Downstream news from the Americas: 22 October 2014

Canada

Trade unions are reportedly supporting the construction of an oil terminal in Vancouver. The unions are in favour of the facility, as it will be built using union labour. The Vancouver Energy project will handle the transfer of oil from rail cars to ocean going vessels and is a joint venture between Tesoro Refining, Mining Co. LLC and Savage Companies.

Trinidad and Tobago

Due to protests from workers at Petrotrin regarding the risks surrounding Ebola, the country has ceased oil purchases from Gabon. The country has replaced the oil shipped from Gabon with oil from Colombia and Russia. The protests came to a head when workers at the country’s only refinery refused to berth a tanker coming from Gabon late last week.

USA

This quarter, Delta Air Lines has reported a US$ 19 million profit at the Monroe Energy LLC refinery. This is an increase of over US$ 16 million on profits made year on year. It was also reported that employee profit sharing expense for the quarter were US$ 384 million with the year to date allotment o US$ 823 million.

Following a chemical leak at the Phillips 66 Bayway refinery, Hazmat teams were called in. A leak which was detected at the facility was coming from a drum containing ethylaluminium dichloride solution in a hydrocarbon oil and was successfully contained by the hazmat professionals. The chemical is very flammable and reactive and can irritate the nose, eyes and skin as well as cause a rash and chemical burns.

The State of Alaska and Flint Hills Resources have reached an agreement over the cleanup methods to be used at the North Pole refinery. The agreement has been developed by the Alaska Department of Law, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and Flint Hills. It is a legally binding document that sets out requirements for cleanup and containment methods of the sulfolane leak at the plant.

It has been reported that Eagles Ledge Energy LLC, a Canadian company, is seeking to build a refinery in Devils Lake, North Dakota. The proposed plant would have a processing capacity of 20 000 bpd, take approximately 2 years to construct and cost in the region of US$ 200 million. Public informal meetings to discuss the plant are in the process of being organised.

Venezuela

PDVSA has purchased two cargos of Russian Urals light crude. The crude has been bought from a unit of Petrochina and delivery is due to commence at the start of November to the Isla refinery in Cuacao. The cargo is expected to total 1 million bbls and is the second crude import made by Venezuela since singing a supply contract with Sonatrach to by Saharan blend light crude.

Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/22102014/downstream-oil-news-americas-22-oct/