Global Refining & Fuels Today

U.S. Department of State ‘Inclined to’ Approve Canadian Crude Pipelines

At a recent conference in California that received little attention, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Department of State (DoS) is “inclined to” approve Canadian oil sands pipelines that feed U.S. refineries in the interests of energy security.

US$33 Million Awarded to Bay Area’s MTC for Reducing GHG Emissions

Officials with the San Francisco Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on October 27 approved 17 grants totaling US$33 million through its Climate Initiatives Program to promote break-through techniques for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle-miles traveled around the Bay Area. MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

WTI Slips Lower on Stronger Dollar

NYMEX light sweet crude for December delivery closed at US$81.94 per barrel (/bbl), down 61¢ on October 27, in response to the dollar gaining against the euro and a government report showing a larger-than-forecast U.S. stockpile gain.

U.S. Crude Stocks Rise Most in Three Months

U.S. crude inventories rose by 5 million barrels – above analyst forecasts – and refined product stocks declined, according to the Energy Information Administration report for the week ended October 22.

Shell Sells Finland, Sweden Downstream Ops to Keele Oy

Shell announced October 27 that it signed a US$640 million deal to sell the majority of its refining and marketing businesses in Finland and Sweden to Keele Oy.

Axens Delivers Optimization Software to Aromatics Oman

French technology services provider Axens has provided a Process Operations Simulator to Aromatics Oman LLC to enhance ParamaX technologies being utilized at the petrochemical complex.

BAPCO Earmarks US$5-Billion Refinery Investment

The Bahrain Petroleum Co. has earmarked more than US$5 billion for new projects at integrated oil firm’s refinery, a top government official told the Gulf Daily News (Bahrain) on October 25.

TNK-BP 9-Months’ Net Income Up 5% vs. Same Period in 2009

TNK-BP reported October 26 that net income for the first nine months of 2010 rose to US$3.9 billion, up 5% from the comparable 2009 period. Higher crude prices largely explain higher profits.

Analysis: Domestic Demand in China Will Require 25 New Refineries by 2020

China will need to build at least 25 new refineries to handle its domestic demand by 2020, a senior industry analyst told a Singapore conference Oct 27. Citing strong 500,000 barrels-per-day (b/d) demand increase in China, Satvinder Roopra of U.K.-based energy and metals consultancy, Wood Mackenzie, said each unit would be of 250,000 b/d capacity.

PetroChina Profits Rise in 3Q 2010 vs. 3Q 2009

PetroChina announced October 27 that net profit for the first three quarters of 2010 rose to RMB100 billion (US$14.9 billion), up 23% versus the comparable 2009 period, mostly thanks to higher oil and gas prices.

Ecopetrol Profits Jump 43% in 3Q 2010

Ecopetrol, the mostly state-owned integrated oil company of Colombia, on October 27 posted a 42.7% jump in net income for third-quarter 2010 versus 3Q 2009, thanks mostly to higher oil and gas profits.

BASF Breaks Ground on Lithium-Ion Plant in Ohio

Executives with BASF and other federal, state and local officials October 27 broke ground on a US$50+ million facility in Elyria, Ohio, that will produce advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries to power hybrid and full-electric vehicles.

Australian Energy Provider Opens First CNG Refueling Station

ActewAGL, Australia’s first multi-utility, announced October 13 that it opened the first compressed natural gas refueling station in Fyshwick, Canberra.

ECOtality Launching Seattle/Olympia EV Recharge Network

California-based ECOtality announced October 26 an electric vehicle (EV) recharge network scheme covering the Seattle and Olympia, Washington, metro areas.

Sacramento Gets 100s of EV Recharge Stations

Coulomb Technologies announced October 27 that hundreds of “ChargePoint” electric vehicle (EV) stations are being installed in metro Sacramento, California.