Global downstream update: 14 August 2014

India

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is looking to invest Rs 8700 crores to expand the Mathura refinery. The project is expected to increase oil refining capacity at the plant by 3 tpy and provide jobs for approximately 10 000 young workers. The plant has a current processing capacity of 8 tpy.

Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) has been given the task of conducting feasibility studies for expanding the Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL) Numaligarh refinery. Several agreements have been signed over the past year which contract EIL to carry out feasibility reports for the expansion of the above 3 million tpy refinery and a 1400 km pipeline to connect the project to the Port of Shamra.

Qatar

Tasweeq has offered the first ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) cargo for export from its new secondary unit at the Laffan refinery. Tasweeq has offered 291 000 bbls of ULSA with 50 ppm sulfur and 13 000 bbls of 0.2% sulfur gasoil for loading from Ras Laffan in September this year. The tender for the products is to close on 19 August. The bbls are the results of a 454 000 bpd hydrotreater being added to the Laffan refinery.

Thailand

PTT Global Chemical Plc has announced that it is hunting for a partner to expand the crude processing capacity of the joint petrochemical processing project which is currently being planned with Indonesia’s Petronas. PTT have said that they are looking to increase the processing capacity to 360 000 bpd, which is triple the current planned capacity. This will add US$ 8 billion to the investment already needed for the project. The current investment needed to construct the project is US$ 5 billion.

USA

Following back to back storms that hit Hawaii last weekend, Hawaii Independent Energy reported that the Kapolei refinery was operating as normal. Despite the storms, the company operated the refinery at a moderate throughput rate during the hostile weather period. No damage was reported at the facility as a result of the storms.

It has been reported that the first part of the Three Affiliated Tribes’ Thunder Butte Petroleum Services Inc. refinery project will be ready by the Autumn. The transload facility, part of the refinery project in Makoti, North Dakota is currently under construction with a completion deadline of 1 November. A ground breaking ceremony was held in May last year to mark 10 years since plans for this venture were formed.

Wales

Murco Oil has said that as well as selling its oil refinery in Milford Haven, it is going to sell all its UK petrol stations. The 228 petrol stations spread across the UK will be sold to Motor Fuel Group (MFG) for £ 200 million. 78 of these stations are in Wales. MFG is the current operator of 60 petrol stations spread over the UK. The Murco brand will remain for the 228 petrol stations under MFG’s operation who operates a number of stations under BP and Total brands.

Sources: Reuters, Gulf Business, BBC, Vagazette, Washington Times, The Economic Times, OGJ.

Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/14082014/downsream-oil-gas-news-14-aug/