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Americas

Chevron Phillips Chemical wins permit to build new Texas ethane cracker

Pending final board approval to be sought later this year, the 1.5 million tpy ethane cracker would be built at CPChem's Cedar Bayou facility in Baytown, Texas, while the two new polyethylene facilities, each with an annual capacity of 500,000 tpy, would be built on a site near the company's Sweeny facility.

Calumet buys Murphy Oil crude logistics hub in US

With the acquisition of the loading facilities, all of which are connected at junction points along Enbridge's North Dakota pipeline system, Calumet says it will be positioned to source increased volumes of crude oil directly from local producers in North Dakota and Montana.

ConocoPhillips to sell Clyden oil sands in Canada

ConocoPhillips will sell its 100% interest in the Clyden oil sands leasehold to Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil Canada for approximately $720 million (C$751 million) before customary adjustments.

Study: Keystone XL pipeline would not impact US greenhouse gas emissions

According to the new IHS study, the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would have “no material impact” on US GHG emissions. In the absence of the pipeline, alternate transportation routes would result in oil sands production growth being more or less unchanged, the study says.

US officials tighten crude-by-rail shipping rules

HP Editorial Staff: HP News Services

Federal railroad officials are investigating whether some crude shipments contain chemicals from fracking that make them more hazardous than their classification indicates.

US approves Lake Charles group for LNG exports

The Energy Department said it is allowing Lake Charles Exports to ship up to 2 billion cubic feet/day of natural gas to countries lacking a free trade agreement with the US. The approval lasts for 20 years. Lake Charles Exports still needs to obtain permits from another federal agency, the FERC.

KBR wins FEED work to raise US refinery's capacity to handle heavy crudes

During the feasibility phase, KBR’s expertise will focus on determining the optimum economic configuration to increase overall heavy crude processing capability and flexibility. The refinery currently processes light sweet crudes and aims to take advantage of fluctuations in the crude oil pricing market.

Global LNG spending to double in next five years

The increase in capital expenditures includes onshore and offshore projects to liquefy gas for export, import terminals to regasify LNG and LNG carriers for transporting the fuel. By region, Australasia and North America are expected to bring most of the new supply to market.

EPA likely to lower US renewable fuels mandate

HP Editorial Staff: HP News Services

The EPA plans to reduce the volume of renewable fuel that refiners must blend into the US gasoline supply, a move that could shrink markets for ethanol and other products.

Enterprise chooses Foster Wheeler for engineering on Texas PDH project

Foster Wheeler was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract by Enterprise Products for a propane dehydrogenation unit (PDH) and associated power, utilities and infrastructure at Mont Belvieu, Texas. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.