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Americas

ACC: US resin production down slightly, sales up in January

WASHINGTON, DC – US production of major plastic resins totaled 6.8 billion pounds during January 2017, a decrease of 0.9 percent compared to the same month in 2016, according to statistics released today by the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

A reusable sponge could ‘revolutionize’ oil spill, diesel cleanup

CHICAGO -- Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have invented a new foam, called Oleo Sponge, that can be used to clean up oil and diesel spills in water. The material not only quickly adsorbs oil from water, but also is reusable and can pull dispersed oil from the entire water column—not just the surface.

Watchdog to ask US lawmakers to probe Icahn's role with Trump

(Reuters) -- A government watchdog group, Public Citizen, said on Wednesday it has asked lawmakers to investigate whether billionaire investor Carl Icahn should have been subject to lobbying disclosure laws when he advised President Donald Trump to overhaul the US biofuels program.

EIA: US crude stocks jump, gasoline inventories plunge

(Reuters) -- US crude oil inventories surged last week to another record high, while gasoline stocks went the other direction, posting their largest one-week drop in nearly six years, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Union threatens strike at Saskatchewan refinery as talks stall

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) -- Workers at the 130,000-bpd Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina, Saskatchewan, could go out on strike by the end of March after pay and pension negotiations with management broke down, a union representative said on Tuesday.

Oil-for-loan debts cost Venezuela's PDVSA hard-won India market share

CARACAS/HOUSTON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -- Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA, has spent at least a decade trying to build business ties and boost shipments to refineries in India, where crowds once welcomed the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez with cries of "Viva!"

CERAWeek '17: Motiva CEO discusses impact of border tax, US regulations

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Smith, Ashley

Implications of a proposed border tax could create higher crude and product prices, inflated margins and increased operating costs for the US refining industry, Dan Romasko, president and CEO of Motiva Enterprises said during a panel discussion at CERAWeek Tuesday, March 7.

US Judge rules against tribes seeking to stop Dakota pipeline

(Reuters) -- A US judge on Tuesday ruled against native tribes seeking to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline from moving forward on the basis that it would prevent them from practicing religious ceremonies, as legal options for opponents of the project narrow.

Teel Plastics utilizing Kepware connectivity platform as IoT solution

PORTLAND, Maine -- Kepware, a PTC business developing industrial connectivity software, announced today that Teel Plastics, Inc. is utilizing the IoT Gateway for the KEPServerEX platform as its Internet of Things (IoT) solution. KEPServerEX provides Teel Plastics with a single source for industrial data—enabling increased productivity and product quality, reduced human errors and downtime, and a scalable IoT strategy.

Saudi Aramco, Shell to separate Motiva assets

HOUSTON -- Saudi Arabian Oil Company and Royal Dutch Shell plc announce the signing of binding definitive agreements between Saudi Refining, Inc. -- a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco -- and SOPC Holdings East LLC -- a US downstream subsidiary of Shell -- on the separation of assets, liabilities and businesses of Motiva Enterprises LLC.