- Key Market Prices
- WTI Makes Modest Gain Settling at US$91.51/bbl
- Public Policy
- Oil Groups Sue U.S. EPA to Block ‘E15’ Ethanol Rule
- U.S. EPA Approves Triton ‘Renewable Diesel’ as ‘Advanced Biofuel’
- Texas Files New Motion to Block Federal GHG Rules
- Pressured Bolivian President Calls Off Fuel Subsidy Cuts
- Margins & Economics
- CB&I Acquires CDTECH in Full
- WTI, Brent Post Modest Gains
- Fuels & Processing
- Valero Confirms Aruba Refinery Unit Startups
- Petrobras: Diesel Self-Sufficiency by 2017
- Refiners Likely to See Supply Surge from North Dakota’s Oil Patch
- Costa Rica's Recope Refinery Expansion Set for 2013 Startup
- SATORP Board Names New CEO for Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Venture
- Ukrtatnafta Launches Euro-4 Gasoline Production
- Summit Wins Crucial Air Permit for Texas IGCC Project
Fuels & Processing
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Valero Confirms Aruba Refinery Unit Startups
Valero Energy told Hart Energy Publishing on January 3 that certain units of the company's Aruba refinery have just restarted.
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Petrobras: Diesel Self-Sufficiency by 2017
Petrobras announced December 29 that Brazil will be self-sufficient in diesel production by 2017 when the 300,000 barrels/day “Premium II” refinery comes on-line.
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Refiners Likely to See Supply Surge from North Dakota’s Oil Patch
North Dakota’s oil patch is now thought to contain more than twice the amount of oil previously estimated, opening up even more crude supplies for refiners. What’s more, the state’s already record crude production will likely double within the decade, according to a January 2 Associated Press (AP) report citing government and industry officials.
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Costa Rica's Recope Refinery Expansion Set for 2013 Startup
Costa Rica could see completion of a proposed expansion project at the Recope refinery by 2013, according to a January 3 report from Business News Americas.
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SATORP Board Names New CEO for Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Venture
The board of SATORP -- the Saudi Arabia-Total Refining Project – announced January 3 the appointment of Fawwaz Nawwab as its president and CEO, effective two days prior.
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Ukrtatnafta Launches Euro-4 Gasoline Production
PAO Ukrtatnafta announced December 30 that it has launched production of Euro-4 (50 parts-per-million sulfur) gasoline at its Kremenchuk oil refinery in Ukraine.
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Summit Wins Crucial Air Permit for Texas IGCC Project
Summit Power announced December 29 that it won a final air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for its proposed US$2.2-billion, 400-megaWatt “Texas Clean Energy Project” (TCEP) integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant.
Feature
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‘Smart Grids’ Seen Likely to Boost Diesel, Gas Gen-Set Power
Distributed generation (DG) powered by diesel, natural gas, wind and solar is likely to grow at an impressive rate in coming years thanks to the evolution of the “smart grid” alongside the growth of electric vehicles (EVs).
Key Market Prices
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WTI Makes Modest Gain Settling at US$91.51/bbl
Transportation & Logistics
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Japan Unveils US$1.35-Billion ‘Green’ Fund; EVs, ‘Smart Grids’ to Benefit
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on December 28 announced the availability of US$1.35 billion in subsidies for various “green” industrial initiatives including advanced batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and “smart grids” that can help manage power flows for EV recharging.
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Mahindra & Mahindra: Auto Sales Growth of 42% in December
Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. January 1 announced a 42% growth in its auto sales numbers for the month of December 2010, registering 34,062 units versus 24,001 units in December 2009.
Margins & Economics
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CB&I Acquires CDTECH in Full
CB&I announced January 3 that it has acquired Chemical Research and Licensing from CRI/Criterion, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc. This acquisition gives CB&I, through its Lummus Technology business sector, a 100% interest in Catalytic Distillation Technologies (CDTECH).
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WTI, Brent Post Modest Gains
NYMEX light sweet crude for February delivery finished at US$91.55 per barrel (/bbl), up 17¢ on January 3, on positive economic data.
Public Policy
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Oil Groups Sue U.S. EPA to Block ‘E15’ Ethanol Rule
The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) and two other oil industry groups are asking a U.S. federal appeals court to overturn a recent decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorizing the sale of gasoline with as much as 15% ethanol content (“E15”) for late-model vehicles.
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U.S. EPA Approves Triton ‘Renewable Diesel’ as ‘Advanced Biofuel’
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last month ruled that Waterloo, Ind.,-based Triton Energy’s novel “renewable diesel” fuel qualifies for EPA “renewable identification number” (RIN) credits for “biomass-based diesel” and “advanced biofuel” pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard-2 Program (RFS2).
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Texas Files New Motion to Block Federal GHG Rules
Texas air regulators on December 30 filed a new motion in U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia seeking to block attempts by the President Barack Obama administration to regulate the state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
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Pressured Bolivian President Calls Off Fuel Subsidy Cuts
On December 31, Bolivia's President Evo Morales blinked in the standoff with fuel-price protestors and "reversed his recent decision to slash gasoline and diesel subsidies," according to a January 1 report by the Aberdeen American News.
