Downstream news update: 20th February 2014

UK

Essar Energy’s Stanlow refinery had a negative gross refining margin of US$ 2.61/bbl in the third quarter of the 2013 – 2014 fiscal year.

In a response to this poor performance, Essar Energy plc announced plans to invest US$ 100 million to improve the reliability and efficiency at the refinery.

USA

Texas

San Antonio’s Calumet refinery has completed a 3000 bpd expansion of its crude unit, enabling it to blend up to 5000 bpd of gasoline.

Calumet, which bought the refinery in late 2012 from San Antonio’s NuStar Energy LP for US$ 115 million, has pumped nearly US$ 70 million into it to boost capacity and increase the number of products it processes.

The crude unit expansion, which was completed late last year, is just one of those expansions.

Saudi Arabia

The German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs has organized a delegation trip if German companies with focus on petrochemicals to Jubail and Riyadh.

Yemen

Yemeni security services foiled an attempted attack on an oil refinery in the southern port city of Aden and arrest 27 suspected al Qaeda operatives from Abyan province involved in the plot.

The website of the Yemeni Ministry of Defense reported that authorities arrested six armed operatives as they passed through a security checkpoint in the vicinity of Bureiqa.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan’s government has suspended work at a brand new refinery after protesters demanded its closure due to concerns about pollution.

Residents in the northern town of Kara-Balta have rallied several times in the past month, complaining of fetid smoke from the US$ 300 million Junda facility, which opened on 17^th January. Initial work stopped on 27^th January after a trial run.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/20022014/downstream_news_176/