Environment & Safety
Sinopec wins environmental approvals in China to expand Hainan refinery
Sinopec will expand the capacity of its Hainan refinery to 13 million metric tpy of crude oil, or about 261,000 bpd from the current 8 million tons, or 160,000 bpd, the ministry said in a statement Sunday on its website. The company will also build a new ethylene unit with an annual capacity of 1 million tons.
EU emissions program threatened by falling prices
Europe's flagship effort to limit greenhouse-gas emissions faces an existential threat as the price of emissions has fallen dramatically, eroding an incentive for industries to pollute less and forcing policy makers to weigh environmental priorities against economic concerns.
Obama to propose $200mn in energy efficiency funding for US states
The proposed energy-efficiency funding would "support state governments that implement effective policies to cut energy waste," specifically measures such as modernizing utility rules and building codes to encourage efficiency and standardizing financing for energy-efficiency upgrades, the summary said.
BP report warned of terrorism risk in Algeria, Africa
The reports, which were seen by The Wall Street Journal, anticipate the emergence of groups like the one that launched a deadly attack against the plant in In Amenas, Algeria, which BP operates in a joint venture with Algerian state-oil company Sonatrach and Norway's Statoil.
Explosion kills one at Air Liquide gas plant in Texas
The explosion occurred close to 7:40 a.m. on Saturday morning, according to the company, whose US operations are headquartered in Houston. About 20 people were working at the facility on Saturday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and one worker is still in critical condition.
US investigation blames lax safety culture for fatal Carbide chemical blast
The explosion resulted from a failure by the company to investigate similar but smaller explosive incidents over many years while deferring crucial maintenance of the large electric arc furnace that blew up, according to the CSB. Two workers inside died within 24 hours from severe burn injuries.
China to raise fuel standards for diesel, gasoline
China's State Council, or cabinet, said Wednesday it would ratchet up national fuel standards to levels similar to those currently found in the US and Europe by the end of 2017. Beijing will also give room to China's refining industry to pass on the cost to consumers, according to the statement.
Pemex blast caused by methane gas accumulation
Investigators are still working to determine where the gas came from, and whether or not there was anyone to blame. The reasons for ruling out the use of explosives include the fact that there was no crater at the site of the blast, the steel girders weren't fractured, and the bodies weren't dismembered.
Explosion at Pemex headquarters kills at least 35
Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya said at a press conference that officials did not yet know the cause of the explosion, which destroyed part of an administrative building adjacent to the landmark skyscraper in Mexico City. One employee said the blast came from an electricity substation in the building.
New residue-upgrading complex achieves Euro 5 specifications
In late 2010, Grupa LOTOS SA completed construction of a major residue-upgrading project at its refinery in Gdańsk, Poland. Its 10+ Program was designed to unlock a step change in the facility’s long-term profitability. After two years of operating, this project has had a profound effect on the refinery’s economics.
- Technip Energies awarded proprietary equipment contract by CP Chem for low-CO2 cracking furnace technology 7/29
- Slovakia will halt diesel supplies to Ukraine unless oil transit restored, PM says 7/29
- TFG Marine signs agreement with Consort Bunkers for four newbuild methanol carriage bunker tankers 7/29
- India to boost refining capacity to 6.19 MMbpd by 2028 7/29
- Cepsa swings back to profit in 2Q on higher prices, wider refinery margins 7/29
- Libya's NOC denies it is in talks to supply crude oil to Nigeria refinery 7/29
- Digital Exclusive: SPECIAL FOCUS: Digital Technologies—Utilize process simulation digital twin to optimize condensate yield
- Digital Exclusive-Flare system design: Liquid pockets in flare headers
- Hydrogen-rich content gasoline: A new concept for paraffinic gasoline reformulation
- Alarm rationalization at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) refineries
