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Americas

Engineering group Howden acquires Dutch firm Thomassen Compression Systems

Global engineering group Howden has acquired Thomassen Compression Systems BV, complementing Howden’s existing range of compressors and opening up a wider market in the oil and petrochemical industries, the company said.

Global PVC growth to continue, but new China capacity will limit op rates - report

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) demand growth is forecast to continue in 2011, but the start-up of additional capacity in China will lead to global operating rates remaining low, according to a new report from US-based consultancy ChemSystems.

Ontario government chooses Rentech renewable jet fuel project for biomass supply

Rentech said its proposed renewable energy center (Olympiad project) in White River, Ontario, has been selected by the Canadian province for a proposed supply of up to 1.1mn cubic metres/year (1.3mn US tons/year) of Crown timber.

Consultancy KBC predicts global refining margins under pressure through 2015

Energy consultancy KBC Advanced Technologies foresees global refining margins continuing under pressure as recovering global demand is met by a wave of new refining capacity construction, keeping global refining utilisation rates at around 85% of nameplate capacity at least through 2015.

IHS acquires chemical consultancy CMAI

US-based information and analysis provider IHS announced this week that it has acquired consultancy Chemical Market Associates, Inc. (CMAI), a leading provider of market & business advisory services for the global petrochemical, specialty chemicals, fertilizer, plastics, fibers and chlor-alkali industries.

Fluor reports record backlog of orders, sees new Q1 projects nearly double from 2010

Fluor reported a record backlog of orders on Friday, saying that new project awards in the company’s first quarter nearly doubled year-earlier levels. The US-based contractor noted the growth in orders as part of its first-quarter earnings, which saw profit climb 2.3% to $140mn amid strength in the company’s industrial and infrastructure business.

Total completes deep conversion at Port Arthur refinery, new units on-stream

Total on Thursday announced the completion of a three-year, $2.2 billion expansion of its Port Arthur refinery, with all new units successfully started and on-stream.

Kinder Morgan buys $920mn in US shale assets, will build $220mn crude/condensate pipeline

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) has agreed to pay approximately $855mn to Petrohawk Energy and assume approximately $65 million in debt for Petrohawk’s 50% interest in KinderHawk Field Services (the natural gas gathering and treating services provider in the Haynesville Shale) and a 25% interest in Petrohawk’s natural gas gathering and treating business in the Eagle Ford Shale.

New NGL fractionation facility to be built in Mont Belvieu, Texas

Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) and Regency Energy Partners will construct a 100,000 bpd natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionation facility at Mont Belvieu, Texas, through their Lone Star NGL joint venture.

El Paso Corp. to expand natural gas system

El Paso Corp. said that its subsidiary, El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG), has successfully closed companion open seasons and signed long-term agreements to expand its system.