Houston-based marine diesel transport specialist Kirby Corp. announced April 27 that first-quarter 2011 earnings rose to US$32.4 million, compared with $24.7 million in first-quarter 2010.

India’s Essar Oil will terminate sales of fuel oil by year-end 2011 following start-up of a delayed coking unit, according to an April 28 report by the Economic Times (India).

Houston-based Frontier Oil reported first quarter 2011 net income of US$139.9 million, up from a net loss of $40.3 million in first-quarter 2010.

California-based Rentech announced May 6 that it won a forest-waste feedstock allocation deal from Ontario, Canada, for a proposed 23 million gallon-per-year, “Olympiad” bio-jet fuel project.

U.S.-based oil refiner Tesoro Corp. announced May 4 that first-quarter 2011 net income rose to US$107 million, up from a net loss of $155 million in first-quarter 2010.

Texas-based KiOR announced May 3 a conditional off-take agreement for its renewable gasoline and diesel fuels with Catchlight Energy (CLE), a joint venture of Chevron and forest products giant Weyerhaeuser.

China once again is facing electric power shortages, prompting the expansion of diesel generator-set power.

Sinopec wants to install a diesel hydrotreater with a capacity of 2.6 million tonnes per year, according to a company newsletter cited May 5 by Dow Jones.

Australian-based Altona Energy executive director Peter Fagiano told an investor’s conference May 4 that the proposed “Arckaringa” 30,000 barrel-per-day, coal-to-liquids (CTL) and 560-megawatt integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power project could eliminate South Australia’s dependence on diesel imports while simultaneously slashing electric power shortages.

Kenya must be listed among relatively “poor” countries in desperate need of a novel, lower-cost distributed-generation scheme for electric power in most areas – but not using pricey diesel fuel or kerosene for generator-sets.

The Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATOA) announced May 2 that it’s discovered massive diesel fuel tax-evasion on fuel mixed with untaxed kerosene.

Pakistan’s government announced May 1 an Rs 4.42 (US$0.05) per-liter hike in the price of high-speed diesel (used by trucks and electric generators), to RS 97.31 (US$1.15).

Maersk Line announced May 2 that it will switch to lower-sulfur bunker fuel at Singapore, taking advantage of the “Singapore Green Initiative,” which cuts port dues 15% for ships beating International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marpol Annex-6 fuel-sulfur limits.

A new analysis by Cummins Power Generation indicates huge potential growth in diesel generator-set power for cell-phone base stations not connected to an electric grid.

Sinopec announced April 28 that corporate-wide net profit rose 24.49% in first-quarter 2011 compared with first-quarter 2010, to RMB 20.501 billion (US$3.15 billion). But its refining segment posted a huge loss in China’s government price-controlled products market.

Boston-based Made In the Commonwealth (MitC) just put itself in the running for a US$200,000 “Clean Energy” prize from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for what could amount to a down payment on an estimated US$65-million, bio-jet fuel and renewable diesel fuel project aimed at employing hydrotreating technology.

Neste Oil announced April 29 that – excluding a one-time insurance gain of €48 million (US$71 million) in first-quarter 2010 – Neste’s first-quarter 2011 net income was nearly flat year-over-year, at €44 million (US$65 million).

Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) prices in major spot and futures markets plummeted across the globe last week on indications of a global economic slow-down and a commodities’ bubble pop.

Distillate markets plummeted last week along with crude, commodities.