- Key Market Prices
- Key Market Prices
- Public Policy
- Climate Law Seen Raising Gasoline 13¢ a Gallon
- Miss. Power IGCC Project Passes First Regulatory Hurdle
- AEP Would Try Again on IGCC Project: Report
- Margins & Economics
- Crude Oil Prices Fall
- Fuels & Processing
- Repsol Adding Extended Automation Capabilities to La Plata Refinery
- Automation System in Testing Phase for Ukrainian Bioethanol Facility
- Operator Training Simulator for New Phenol Plant
- West Australian Reports Encouraging CTL Prospect
- Refiners Put Petrochemical Expansion Projects on Hold
- Methanation-Based Technology for SNG Production Uses Petcoke Feedstock
- Marathon Updates Garyville Refinery Expansion
Fuels & Processing
-
Repsol Adding Extended Automation Capabilities to La Plata Refinery
Repsol YPF La Plata refinery has purchased an automation system to improve operational efficiency. The browser-based graphical display system from ABB also provides trending and statistical process control.
-
Automation System in Testing Phase for Ukrainian Bioethanol Facility
Automation system for a bioethanol facility in the Ukraine operates and controls hundreds of plant components. The plant’s mill, fermentation system and other major sections are fully automated.
-
Operator Training Simulator for New Phenol Plant
Saudi Kayan Petrochemical’s first phenol plant in Saudi Arabia will include an operator training simulator. The system will be connected to a set of dedicated control system hardware and operator consoles.
-
West Australian Reports Encouraging CTL Prospect
West Australian Metals (WAM) officials on Nov. 10 reported that “early stage drill results from its 100% owned Scaddan Project has potential for a large lignite deposit suitable for coal to liquids [CTL] conversion.”
-
Refiners Put Petrochemical Expansion Projects on Hold
Trying to improve dismal third quarter refining margins through the petrochemical value chain may prove futile for some refiners. Other refiners are focusing on increasing the flexibility of their refinery network to shift their gasoline to distillate ratio on short notice.
-
Methanation-Based Technology for SNG Production Uses Petcoke Feedstock
Topsoe has announced that the first commercialization of a catalyst-based methanation process for substitute natural gas has been ordered by a Chinese client. Efficient heat recovery from the highly exothermic process will provide high pressure steam for power production.
-
Marathon Updates Garyville Refinery Expansion
Marathon submitted an update on its Garyville expansion plans after submitting its third quarter 2009 report. The facility is expected to reach full capacity by the second quarter of 2010.
Feature
-
-
Paris-based IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2009 Emphasizes Conservation
The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2009 projects increasing demand for fossil fuel based energy despite current economic crisis. The report heavily emphasized climate change occurring due to higher energy consumption, particularly in non-member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.
Key Market Prices
-
Key Market Prices
Transportation & Logistics
-
Williams Brings Colorado Hub Connection Pipeline Into Service
Northwest Pipeline GP, a subsidiary of Williams, placed its US$60 million, 26.4-mile Colorado Hub Connection into service that connects the Meeker/White River hub to Western markets via the Northwest Pipeline.
-
Chrysler Axes Electric Car Program
Chrysler’s Envi group to design electric and hybrid vehicles was disbanded due to a new study of their potential market. The group was reintegrated into Chrysler and Fiat to work on jointly designed hybrids and electric vehicles.
-
Renault-Nissan, Bajaj Unveil Mini-Car Competition to ‘Nano’
Renault-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn on Nov. 10 revealed at the India Economic Summit in New Delhi that his company will team with motorized rickshaw vehicle maker Bajaj on a low-cost mini-car that presumably would compete with the Tata “Nano” mini-car.
-
Concept Car From Toyota Fueled by CNG
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. recently displayed the Toyota Surfrider Camry Hybrid CNG (compressed natural gas) concept car and two modified Prius gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.
Margins & Economics
-
Crude Oil Prices Fall
Crude oil prices for December delivery fell 74¢, settling at US$78.76/bbl and Brent Crude fell by 27¢ to close at $77.50/bbl. Experts attribute the decline to diminishing fears about Tropical Storm Ida, which made landfall near Mobile, Ala., on Tuesday with winds of nearly 45 miles per hour.
Public Policy
-
Climate Law Seen Raising Gasoline 13¢ a Gallon
According to report by Point Carbon, U.S. climate legislation would hike gasoline prices about 13¢ a gallon as oil companies push the price of carbon permits onto consumers, Reuters reported last week.
-
Miss. Power IGCC Project Passes First Regulatory Hurdle
Mississippi Public Service Commission regulators this week ruled that Mississippi Power Co.does have a need to boost generation capacity.
-
AEP Would Try Again on IGCC Project: Report
In the future, American Electric Power will try once again to win a permit for a proposed 630-megaWatt integrated gasification combined cycle power plant in West Virginia, once the economic recession passes and new electric demand emerges from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or battery-electric vehicles.
