The capacity of the Soviet-era oil refinery in Cienfuegos, Cuba, which was reactivated last month, will be expanded to 109,000 b/d, slightly more than the previously thought 100,000 b/d, Bloomberg reported.

Frontier Oil, an independent oil refining and marketing company, is planning a 30-day maintenance and expansion project on a 110,000 b/d crude unit at its refinery in El Dorado, Kan., a company spokesman told Reuters.

Brazilian state oil company Petrobras, which has been looking to expand its assets outside of Brazil, is set acquire Astra Oil’s stake in the Pasadena, Texas, refinery the companies jointly own, Gazeta Mercantil reported.

Spanish-Argentine oil company Repsol YPF announced recently it has reached an agreement to sell about 15% of YPF, the former state oil company of Argentina, to Grupo Petersen.

Hyperion Refining, the developer of the planned Hyperion Energy Center or what it touts as the “cleanest oil refinery in the United States,” filed last month an application for an air permit with the South Dakota Department of Environment & Natural Resources.

Chrysler has responded to media reports concerning its financial status, stating that it is not only meeting, but exceeding financial goals approaching 2008.

Petroperu, Peru’s state oil company, plans to sell a 10% stake on the Lima Stock Exchange next year to increase funds for investment projects, CEO Cesar Gutierrez told Bloomberg.

U.S. oil company ConocoPhillips expects its fourth quarter refining and marketing margins to be lower than they were in the previous quarter, the company said recently in its Fourth-Quarter 2007 Interim Update.

Texas-based Fluor Corp. announced recently it has been awarded an integrated engineering, procurement and construction contract for the planned expansion of Marathon’s Detroit refinery.

Nicaraguan state oil company Petronic is expected to sign a contract this month with ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Standard Oil to lease Esso’s fuel storage tanks in Nicaragua’s Corinto port on the Pacific coast, Latin America News Digest reported.

India’s Essar Oil will secure the entire $6 billion it says it needs to triple capacity at its Vadinar refinery to 34 million tons in 2010 by the end of January, The Economic Times of India reported.

“We will achieve financial closure for the about $6 billion dollar expansion plan by next month-end,” a company official reportedly said.

Turkey energy regulator EPDK has rejected a license application from Cevahir Holding for a $6 billion, 10 million ton per year refinery at Yumurtalik on the country’s southern coast, local media reported.

Chinese state oil company PetroChina has delayed the startup of a new 100,000 b/d refinery till year’s end, while fellow state oil company Sinopec has completed a 200,000 b/d facility.

India’s state Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) is seeking up to Rs 16,000 crore in incentives from the government of Andhra Pradesh for the company’s planned 15 million ton per year refinery at Kakinada, which studies have found to be economically unviable.

ONGC is seeking incentives over an eight-year period, India’s Business Standard reported.

U.A.E. companies TransAsia Gas International and Star Petro Energy have signed a joint venture agreement with Libya’s National Oil Co. for an upgrade of the 220,000 b/d Ras Lanuf refinery in Libya, Reuters reported.

China state oil company Sinopec has completed a new vacuum distillation unit at its Wuhan refinery, which will increase the refinery’s capacity 30% to about 130,000 b/d, according to a MarketWatch report.

The Balkan subsidiary of Greece’s Hellenic Petroleum will receive $40 million from the government of Macedonia under a compromise reached regarding a crude supply agreement between the two parties.

Norway’s Aker Kvaerner, a global engineering and construction services provider, was granted a contract by Koch HC Partnership to upgrade its refinery in the Netherlands.

Helix Oil International, a marine contractor and operator of offshore oil and gas properties, is planning to construct a $6 billion refinery in Nigeria, Roland Enang, managing director told Dow Jones this week.

Polish oil company Grupa Lotos announced recently it has reached an agreement to provide liquid fuels to Shell Polska this year.

Slovakia’s Council of the Antimonopoly Office announced recently it has confirmed a fine of SKK 300 million (U.S. $13.1 million) for Slovak refiner Slovnaft for abusing its market position.

Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and Indian state oil company Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) could join on two refineries in Africa, Press Trust of India reported.