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Americas

Crude prices jump after bullish US gasoline draw

Gasoline inventories fell 4.5 million bbl, much more than the polled number of 1.4 million bbl. That was also the largest weekly draw in almost two years for gasoline, according to EIA data.

G2X Energy contracts Johnson Matthey, Toyo for Lake Charles methanol

Once complete, the G2X facility, known as Big Lake Fuels Methanol Plant, will produce 1.4 MMtpy of commercial-grade methanol. Construction will take three years to complete.

Hedge funds turn strongly bullish on oil markets

Signs of financial distress across much of the oil industry, coupled with data showing production outside OPEC falling, continued market chatter about an agreement among producers, and evidence of strong demand for gasoline, have allowed hedge funds to construct a more bullish narrative.

US regulators eye increase to truck fuel efficiency

The decision by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Environmental Protection Agency to consider additional public comments through April 1 comes amid a sharp slump in US large truck sales that has sparked thousands of layoffs.

Dow Chemical: New PDH plant in Texas passes performance testing

The passing of the test certifies that the unit is operating at full capacity, and is meeting the Honeywell UOP Oleflex performance guarantee, according to Dow officials.

Linde, Elliott Group align on small, mid-scale LNG

The parties have developed a standardized and modularized concept for the main refrigerant cycle compression section of Linde's StarLNG plants, ranging from 0.2 MMtpy to 1.3 MMtpy.

Phillips 66 reports emissions, plant repairs at Borger refinery in Texas

"The line going to Unit 34's SRU [sulfur recovery unit] incinerator is partially plugged with sulfur," Phillips 66 said in a filing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The company said that sections of that line will be heated in an effort to melt out the sulfur.

Petrobras confirms explosion at Texas refinery as worker suffers burns

The explosion caused extensive damage to a 35,000 bpd light cycle oil hydrotreater, also called a hydrogen desulfurization unit, which uses hydrogen to convert the oil into diesel and remove sulfur.

European refiners increasingly turn to light US oil

Many European refiners face the problem of not having run a US crude through their systems in living memory and, as such, are wary of doing so, even though the numbers might make economic sense.

Air Products breaks ground on world-scale steam methane reformer in Texas

The SMR will produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide to be supplied to customers linked to Air Products’ Gulf Coast Hydrogen and CO Pipeline networks. The new unit will begin operations in 2018.