Oil and Gas regional update: The Americas
BP
BP and Verenium Corporation announced on 15th July an agreement for BP Biofuels North America to acquire Verenium’s cellulosic biofuels business, including the company’s facilities in Jennings, LA and San Diego, CA for US$ 98.3 million. Verenium will retain its commercial enzyme business, including its biofuels enzymes products and have the right to develop its own lignocellulosic enzyme program. Verenium will also retain select R&D capabilities, as well as rights to access select biofuels technology developed by BP using the technology it is acquiring from Verenium through this agreement.
Colombia
Ecopetrol has awarded Mustang a contract to perform conceptual engineering and technology evaluations to optimise the production of polymers at the company’s new integrated petrochemical complex. The facility will be part of the company’s Petrochemical Master Plan.
Ecuador
A US$ 400 million upgrade of the Petroecuador Esmeraldas refinery has begun. SK Engineering and Construction are carrying out the work to upgrade the facility to a processing capacity of 110 000 bpd. The work is likely to finish in October 2011.
Furmanite
Furmanite America Inc., has signed two multi site agreements through out the US. As part of one of the contracts the company will provide routine maintenance, turnaround, shutdown and construction services for 14 refineries, terminals and distribution facilities in the US, Canada and Aruba. As part of the second contract, Furmanite will become the primary maintenance provider for 67 US petrochemical plants.
Montreal
Qubec’s Superior Court has ruled that Shell cannot begin dismantling the Montreal refinery. After the company rejected offers to sell the facility they had planned to convert it into a storage terminal. The injection halting work held until 16th July 2010. The Superior Court has placed the injunction in order to give Shell yet more time to consider a US$ 420 million offer from Delek, Israel, for purchase of the facility.
Texas
Part of the Port Arthur refinery will be closed to repair a leak in the gasoline unit of the Motiva owned refinery.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/20072010/oil_and_gas_regional_update_the_americas/
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