Americas
US gasoline, distillate stocks fall as run rates rise
Refinery crude runs rose by 414,000 bpd and refinery utilization rates rose 2 percentage points to 90.4% of total capacity, the highest rate seasonally since 2005.
Colombia’s Ecopetrol seeks $2 billion from CB&I over refinery costs
Ecopetrol has said bad management at CB&I increased spending on the project by $4 billion, or double the original price tag. Ecopetrol filed the suit before the International Chamber of Commerce.
US, Indian gasoline demand boosts outlook for oil
Hedge funds have turned very bullish about the outlook for oil prices based on indicators showing strong gasoline demand in the US and India.
INEOS prepares mothballed UK ethane cracker for US shale feedstocks
INEOS says it recently completed successful operational trials at the Grangemouth plant as it prepares to receive shale gas ethane from the US as petrochemical feedstock.
CPChem to expand Texas polyalphaolefins plant
Construction will begin in April 2016, Chevron Phillips says, with completion and startup expected by mid-2017. The expansion will support up to 135 construction and engineering jobs.
US investigates Brazil’s Odebrecht, Braskem over naphtha contracts
Local daily Valor Economico said the Justice Department was focusing its investigation on whether the companies violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in naphtha supply contracts.
US specialty chemicals market sees small growth
Of the 28 specialty chemical segments included in the index, 17 expanded in February, with adhesives, construction chemicals and electronic chemicals experiencing the largest gains..
Meridian Energy applies for permits to build new North Dakota refinery
The proposed Davis refinery in North Dakota will be the first “greenfield” complex high-conversion refinery built in many years, according to company officials.
Oil price war scares sense of US energy security
Imports will almost certainly increase further over the remainder of the year as refineries ramp up production to meet record gasoline consumption and US crude output continues to decline.
US energy workers hit hard by investment in company stock plans
In Oklahoma and Texas, workers are delaying retirement plans, surrendering trucks, cars and land in personal bankruptcy cases, or just praying oil prices will recover.
- Borouge reaffirms commitment to local manufacturing with new industry supply agreements 1/10
- Update: Turkey's Izmir refinery now expects to restart crude unit in Feb, IIR says 1/10
- Pertamina unit to produce ISCC-certified SAF in 1Q 1/10
- WTO panel largely backs EU in palm oil case against Indonesia 1/10
- Howard Energy Partners acquires ethylene pipeline from EPIC Midstream Holdings 1/10
- U.S. to impose further sanctions on Russian oil fleet and traders 1/10
