More downstream news from North and South America

Louisiana

Magna International Developments Inc., a Canadian company, are looking to construct a 250 000 bpd refinery near Atchafalaya River. Construction of the facility will create more than 600 jobs in an area that is still suffering after Hurricane Katrina.

Maryland

W.R. Grace & Co is to be presented with an Innovator of the Year Award from The Daily Record. This is due to the company’s work in developing a new FCC catalyst for the refining industry. The presentation ceremony will take place on 21^st October 2010 in Baltimore.

Murphy Oil

Murphy Oil has agreed to spend US$ 142 million on pollution controls on top of the US$ 1.25 million the company has spent on fines. Murphy Oil was penalised for two air violations at refineries in Louisiana and Wisconsin and were prosecuted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Texas

BP will pay US$ 15 million in fines to federal government. These fines have been incurred due to air pollution violations at the Texas City facility. This is the largest fine ever awarded due to violations of the Clean Air Act to a single facility.

Corpus Christi refinery had to shutdown a crude distillation unit at the end of last week. This was due to a rupture in the steam line.

US Virgin Islands

At the end of last week, an oil burnoff occurred at the Hovensa refinery. A problem occurred in one of the facility’s heavy oil processing units and a plume of black smoke was released.

Valero Energy Corp.

Valero has announced that it plans to complete work on the FCC at its Memphis, Tennessee refinery by the end of 2011. The company is also looking to construct new hydrogen plants at the Memphis facility and McKee, Texas plant.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/05102010/more_downstream_news_from_north_and_south_america/