Global downstream news: 18th March 2014

Brazil

Construction workers at Brazil’s Comperj petrochemical and refinery complex ended a 40 day strike on Monday, having accepted a 9% wage increase.

India

The Tripunithura Municipality has clarified that Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) will not be filling the Chitapuha River, ending an ongoing public protest.

Municipal Chairman R Venugopal, told media that Kochi Refinery Limited (KRL) is only conducting the filling of 16 acres of land near the river, which is part of their integrated expansion project worth 20 000 crore.

Turkey

The process of securing funding for construction of the Aegean ‘Star’ oil refinery can be completed prior to 31^st March, however SOCAR is willing to prolong negotiations.

‘We will try to complete negotiations with the interested banks before March 31^st, but if negotiations fail to be completed by some reason we are ready to extend the term’, commented Suleyman Gasimov, SOCAR Vice President for Economic Issues.

Gasimov has announced that the deadline for submission of proposals is 31^st October.

Qatar

Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution has signed a two year agreement with Qatar Navigation for transporting petrochemicals exports from Qatar.

The deal covers polymers and melamine containerized exports from Muntajat from Mesaieed to key hub exports in the region, and from there, to worldwide destinations through major international shipping lines.

Israel

The Haifa District Municipal Association for Environmental Protection has found that while firefighters arrived quickly and began fighting the fire at the Gadiv plant of Haifa Oil Refineries 10 days ago, hazardous materials responders took three hours to reach the scene.

USA

Kansas

HollyFrontier’s Josh Goodmanson, former Vice President and Refinery Manager at the El Dorado plant, has been named Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety for the company at its Dallas headquarters.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/18032014/downstream_news_278/