Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Asia/Pacific

Indian Oil to use hte catalyst testing system in R&D

High throughput experimentation company hte said that Indian Oil will implement hte's parallel reactor technology to enhance its R&D efficiency in the field of oil refining. The X4500 16-fold system is optimized for the high throughput testing of hydroprocessing catalysts under industrial conditions.

Reliance plans petrochem expansion at Jamnagar refinery in India - report

Reliance Industries will expand petrochemicals production at its Jamnagar refinery in India, according to a Bloomberg report. The expansion is projected to cost from $10 billion to $12 billion and last three to four years, said K.K. Sreeramachandran, general manager in the company’s refining business.

Jacobs wins engineering work on four Arkema PVC projects in China

Jacobs said it won four contracts from Arkema France for basic engineering services to support the provision of Arkema's proprietary suspension and emulsion technology to four of its clients in China. As currently planned, the four new projects in China will add more than 4 million tpy of PVC capacity.

SABIC, Sinopec in talks with Trinidad to build $5.3bn methanol complex

SABIC and Sinopec have agreed to start negotiations with Trinidad and Tobago to possibly build a $5.3 billion methanol complex in that country. Last month Sabic signed a protocol of cooperation with Sinopec to explore new business opportunities.

Halliburton, Petronas form partnership to develop global shale resources

Halliburton and PETRONAS Carigali have signed an agreement for the evaluation and development of global shale resources, the companies said on Friday. They plan to set up a shale technical center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is where the deal was signed.

JKC venture wins $15bn of engineering work for Ichthys LNG in Australia

KBR said its JKC joint venture with JGC Corp. and Chiyoda Corp. has signed the formal contract for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) activities on the Ichthys LNG project in northern Australia. The Ichthys LNG project is a joint venture between INPEX (76%, the operator) and Total (24%).

IEA cuts 2012 outlook for global oil demand growth, cites weaker economy

The IEA lowered its estimate for global oil demand growth in 2012 to 800,000 bpd, compared to its previous forecast of 1.1 million bpd amid weaker economic predictions. Global GDP growth is revised down to 3.3% for 2012, from the 4.0% level assumed since September, the agency noted.

Global paints, coatings demand to rise 5.4%/year through 2015 - study

Global demand for paints and coatings is forecast to rise 5.4%/year to 45.6 million metric tons in 2015, according to a new study. The Asia/Pacific region will remain the leading consumer of paint and coatings through 2015, and will also see the most rapid gains, according to the report.

Qatar inks Korea LNG deal as it boosts gas to Asia

Qatar said Thursday it has signed a deal to supply South Korea with 2 million metric tpy of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, for 20 years from 2013, the latest in a string of deals struck over the last two months with energy-hungry Asian countries. RasGas already supplies Kogas with 7 million tpy of LNG.

Saudi Aramco signs 20-year crude supply pact with Korean refiner S-Oil

South Korea-based refiner S-OIL said it signed 20-year long-term crude supply contract with Saudi Aramco. S-OIL’s refining capacity is 669,000 bpd and Saudi Aramco’s total annual supply volume to S-OIL is approximately 230 million bbl in respect of the refiner’s production size.