- Key Market Prices
- In Other Sectors
- Public Policy
- Obama Administration Considering Overturning Bush Rules on Refinery Emissions; API May Sue
- EU Tells Member States to Comply with PM Standard
- Federal Judge Rejects Injunction Request Against BP Whiting Refinery Expansion
- Senate Committee to Begin Hearings on ‘Cap and Trade’ July 7
- Margins & Economics
- NYMEX Crude Falls Nearly 4%
- U.S. Gulf Coast, New York Crack Spreads Continue in Opposite Directions
- Spot Benzene Up About 11% Despite Slackening U.S. Gasoline Demand
- July 4 Driving Seen Light; Energy Markets Decline
- Oklahoma AG Sues BP on Price Manipulation
- Fuels & Processing
- Report: Demand for High-Octane Gasoline to Continue to Drive Catalyst Producers
- Swing Refinery Employs Large CDU
- Cello Energy Hit by $10.4 Million Verdict in Cellulosic Biofuels Case
- Indian Oil Pursues Fuel Quality, Capacity Investments
- Shell Wins Gasification Deal for Australian Coal-to-Chemicals Project
- Brief: Hovensa Lays Off 270 Contract Workers
- Brief: Borouge Gives $1 Billion for Ethane Cracker Contract
Fuels & Processing
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Report: Demand for High-Octane Gasoline to Continue to Drive Catalyst Producers
Even though observers see gasoline demand as declining in the U.S. and among member nations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, there will still be a need for high-octane gasoline, which will in turn drive demand for reformate catalysts.
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Swing Refinery Employs Large CDU
The world’s largest crude distillation unit has been able to achieve a 40% reduction in product quality variability. One of the challenges involved in operating these mega-units is maintaining good process stability at maximum rates.
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Cello Energy Hit by $10.4 Million Verdict in Cellulosic Biofuels Case
A company claiming to have developed a novel “cellulosic” diesel fuel scheme hailed by U.S. EPA has just been slapped with a $10 million damages and fraud jury verdict in a federal court in Alabama.
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Indian Oil Pursues Fuel Quality, Capacity Investments
State-run Indian Oil listed what investments the company hopes to make in the future to improve fuel quality and expand refining capacity.
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Shell Wins Gasification Deal for Australian Coal-to-Chemicals Project
Shell just won the competition for coal gasification technology for the A$3.5 billion Perdaman Chemicals & Fertilizers coal-to-chemicals plant in Western Australia.
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Brief: Hovensa Lays Off 270 Contract Workers
A first quarter net operating loss has contributed to Hovensa’s decision to lay off 270 contract workers at its U.S. Virgin Islands refinery.
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Brief: Borouge Gives $1 Billion for Ethane Cracker Contract
Borouge has awarded engineering company Linde a $1 billion lump sum contract for the development of its ethylene plant in Abu Dhabi.
Feature
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Safety and Economics Driving Move for More Pipeline Transport of Biofuels
Kinder Morgan announced the successful test of B-5 (5% biodiesel) on its Plantation Pipeline on Tuesday as the biofuels industry looks to more pipeline use for safety and economic reasons.
Key Market Prices
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In Other Sectors
Transportation & Logistics
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New U.S. Company to Produce Diesel-Powered Passenger Railcars
Columbus, Ohio-based Value Recovery Group announced July 1 that its US Railcar division has acquired the shuttered Colorado Railcar company and will resume making diesel-powered railcars for the U.S. passenger business.
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Electric Vehicles and Biofuels Leading Clean Tech Investment
Investments in clean technologies are on the rebound to the tune of US$1.2 billion in venture capital, being led by electric vehicles and biofuels and solar investments lagging with a new low of $114 million.
Margins & Economics
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NYMEX Crude Falls Nearly 4%
June unemployment figures in the U.S. and sluggish gasoline demand helped the price of NYMEX crude fall 4% on Thursday to $66.73/bbl.
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U.S. Gulf Coast, New York Crack Spreads Continue in Opposite Directions
The U.S. Gulf Coast 3-2-1 crack spread fell 15% to $6.53/bbl, for the week ending June 26, while the New York 3-2-1 crack spread rose 19%, to $11.98/bbl.
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Spot Benzene Up About 11% Despite Slackening U.S. Gasoline Demand
U.S. Gulf Coast spot prices for aromatics and like products were mixed last week, as prices for such commodities as isobutane and butane were down but MTBE and benzene were up.
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July 4 Driving Seen Light; Energy Markets Decline
U.S. ethanol markets continued their downward trend Thursday, with spot market localities being down from 1¢/gal to 3¢/gal.
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Oklahoma AG Sues BP on Price Manipulation
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is suing BP for allegedly manipulating the price of gasoline since 2002.
Public Policy
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Obama Administration Considering Overturning Bush Rules on Refinery Emissions; API May Sue
The Barack Obama Administration has suspended rules promulgated by the George W. Bush Administration that found refinery emissions of such pollutants as benzene were at “acceptable” levels and plans to write new regulations. Such a move could lead to a lawsuit by the American Petroleum Institute.
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EU Tells Member States to Comply with PM Standard
The European Commission has rejected the requests by several Member States to delay the deadline for complying with the air quality standard for particulate matter. Out of 94 zones or agglomerations that asked for the temporary exemption, only 19 were granted the request.
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Federal Judge Rejects Injunction Request Against BP Whiting Refinery Expansion
A federal judge has decided against blocking BP’s proposed expansion of its Whiting refinery, on the grounds that the federal lawsuit mirrored a lawsuit to the state agency that had granted the permits.
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Senate Committee to Begin Hearings on ‘Cap and Trade’ July 7
The U.S. Senate will begin work on its version of the massive “cap and trade” legislation passed by the House June 26 with a hearing before thee Environment and Public Works committee slated to begin tomorrow (July 7).
