Beginning of August: Global downstream news

Africa

Kenya

KPRL and India’s Essar Petroleum are discussing a US$ 1.2 billion funding arrangement for the upgrade of Kenya’s Petroleum Refinery Limited (KPRL) oil factory.

The money will be spent on the upgrade of hydro treating parts and the expansion of special refinement capacity to 70 000 bpd.

Uganda

Ireland’s Tullow Oil, France’s Total and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) have agreed to cooperate in the construction of a 30 000 bpd refinery in Uganda.

The new refinery will treat some of the oil that comes from Lake Albert.

Asia

Malaysia

State oil firm Petronas is to start up the planned US$ 19 billion petrochemicals complex in 2018, signaling further delay to anticipated project completion.

Petronas had already put back the project from late 2016 to early 2017 in June, and revised the final investment decision (FID) to the first quarter next year, citing state government problems in relocating villages and graves from the 2000 hectare site.

Further delays have been caused by a need to secure water supplies, as well as cater for proposed international partners.

Canada

Royal Dutch Shell’s Scotford refinery is to shut down for planned maintenance in September. The 98 870 bpd refinery will idle its crude distillation units for the entire month.

Middle East

Azerbaijan

The consortium behind the TAP gas pipeline from Azerbaijan has indicated that BP, Total and Azerbaijan’s energy company are now members.

TAP additionally indicated that gas transit company Fluxys has joined existing shareholders, with a 16% stake in the project.

‘This will further strengthen the integration of the entire Southern Gas Corridor value chain and support TAP’s delivery of the project on time and on budget,’ TAP Managing Director, Kjetil Tungland, said in a statement.

South America

Chile

An explosion at a refinery owned by Chile’s state oil company ENAP has killed one worker.

Francisco Segundo Suarez Sandoval died while performing maintenance work.

At least three others were taken to hospital with injuries termed serious.

The company has indicated that the explosion was caused by a sulfuric leak inside the refinery’s hydrogen plant.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/02082013/global_downstream_news_early_august530/