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Crude oil

Brazil's black market pipeline: Gangs hijack Petrobras' oil, fuel

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -- In September, police investigating a wave of killings in the northern Rio de Janeiro suburbs followed a tip to the isolated scrubland near the massive Duque de Caxias oil refinery.

Seeking higher revenues, Saudi sets out stall for light crude

DUBAI (Reuters) -- Despite OPEC's oil output curbs, Saudi Arabia has been offering its customers more light crudes while cutting heavy grades, a trend that could increase as the kingdom wants to maximize revenue and needs more heavy oil to power its own refineries.

Rosneft takes first shipment of Kurdish oil for refining system

LONDON (Reuters) -- Russian state oil giant Rosneft will buy its first shipment of oil from Iraq's Kurdistan in early April, becoming the first oil major to take Kurdish crude directly into its refining system, trading sources said on Friday.

China to import first SGC, Thunderhorse oil from US in April

SINGAPORE/HOUSTON (Reuters) -- China will import Southern Green Canyon (SGC) and Thunderhorse crude oil from the Gulf Coast of the United States for the first time when a supertanker carrying 2 MM barrels arrives in April, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Nigeria oil tanker drivers to strike over low wages, poor roads

ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) -- Nigerian oil tanker drivers will go on strike from April 3 over low wages and poor roads, said a labor union official on Sunday, threatening to choke off supply until their requests are met.

Iraq has pledged to fully comply with oil cut deal, OPEC chief says

BAGHDAD (Reuters) -- Iraq has assured OPEC it will fully comply with an agreement to cut oil supply in order to bolster crude prices, OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo said on Sunday in Baghdad.

Tanzania hikes fuel prices on weaker currency, crude costs

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) -- Tanzania's energy regulator raised maximum retail prices of petrol and diesel on Monday, citing higher international costs for both crude and refined products and a weaker local currency, a move expected to exert upward pressure on inflation.

Industry Metrics

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

Asian refinery margins remained healthy ahead of the spring maintenance season, despite a slight fall due to signs of a bearish gasoline market.

Business Trends: Standardized modularization—Drivers, challenges and perspectives in the oil and gas industry

RTS Ltd.: Eftimie, C.

Modularization is an alternative way of performing engineering aimed to reduce the number of interfaces, the total installed cost (TIC) and overall schedule length of a project, while optimizing the return on investment (ROI) and allowing standardization for similar future projects.

Refining: Uncertainty grips South Africa’s Clean Fuels Program

Contributing Editor: Oirere, S.

The planned upgrading of oil refineries in South Africa to produce Euro 5-specified fuels will likely take longer than initially anticipated.