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EIA: Fuel economy improvements are projected to reduce future gasoline use

Anticipated changes in energy consumption by light-duty vehicles in the United States are based on two factors: the amount of travel and the fuel economy of the vehicles used. The Annual Energy Outlook 2017 Reference case projects a decline in light-duty vehicle energy use between 2018 and 2040 as improvements in fuel economy more than offset increases in light-duty vehicle miles.

Trump budget wants to halve oil stockpile, open Arctic refuge to drilling

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — US President Donald Trump's White House wants to sell half of the nation's emergency oil stockpile and open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling as part of plans to balance the budget over the next 10 years, documents by the administration showed.

India moving beyond oil as seeks alternatives to OPEC

VIENNA/NEW DELHI (Reuters) — OPEC production cuts and the prospect of more expensive oil are pushing India to consider US and Canadian suppliers, as well as encouraging it to turn to renewable energy, the country's petroleum and natural gas minister said on Monday.

Mexico says supports OPEC cuts as way to stabilize oil market

VIENNA (Reuters) — Mexico supports an extension of OPEC's supply cuts as a way to stabilize oil markets and bring fresh investment into the country's growing energy sector, the Mexican deputy secretary for hydrocarbons said on Tuesday.

ExxonMobil completes new polyethylene lines at Mont Belvieu plastics plant

HOUSTON — ExxonMobil Chemical Company announced the mechanical completion of two new 650,000 tpy high performance polyethylene lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The company expects production to begin during the third quarter of 2017.

Owens Corning to acquire cellular glass manufacturer Pittsburgh Corning

Owens Corning announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Pittsburgh Corning, a producer of cellular glass insulation systems for commercial and industrial markets.

Dow signs coatings, silicones investment agreements in Saudi Arabia

MIDLAND, Mich. — The Dow Chemical Company signed an agreement to construct a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce a range of polymers for coatings and water-treatment applications in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and a memorandum of understanding for a feasibility study related to a proposed investment in the Company’s Performance Silicones franchise.

Saudi Aramco: looking for opportunities to expand in US over 10 yr

RIYADH (Reuters) — National oil firm Saudi Aramco is looking for opportunities to expand in the United States over the next 10 yr, and wants to develop the business of its Motiva refinery in that country, chief executive Amin Nasser said on Saturday.

Carlyle battles insurers in New York over Moroccan oil losses

LONDON (Reuters) — US private equity firm Carlyle Group is suing a group of its insurers over $400 MM worth of oil it claims it lost when Morocco's sole refinery went bankrupt two years ago, court documents show.

ExxonMobil, SABIC sign agreement for next phase of proposed US petchem project

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Affiliates of Exxon Mobil Corporation and SABIC signed an agreement to conduct a detailed study of the proposed Gulf Coast Growth Ventures project in Texas and begin planning for front-end engineering and design work.