Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Americas

Oil pipeline protester convicted of burglary in Washington state

(Reuters) — A climate-change activist who disrupted the flow of millions of barrels of crude oil into the United States as part of a coordinated protest of global warming was found guilty of burglary in Washington state on Wednesday. But a Skagit County Superior Court jury deadlocked on a second charge of sabotage against Kenneth Ward, a co-founder of the Climate Disobedience Center.

Chevron Phillips completes PAO capacity expansion at Texas plant

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP (Chevron Phillips Chemical) announced today it has successfully completed a low viscosity polyalphaolefins (PAO) capacity expansion at its Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas.

EIA: US remains the world’s top producer of petroleum, natgas hydrocarbons

The US remained the world's top producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons in 2016 for the fifth straight year despite production declines for both petroleum and natural gas relative to their 2015 levels.

AI company, Beyond Limits, secures $20 MM investment from BP Ventures

PASADENA, Calif. — Beyond Limits, an artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing company, today announced it has secured $20 MM in Series B funding from BP Ventures, the corporate investment arm of global energy business, BP.

MAN Diesel to acquire 40% of Aspin Kemp & Associates

MAN Diesel & Turbo has contractually agreed to acquire a 40% participation in Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA). AKA is a Canadian company, based in Montague, Prince Edward Island (PEI) which specializes in power supply, energy management and drive systems for marine applications. The company employs around 120 persons at five locations around the world and about 100 people in its PEI locations.

Indonesia's Pertamina to delay some refinery projects over financing

JAKARTA (Reuters) — Pertamina plans to delay some refinery upgrades and a new project, including ventures involving Rosneft and Saudi Aramco, due to financing issues, the Indonesian state oil company said on Tuesday.

Braskem says wins final approval in global leniency deal

BRASILIA (Reuters) — Braskem SA, Latin America's largest petrochemical company, said on Tuesday that it had obtained approval from a Brazilian court for its leniency deal in a corruption case involving political kickbacks at Brazil's Petrobras.

Venezuelan refinery reels as PDVSA ships light oil to Cuba, Curacao

(Reuters) — Venezuela's 187,000-bpd Puerto la Cruz refinery is running at 16% of capacity, mainly due to a lack of light oil as state-run PDVSA ships a portion of its Mesa 30 crude to Cuba and Curacao, according to internal trade reports and workers.

EIA: As US airlines carry more passengers, jet fuel use remains well below its previous peak

The amount of jet fuel consumed by US airlines increased in both 2015 and 2016, although jet fuel use in 2016 remained 11% lower than its level a decade ago. Jet fuel use was lower despite the fact that the number of passengers traveling on US carriers in 2016 was 7% higher than in 2007.

Dow completes construction of enhanced polyethylene production unit in Texas

Completed on time, the 400 Mt polyethylene unit is the first of four new derivative investments currently under way at Dow’s manufacturing sites in Texas and Louisiana as part of the company’s previously announced $6 B expansion on the US Gulf Coast.