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Americas

US senators urge Trump to avoid blockade of Venezuela oil shipments

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Four US Senate Republicans from oil refining states urged the Trump administration on Thursday to not block oil shipments from Venezuela as part of US sanctions against the country, saying it could raise costs for US fuel consumers.

Jacobs signs construction management agreement for Chevron’s refineries, terminals

DALLAS — Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. signed a Master Services Agreement (MSA) expansion amendment with Chevron Products Company to provide elective construction management (CM) services on an as-needed basis at the company’s refineries located in El Segundo and Richmond, California, Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Salt Lake City, as well as at various terminals throughout the US.

KBR signs agreement with Saudi Aramco to expand in-kingdom localization efforts

HOUSTON — KBR, Inc. has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Aramco to expand and develop KBR's services for Saudi Aramco in line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's (KSA) localization objectives.

S.Korea's SK Energy buys 1st US crude oil in move away from Middle East

ULSAN, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korea's top refiner SK Energy is buying its first-ever continental US crude oil shipment as producer club OPEC's output cuts raise MidEast prices, giving other suppliers a chance to compete for the world's juiciest oil market—Asia.

Shorting the short: Investors bet against Icahn's oil refiner after biofuel trade

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Investors have built up a large short position in investor Carl Icahn’s oil refining company, CVR Energy, in the past three months, according to Reuters data, as evidence mounts that the company’s gamble on the biofuels market is going sour.

Exxon mulls Beaumont refinery crude unit addition

HOUSTON (Reuters) — ExxonMobil Corp is considering expanding light crude processing capacity at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery with the addition of a third crude distillation unit, a company spokeswoman said.

Schneider Electric, Claroty partner to address safety, cybersecurity challenges

NEW YORK — Claroty, in Operational Technology (OT) network protection, and Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, announced that they are partnering to address safety and cybersecurity challenges for the world's industrial infrastructure.

Brazil likely to create ethanol import quota, tax imports above it

SAO PAULO (Reuters) — The Brazilian government is likely to adopt a quota system for ethanol imports, allowing 600 MM liters into the country per year free of tax and imposing a 20% tariff on volumes in excess of that quota, cane industry group Unica said on Monday.

Keystone XL pipeline fate in balance as Nebraska opens hearings

LINCOLN, Neb. (Reuters) — Nebraska regulators opened a final hearing on TransCanada Corp’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline on Monday, a week-long proceeding that marks the last big hurdle for the long-delayed project after President Donald Trump approved it in March.

California rolls out new refinery regulations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State agencies today announced final approval of new regulations to strengthen workplace and environmental safety at oil refineries across the state. The regulations take effect Oct. 1.