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Crude oil

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.

India plans to raise capacity at Bina refinery to 9mn tons/year - reports

India’s state-owned Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) will raise capacity at its Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh to 9mn tons/year, reports indicated on Friday.

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.

Shell starts up new production from Canada oil sands expansion

Shell announced the successful start of production from its Scotford upgrader expansion project in Canada. The 100,000 bpd expansion takes upgrading capacity at Scotford to 255,000 bpd of heavy oil from the Athabasca oil sands.

Enterprise to extend Texas crude oil pipeline from Eagle Ford shale

Enterprise Products Partners plans to build an 80-mile extension of its 350,000 bpd Eagle Ford shale crude oil pipeline, allowing it to serve growing production areas in the southwestern portion of the play.

Capstone Turbine receives order for 22 more C65s for Eagle Ford shale use

Capstone Turbine Corp. said on Monday that it received another order for 22 C65 microturbines from one of the world's largest independent oil and natural gas companies.

Technip awarded €100mn EPC contract for Canada oil sands project

France-based Technip said it has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) support contract worth approximately €100mn for the Horizon oil sands project in Fort McMurray, Canada.

Deferred maintenance causes upsurge in pump failures

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Bloch, Heinz P.

Not addressing the root cause of a failure puts resources and employees at risk