Early October: EMEA downstream update

Kenya

Essar Energy plc has announced its intention to sell its stake in Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd. Essar owns 50% of the company which operates an oil refinery in Mombasa, Kenya. The company bought its shares in 2009 from BP, Chevron and Shell for US$ 7 million. The Kenyan government is apparently looking to purchase Essar’s shares which will lead to it having 100% ownership of the facility.

 

Russia

The Saratov refinery owned by Rosneft is going to undergo a modernisation and technological upgrade. The work is part of a planned overhaul that will began on 2^nd October and is expected to conclude mid November. The company are looking to increase processing capacity at the plant to 7 million tpy. More than 1500 people will be employed on this project.

 

Saudi Arabia

Sartorp are expecting to start paraxylene shipments from the Jubail refinery early in 2014. The PX plant is scheduled to commence operations in December of this year with a paraxylene capacity of 700 000 tpy. The facility is currently running at 50% capacity.

 

Scotland

A deadlock between workers at the Ineos plant in Grangemouth and owners is continuing and Unite is now threatening an overtime ban and a work to rule. Strike action by all workers has not been ruled out by Unite, the trade union which is being considered over the alleged ill treatment of a suspended union representative and the growing use of agency workers at the facility.

 

South Sudan

The construction of South Sudan’s first refinery has been put on hold due to a lack of equipment. The facility was set to be built in Unity state and have a processing capacity of 22 000 bpd. 

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/04102013/emea_early_oct_update716/