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

Economics

Brazil likely to create ethanol import quota, tax imports above it

SAO PAULO (Reuters) — The Brazilian government is likely to adopt a quota system for ethanol imports, allowing 600 MM liters into the country per year free of tax and imposing a 20% tariff on volumes in excess of that quota, cane industry group Unica said on Monday.

Brazil court issues injunction suspending fuel tax hike

SAO PAULO (Reuters) — A Brazilian federal court in Rio de Janeiro state issued an injunction late on Thursday suspending a tax hike on fuels, saying the government decision is unconstitutional.

US oil refiner HollyFrontier's profit tops estimates

(Reuters) — US oil refiner HollyFrontier Corp on Wednesday reported a quarterly profit that handily beat analysts' estimates, helped by higher production and refinery margins.

Rethinking the risk mitigation process and revitalizing operational safety

DuPont: Planche, S.

For the past 2 yr, oil prices have been in free-fall. At the time of writing, the WTI price is around $50/bbl, up slightly since OPEC’s May 2017 announcement to extend its September 2016 production cut of 2.2%.

Plug the metering skills gap to ensure measurement accuracy and safety

TUV NEL Ltd.: Macgillivray, A.

In all sectors of industry, the measurement of flow is of vital importance. However, in an industry that is cutting costs, what impact will a growing skills gap have on meter management and accuracy of measurement?

Boxscore Construction Analysis: The state of the global downstream construction sector

Gulf Publishing Company: Balboa, B.

In May, Lee Nichols, Editor and Associate Publisher of <i>Hydrocarbon Processing</i> and <i>Gas Processing</i>, presented a detailed, year-to-date trend analysis and review on new and active downstream construction projects around the world.

Global Project Data

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

<i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database is tracking nearly 350 downstream projects with capital expenditures (CAPEX) of $1 B or greater.

Industry Metrics

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Rhodes, Mike

High refinery runs contributed to high inventories, pressuring US product markets despite healthy summer driving season demand.

Business Trends: Ethylene production economics from optional feedstocks

Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co.: Sorour, F. H.
Cairo University: Abdelmonem, N. M.
National Research Center (NRC): Tewfik, SH. R.
British University in Egypt: Ashour, F. H.  |  Gadalla, M.A.

The petrochemicals industry is witnessing enormous growth worldwide. Ethylene is produced by cracking a range of hydrocarbons. Naphtha is the main raw material used in European and Japanese crackers, while the US utilizes ethane as its primary feedstock.

Supply Chain: Rail’s speed of change is all about efficiency

Argo Consulting: Donofrio, T.

Railroads have long played a major role in safely and efficiently moving freight from origin to destination. However, for more than a decade, they have faced declines and slow growth in coal and other bulk commodities transported by carload service.