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Environment & Safety

Tata Power to buy BP stake in India solar venture

Tata Power signed an agreement to buy partner BP Alternative Energy Holdings' 51% stake in their solar energy venture in India. Under the agreement, Tata BP Solar will have access to certain technologies of BP until 2013, Tata Power said in a regulatory filing.

Petrobras halts some Reduc refinery ops after fire

Brazilian state-controlled oil producer Petroleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, said it halted operations at a distilling unit at its Duque de Caxias, or Reduc, oil refinery in Rio de Janeiro state Monday due to a small fire. The incident won't cause any shortfall in products output.

Total Safety acquires Belgium downstream group Z-Safety Services

Integrated safety services firm Total Safety has acquired Z-Safety Services, a European leader for mission-critical safety services and equipment to the downstream energy and petrochemical markets based in Dilsen, Belgium. With the deal, Total Safety dramatically expands its European footprint and its ability to serve the safety needs of its client partners, it said.

SunPower strikes $165mn deal for Total solar unit

SunPower Corp. agreed to acquire a Total solar energy unit for $165.4 million in a deal that will expand the solar-panel company's presence in large-scale projects. Sunpower will pay $165.4 million for Total's Tenesol business and Total, its biggest shareholder, has agreed to acquire an additional 18.6 million SunPower shares in a private placement for $8.80 each.

BP shutting solar unit as industry struggles

BP will exit the solar panel business in a move that will affect about 100 employees, according to reports. BP said the solar business, which has been flooded by excess supply from China, has become commoditized.

US Republicans seek to sideline EPA in overseeing offshore drilling

House Republicans are trying to sideline the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in overseeing offshore oil drilling, after Royal Dutch Shell complained about the amount of time it is taking the company to secure air-quality permits for drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Cameron to pay BP $250mn in Gulf spill settlement

BP on Friday reached agreement with Cameron International Corp., the designer and manufacturer of the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer, to settle all claims between the companies related to the Deepwater Horizon accident and spill. Cameron will pay BP $250 million

Coca-Cola plans to have 100% plant-based bottle

Coca-Cola expects to have a plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based materials ready for commercial use in the next few years as it looks to reduce its reliance on petroleum used in traditional plastic bottles. Coca-Cola believes it can have the plant-based bottle developed by 2015 so that, by 2020, all of its plastic bottles can be using the new material.

Chevron committed to staying in Brazil despite spill

Chevron is "committed" to stay in Brazil for the long term and hopes to "move ahead" after an oil spill in early November that led to intense scrutiny of the oil company from local authorities and regulators. Chevron says it is very proud of its response on the Nov. 7 oil spill because the company's sweeping reaction resulted in no environmental impact from the spill.

BP oil spill report calls for single policing agency

A single governmental agency should be used to insure offshore drilling safety in order to avoid disasters like the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, a national research group said Wednesday. The recommendation could end up flying in the face of what the industry thinks it needs to regulate itself, though officials from the American Petroleum Institute had yet to comment directly on the suggestion.