20th November: Refining news roundup

Argentina
Foster Wheeler has received a contract from Axion Energy to provide engineering and procurement services for a new delayed coking unit at the Campana Refinery in Buenos Aires province.

Belgium
Two people have been killed after an explosion tore through an oil refinery in Belgium’s busiest port yesterday. The blast partially closed down operations, according to company officials.

Brazil
Feedstock availability will be the critical variable for the future of the Brazilian petrochemical industry, according to the economic development secretary of Rio de Janeiro. "The availability of natural gas will be crucial in the coming years," Julio Bueno said.

India
Shiram EPC has secured contracts worth Rs 214 core. The orders include a contract for civil, structural and underground piping works of fluid catalytic cracking units for the Integrated Refinery Expansion Project at Kochi refinery.

Texas
Yokogawa has been selected as the main automation contractor for Chevron’s USGC petrochemicals project in Bayton, Texas. The project will include a 1.5 million tpa ethane cracker and two new polyethylene facilities, each with an annual capacity of 500 000 t.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose from a five-month low on speculation that demand for crude increased as refineries boosted production after ending seasonal maintenance.

USA
Three companies, including ExxonMobil, have been fined for safety violations that resulted in a fatal flash fire in a processing unit at Beaumont’s ExxonMobil refinery. Twelve contract workers were hospitalised in April due to the flash fire.

Another Utah refinery has received approval for a major expansion, despite being located in a heavily populated area struggling to achieve federal air quality standards. Holly Refining & Marketing Company, alongside state regulators, say new controls will cut some emissions even as the refinery moves to increase capacity by 50%, to 60 000 bbls /d of crude oil.

Suncor oil refinery operators have agreed to pay US$ 1.9 million to settle a lawsuit by federal and state authorities over a toxic oil spill that contaminated Sand Creek and the South Platte River.

Edited from various sources by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/20112013/20th_november_refining_news/