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Refining

US refiners delaying clean-fuel compliance may face soaring costs

Larger US refiners are in the midst of a multi-billion dollar effort to cut smog-producing sulfur levels in the gasoline pool by Jan. 1, but those efforts have been met by objections to what the rules mean for refinery emissions and slowed by the high price of compliance.

Oil prices extend losses as gasoline glut looms

The decline on Tuesday follows data showing US gasoline demand during January fell for the first time in 14 months, while overall US oil demand fell 1% that month from a year ago.

US gasoline demand remains strong despite poor weather in January

On closer inspection, there is nothing surprising about the monthly reading for January, which is in line with the low weekly consumption numbers reported during that month.

Diesel exports from US Gulf fall sharply in 2016

Diesel exports from the US Gulf Coast face growing competition from Asia and the Middle East, where huge new refineries such as Reliance's Jamnagar and Saudi Arabia's SATORP started exporting large volumes to Europe last year.

Brazil’s Petrobras to launch voluntary layoff plan

The program will cost 4.4 billion reais and is open to all employees, according to a statement from Petrobras, which has been hard hit by low oil prices, refinery project problems and a massive price-fixing, bribery and political kickback scandal.

India’s refiners to help boost imports of Iranian oil to seven-year high

Indian refiners are looking to ramp up purchases after the sanctions targeting Tehran ended in January, industry sources familiar with the matter said.

Cheap gas slashes US coal-by-rail traffic, lowers demand for diesel

This is reducing the number of railcars moving across the tracks and the railroad companies' purchases of diesel, leaving diesel stocks at a seasonal record.

Visbreaking technology: Is it obsolete, or is there potential for upgrade?

Hindustan Petroleum Green R&D Center, Hindustan Petroleum: Kumar, P.
Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL): Rao, P. V. C.  |  Choudary, N. V.  |  Sriganesh, G.  |  Singh, P.  |  Kumar, K. M.

Visbreaking technology is a well-known, simple thermal cracking process for residual oils.

In-depth and preemptive front-end planning yields positive project results

Burns & McDonnell: Henre, C.  |  Satterfield, R.
Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing LLC: Garris, J.

Despite the challenges that major projects can present (short deadlines, budget constraints and overruns, unforeseen problems onsite and tension throughout executive teams), they can also prove to be a win-win for both the owner and the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm.

Design a pressure safety valve at the centrifugal pump discharge

Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd.: Kadam, N.

In most process plants, it is unusual to install a pressure safety valve (PSV) to centrifugal pump and compressor discharge, but some PSVs are needed and are installed to protect the system against miscellaneous scenarios that could create overpressure in the system.