Europe, Asia and South America downstream news

Ukraine

Ukraine is seeking to import more natural gas from Europe via Slovakia as Russia demands US$ 11.4 billion .

The EU, Slovakia and Ukraine have failed to agree on flows from the west, aimed at reducing Kiev’s dependance on Russian gas. EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has suggested that an accord to supply substantial volumes to Ukraine would require Russian consent.

Poland

AGA is to build a new hydrogen production unit at Neste Oil’s Porvoo refinery. Neste Oil already has two hydrogen production units at the refinery, and the plan is to replace output from the older of the two with hydrogen from the new unit.

Qatar

Qatar’s national gas transporter, Nakilat, has boosted its fleet by adding three LNG vessels at a cost of US$ 807.4 million.

The new carriers are to be added to Nakilat’s joint venture with Greek shipping company Maran Ventures Inc., which will increase it total fleet from eight vessels to 11.

India

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. is to shut more than half of its crude processing capacity at its 130 000 bpd Mumbai refinery for maintenance from today.

Secondary units will operate at lower levels during the shutdown, which is due to be completed by the beginning of June.

Venezuela

PDVSA is to use a terminal owned by US firm NuStar Energy on the island of Saint Eustatius to store crude and load very large crude carriers going to Asia, after deciding that it will no longer rent a facility in the Bahamas.

Argentina

Figures provided by the CNG management division of the National Gas Regulatory Agency (Enargas) suggest that 44 489 vehicles were converted to natural gas in the first quarter of this year. This high level of conversion activity has not been seen since 2004, when the monthly average of conversions for the whole year was equivalent to 15 274 vehicles.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/28042014/downstream_news_433/