2

FLORENCE/LONDON (Reuters) -- Nigeria's Trans Forcados Pipeline which has been shut for most of the last year could reopen "towards the end of the second quarter," Seplat Chief Executive Austin Avuru said.

Ghana's only oil refinery shut after explosion

ACCRA (Reuters) -- Ghana's only oil refinery, the Tema Oil Refinery, is shut after an explosion at a newly installed 5.8-million-euro crude oil heating unit, a senior union official said on Friday.

Court rules villagers cannot sue Shell in London over Nigerian oil spill

LONDON (Reuters) -- Oil major Royal Dutch Shell cannot be sued in London courts over Nigerian oil spill allegations, the High Court ruled on Thursday, dealing a setback to attempts to hold multinationals liable at home for subsidiaries' activities.

GE proposes investing in Nigeria's ailing oil refineries

LAGOS (Reuters) -- General Electric Co has proposed investing in Nigeria's oil refineries, potentially convening a consortium of companies to improve capacity at the run-down facilities.

Eni to deepen involvement in Nigerian energy sector

LONDON (Reuters) -- Italy's Eni plans to deepen its involvement in Nigeria's energy industry, increasing oil and gas exploration and helping to restore one of the country's ailing refineries, the company said in a statement on Monday.

US East Coast refiners binge on Algerian crude

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- US East Coast refiners are in the midst of their biggest buying spree of Algerian crude in years as they take advantage of cheap oil spilling out of the region, traders said on Thursday.

Nigerian oil union threatens three-day strike at Exxon Mobil, Chevron

LAGOS (Reuters) -- A Nigerian oil labor union is set to stage a three-day strike at Chevron and Exxon Mobil fuel depots from Wednesday in a protest over sackings pending the outcome of talks with the government, union officials said on Monday.