Americas
Pemex blast caused by methane gas accumulation
Investigators are still working to determine where the gas came from, and whether or not there was anyone to blame. The reasons for ruling out the use of explosives include the fact that there was no crater at the site of the blast, the steel girders weren't fractured, and the bodies weren't dismembered.
PBF completes expansion of crude rail terminal at Delaware City refinery
The completion of the facility brings the amount of crude that can be offloaded at the refinery to 110,000 bpd -- 40,000 bbl of heavy Canadian crude oil, and 70,000 bbl of light crude. Trains carrying Bakken oil are expected to begin arriving at PBF's 182,200 bpd Delaware City refinery this week.
Magellan plans new Texas crude pipeline network
The project, estimated to cost approximately $50 million, is supported by long-term committed volumes and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2014 subject to necessary permitting.
Explosion at Pemex headquarters kills at least 35
Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya said at a press conference that officials did not yet know the cause of the explosion, which destroyed part of an administrative building adjacent to the landmark skyscraper in Mexico City. One employee said the blast came from an electricity substation in the building.
Refinery optimization: Closing the gap between planned and actual performance
Plant managers should remember that small, incremental changes can make huge differences to the competitiveness of a refinery in today's international marketplace.
New residue-upgrading complex achieves Euro 5 specifications
In late 2010, Grupa LOTOS SA completed construction of a major residue-upgrading project at its refinery in Gdańsk, Poland. Its 10+ Program was designed to unlock a step change in the facility’s long-term profitability. After two years of operating, this project has had a profound effect on the refinery’s economics.
How to choose a refiner for your precious metals catalyst
The criteria to consider when selecting a precious metals refiner include procedures associated with the refiner's sampling, assaying, processing and logistics arrangements.
Select new production strategies for FCC light cycle oil
Selective adjustments to FCC operating variables and catalyst quality can significantly increase LCO production, which refiners can then upgrade into diesel blendstock.
Use an innovative cracking catalyst to upgrade residue feedstock
Tamoil’s Collombey refinery worked very close with a new catalyst supplier to remove the main operating constraint and significantly improve the unit profitability. Several project goals were set and attained.
Consider advanced technology to remove benzene from gasoline blending pool
As more regions increasingly adopt clean-fuel regulations, the challenge for refiners is to meet these tightening gasoline specifications for benzene cost-effectively without significant octane loss.
- NAPCOR releases 2024 PET recycling report highlighting system efficiency gains and continued strength of PET circularity 12/12
- OQ courts other partners for petrochemical complex in Oman as SABIC drops out 12/12
- Brazil's BNDES approves $71 MM for carbon storage project 12/12
- Cuba on edge as U.S. seizure of oil tanker puts supply at risk 12/12
- China oil demand to plateau between 2025 and 2030 12/12
- Germany's PCK refinery says no impact from pipeline leak 12/12

