Middle East, Asia and Africa: refining and petrochemical news

Africa

Nigeria and Namibia are going to build a joint oil refinery. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has already signed 11 memoranda of understanding (MoU) to help strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

China

The City of Lanzhou in the northwest part of China has had a water ban imposed after a crude oil leak. The leak has come from a pipeline owned by unit of CNPC. The leak is affecting 2.4 million people in the Lanzhou area.

Indonesia

The head of the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Export Union has said that Iran plants to build six oil refineries in Indonesia. The country is looking to build one main refinery with a processing capacity of 150 000 bpd and five smaller facilities with processing capacities of between 30 000 and 50 000 bpd of gas condensates.

Iran

Iranian officials have said that the country is planning on increasing its petrochemical export levels to reach US$ 12 billion in the Iranian year which started on 21 March. It has also been reported that Iran’s petrochemical sector will need US$ 33 billion of investment to help the industry grow further.

Further to the above, the deputy executive manager of the National Petrochemical Company has said that the company is looking to boost its output. The company is planning expansions of its projects in western provinces of the country.

Kuwait

Five South Korean companies have won a US$ 7.2 billion order from Kuwait National Petroleum Company. The contract is to expand and improve environmental standards at two refineries in Kuwait.

In May Kuwait is expected to issue the three main construction tenders for its 615 000 bpd refinery and to sign contracts in the beginning of 2015 at the latest. The Al Zour refinery is expected to cost US$ 14.2 billion and produce oil products such as diesel and kerosene.

Libya

At the end of last week, it was reported that the Zawiya refinery was closed by new protests. The blockade was formed by local citizens and prevented oil workers from discharging oil product deliveries to the near by oil port.

Vietnam

Foster Wheeler G has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract for the design and supply of a CO incinerator package for a residue fluidised catalytic cracker. The contract was awarded by JGC Corporation (UK) Ltd, which is acting on behalf of the engineering, procurement and construction consortium for the US$ 9 billion Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex to be constructed in the Nghi Son Economic Zone, Thanh Hoa Province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam.  

Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/14042014/14_april_mid_east_asia_africa_downstream381/