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The Oil and Gas industry is commonly divided into the three major sectors: Upstream, which includes oil and gas exploration and production; Midstream, which includes the transportation and storage of oil and gas; and Downstream, which refers to the refining and processing of crude oil and natural gas, as well as the marketing and distribution of petroleum-based products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, natural gas liquids, and many others.
Oil companies around the world extract over 90 million barrels of crude oil per day, but it is largely unusable until it’s further refined. Petroleum refining is the process of converting crude oil into a variety of useful petroleum products via a series of physical and chemical processes that separate the different hydrocarbon fractions in crude oil. These processes include distillation, cracking, and reforming, among others.
Petrochemical manufacturing is commonly lumped in with Downstream O&G as the chemical products derived from hydrocarbons during the refining process (e.g., ethylene, propylene, benzene, etc.) are broken down into a multitude of derivatives that can be used to produce thousands of products that we use every day.
Oil refining is a vital part of the global energy industry, responsible for producing the fuels and other petroleum-based products that power transportation, generate electricity, and enhance many other aspects of modern life. Global refining capacity is currently more than 100 million barrels of crude oil per day, with roughly 18 million of that coming from the U.S. and its 130 operable refineries.
Refineries range in size from small, simple operations to large, sophisticated facilities capable of processing hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil per day. The largest refinery in the world is Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar Refinery in India, which is capable of processing 1.24 million barrels of crude oil per day. Regardless of size, refinery owner-operators are subject to a wide range of economic, political, and environmental pressures, including fluctuations in the price of crude oil, changing government regulations and policies, and growing concerns over climate change and environmental sustainability. To stay competitive in this dynamic and challenging environment, refineries must continually invest in new technologies and process improvements, optimize their operations to minimize costs and environmental impact, and maintain a strong focus on safety, mechanical integrity, and equipment reliability.
The oil refining process is a complex operation that transforms crude oil into various products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and lubricants. Here is a brief description of some of the primary steps involved:
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Contribute to DefinitionProcessing renewable feeds presents a blend of damage mechanisms for which existing hydroprocessing equipment may not have been designed. No “one-size-fits-all” approach exists to evaluate all the specific degradation concerns for a renewables...
The next annual International Pressure Equipment Integrity Association Conference and Exhibition is right around the corner, so we thought we’d have a quick chat with members of the Executive Committee about the upcoming conference.
Quantifying corrosion for different crude fractions allows planners the ability to mix and match crude blends alternatively to achieve pre-set metal loss and reliability goals. This flexibility has significant implications for extensive cost savings.
This article examines the quantitative tank RBI method found in API 581 and discusses uses for tank RBI other than deferral of scheduled internal inspections.
Implementing RBI as part of a Mechanical Integrity system at different sites is not a simple copy and paste project. Each case has its own characteristics and challenges. This article describes implementation in two vastly different facilities.
Our proprietary furnace tube inspection system, FTIS is an ultrasonic inspection technology capable of rapid, automated fired heater coil inspection in refinery fired heaters. The data captured by our furnace tube inspection system is...
COVID-19 has forced organizations to adapt. The old way of doing business, at least for some, is gone and will not return. In these challenging times, innovation is key. But is implementing a new innovation today any different than twelve months ago?
Inspectioneering and Pinnacle co-hosted their 6th bi-annual Meeting of the Minds roundtable discussion earlier this year. This meeting’s focus was on how Covid-19 and the decline in oil prices have affected MI programs across the industry.
Who is Inspector Frank? It is a valid question but I don’t want it answered specifically for some obvious reasons. I will share what I can though...
This article presents a model to better predict the corrosivity of hot crude oil streams, which is based on open literature going back for almost 60 years and incorporates published information from joint industry projects (JIPs).
Trying too hard to bring attention to the myriad concerns of a robust equipment integrity program can end up backfiring on you. You don’t want to be the “inspector who cried wolf” with no one listening when you actually have a problem.
AET is a powerful, non-intrusive inspection technique to verify the structural integrity of pressure vessels, spheres, high-temperature reactors and piping, coke drums, above-ground storage tanks, cryogenic storage tanks, and more.
COVID-19 is disrupting all industries including asset management. Here are 6 recommendations to help you align your asset management according to new requirements and turn the challenges into opportunities.
In a nutshell, Schwerpunkt means focusing your force in the area it will be the most effective. As a strategy, it means overall strategic intent has to be known and understood by everyone. All levels know their part in the plan.
When paired with the right software, the RBWS process can lead to significant reductions in turnaround work scopes. However, some software tools have distinct advantages over others.
I once worked with a chief inspector who refused to hire anyone who had any National Board inspection certifications. “Why?”, you might ask. I had the same question, and his response was “Because anyone with National Board is gunning for my...
At the end of every year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases its annual list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year. Although the list rarely sees...
Auto-refrigeration can impose low temperatures onto process vessels and piping causing them to be at risk of brittle fracture, the sudden break-before leak phenomena that can result in catastrophic rupture of the equipment.
This article discusses two common challenges for inspectors taking thickness readings in high temperature environments and ways to overcome those challenges.
Critical things often get missed in facilities but are these things being owned and fixed? We get good at reactively solving problems as they appear, but are we proactively working towards examining and fixing the potential larger issues?
This article presents two cases studies demonstrating how properly conducting baseline fired heater tube inspection aids in early discovery and correction of defects, avoiding unexpected in-service failures, and more.
Thickness readings are critical for today's inspectors to accurately judge the state of their equipment. Recent advancements in sensors, software, and data management tools have made this easier, safer, and more efficient than ever before.
Developing a comprehensive turnaround (TA) work scope for process equipment is a critical step for achieving a facility's business goals. Risk Based Work Selection is a proven process for prioritizing and optimizing planned work for an impending TA.
FFS assessment techniques are applicable to a wide range of damage types: LTA's, cracks, creep damage, dents, and more. These are very powerful analytical tools that often allow operators to not only keep the plant running, but to keep it running...
Risk Based Work Selection (RBWS) is an industry best practice used to help refiners better-manage the safety and reliability of operations for a facility. When properly conducted, RBWS can help refiners optimize major turnaround projects.
Major maintenance events require proper planning, scheduling, and execution to achieve a successful outcome. An outage assessment process can deliver an effort that is safe, on budget, on schedule, and ensures long term plant equipment reliability.
Tanks are ubiquitous and essential in industrial societies. When they fail, the consequences can be dire if products/volumes they store are explosive and/or toxic.
Just because you have a technical expert does not mean they will be an expert at managing people. Like any skill set, it takes training, time, and mentoring to become a good personnel manager.
This is the first article in a new column. In each article, the author will share technical, thought-provoking, and sometimes humorous or emotional experiences garnered in a career that spans over 20 years inside the gates of facilities.
Equity Engineering Practices® (EEPs) are a collection of design and maintenance focused corporate standards that include >850 engineering standards, and >300 piping classes. Enhance your mechanical integrity programs, improve equipment...
This blog will walk through practical steps for managing IOWS and will demonstrate what successful IOW management can look like.
What do you do when you first discover a mechanical failure? Maybe your pipe sprang a leak, a drive shaft snapped, or a welded joint fractured, and you need to find out why. This infographic details some steps you can take to avoid critical mistakes.
Young asset integrity management professionals need effective tools to create a sustainable future. YPAC surveyed members to establish a baseline measurement of the effectiveness of their professional development and to evaluate perceived gaps.
The 2019 API Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit will be kicking off later this month in Galveston, TX. This four-day event will begin with 14 high level training courses offered Monday, January 28th, and then a top notch conference and...
At the end of every year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases its annual list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year. Although the list rarely sees...
In today's chemical and refining industries, sustained long term reliability of facilities is critical to profitability and competitiveness. In fact, history shows that differences in operating expenses between best-in-class refineries, and poor...
This article provides an overview of the key components in establishing IOWs, the levels of IOW limits, and the basic principles and application of API Recommended Practice 584 to achieve reliable fired heater performance.
This article discusses the advances in NDE that have given owners increased confidence on how to assess equipment integrity in HTHA service providing risk prioritization of equipment as well as providing the ability to make more reliable...
The most valuable unit of measure within a turnaround is not money, but time. Successful turnaround planners are now integrating the Detailed Inspection Planner (DIP) within their teams to increase the accuracy of planning and reduce the time...
According to API 570, facilities must have a mechanical integrity program in place for critical check valves. But what criteria determines whether or not a check valve is critical in your process? How should check valves be inspected and by whom?
This article presents a case study from a Middle Eastern refinery that explores a heat exchanger that failed unexpectedly after five years in service. There are multiple initiators that can cause under deposit corrosion (UDC) in heat exchangers in...
Are you truly prepared for your next Turnaround? Effective work processes are required to successfully plan, manage, review and supervise plant turnarounds. Inspection planning and work scope selection are critical aspects of any turnaround...
This article details the experience an oil company had when using FEA to evaluate the implications of a damaged pipeline. Specifically, it presents an efficient method that combines analytical techniques with FEA to determine the pipeline’s...
API's biannual meeting pertaining to downstream equipment standards was held in Seattle, Washington this past April. We've summarized some of the discussions and meetings of that you may find interesting, including the 2019 API Inspection and MI...
This article demonstrates how the use of APM software can help prevent unplanned downtime by quickly identifying potential hidden failures.
This article features a case study on the feasibility of a wall-sticking drone for effectively conducting ultrasonic testing and other NDT methods on equipment at elevated heights.
This article demonstrates the process of converting API RP 576, Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices, into a work process that is suitable for conversion into a job procedure. It also explores some lessons learned that will make the document...
TEAM’s integrated touch point corrosion program manages all aspects of the integrity process from screening for damage to permanent repair assuring integrity – every time. TEAM’s unique turn-key approach to touch point corrosion integrity...
Hot spots – localized areas of overheating in pressure equipment – can lead to deformation or even loss of process containment. It is important to understand the effects of elevated temperature caused by hot spots on the mechanical integrity of...
This article is designed to help the reader better communicate their FEMI Mission, Vision, Core Values and Responsibilities to all stakeholders at their site.
Last November, Inspectioneering and PinnacleART hosted a roundtable discussion for a select group of leading mechanical integrity experts. This forum explored how the MI field will have to prepare for the impending loss of knowledge resulting from...
Sea water corrosion and erosion issues can affect almost all commonly used metallurgy in a refinery or petrochemical plant. This brief article explains the dangers behind sea water used in plant cooling systems and discusses several metallurgical...
The actions you take immediately after a failure are critical in understanding the cause and appropriate steps to remedy the problem. However, the wrong moves might prevent you from getting the answers you need.
Statistical techniques are meant to complement the work of SMEs and can provide deeper insights into the inspection data collected as part of a reliability program. Pinnacle has combined traditional methods, expertise, and Machine Learning to...
Most of us that work integrity and reliability understand what we do and how we do it. But how many of us understand WHY we do things? Understanding the motives behind our activities, initiatives and programs can help to galvanize and lay a...
Teams planning and executing turnarounds are obliged to not only stay within budget, but to reduce or eliminate the need to spend the contingency allowance. This article introduces a risk-based approach to help avoid squandering finances.
Cleaning of heat exchangers and other process equipment is typically done with the use of pressurized water (e.g., hydro-blasting). However, in some situations thermal decomposition, a technique that utilizes heat rather than water to break down...
This article, the first of a multi-part series, discusses the methodology and need for establishing an integrated and holistic framework for managing asset integrity on a day-to-day basis.
Given the concern throughout industry regarding the potential for brittle fracture failures, PWHT guidance to address potential issues arising from the recent changes in PWHT code requirements for carbon steel is examined in this article, and...
Pinnacle's data-driven reliability framework ensures the right data is fueling the right intelligence, helping you make confident, strategic decisions.
Infrared (IR) thermometry has been used for over forty years to monitor tube metal temperatures in refining and chemical furnaces. Recently, IR thermometry has been criticized in the industry for delivering inaccurate readings; however, this is...
Last October, we saw the State of California implement its “PSM for Refineries” standard and now the State of Washington’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) appears to be following suit, releasing draft language to adopt a...
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released its annual list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations. In 2017 Fall Protection, Hazard Communication, and Scaffolding once again...
This article explains the Statistically Active Corrosion Assessment, which is a tool for determining appropriate and realistic corrosion growth rates which can assist pipeline operators in optimizing the value of in-line inspection data.
In this exclusive interview, you’ll hear from Eddie Acosta, Reliability Manager at Placid Refining. During our discussion, he shared some of their challenges, strategies, and a transparent glimpse into some the real issues in his 82,000 bpd...
Download Pinnacle's Economics of Reliability Report - Refining to see how reliability is affecting profitability.
In-service equipment failures present a considerable challenge to reliability engineers. This article presents a case study of a convection tube failure in a furnace and the analyses that were performed to understand the root cause and determine the...
Industry SME John Reynolds provides his bi-annual updates from the API Standards Meeting and discusses developments related to the 2019 API Inspection Summit, SCIMI codes, standards, and recommended practices, and the API Individual Certification...
Detailed operations planning and scheduling is an essential, yet often marginalized, element of an effective turnaround. To increase the likelihood of executing successful turnarounds, facilities should create and update sound operational shutdown...
Amine systems that scrub H2S from hydrogen-rich gas experience rapid fouling of the heat transfer equipment, especially in a hot summer. Learn how temporary cooling solutions can improve process conditions during critical periods of the year with no...
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released a new guide to help petroleum refiners comply with its Process Safety Management (PSM) standard (1910.119). The guide presents lessons learned from the petroleum...
Traditional pressure vessel inspections often require taking assets out of service. However, MISTRAS’ Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) programs provide data as good or better than internal inspections, while assets remain in service. NII is...
How do you make decisions in regards to your mechanical integrity program? There are many voices out there offering advice; could be a co-worker, could be a trusted associate from another company or facility. But don't underestimate the power of...
Composite technology developed for pipeline repair can be a cost-effective method of improving safety while keeping maintenance costs down. However, composite materials present significant challenges to conventional NDT methods.
Most plants have pieces of equipment with chronic problems that impact profitability due to the frequency of outages, cost of repairs, and lost production. It is critical that specific actions are taken to identify and eliminate these “Bad...
In deflagration incidents, electrical arcs and electrostatic sparks are often considered to be primary ignition sources. However, there are a variety of other ignition sources. Do you consider mechanical equipment and the significant non-electrical...
Effective condition monitoring location selection is a key component of a best-in-class mechanical integrity program. Learn how moving beyond traditional qualitative approaches to optimized CML selection can reduce risk and maximize the value of...
Traditional, paper-based inspection processes can prevent plants from being as effective as they can be. By digitalizing your mechanical integrity process and data with MISTRAS Digital®, plants have realized up to 75% gains in IDMS data entry and...
Read a firsthand account of how organizing Process, People, Plant, and Performance can reveal breakdowns in your corrosion management practices and drive down corrosion related leaks.
Myths, challenges, and good practices related to process piping integrity management activities that help inspection and maintenance managers make the right decisions to develop cost-effective piping inspection plans without compromising the...
Inspectioneering Founder & Chief Editor, Greg Alvarado, recently had the privilege to sit down with Clay White, Director of Mechanical Integrity for Phillips 66 (Downstream), to discuss the world of fixed equipment reliability in the refining and...
Flare systems provide hydrocarbon facilities with safe and efficient discharge of relief and waste gases by controlled open flame burning. This article provides information on the selection, inspection, and maintenance of various types of flares.
This article discusses the use of the RBI methodology supplemented by a well-designed IOW program to assess and manage aging in fixed equipment and piping in hydrogen generation units.
Antea delivers highly flexible risk-based asset integrity software with 3D Digital Twin integration to optimize maintenance, reduce risk, and improve mechanical integrity for oil and gas, power generation, and chemical plants and facilities....
Evaluating remaining wall thickness of an asset is not enough to ensure its continued safe operation. Proactive strategies should be implemented to assess the entire environment affecting an asset’s condition, including the development of more...
This article presents a perspective on the human factor and emphasizes the value of using risk tools at all levels in the organization to help provide management focus during times of severe economic pressure.
At the end of every year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases a list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year, comprised from approximately 32,000...
This article describes a high-level dead leg integrity management program overview and is based on experience, knowledge, and adaptation of inspection management philosophies currently being implemented within the Oil & Gas and the petrochemical...
The Fall API Standards Meeting was incredibly productive and addressed, among other issues, the API Inspection Summit, balloting for the 11th edition of API 510, and improvements to the inspection section of each damage mechanism in API RP 571.
The OmniScan™ X3 64 phased array and TFM flaw detector is equipped with enhanced phased capabilities and even faster TFM. The rugged and portable instrument features powerful 64-element probes with a 128-aperture TFM.
Vacuum distillation plays a critical role in improving yields for petroleum refiners by producing high-value petroleum products out of the heavier oils left over from atmospheric distillation. When short-term disturbances cause temporary cooling...
This article summarizes a recent finite element analysis (FEA)-based study that employs creep simulation techniques to investigate the elevated temperature response of piping with peaked longitudinal weld seams.
An explanation of refractory including its uses and recent advancements in abrasion-resistant materials, dry-out/cure times, improved installation methods, and anchoring systems.
Joint integrity management remains at the top of many operators’ priority list. The discipline considers risk and drives safety to ensure we learn necessary lessons from past catastrophic failures, such as the Piper Alpha explosion in 1988,...
An overview of process piping vibration and evaluating piping systems in vibration service to reduce harmful vibrations.
Ethos has assembled a team of experts who apply what they learned through years of process safety experience in the industry and dealing with OSHA and EPA. Click here to learn more about our services.
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to chat with Jim Weynand, Chief Revenue Officer for Check-6, a global leader in accelerating human performance. Our discussion focused on the effect human factors have on plant operations and how...
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to chat with Kent Cheese, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, certification and inspection. Mr. Cheese has more than 20 years of experience working...
Summertime requires refiners to push even harder on certain equipment, such as the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU), alkylation unit, and reformers to be able to meet increased demand. Warmer ambient temperatures can negatively affect process...
In numerous industries that require elemental and material testing, including the oil and gas, power generation, and petrochemical industries, positive material identification (PMI) is at the forefront of any operation. In fact, an increasing number...
While there are many methods for measuring equipment wall thickness, a predominant method used in the O&G and power generation industries is portable ultrasonic equipment. Ultrasonic testing is non-intrusive because it is applied to the outside of a...
Whether you decide for a Computed Radiography scanner with flexible imaging plates or a flat panel detector with the fastest imaging, or even combine the advantages of both technologies, DÜRR NDT's innovative systems offer high reliability and...
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to chat with Barney Smith, Turnaround Manager at Aggreko, a global leader in power, heating, cooling, and oil-free compressor rental solutions. Our discussion focused on catalyst cooling during...
In Part 1 of this 2-part series, published in the July/August 2015 issue of Inspectioneering Journal, I discussed corrosion control methods and some effective techniques for inspecting ASTs, and also identified several root causes of AST failures in...
Heat exchangers operating in refineries or petrochemical plants must be thoroughly cleaned and inspected throughout their operational lifetime to ensure safe and efficient operations.
The enormous decline in oil prices over the past 14 months has definitely slowed projects and changed the energy and production landscape. Despite this, refineries, petrochemical plants, and chemical facilities must continue to run safely,...
Equipment integrity and reliability programs are essential for refinery and chemical facility operators. The processes of the programs are developed to ensure safety, optimize component life cycles, and promote smooth and economical operations.
Traditional inspection methods used to detect internal corrosion and corrosion under insulation (CUI) in piping and pipeline assets can be time-consuming and costly. With ART, you’ll discover CUI detection best practices that can help save you up...
Fixed equipment in a refinery can be susceptible to corrosion from the process side, necessitating an inspection strategy to understand the condition of that equipment. Online measurement of pipe and pressure vessel wall thickness is made possible...
We at Inspectioneering would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our subscribers, followers, clients, and industry partners for a great 2015, and wish every member of the Inspectioneering community a happy and healthy 2016!
This newly issued (28 August, 2003) document reports the results of discussions with representatives of refining firms, technologies, and services providers, research institutions, and other organizations on current and future trends in the U.S....
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to sit down with Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton and discuss the evolution of reliability in the oil and gas industry.
Operators in all industries are trying to increase equipment availability, yet oftentimes critical process equipment is not available due to planned or unplanned maintenance. To increase equipment availability, steps must be taken to reduce...
With class-leading thermal performance, superior CUI defense, and complimentary engineering support, our aerogel insulation solutions are a top choice in helping facilities drive energy efficiency, improve safety, increase yields, and reduce downtime
Rarely is there a new and unknown cause of a major Fixed Equipment Mechanical Integrity (FEMI) failure in the petrochemical and refining industry. This article briefly summarizes five major fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) failures from...
This article introduces portions of a “Best-In-Class” Fitness-for-Service (FFS) program that includes the performance of regular visual inspections of pipe supports and hangers, coupled with in-situ load testing of suspect supports. This...
With the increasing demand for oil, gas, and petrochemical products in a highly competitive market, products and services irrespective of their origin must satisfy customer quality requirements. Additionally, the needs to ensure quality control and...
Assessing risk is an integral part of working at a refinery. Infrastructure supporting the miles of piping, process vessels, and the platforms and ladders used in daily unit operations are often taken for granted. The Civil Structures Management...
Now more than ever, processing plants are in need to ensure their facilities are equipped with the tools and methodologies necessary to ensure safe and efficient operations. The development of regulations and industry standards are prompting plants...
Oceaneering's splash zone inspection services will help you confidently detect flaws and accurately extend asset life with our comprehensive inspection and fitness-for-service maintenance plans.
Michael Heard, Risk Engineering Advisor, Process Safety / Technical Safety / Environmental at Hess Corporation recently spoke with marcus evans about key topics to be discussed at their upcoming Facility Siting and Risk Mitigation for Processing...
Today, many managers are finding that they can address the reliability of all types of assets by combining RBI and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) processes together into one comprehensive reliability management process.
Refractory materials have significantly evolved during the past 15 years, testing technology is much more sophisticated, and the need for test technicians to be properly trained and experienced to use that technology is much more important than it...
The tubes of heat exchangers (HX), whether for a shell and tube bundle or an airfin, are typically subject to some form of nondestructive examination (NDE) to try and quantify the remaining wall thicknesses and corrosion rates to help a plant to...
With the advancements in today’s technology and improvements to Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), if we deploy them properly and in line with best practices, it is possible to reach...
Secure your NDT data with our DIMATE PACS solution, which we can install on-premises or run as a cloud service for you. If you would like to reliably store and retrieve your inspection data, contact us at buddy@dimate.de!
Weld inspection using lasers is not new, but doing it 75 meters inside a pipe or streaming inspection data wirelessly is new. As laser technology has improved, more industries such as oil & gas are beginning to require laser inspection as part of...
The ability to gain this unique perspective has recently become easier and safer with today’s technological advancements. This new technology comes in the form of a miniature flying machine, better known as a drone or small Unmanned Aerial System...
An issue that arises frequently in the oil and gas industry is poor or missing documentation of pressure vessels. It is common in the industry to repurpose old equipment, bring equipment back into operation after a long period of time out of...
This article provides a discussion of a recent inspection performed at a U.S. refinery. Industry HF lines are experiencing piping failures in increasing numbers due to the presence of residual elements entrained within their carbon steel components.
The 2015 API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting will be held at the Seattle Sheraton during the week of April 13-16, with plenty of interesting meetings for Inspectioneers. You do not need...
Capture plant defects with the DIMATE Photo App and assign pictures to the correct component data. Contact us at buddy@dimate.de and get a product presentation. We will show you how your plant can benefit from intelligent photo documentation.
Avoiding cracking under pressure when managing high-energy piping systems is common subject matter in the power industry. Just as high-energy piping can give way to pressure, stress and fatigue, so can the people in charge of operating them when...
Reliability engineering tools and concepts can be used to avoid or delay failures, thus increasing product service life. Design or maintenance teams use reliability engineering techniques to identify failures and their causes.
Epoxy products have gone through extensive research and development over the years, and have reached the point that when specified for the correct environment, they should perform exactly as intended.
Engineered Composite Repair (ECR) systems are moving into mainstream usage at a faster pace than ever. This increased usage and exposure is working to push them into new frontiers and commands a more demanding understanding of their basic functions.
Challenges abounded in 2014 for the process industries, and it does not look like they will let up soon. But then again, that’s life, as they say. After 40 years in the industry the old adages still ring true, “there is nothing new under the...
There are a number of important stories affecting the Oil & Gas industry right now, but one that hits particularly close to home is the standoff between the United Steelworkers (USW) union and several major oil refiners in the United States. As of...
Inspectioneering recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Ray Konet, the Fixed Equipment Reliability Director at Valero Energy, and who also happens to be the Chairman of the Planning Committee for the 2015 API Inspection Summit.
Based on my 45+ years of experience working with fixed equipment mechanical integrity (FEMI) issues in the refining and petrochemical processing industry, this article summarizes what I believe are the top 10 reasons why pressure vessels and piping...
One of the major challenges inspectors and plant operators face after each turnaround is to ensure that all repair and scope work is and was completed in accordance with the client’s requirements. Sometimes that verification will be to ensure work...
Today, more than ever, refinery operators are focused on maintaining safe operations for their employees and extending the life cycle of valuable operating equipment to optimize efficiencies and avoid expensive unforeseen shutdowns. When process...
The introduction of PAUT is a challenging effort initially, but can have a very positive impact on your first TAR and become a routine inspection for future TARs. When fully implemented, radiation safety boundaries can be reduced significantly or...
Steam reformers are critical assets for the successful operation of hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol plants. The steam reformer is also one of the most expensive assets in these facilities. Catalyst tubes inside the reformer are one of the most...
One difficulty new company inspectors typically have is becoming comfortable in their new role. This is due to the fact that they have received little guidance about where they fit in with the "team." Where are they on the organization chart?
The bolted connection is a critical and complex component in any pressurized system, on typical Oil and Gas projects there will be many thousands of joints all of which need managing through Design, Fabrication Completion, Commissioning and...
While the supply of expensive, easy-to-refine light sweet crude peaking in the US, Colombia is finding newer sources of crude which are of lower API, heavy crudes (API less than 20o). Reficar, RefinerÃa de Cartagena S.A. has recognized this...
High temperature sulfidation is probably the most well- known corrosion mechanism in the oil refining industry because it occurs in large sections of the refinery.
Steam reformers are critical assets to many refining and chemical manufacturing plants and facilities, and it is well known that the reformer is one of the most challenging assets to maintain and operate. Common problems in reformer operations...
Inspection intervals for equipment have in the past been defined in a prescriptive manner. However, industry is now embracing the Risk Based Inspection (RBI) approach which in contrast prioritises inspections based on an assessment of the risk to...
Degradation of materials with time during service is a common phenomenon for all engineering components. Hence periodic inspection is required to ensure structural integrity and availability for service. During in-service inspection (ISI), wall...
This series of articles describes the elements for a successful fixed equipment reliability program in a petrochemical facility. These articles will address management systems, engineering practices, preventive/predictive maintenance/inspection...
This series of articles describes the elements for a successful fixed equipment reliability program in a petrochemical facility. These articles will address management systems, engineering practices, preventive/predictive maintenance/inspection...
The Shell Martinez Refinery has been in operation since 1915, and is located 30 miles northeast of San Francisco on about 1,000 acres of land. The refinery combines state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to convert approximately 165,000 barrels...
John has primary responsibility for NDE consulting and troubleshooting for BP around the world in the refining, chemical and gas processing industries. We at the IJ thought it might be valuable to spend some time chatting about his background,...
In part 1 of this article we covered the importance of quality assurance of UT data, that is, understanding for each particular application, the accuracy required of the UT data, and new ways/graphical program to analyze and show the...
One of the greatest challenges facing many of refining, fossil power, and pulp and paper industries is: How to effectively examine their insulated piping?
This is the fourth in a series of articles on piping inspection that I'm writing for the Journal. One of the previous ones dealt with improving thickness data taking accuracy with digital ultrasonic methods. This article is a "sister article" that...
This is the second in a series of articles on piping inspection. In the last article, I enumerated four inspection issues that I believe contribute to inadequate piping mechanical integrity in the hydrocarbon process industry.
Inspectioneering’s first-ever Industry Spotlight features Ryan Streeter, Divisional VP of Digital Operations for MISTRAS Group, joining us to talk about their new digital solution for inspection reporting, MISTRAS Digital®.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released an animation detailing the events leading up to the October 26, 2019, hydrogen sulfide release at the Aghorn Operating waterflood station in Odessa, Texas.
As the United States faces this year's hurricane season, it is critical that the chemical industry understands and prepares for the potential safety hazards posed by extreme weather events.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released an updated safety video detailing the events from the explosion at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, which killed 15 workers, injured 180 others, and caused billions of dollars in economic losses.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a preliminary animation detailing the events leading to the June 21, 2019, explosion and fire at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) Refinery in Philadelphia, PA.
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The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a video demonstrating the agency's positive safety impact in 2016. The video was posted just days after President Trump proposed his "America First" budget plan, which calls for the elimination of...
30-minute interview on the evolution of reliability and its role within the energy and process industries with Ryan Sitton, Texas Railroad Commissioner.
This white paper from DIMATE explains how the implementation of a digital end-to-end inspection workflow helped a refinery operator in the Netherlands to optimize on-stream inspections and turnaround planning.
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Reuters Events has recently released the Three Pillars of Asset Performance Management: People, Process & Technology white paper to identify, explore and implement the 3 core pillars underpinning an effective reliability strategy in downstream.
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Petrobras' Riograndense Petroleum Refinery (RPR) has accomplished a historic achievement by successfully processing 100% soybean oil in a Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Unit at the Refinery.
U.S. crude oil refiners this quarter will pull back from red-hot summer run rates as weak gasoline margins and plant overhauls cool operating goals, according to company statements and oil analysts.
Eni and Saipem sign agreement to support the transformation path of traditional refineries and the development of new biorefineries.
Venezuela's largest refining complex, the 955,000-bpd Paraguana Refining Center, was operating at about 10% of capacity on Monday after two crude distillation units were shut due to a fire and lack of feedstock.
Valero Energy plans to operate its 14 oil refineries in North America and Britain at up to 96.5% of their combined total throughput capacity of 3.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the fourth quarter
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ExxonMobil restarted the coker on Thursday night at its 522,500 bpd Baton Rouge, Louisiana refinery, people familiar with plant operations said on Friday.
LyondellBasell Industries said its Houston refinery would operate at about 80% of 263,776 barrel-per-day capacity in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Pemex shut down the 270,000 bpd CDU at its Deer Park, Texas, refinery on Monday because a process line ruptured, said people familiar with plant operations.
One person has died and four others were injured in an incident at Iran's southern refinery of Bandar Abbas last week.
Poland's Unimot has emerged as one of the possible buyers of a 37.5% stake oil major Shell owns in Germany's PCK Schwedt refinery.
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ExxonMobil recently announced the startup of two new chemical production units at its Baytown, Texas, manufacturing facility.
Mexico's Dos Bocas refinery operated by state company Pemex will work at full capacity this year.
Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has restarted its second largest refinery Cardon's catalytic cracker/
The fire-damaged, gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker at Marathon Petroleum's Galveston Bay Refinery is expected to be shut until late next week.
A fire broke out at a refinery's pyrolysis gasoline unit at about 10:45 AM followed by the collapse of the extractive dissolution tower.
Auto-refrigeration can impose low temperatures onto process vessels and piping causing them to be at risk of brittle fracture, the sudden break-before leak phenomena that can result in catastrophic rupture of the equipment.
TotalEnergies plans to restart the coker at its 238,000-barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas, refinery on Thursday.
Petrobras will make a scheduled maintenance stoppage at its Gabriel Passos Refinery (Regap) in Minas Gerais state.
Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras remains eager to repurchase a refinery from Abu Dhabi state investor Mubadala.
Los Angeles-area refineries, with a combined crude oil processing capacity of 1.1 million bpd, were preparing for the approach of Hurricane Hilary.
HF Sinclair and Holly Energy Partners have entered into a definitive merger agreement for HF Sinclair to acquire all of the outstanding common units of HEP not owned by HF Sinclair or its affiliates in exchange for common stock and cash.
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U.S. oil refiner Phillips 66 and grain trader Archer-Daniels-Midland are discussing a biofuels joint venture with an aim toward producing lower-carbon jet fuel, three people familiar with the matter said.
TotalEnergies began restarting the reformer at its 238,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery on Monday, people familiar with plant operations said.
ExxonMobil's 564,440 bpd Baytown refinery is resuming normal operations on Thursday following a malfunction on a unit that triggered the plant's safety flare.
Phillips 66 plans to run its refineries in the mid-90% range of their combined crude oil throughput capacity of 1.9 million bpd in the third quarter of 2023.
Chinese oil refiners and petrochemical companies are investing tens of billions of dollars to produce high-end chemicals for solar panels and lithium-ion batteries to profit from growing demand for energy transition technologies.
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The U.S. government will provide up to $1.55 billion in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, two agencies said on Monday.
Equinor has evacuated some staff and reduced output at its Mongstad refinery after a lightning strike near the plant disrupted power supplies.
PBF Energy's 156,400 bpd capacity oil refinery in Martinez, CA released petroleum coke dust, a byproduct of the refining process, on neighboring communities.
An operational disruption at BP's 435,000 bpd refinery in Whiting, Indiana, owing to severe weather led to unplanned flaring on Monday.
Shell has begun restarting its 227,900 bpd refinery in Norco, Louisiana after it was shut following a power outage, a company spokesperson said on Sunday.
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A fire broke out at Romania's largest oil refinery on Wednesday. No victims from the blaze were reported, and the emergency response unit said no dangerous substances were detected in the air.
U.S. crude oil refining capacity has reversed two years of declines and climbed by more than 100,000 barrels, to 18.1 million barrels per day (bpd), according to a government report released on Wednesday.
BP's Toledo, Ohio, oil refinery experienced multiple problems and a naphtha spill before a fire that killed two workers last year, according to a report by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).
A fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Tuesday has been extinguished, a local emergency task force said.
The U.S. CSB released an update into its ongoing investigation of the chemical release and fire at the BP-Husky Refinery located in Oregon, Ohio that resulted in two fatalities and substantial property damage to the facility.
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Almost one year after its shutdown, PDVSA has resumed operation of the catalytic cracking unit at its El Palito refinery, a key move to alleviate the recent fuel shortage in Venezuela.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently purchased 3 million barrels of U.S. produced crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and is currently soliciting another 3.1 million barrels.
LyondellBasell will delay its refining business exit from year-end 2023 to no later than the end of the first quarter 2025 after favorable inspections and performance have improved confidence to continue safe & reliable operations at the Houston site
Southern Rock Energy is set to build a $5.6 billion “next generation” refinery in Cushing, Oklahoma that will be one the country’s largest, processing 250,000 barrels of light crude daily.
A fire that broke out at the 60,000 bpd Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Assam state, India, on Monday has been brought under control, the refinery said.
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The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a California unit of oil refiner PBF Energy Inc over a November emissions release, the company said.
A fire at a refinery controlled by Mexican state-run oil firm Pemex and an explosion caused by an illegal pipeline tap injured a total of 13 people.
Nigeria's Dangote Petroleum Refinery will be commissioned on Monday amid hopes of an end to the country's recurring fuel shortages.
Valero Energy Corp said crews are responding to a fire on Wednesday within its 290,000 barrel-per-day Corpus Christi West refinery in Texas.
One worker has died and two others were hospitalized after a fire broke out Monday morning at the Marathon Petroleum's Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas.
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Germany's Schwedt oil refinery will run at 70% of capacity from June, German state secretary Michael Kellner said on Friday.
A fire that broke out at Delek's 83,000-bpd El Dorado, Arkansas refinery has been extinguished with no injuries reported.
Marathon Petroleum will pay a $27.5 million penalty after the operator of the Martinez plant violated a legal agreement requiring it to lower pollution levels.
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After beginning construction in 2019, the Beaumont refinery startup broke ground just over one month ago and added 250,000 bpd to its oil output, increasing its total processing capacity to more than 630,000 barrels daily.
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U.S. fuelmakers are expected to post higher first-quarter earnings in coming days on strong fuel exports and margins even as domestic diesel demand slumped during the period.
Three Corpus Christi Texas refineries reported production disruptions on Sunday as severe thunderstorms raked the area, with heavy rain and lightning.
Indian refiners' crude oil processing stayed near record peaks in March, provisional government data showed.
Germany's lower house of parliament on Thursday approved changes to the Energy Security Act that would allow a quick sale of Russian energy group Rosneft's stake in the Schwedt refinery.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd on Friday said it had received approval from the Madhya Pradesh state government for expanding its Bina refinery and setting up a petrochemical project.
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Several Asian refiners are likely to maximize gasoline output from May and reduce gasoil output.
Vietnam's Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical will delay the maintenance at its refinery until next year.
Italy gave conditional approval on Tuesday to the sale of the Lukoil-owned refinery in Sicily to Cypriot private equity firm G.O.I. Energy.
The Gonfreville refinery in northern France run by TotalEnergies started returning to operation on Tuesday, the company said, marking the last of its four domestic refineries to restart after a month-long strike.
Valero agreed to pay a $1.2 million fine over violations of chemical safety regulations at its Benicia, California refinery.
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Valero Energy Corp is starting up production on a new coker at its 335,000 bpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery.
Placid Refining announced it is investing $66 million to relocate its headquarters from Dallas to Baton Rouge and modernize its existing facility in Port Allen.
Aramco has agreed to acquire a 10% interest in Rongsheng Petrochemical for RMB 24.6 billion ($3.6 billion at current exchange rates), in a deal that would significantly expand its downstream presence in China.
Industry analysts predict that U.S. refiners will continue to reconfigure operations to maximize diesel and biofuels production for exports in the next decade, as demand declines for domestic motor fuels.
In 2022, the United States set a new record for petroleum product exports, up 7% from 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Petroleum Supply Monthly report.
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Mexico's northern state Nuevo Leon on Sunday warned that it would seek penalties for state oil company Pemex after a dramatic increase in visible emissions from its Cadereyta refinery earlier in the day.
The DOE has announced $47 million in funding for 22 research projects to advance the development of new measurement, monitoring, & mitigation technologies to help detect, quantify, & reduce methane emissions across O&G producing regions of the U.S.
ExxonMobil Corp recently started the new crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 369,024 bpd Beaumont, Texas refinery.
PBF Energy Inc posted a higher fourth-quarter profit on Thursday and said it sealed a joint venture with a unit of Italian energy group Eni for a renewable diesel project in the United States.
Germany plans to change its Energy Security Act to allow a quick sale of Russian energy group Rosneft's stake in the Schwedt refinery.
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Crews responded to the Suncor refinery in Commerce City on Friday morning for what Suncor officials said was a vapor leak at one of its plants.
Lukoil's NORSI refinery was working normally again on Tuesday after a fire was extinguished at its delayed coker unit, the plant said in a statement.
U.S. oil refiners are dialing back operating runs this quarter after sky-high utilization rates last year, and aim to operate at between 85% and 89% of capacity, according to company outlooks and analysts’ estimates.
A workplace incident at the Zeeland Refinery in Nieuwdorp, Netherlands left one person dead, and four others injured.
ExxonMobil is pushing forward with the development of its low-carbon hydrogen, ammonia and carbon capture facility in Baytown, TX. Once complete, the facility is expected to produce one billion cubic feet of low-carbon hydrogen per day.
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The European Union’s ban on Russian fuel imports that begins next week is expected to keep profit margins high this year for U.S. oil refiners, executives said on Tuesday, as global fuel trade shifts.
ExxonMobil recently announced its majority-owned affiliate, Imperial Oil Ltd, will invest about $560 million to move forward with construction of the largest renewable diesel facility in Canada.
The refinery arm of Indonesian state energy firm Pertamina is redesigning its refinery expansion plans to meet shifting demands from a transition towards renewable energy, its chief executive said on Tuesday.
Mexican state oil company Pemex's newest refinery, which is still under construction in Mexico's southeast, will begin to process crude oil in July 2023, the country's Energy Minister Rocio Nahle said.
ExxonMobil is performing planned maintenance on several units at its Baytown complex in Texas, it said on Monday.
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The diesel hydrotreater at PBF Energy’s 190,000 bpd Chalmette, Louisiana, refinery is expected to be shut for at least a month of repairs following a fire in the unit on Saturday, people familiar with plant operations said.
Marathon Petroleum is cleaning up a small spill at its 593,000 barrel per day (bpd) Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City, the company said.
Crews extinguished a fire on Tuesday at Phillips 66's 149,000-barrel-per-day joint-venture refinery in Borger, Texas, and six people were treated for injuries, the company said.
China's Panjin Haoye Chemical Co Ltd has shut down its entire oil refinery and petrochemical complex after an explosion on Sunday killed five people and left eight missing, according to trade sources and a local consultancy.
ExxonMobil in coming days will sharply boost gasoline and diesel production at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery, people familiar with the matter said, completing a $2 billion expansion first considered nine years ago.
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Bulgaria can take over operation of Russian company Lukoil's Neftochim Burgas refinery for up to a year, lawmakers decided on Friday in a vote aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring fuel supplies for the Balkan country.
Output from Vietnam's largest oil refinery is expected to fall by 20%-25% during the first 10 days of January as its residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit has been shut down due to a technical problem.
U.S. oil refiners on Tuesday were working feverishly to resume operations at a dozen facilities knocked offline by a holiday deep freeze, a recovery that in some cases will stretch into January.
TotalEnergies continued restarting the 238,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas refinery on Tuesday after the refinery was shut on Thursday night by severe cold temperatures caused by Winter Storm Elliott.
A large-scale reconstruction has been completed at LUKOIL's Volgograd refinery, including modernization of the CDU-VDU-5 crude distillation unit and the solvent extraction unit.
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Pemex's newest refinery will reach half of its crude processing capacity in July, the national president said on Friday.
Most of the productions units remain shut on Sunday at Pemex's 312,500 bpd Deer Park Refinery due to severe cold weather from Winter Storm Elliott.
Strike action at Exxon Mobil’s 270,000 barrel per day (bpd) Fawley oil refinery in southern England is set to resume on Jan. 9, a GMB union spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Italy's leading private fuel and mobility group IP said on Tuesday it signed a deal to buy fuel and refining assets owned by ExxonMobil's subsidiary Esso Italiana.
Strike action at Valero's 220,000 barrel per day (bpd) Pembroke oil refinery in Wales has caused delays to fuel distribution.
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India is considering building several refineries instead of a single mega plant planned with Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), due to challenges in acquiring land, three sources familiar with the matter said.
A fire on Thursday that killed two people at Russia's Angarsk refinery, the biggest by output in east Siberia, has been extinguished.
A labor dispute at BP PLC's large Rotterdam Refinery has been resolved after unions voted to approve a new collective labor agreement.
A refining unit that turns crude oil into fuel at Venezuela's largest crude processing facility has broken down, three people familiar with the operations told Reuters on Friday, halting production at the key gasoline producing plant.
A California regulator said it was investigating emissions containing higher-than-normal amounts of heavy metals due to an equipment failure at PBF's (PBF.N) 156,400 barrel-per-day refinery in Martinez last week.
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Hungarian oil and gas group MOL said on Thursday that its Danube refinery in Szazhalombatta was still operating at 50-55% capacity due to maintenance while the Druzhba pipeline that brings Russian crude was also working with reduced capacity.
Talks on Monday between management and unions at the BP Rotterdam Refinery (BP.L) were not successful, a union spokesperson said, and labor actions at the large facility will continue.
Unions representing workers at BP's Rotterdam refinery said on Saturday they plan to hold talks with management on Monday, in a possible step toward resolving a pay dispute that has left the plant idled for more than a week.
Exxon Mobil said on Monday that its 390,000 barrel per day (bpd) Fawley oil refinery in southern England is unaffected by strike action.
Workers at BP's Rotterdam refinery, which is currently offline, will not help restart operations unless their wage demands are met, union leaders said on Monday.
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LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas, Bulgaria's only oil refinery, may have to shut down if the government does not follow through on plans to allow the Russian-owned business to continue exporting.
U.S. regulators will require a new Clean Air Act permit for a troubled oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the EPA said on Thursday.
Italy is urging Lukoil to keep supporting its refinery in Sicily until the government brokers a sale, two sources close to the matter told Reuters on Thursday, as looming European Union sanctions against Moscow threaten the plant's survival.
The second largest crude distillation unit (CDU), a reformer and a lube oil hydrocracker completed restarting and were operating on Thursday at Motiva 626,000 bpd Port Arthur Refinery said people familiar with plant operations.
Exxon said on Wednesday it had isolated a unit at its 270,000 bpd Fawley oil refinery in southern England following an incident that led to gas flaring on Tuesday.
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Chevron said fire crews responded to an isolated fire inside its 269,000-barrel-per-day El Segundo refinery in California on Tuesday, with no injuries due to the incident.
U.S. oil refiners this quarter will run their plants at breakneck rates, near or above 90% of capacity, as tight fuel supplies spur high profits and operating rates, according to company forecasts and analysts surveyed by Reuters.
Smaller oil refiners pay more for credits to comply with U.S. biofuel blending requirements compared with larger refiners, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
U.S. refiners are posting strong profits with refineries running at record levels this year, strong export demand amid a squeezed supply due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and plant closings.
The restart of Exxon Mobil’s 140,000-bpd Fos-Sur-Mer oil refinery in France should be completed by the end of the week, a company spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) recently released a new video highlighting the safety approach and measures used by U.S. refineries with hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation units.
Equipment corrosion at an oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands presents a risk of fire, explosion or other "catastrophic" releases of hazardous substances, U.S. environmental regulators said on Tuesday, after performing an inspection last month.
ExxonMobil and its affiliates have reached an agreement with Par Pacific Holdings for the sale of the Billings refinery and select midstream assets in Montana and Washington.
A small fire at a vacuum tower and a power blackout halted Venezuela's 955,000-barrel-per-day Paraguana Refining Center early on Thursday, according to six sources close to operations.
Workers voted to end a strike at TotalEnergies' Donges refinery on Wednesday, bolstering the government's hopes the supply situation at petrol stations around the country will rapidly improve.
Oil prices plummeted more than 3% on Friday as global recession fears and weak oil demand, especially in China, outweighed support from a large cut to the OPEC+ supply target.
Two employees were injured in a fire on Wednesday at Marathon Petroleum Corp's (MPC.N) Garyville, Louisiana, refinery, according to a company spokesperson.
Refinery turnaround season in Europe, plus French strike action, is set to push diesel prices higher and tighten supplies ahead of a European Union ban on Russian refined products which is due to come into force early next year.
Strikes have disrupted TotalEnergies' oil products refining and delivery for the third day as disruptions continue at seven sites throughout France, a CGT trade union representative told Reuters.
BP Plc laid off most contractors at the approximately 160,000 barrel-per-day Toledo, Ohio, refinery it owns with Cenovus Energy Inc.
Italy's Eni plans partial maintenance at its 200,000 barrel per day Sannazzaro oil refinery over six weeks.
Neste Corporation and Marathon Petroleum Corporation have established a 50/50 joint venture to produce renewable diesel following a conversion project of Marathon's refinery in Martinez, California (the Martinez Renewable Fuels project).
ExxonMobil is gradually shutting down its 235,000 bpd Fos-Sur-Mer refinery in France as a result of ongoing strike action, the company said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
Indian Oil Corp plans maintenance at its 300,000 bpd Panipat refinery in northern India, which includes a shutdown of a naphtha hydrocracker for about 80 days and half of its crude processing for about a month, sources said.
Spanish energy giant Repsol is investing 100 million euros to reduce emissions at its 186,000 bpd Tarragona refinery in Spain, which begins two months of maintenance at the end of the week.
BP said on Wednesday two of its staff were killed after sustaining injuries in a fire at its 150,800 bpd Toledo, Ohio, refinery.
Finland's Neste on Monday said it was looking into replacing crude oil with renewable feedstock at its Finnish oil refinery, the last one of its plants to use the fossil fuel.
Polish refiner PKN Orlen is interested in taking a controlling stake in the PCK Schwedt refinery that Germany has placed under trusteeship, effectively removing control from Russia's Rosneft.
U.S. crude production and petroleum demand will both rise in 2022 as the economy grows, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO) on Wednesday.
Imperial recently announced a long-term contract with Air Products to supply low-carbon hydrogen for Imperial’s proposed renewable diesel complex at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta.
BP Plc was restarting production units on Wednesday at its 435,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Whiting, Indiana, refinery, one week after the plant was idled by an electrical fire, two sources familiar with plant operations said.
Brazilian antitrust regulator CADE on Tuesday approved the sale of Petrobras' REMAN refinery to Ream, which is part of the Atem group.
BP's 435,000 bpd Whiting, Indiana, refinery is shut and undergoing damage assessment following the loss of electrical power and cooling water systems in a Wednesday fire, sources familiar with plant operations said on Friday.
A fire broke out around 7 a.m. (1100 GMT) on Sunday at Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation's shuttered refinery in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, leaving one firefighter with a minor burn, local media reported.
Shell said it had to cut output at its German Rhineland refining facility, which makes fuels, heating oil, and petrochemicals, citing low Rhine levels that have made transporting goods via the river more challenging.
U.S. refiner Phillips 66 on Wednesday offered to acquire the public units of DCP Midstream in a deal that would value the pipeline operator at $7.2 billion deal and bulk up Phillip's natural gas liquids business.
Baker Hughes has announced it will acquire Quest Integrity, boosting its asset integrity solutions for “difficult to inspect” pipelines, adding capability for inspection of furnace tubes and loading terminals, along with other industrial markets.
Mexico's state-oil company Pemex requested this week almost $6.5 billion in additional funding from the government to pay for works at the 'Dos Bocas' refinery this year.
bp has reached an agreement to sell its 50% interest in the bp-Husky Toledo Refinery in Ohio to Calgary-based Cenovus, its joint venture partner in the facility.
Suncor Energy Inc on Monday said that operations at its 98,000 barrel-per-day Commerce City, Colorado, refinery have returned to normal following an earlier equipment malfunction.
Motiva Enterprises plans to overhaul the second largest crude distillation unit (CDU) and a catalytic reformer at its 626,000 bpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery beginning as early as Sept. 19, said sources familiar with the company's plans on Friday.
Suncor Energy Inc is responding to a leak found on the St. Clair River located near its Sarnia, Ontario refinery, according to a local media report on Wednesday.
Chemical maker Lyondell Basell Industries has turned away at least one would-be buyer of its Houston crude oil refinery due for closure in December 2023, said sources familiar with the matter.
LyondellBasell Industries is considering a "very large investment" at the site of its Houston refinery after it permanently stops refining crude oil by the end of 2023, Chief Executive Peter Vanacker said in a conference call on Friday.
Mexican national oil company Pemex said one person was dead and another missing on Friday after an "incident" caused by a storm at the Madero refinery in the state of Tamaulipas.
U.S. oil refiner Valero Energy Corp plans to operate its 14 refineries between 90%-93% of their combined total processing capacity in the third quarter, said Homer Bhullar, vice president of investor relations, during a Thursday conference call.
PetroChina has launched a 30.5 billion yuan ($4.52 billion) program to expand a subsidiary refinery in southern China into an integrated petrochemicals complex, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.
South African fuel and petrochemical company Sasol Ltd will restart its refinery by the end of July, it said on Sunday, after the company declared force majeure at its second biggest refinery on Friday due to a lack of crude oil.
The International Pressure Equipment Integrity Association (IPEIA) Conference and Exhibition will be held from February 27 to March 2, 2023 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta, Canada.
Air Products has announced a new $2 billion major expansion project that will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at World Energy’s Paramount, California location.
Venezuela's largest refinery restarted one of its five crude distillation units on Wednesday following a power outage last week.
A workers' strike at Exxon Mobil's Esso refinery in Fos-sur-Mer in southern France stopped on Saturday and the halted units are being restarted, the company said on Sunday.
TotalEnergies SE restarted the large crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 238,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for 79% of the 97 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of primary energy consumption in the United States during 2021.
Production at Venezuela's largest refinery, which can process about 645,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), was halted late on Saturday by an electrical fault that caused a blackout, according to five people familiar with the matter.
A fire that broke out at Equinor's Mongstad oil refinery on Norway's west coast early on Sunday was now extinguished, the company said, affecting the unit producing gasoline.
Chevron is selling its 100-acre Chevron Park office complex in San Ramon, California and plans to downsize while remaining headquartered in the city.
Since the onset of the global pandemic, the United States has lost nearly 1 million barrels per day of oil refining capacity, with more set to be shuttered in the next few years. These are the refiners that have closed or cut capacity.
America's refining capacity fell below 18 million b/d at the beginning of 2022, hitting its lowest level since 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's annual refinery capacity report released June 21.
Pinnacle has released its Economics of Reliability report for the refining industry, highlighting the importance of reliability as refiners face pressure to expand capacity to meet increased demand for petroleum products
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says Pemex's new refinery along the coast of Tabasco will reach full operating capacity by next year, despite industry experts saying it will take until at least 2024.
The new $800 million facility would produce renewable gasoline from wood waste biomass sourced from Louisiana and Mississippi timber operations.
API and AFPM respond to the Biden Administration's unfounded claims that U.S. refiners aren’t doing their part to bring fuel to the market and lower energy costs for consumers.
According to the latest oil market report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global oil supply may struggle to keep pace with demand next year.
As energy costs and geopolitical instability around the world continue to rise, API is calling on policymakers to confront the global mismatch between energy demand and available supply by supporting greater U.S. production and infrastructure.
Chevron Corporation has completed its previously announced $3.15 billion acquisition of Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG) following approval by REG stockholders.
LyondellBasell Industries plans to shut its Houston oil refinery by the end of next year, but could close it sooner if an equipment failure hits major units, according to two people familiar with the company's operations.
On Friday, the EPA issued biofuel blending mandates for 2022 and the prior two years - with this year's number below one proposed in December - while denying oil refiners waivers to be exempt from the requirements.
In the midst of a global energy crisis, it could be the innovations of mechanical engineers that save us.
Refiners worldwide are struggling to meet global demand for diesel and gasoline, exacerbating high prices and aggravating shortages from big consumers like the United States and Brazil to smaller countries like war-ravaged Ukraine and Sri Lanka.
PBF Energy plans to overhaul a crude distillation unit (CDU), coker and cat feed hydrotreater in October at its 190,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Chalmette, Louisiana, refinery, said sources familiar with the company’s plans.
Trinidad and Tobago is in talks with U.S.-based Quanten LLC for the sale of the country's refinery, Energy Minister Stuart Young said on Sunday, more than a year after the government rejected a proposal by a local group to buy the facility.
Striking union workers at Chevron's Richmond, California, refinery voted on Saturday to ratify the latest contract offered by the company, ending a 10-week strike without achieving their goal of additional pay to counter rising health care costs.
Iranian state firms have started preparations to revamp Venezuela's largest oil refinery, the 955,000-barrel-per-day Paraguana Refining Center, four people close to the talks said, following a contract to repair its smallest facility.
Sempra Infrastructure recently announced it has signed a participation agreement with TotalEnergies, Mitsui & Co., and Mitsubishi Corporation for the development of the proposed Hackberry Carbon Sequestration (HCS) project in Southwest Louisiana.
MISTRAS Group has announced recent innovative technological advancements to its integrated pipeline integrity and inspection solutions.
The United Steelworkers union (USW) filed charges with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Chevron Corp this week stemming from a strike at the company’s refinery in Richmond, California.
South Korea's third-largest refiner, S-Oil Corp, has suspended production of several processing units after a blast at its Onsan refinery, it said on Friday, a step that could tighten gasoline supplies and boost refiners' margins in Asia.
bp intends to invest up to £18 billion in the UK’s energy system by the end of 2030, demonstrating bp’s firm commitment to the UK, and helping the country to deliver on its bold ambitions to boost energy security and reach net zero.
U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum on Tuesday posted a first-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates buoyed by strong refining margins, as demand for fuel and refined products recovered to near pre-pandemic levels amid tight supplies.
A major Pemex oil refinery under construction in Mexico is running billions over budget and unlikely to come online this year as promised, despite being a presidential priority.
LyondellBasell Industries interim Chief Executive Kenneth Lane said on Friday that operating the chemical producer's 263,776 barrel-per-day (bpd) Houston crude oil refinery past 2023 would require "significant" capital investment.
Valero Energy Corp's quarterly earnings blew past Wall Street expectations on Tuesday, as margins strengthened on increasing tightness in U.S. refining capacity amid rising demand and lower worldwide product supply.
U.S. oil refiners expect strong first-quarter earnings as margins to sell gasoline and diesel strengthened due to a steep dropoff in refining capacity and crude oil supplies.
Over 100 people were killed on Sunday after an illegal oil refinery in Nigeria exploded.
Chemical maker LyondellBasell Industries will permanently close its Houston crude oil refinery by the end of 2023, the company said on Thursday.
Refiners are planning to spend the summer increasing jet fuel and diesel production instead of gasoline, traders and analysts said, favoring what have historically been the least profitable parts of the barrel instead of the most profitable.
Negotiators from Chevron Corp and the United Steelworkers union (USW) are scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss a possible end to a strike at the company’s oil refinery in Richmond, California, spokespeople for both sides said.
Dangote's 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil refinery being built in Nigeria is due to begin production by the fourth quarter of 2022, Group Executive Devakumar Edwin said on Sunday.
Exxon Mobil Corp plans to complete an overhaul of a gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) at its 502,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery by April 5, sources familiar with plant operations said on Thursday.
Chevron Corp plans to begin an overhaul of the crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 245,271 barrel-per-day Richmond, California, refinery in mid-April.
Neste Corporation has completed the previously announced agreement to sell its existing base oils business to Chevron Global Energy Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Corporation.
Suncor Energy said on Wednesday it had extinguished a fire at its 146,000-barrel-per-day Edmonton refinery that broke out in the morning and caused one injury.
The crude distillation unit (CDU) at Exxon Mobil Corp's 61,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Billings, Montana, refinery was shut on Sunday by a fire on the unit, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Union workers were removed from a Chevron Corp oil refinery near San Francisco hours ahead of a deadline to begin the first labor strike at the gasoline producing plant in more than 40 years.
A heather fire near Equinor's Mongstad refinery in western Norway was extinguished on Monday without affecting production, Equinor said.
The EIA projects that U.S. energy consumption will continue to grow through 2050, with petroleum remaining the largest share of energy consumption throughout that period, followed by natural gas.
Vietnam is seeking to build its third oil refinery to meet domestic consumption demand as the country is facing a supply shortage and soaring energy prices.
Nearly 600 union refinery workers began returning to work on Monday at Exxon Mobil Corp’s Beaumont, Texas, refinery for the first time after the end of a 10-month company lockout, a United Steelworkers (USW) official said.
Chevron Corp is buying biodiesel maker Renewable Energy Group Inc for $3.15 billion, in its biggest bet so far on alternative fuels.
Union workers locked out of their jobs at Exxon's Beaumont refinery for nearly 10 months voted on Monday to accept the company's latest contract offer, ceding to a key company demand that it have the right to determine plant assignments.
An explosion and fire rocked Marathon Petroleum's 578,o00 bpd Garyville Refinery on Monday.
Cresta Fund Management has been working to build the senior leadership team and convert its Come By Chance refinery in Newfoundland and Labrador to a renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel production facility.
Essar Oil UK, the leading UK-focused downstream energy company, recently announced plans to install a new £45 million ($60.8 million) furnace at its Stanlow refinery that’s capable of using hydrogen as its fuel source - a UK first.
PetroChina has started a 33.9 billion yuan ($5.33 billion) program to expand the petrochemical capacity at a subsidiary plant in northeast China and cut refined fuel production, according to a company post and state media report.
South Korean authorities have ordered a production halt at one of petrochemical company Yeochun NCC's (YNCC) three naphtha crackers after a blast killed four people and injured four.
ExxonMobil said on Friday it made a new contract offer to union workers at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery who have been locked out since May.
Mexico's state-run oil firm Pemex has sharply reduced crude exports to India, the third-largest market for its oil, amid preparations for a new refinery expected to absorb more of its output, according to data and people familiar with the matter.
Marathon Petroleum's 593,000 bpd Galveston Bay Refinery and Valero Energy Corp's 225,000 bpd Texas City Refinery were knocked out of production on Friday by a citywide power outage, according to the Texas City emergency management department.
The Findlay, Ohio-based company said its refining and marketing margins more than doubled during the quarter amid a rebound in demand after a pandemic-induced slump.
Exxon said it is further streamlining its business structure by combining chemical and downstream companies and centralizing technology and engineering, and other support services, to better support customers, enhance performance, and grow value.
LyondellBasell Industries said its Houston refinery would be a better fit with a larger oil processing company and that a sales effort continues. LyondellBasell hopes within a few months to reveal the outcome of its strategic review of the plant.
Marathon Petroleum, the largest refiner in the United States, is evaluating a conversion of Phillips 66’s Alliance, Louisiana, refinery into a renewable fuel plant, according to people familiar with the matter.
Manufacturing defects involving certain pipelines components accounted for less than 2 percent (23 of 1,529) of all accidents on gas and hazardous liquid interstate transmission pipelines from 2016 through 2020, according to GAO's analysis.
According to the EIA, U.S. fossil fuel production is expected to continue rising in both 2022 and 2023, surpassing production in 2019, to reach a new record in 2023.
Shell has completed the sale of its interest in Deer Park Refining Limited Partnership, a 50-50 joint venture between Shell Oil Company and P.M.I. Norteamerica, S.A. De C.V. (a subsidiary of Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex) for $596 million.
ExxonMobil and SABIC recently announced the successful startup of Gulf Coast Growth Ventures world-scale manufacturing facility in San Patricio County, Texas.
The United Steelworkers union (USW) on Friday said proposals by energy giant BP would undermine its 56-year-old national program for refinery and chemical plant worker contracts.
Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos on Thursday signed a long-term crude supply contract with Royal Dutch Shell Plc as part of its acquisition of the Deer Park refinery in Texas.
Becht is pleased to introduce Becht Industrial Group to its trusted clients. Becht Industrial Group (BIG) was formed in 2021 as a mechanical contractor specializing in turnarounds, major maintenance activities, and other schedule-driven projects.
ExxonMobil is expanding its interests in biofuels, acquiring a 49.9% stake in Biojet AS, a Norwegian biofuels company that plans to convert forestry and wood-based construction waste into lower-emissions biofuels and biofuel components.
A California state appeals court on Monday denied Motiva Enterprises' request for insurance coverage for a settlement with workers injured in a 2017 fire at its 607,000-barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas refinery.
Exxon Mobil Corp has rejected a recent proposal by the United Steelworkers union (USW) to end an eight-month lockout of about 600 workers at the company’s Beaumont, Texas, refinery, the company said.
Calumet has closed $50 million in project financing for the construction of a renewable hydrogen plant in Great Falls, Montana.
A blaze has been put out at the Antipinsky oil refinery, Russia's largest independent oil-processing plant, the Emergency Ministry in West Siberia's Tyumen region said on Tuesday.
HollyFrontier Corp's fourth-quarter throughput will be lower than forecast, hit by weather and turnaround setbacks at refineries in Washington, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, the company warned on Monday.
TotalEnergies SE shut a gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) and small crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 225,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur refinery in Texas on Saturday, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Exxon Mobil Corp said on Monday its Baytown, Texas, refinery continued to operate at reduced rates following a fire on Dec. 23, and the unit involved remained shut down.
Oil prices rose more than 2% on Monday to the highest level since late November on hopes that the Omicron coronavirus variant will have a limited impact on global demand in 2022, even as surging cases caused flight cancellations.
A Texas judge on Tuesday ordered Exxon Mobil Corp to preserve evidence from a December 23rd fire at its Baytown refinery that injured four workers, Potts Law Firm, which is investigating the incident, said.
Mexican officials recently announced that the U.S. government has authorized Pemex's purchase of Royal Dutch Shell's controlling interest in the Deer Park Refinery outside of Houston, Texas.
A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the $62 million sale of Limetree Bay refinery to a Jamaican oil storage company that intends to restart the refinery.
Following the restart of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, Parkland has begun ramping-up processing operations at its 55,000 bpd Burnaby Refinery in British Columbia.
After a year and a half of Covid-related demand destruction, an onslaught of hurricanes, and a deadly freeze on the Gulf Coast, the U.S. refining market seems to be turning the corner.
According to data from the EIA, U.S. jet fuel inventories are at their lowest levels since 2014 due to reduced production and increasing demand.
ExxonMobil Chemical Company has acquired California-based Materia, Inc., a technology company that has pioneered the development of a Nobel prize-winning technology for manufacturing a new class of materials.
Aramco announces $15.5 billion landmark gas pipeline deal with global consortium led by BlackRock Real Assets and Hassana Investment Company.
ADNOC and GE to jointly develop a decarbonization roadmap that includes reducing carbon emissions from gas turbines used to power ADNOC’s downstream and industry operations.
Aramco recently announced its entry into Saudi Arabia’s domestic lubricants market, offering consumers a new line of lubricant products under the ORIZON® brand.
INEOS FPS has announced plans to deploy innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven optimization technology at its Kinneil Terminal in Grangemouth that will deliver further carbon emissions reductions from its operations.
Mitsubishi Corp is looking to sell a fuel terminal that provides transportation fuels which meet California's stringent emissions requirements, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
TotalEnergies SE (TTEF.PA) began restarting the small crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 225,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery on Wednesday, sources familiar with plant operations said.
A U.S. national security review has delayed the sale of Royal Dutch Shell's (RDSa.L) controlling interest in a Texas refinery to Mexico's national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Shell said on Tuesday.
A large fire broke out at Toledo Refining Company in Oregon, Ohio on Tuesday. Company officials confirmed everyone is safe and has been accounted for at the site.
Refining New Zealand has confirmed the company will transition its Marsden Point Refinery to an import-only fuel terminal beginning in April 2022, after securing long-term supply agreements with its key customers.
Royal Dutch Shell has halved its crude processing capacity at its Singapore hub and reduced fuel exports, executives said on Tuesday, as the major transits from fossil fuels to cut emissions and meet global low-carbon energy needs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed giving oil refiners more time to prove compliance with the nation's 2020 and 2021 biofuel blending mandates.
The shuttered Limetree Bay refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands received a $20 million stalking horse bid from a company looking to restart the facility, according to a Sunday court filing in a Texas bankruptcy court.
Sri Lanka has temporarily shut its only oil refinery as part of efforts to manage dwindling foreign exchange reserves, the energy minister said on Tuesday, triggering long queues at petrol stations.
A fire at Pertamina's refinery complex in Cilacap, Central Java province, has been fully extinguished without disrupting production activity, the chief executive of the Indonesian energy company said on Sunday.
Shell and Baker Hughes are collaborating to accelerate the global energy transition by helping each other achieve their respective commitments for net-zero carbon emissions and advancing solutions to decarbonize energy and industrial sectors.
Over the next six years, ExxonMobil plans to invest more than $15 billion on lower greenhouse gas emission initiatives.
Phillips 66 recently announced it plans to convert its Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, to a terminal facility. The conversion is expected to take place in 2022.
ExxonMobil has made a final investment decision to proceed with a multi-billion dollar chemical complex in the Dayawan Petrochemical Industrial Park in Huizhou, Guangdong Province in China.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is issuing a final rule that expands Federal pipeline safety oversight to all onshore gas gathering pipelines.
Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it plans to shift its Shell Rheinland refinery at Wesseling in Germany away from crude oil and towards low or zero-carbon products from 2025.
HollyFrontier Corporation has completed its previously announced acquisition of the Puget Sound Refinery, the on-site cogeneration facility and related logistics assets, from Shell for aggregate cash consideration of $613.6 million.
Shell plans to begin restarting several major processing units at its 230,611 bpd Norco Refinery in the coming week after being idled for two months by Hurricane Ida.
U.S. demand for crude among refiners making gasoline and diesel is surging and crude oil tanks at the Cushing, Oklahoma storage and delivery hub for U.S. crude futures are more depleted than they have been in the last 3 years
Oil refiners are ramping up output to meet a synchronized uptick in global demand, but plant maintenance and high natural gas prices are expected to constrain supply in the fourth quarter.
Japan's Mitsubishi Corp says it will invest 2 trillion yen ($17.54 billion) by 2030 in alternative energies such as renewables and hydrogen to drive its decarbonization efforts and cut emissions.
LyondellBasell plans to make upgrades to equipment and perform compliance measures at six of its U.S. chemical sites in order to reduce air pollution.
Essar Oil recently announced plans to build two blue hydrogen production hubs at its Stanlow Manufacturing Complex in Ellesmere Port for around $1 Billion.
Japan's biggest refiner, Eneos Holdings Inc, said on Monday it would buy Japan Renewable Energy for about $1.8 billion to expand its low-carbon business, joining a list of major global companies moving away from climate-changing fossil fuels.
TotalEnergies SE plans to begin restarting the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker unit at its 225,500 barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas, refinery by Oct. 14, said sources familiar with plant operations on Thursday.
Vietnam’s Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical is back running at full capacity to meet a rising demand for refined fuel products, the company said, as coronavirus movement restrictions ease.
City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has welcomed the return of the Reuters Events Downstream USA 2021 conference and exhibition to the city.
A chemical plant unit will lead the restart of Royal Dutch Shell's (RDSa.L) Norco, Louisiana, refinery and chemical plant complex in mid-October following repairs from Hurricane Ida, said sources familiar with plant operations.
bp plans to invest $269 million in three projects at its Cherry Point Refinery in Washington state, aimed at improving the refinery’s efficiency, reducing its carbon dioxide emissions, and increasing its renewable diesel production capability.
Crews at the second largest U.S. refinery were containing crude oil gushing from a storage tank at the Houston-area facility on Wednesday, a company spokesman said.
weavix™ launches industry’s first Internet of Workers (IoW) platform, focusing on the needs of frontline workers who have traditionally been neglected by technological innovation.
French oil major TotalEnergies' Feyzin refinery was hit by a fire overnight, but the fire has been rapidly brought under control and nobody has been hurt, the company said in a statement on Monday.
Libya's unity government and the National Oil Corp (NOC) said on Sunday they would build a new refinery in the south that was originally planned in 1980.
ExxonMobil Corp on Wednesday offered its first concession in a new contract proposal to locked-out workers at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery and lube oil plant to include some seniority protection.
Shell is tentatively planning the first restart of a production unit at its 230,611 bpd Norco, Louisiana, refinery for mid-October following Hurricane Ida.
Houston-based oil producer Hilcorp is evaluating Phillips 66's refinery in Alliance, Louisiana, for conversion into an oil export terminal, said four sources familiar with the matter, a move that would eliminate it as a source of motor fuels.
In just 6 weeks the world’s largest meeting of downstream decision-makers returns to Houston, Downstream USA 2021 (Oct 12-15, Virtual ǀ Oct 21-22, Houston).
Sasol recently announced its updated strategy that commits it to be at net zero emissions by 2050. This is in line with Sasol’s commitment to accelerate its transition to a low carbon world in support of the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Marathon Petroleum Corp on Monday said its 363,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Los Angeles, California refinery experienced a power loss on Friday after an earthquake struck the region.
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) recently stated that its petrochemical joint venture with ExxonMobil near Corpus Christi, Texas, has begun commissioning activities ahead of its expected fourth-quarter start-up.
Shell will build an 820,000-tonnes-a-year biofuels facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Once built, the facility will be among the biggest in Europe to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel made from waste.
Phillips 66's 255,600-barrel-per-day (bpd) Alliance, Louisiana, refinery faces a monthslong shutdown for repairs following flooding from Hurricane Ida, sources familiar with plant operations said on Friday.
LyondellBasell has announced it is weighing strategic options for its Gulf Coast-based Refining Segment, including a potential sale.
Damage to oil production facilities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico has kept output largely halted, however four Louisiana refineries, accounting for 1.3 million bpd of U.S. refining capacity, have initiated restart processes.
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Bunge North America, Inc. have announced a memorandum of understanding of a proposed 50/50 joint venture to help meet the demand for renewable fuels and to develop lower carbon intensity feedstocks.
Following Hurricane Ida, analysts said it could take 2-3 weeks to restart producing platforms and fully resume output at Louisiana refineries. Restoring power, critical to refineries, also could take weeks, utilities officials said.
ExxonMobil Corp is cutting production at its Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery to 50% of its 520,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) capacity ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Ida on Sunday, sources familiar with plant operations said on Saturday.
Petrobras has reached an agreement with Ream Participações S.A. to sell its Isaac Sabbá Refinery (REMAN) and associated logistics assets for $189.5 million.
Phillips 66 has put its 255,000 bpd Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, Louisiana up for sale amid continued losses and an uncertain future for motor fuels.
ExxonMobil Corp said a small debris fire near an out-of-service tank was quickly extinguished at its 369,024 barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont, Texas, refinery on Tuesday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released an animation detailing the events leading up to the October 26, 2019, hydrogen sulfide release at the Aghorn Operating waterflood station in Odessa, Texas. The release fatally injured...
Diesel and gasoline production was cut by about a third at Marathon Petroleum Corp’s 593,000 bpd Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, following a key compressor outage on Thursday, sources familiar with plant operations said on Friday.
Oil and gas producers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have consolidated at a faster rate during the pandemic, new government data shows, as crashing prices squeezed out smaller drillers who had been seen as the industry’s future.
Exxon Mobil Corp, along with Chevron Corp, is seeking to bulk up in the burgeoning renewable fuels space by finding ways to make such products at existing facilities, sources familiar with the efforts said.
The process of decommissioning the shuttered Limetree Bay refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands will take several months, the company's owner told a Texas bankruptcy court on Monday.
HollyFrontier and Holly Energy Partners are acquiring Sinclair Oil in a deal valued at approximately $2.6B that will include Sinclair's branded marketing business, refineries, renewable diesel business, and pipeline and terminal assets.
A contractor sued LyondellBasell Industries in May, alleging lax safety measures led to a workplace accident at the same plant that leaked chemicals this week, killing two contractors and injuring 30 workers.
Private equity firm Cresta Fund Management has agreed to buy a controlling stake in the idled 135,000 bpd Come-by-Chance refinery with the aim of converting it to renewable fuels production.
Oil slumped $5 a barrel on Monday, closing out its worst day since March, after an OPEC+ agreement to boost output stoked fears of a surplus just as rising COVID-19 infections once again threaten demand.
Linde recently started up its newest liquid hydrogen plant in La Porte, Texas, reinforcing the company's robust supply network of plants in the United States.
SAPREF, South Africa’s largest refinery located in the east coast port city of Durban, has been temporarily shut down as the country struggles with mass looting and the worst violence in years.
Iraq has selected China's state-run CNCEC to build a new 300,000 bpd oil refinery and petrochemical plant at the port of Fao on the Gulf.
To meet increasing demand for refining catalysts, Haldor Topsoe recently announced it will build a 15,000 ton per year hydroprocessing catalyst plant at the company’s existing Bayport production site in Pasadena, Texas.
Marathon Petroleum Corp is restarting a reformer at its 593,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, said sources familiar with plant operations on Thursday.
Chevron is considering permanently closing the gasoline-producing FCC at its 112,229 bpd Pasadena, Texas refinery as part of a possible reconfiguration of the plant, said sources familiar with the company’s deliberations.
Shell has reached an agreement with Alcmene GmbH (part of the Liwathon Group) for the sale of its non-operated 37.5% shareholding in the 220,000 bpd PCK Schwedt Refinery in Germany.
U.S. fossil fuel consumption in 2020 fell by 9% to its lowest levels in nearly 30 years.
Royal Dutch Shell recently started up Europe’s largest polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) hydrogen electrolyser at the company's Energy and Chemicals Park in Rheinland, Germany, producing green hydrogen.
A blast and fire on Friday at Romania's biggest crude oil refinery killed one person and injured five others, authorities and the company which runs the Petromidia plant on the Black Sea said.
Shell and Rolls-Royce recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which aims to support the decarbonization of the aviation industry and their progress towards net zero emissions.
ExxonMobil’s Beaumont, Texas refinery is operating at about 60% of its 369,024 bpd capacity as a lockout of union workers nears the end of its ninth week, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company recently announced that Reliance Industries Ltd. has signed an agreement to join a new world-scale chlor-alkali, ethylene dichloride, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production facility at TA’ZIZ in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi.
Although Shell has divested or idled its other crude refineries in the States, the company plans to keep its Norco, Louisiana Refinery due to its importance in the supply chain for Shell's nearby chemical plants.
U.S. refining capacity last year fell 4.5% to 18.13 million barrels per day (bpd) from a record 18.98 million bpd a year earlier, the U.S. government reported on Friday, reflecting weak demand for motor fuels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scheduled maintenance turnaround at Neste’s Porvoo refinery in Finland is now successfully completed and production has started at the refinery.
Reliance Industries, operator of the world's biggest refining complex at Jamnagar in western India, will invest $10.1 billion in clean energy over three years in a drive to become a net carbon zero company by 2035.
Russia's second-largest oil producer Lukoil plans to invest $3 billion in production of petrochemicals within the next 6 years.
Exxon restarted the small crude distillation unit at its 502,500 barrel-per-day Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery on Thursday, following a month of planned maintenance work.
Despite road traffic being largely back to levels seen before the pandemic, U.S. gasoline production is currently outpacing demand.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc completed restarting the second stage of the hydrocracker at its 227,400 barrel-per-day (bpd) Norco, Louisiana, refinery, sources familiar with plant operations said on Tuesday.
Equinor has entered into an agreement with the Klesch Group for the sale of its refining business in Denmark, including its Kalundborg refinery, Hedehusene terminal, and associated infrastructure and industrial property.
A fire on the small hydrocracking unit was extinguished on Thursday afternoon at Valero Energy Corp's 335,000 barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas, refinery.
Reliance Industries forced to shut FCCU at Jamnagar Refinery for maintenance.
ExxonMobil recently announced that the company will move forward with a $247 million investment into capital improvements at its 500,000 bpd Baton Rouge Refinery.
Dow recently announced plans to build an integrated MDI distillation and prepolymers facility at its world-scale manufacturing site in Freeport, Texas.
Multiple units have reportedly been shut at Valero Energy Corp's 89,000 barrel-per-day Three Rivers Refinery following a fire on Sunday.
The hydrocracker at Royal Dutch Shell Plc's 227,400 barrel-per-day Norco, Louisiana, refinery was partially shut on Tuesday because of a malfunction, said sources familiar with plant operations
Eneos Corporation, Japan's biggest refiner, is dealing with outages and maintenance events at several of its refineries.
U.S. weekly refinery utilization rates last week rose to 88.7%, the highest since February 2020, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data released on Thursday.
Absorbing refining business technology and expertise now, analysts say, holds the key to the success of Pemex's $596 million deal to acquire Shell's stake in the Deer Park Refinery.
A leak in a liquid gas pipeline sparked a fire at the Tondguyan oil refinery in Tehran on Wednesday.
The American Petroleum Institute, with support from members and other industry organizations, has published the "Oil and Natural Gas Industry Preparedness Handbook" to help those on the ground manage and mitigate disruptive events, like hurricanes.
Top Asian refiner Sinopec Corp said on Tuesday it had started a 5.17 billion yuan ($811 million) refinery upgrade at a subsidiary plant in eastern China that aims to produce cleaner fuels and boost output of higher-value chemicals.
Total has changed its name to TotalEnergies and adopted a new visual identity to embody a broad energy company committed to producing and providing energies that are ever more affordable, reliable and clean.
Shell has agreed to sell its Mobile, AL refinery to Vertex Energy for $75 million in cash, plus the value of the hydrocarbon inventory.
State run Hindustan Petroleum has shut a 70,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude unit at its Vizag refinery in Southern India after a fire broke out at about 15:00 pm local time (0930 GMT) on Tuesday, the company said in a statement.
The US Chemical Safety Board has released its final investigation report into the October 26, 2019 hydrogen sulfide (H2S) release that fatally injured two people at the Aghorn Operating, Inc. waterflood station in Odessa, Texas.
Shell has agreed to sell the company's controlling interest in its 340,000 bpd Deer Park Refinery to partner Pemex for about $596 million, the latest move by the European oil major to cut its global refining footprint.
Brazil’s Petrobras said on Monday in a securities filing that it will invest $300 million through 2025 to improve the efficiency of its refineries, an initiative the company is calling RefTOP.
Royal Dutch Shell was still evaluating plans for an idled Louisiana oil refinery, the company said on Monday, after a Baton Rouge investor said over the weekend his $1.25 billion offer was not accepted.
U.S. gasoline prices are rising strongly, pushing refineries to maximize gasoline production while margins are high.
The U.S. EPA's biofuel blending mandates for this year and next are likely to be in line with those of 2020 as the agency accounts for weaker fuel demand since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, three sources familiar with the matter said.
India's Hindustan Petroleum Corp.'s Mumbai refinery will start full scale operation at a higher capacity of 190,000 bpd by end-June or in July, its chairman M. K. Surana said on Thursday.
Four U.S. Gulf Coast refineries slowed production on Tuesday as heavy rains fell, flooding areas across East Texas and Louisiana this week.
Japanese refiners plan to sell assets and speed structural reform and overseas expansion as fuel demand is expected to fall at a faster pace due to a prolonged impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and an accelerating global decarbonization trend.
Aramco, Siemens Energy and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have launched a co-led report on cyber resilience in the oil and gas industry.
Australia has agreed to pay its last two oil refineries up to USD $1.8 billion through 2030 to keep the struggling plants open and protect the country's fuel security.
Chevron Corp said a fire that broke out at its 245,271 barrel-per-day Richmond, California refinery on Friday morning has been extinguished and no injuries were reported.
The troubled Limetree Bay oil refinery in St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, has suspended operations after a malfunction sent oil raining onto a nearby neighborhood, the company said late Wednesday.
Total SE reduced gasoline production on Monday at its 225,500 bpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery because of the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, said sources familiar with plant operations.
HollyFrontier Corporation recently announced that it has agreed to acquire the Puget Sound Refinery, the on-site cogeneration facility and related logistics assets, from Shell for a purchase price of $350 million, plus hydrocarbon inventory.
A renewable diesel unit at CVR Energy's Wynnewood, Oklahoma, refinery will not be in service until the end of the third quarter due to severe weather in February and delays in equipment deliveries, the company said on Tuesday.
Marathon Petroleum issues alert after confirming a hydrofluoric acid leak at its 585,000 barrel-per-day Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas on Tuesday.
U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp reported a smaller-than-expected first quarter loss on Tuesday helped by a jump in refining margin and COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, which drove a rebound in fuel demand.
The EPA has issued a notice of violation to Limetree Bay Terminals for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act for failing to operate five sulfur dioxide monitors in the communities surrounding its St. Croix refinery.
Disputes over seniority rights and pay for union workers at Exxon Mobil Corp’s Beaumont, Texas, refinery led to Saturday’s first lockout at the 118-year-old plant, according to people familiar with the matter.
Chevron Corp’s first-quarter profit fell 29% from the same period a year ago as gains from oil and gas prices were undercut by weaker refining margins, production losses and the impact of an asset sale that benefited results last year.
Indonesia will stop both liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel imports by 2030 and plans big changes to its energy infrastructure to meet that target, a top energy official said on Thursday.
The USW has issued a statement condemning ExxonMobil’s decision to lock out more than 650 members of USW Local 13-243 at its Beaumont, Texas refinery and blending and packaging plant.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is sending staff to a recently reopened U.S. Caribbean refinery to conduct an investigation after some residents said an odor coming from the refinery caused them to feel ill.
Neste will modify its existing renewables production capacity at its Rotterdam facility to enable production of up to 500,000 tons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) per year.
Exxon Mobil Corp and the United Steelworkers union (USW) have agreed to an orderly transfer of the company's Beaumont, Texas, refinery to temporary workers if a threatened lockout begins on Saturday, according to people familiar with the talks.
Phillips 66 and Southwest Airlines have signed a MoU to advance the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, a lower carbon-intensity fuel that can be produced from renewable feedstocks such as waste oils, fats, and greases.
Nacero Inc. recently announced plans to build a $7.0 billion lower carbon gasoline manufacturing facility in west Texas. The gasoline will be made from a combination of natural gas, captured bio-methane and mitigated flare gas.
ExxonMobil and Global Clean Energy have expanded their five-year agreement to increase ExxonMobil’s purchase of renewable diesel up to 5 million barrels per year.
U.S. refiner Valero Energy Corp posted a larger quarterly loss on Thursday as a winter storm hit its operations in February, but its top boss shrugged off the rare event to focus on rising fuel demand and fatter refining margins.
Indian Oil Corp Ltd's (IOC) refineries are operating at about 95% of their capacity, down from 100% at the same time last month, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The adoption of electrification in oil-dependent sectors is accelerating and is predicted to lead to peak oil demand of 101.6 million barrels per day in 2026, according to Rystad Energy.
Formosa Petrochemical Corp restarted its No. 1 naphtha cracker at the company's Mailiao Refinery after a technical problem shut the unit last week.
Exxon Mobil on Monday floated a proposal for a public-private carbon storage project that would collect planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. petrochemical plants and bury them in deep under the Gulf of Mexico.
Exxon Mobil Corp has reached an agreement with U.S. and Illinois regulators to reduce air pollution at its refinery near Chicago in Joliet, Illinois, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Chevron Corporation and Honeywell today announced the commissioning and start-up of the world’s first commercial-scale ISOALKY™ process unit that utilizes ionic liquids to produce alkylate.
Exxon is considering whether to close down its Slagen oil refinery in Norway, which has a capacity to process 120,000 barrels of crude per day, turning the site into an import terminal, the U.S. energy major said on Thursday.
Seven people were injured after a major fire broke out Wednesday at Pemex's 285,000 bpd Lazaro Cardenas refinery in the eastern city of Minatitlan.
Spanish energy firm Repsol said on Thursday it will furlough up to 830 workers at its La Coruna and Puertollano refineries in Spain as pandemic restrictions have led to an “unprecedented” slump in demand for fuels.
Operations at Indonesia’s state oil company PT Pertamina’s 125,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Balongan may return to normal this week, following a fire in some parts of the refinery, a company director told parliament on Monday.
After thorough planning work, Neste's Porvoo refinery is preparing to execute a major 12-week turnaround starting in April.
U.S. gasoline sales for 2021 have exceeded prior-year levels for the first time since last March, when officials first started to widely impose coronavirus lockdowns, according to a report from the Oil Price Information Service by IHS Markit.
According to the EIA, China processed more crude oil than the United States in 2020, not only because of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions, but also because of differences in the longer-term structural refining trends between the two countries.
Niger's Soraz refinery was shut down on Friday after a failure occurred in the 20,000 bpd facility's catalytic cracking unit.
Indonesia’s state oil company Pertamina said on Monday that it was trying to control a massive fire at its Balongan oil refinery in West Java and that five people had been injured and about 950 people evacuated because of the blaze.
Chevron Corp has emerged as a leading contender to buy the Royal Dutch Shell Plc 145,000 bpd Puget Sound refinery in Anacortes, Washington, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Petrobras has announced that the company's Board of Directors has approved the sale of the Landulpho Alves Refinery (RLAM) and its associated logistics assets, in Bahia, to Mubadala Capital for US$ 1.65 billion.
BASF, SABIC and Linde have signed a joint agreement to develop and demonstrate solutions for electrically heated steam cracker furnaces. The partners have already jointly worked on concepts to use renewable electricity instead of the fossil fuel gas.
Based on today’s policy settings, global oil demand is set to rise every year through 2026, IEA report says, but stronger policies and behavior changes could bring a peak in demand soon.
MOL Group has started biofuel production at its Danube Refinery, delivering on its recently updated strategy “SHAPE TOMORROW” MOL Group 2030+ Strategy.
After a thorough study phase concerning the two possible locations, Neste has selected Rotterdam for its new world scale renewable products refinery.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc is preparing to restart the crude distillation units (CDUs) at its 318,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) joint-venture Deer Park, Texas, refinery as early as Sunday night, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Marathon Petroleum Corp is preparing to restart a crude distillation unit (CDU) by early next week at its 585,000 bpd Galveston Bay Refinery.
The largest U.S. refinery, Motiva Enterprises’ 607,000 barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas, plant, returned to normal operations on Sunday, sources familiar with plant operations said on Monday.
The bankrupt former operator of the Philadelphia refinery has blamed the supplier of an allegedly mislabeled elbow section of pipe for the 2019 blast that led to the permanent closure of PES.
Global oil demand is recovering and could return to around pre-pandemic levels next year, the chief executive of Saudi Aramco told an oil and gas conference on Tuesday.
Neste has completed its acquisition of Bunge Loders Croklaan's refinery plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
A fire broke out over the weekend at Delek's 80,000 bpd refinery in El Dorado, Arkansas, injuring six employees.
Lummus Technology announced the successful start-up of its CDAlky® C5 alkylation unit at Valero’s St. Charles Refinery in Norco, Louisiana. The capacity of the alkylation complex is 17,000 BPSD of Alkylate product.
Indian Oil Corp will invest 329.46 billion rupees ($4.46 billion) to raise the capacity of its Panipat refinery by two-thirds to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) by September 2024.
U.S. crude prices edged up to its highest close since 2019 as Texas refineries restarted production after last week’s freeze, while Brent eased on worries that four months of gains will prompt producers to boost output.
Marathon Petroleum has begun restarting a crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 585,000 bpd Galveston Bay Refinery, as the refinery recovers from the effects of severe cold weather a week ago, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Lyondell Basell Industries shut the large crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 263,776 barrel-per-day (bpd) Houston oil refinery on Tuesday to begin repairs to the cooling water system.
Valero Energy Corp has boosted production on the restarted small crude distillation unit (CDU) and the coker at its 335,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, said sources familiar with plant operations.
A deep freeze across the United States is taking a toll on the energy industry in the largest U.S. crude-producing state, halting Texas oil wells and refineries on Monday and forcing restrictions from natural gas and crude pipeline operators.
Venture Global LNG, Inc. recently announced it has closed a $500 million term loan to fund pre-FID construction activities at the company’s Plaquemines LNG export project, as well as for general corporate purposes.
Total S.A., the French oil and gas major, announced it would rebrand as TotalEnergies as it tries over the next decade to reduce oil production and grow renewable power and electricity production.
Marathon Petroleum Corp plans to shut several units at its 585,000 barrel-per-day Galveston Bay Refinery in mid-February for a planned overhaul.
Petrobras said on Monday it had agreed to sell its RLAM refinery to Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital for $1.65 billion, subject to regulatory approval.
Limetree Bay Refining has successfully resumed operations and begun production and commercial sales of refined products.
Following a year of grim losses amid pandemic lockdowns that dented demand for fuel as people stuck close to home, the largest U.S. independent refiners are promoting plans to boost production of renewable fuels.
U.S. refiner Valero Energy Corp on Thursday posted a much smaller quarterly loss than Wall Street expected and pinned hopes on widespread COVID-19 vaccinations to ease travel restrictions and improve demand for fuel.
One man died and another was injured after a fire on Monday ripped through the Russian Ufaorgsintez oil refinery, controlled by Rosneft, the refinery said. It said the fire had been contained and there was no danger of the blaze spreading further.
U.S. refiners are preparing for a painful slate of fourth-quarter earnings, reflecting the pressure of rising crude prices, weak demand due to travel restrictions, and higher costs associated with blending of renewable fuels into their products.
On Wednesday, newly inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden announced America’s return to the international Paris Agreement to fight climate change and revoked a vital permit for TC Energy’s Keystone XL oil pipeline project from Canada.
The Peruvian government authorized state-run Petroperú to issue up to $1 billion in bonds to complete the modernization of the country’s largest refinery, a resolution from the Ministry of Economy said on Tuesday.
The Trump administration is reviewing requests from the oil refining industry for a sweeping nationwide waiver to exempt them from their obligations to blend biofuels, a measure they argue would help them weather the economic impact of the pandemic.
The International Energy Agency recently announced it will produce the world’s first comprehensive roadmap for the energy sector to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 as it further strengthens its leadership role in global clean energy transitions.
Almost one in three workers in the oil and gas industry faced pay cuts in 2020, a worldwide survey showed on Tuesday, as the coronavirus crisis drove down fuel demand and prices.
India’s HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) will shut its 226,000 bpd Bathinda refinery in northern Punjab state for about 40 days from end-January for maintenance.
TechnipFMC has announced the resumption of activities toward its planned separation into two independent, publicly traded companies: TechnipFMC and Technip Energies.
BP Plc has given the Limetree Bay Refinery in St. Croix more time to fully restart and retain its crude oil supply agreement after the plant failed to hit operating targets last year, according to people familiar with the matter.
Nigeria’s state oil firm NNPC is in talks to raise around $1 billion in a prepayment with trading firms to refurbish its largest refining complex at Port Harcourt, seven sources familiar with the discussions said.
Cenovus Energy's strategic combination with Husky Energy has closed, creating a resilient integrated energy leader that is well-positioned to provide superior returns for investors and strong environmental, social and governance performance.
U.S. gasoline prices hit a nine-month peak as drivers took to the roads on holiday travel, crude oil prices kept climbing and refiners further cut fuel production due to weak margins.
A fire at a secondary unit at an oil refinery owned by Rosneft in Russia’s far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur has been contained, a spokesman for the refinery said on Tuesday.
Portugal’s oil and gas company Galp will fully cease processing hydrocarbons at the smaller of its two refineries, in Matosinhos near Porto, from next year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the regulatory environment.
Layoffs of hourly workers at Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s shuttered Convent, Louisiana, refinery are scheduled to begin on the last day of February, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said Exxon Mobil Corp is considering investing more than $240 million in its 517,700 bpd Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery.
U.S. oil refiner Phillips 66 on Monday set its 2021 capital budget at $1.7 billion, around 43% lower than forecast for the previous year.
As of September 1st, the United States had 18.4 million (b/cd) of petroleum refining capacity, the lowest level since May 2016.
An explosion rocked South Africa’s second-largest crude oil refinery in Durban on Friday injuring seven people, local emergency services said.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to complete the permanent shutdown of its 211,146 barrel-per-day (bpd) Convent, Louisiana, refinery within 10 days, sources familiar with the company’s plans said.
Chevron said it expects total capital and exploratory budget through 2025 to be between $14 billion and $16 billion, well below the prior forecast of up to $22 billion.
Neste will shut down its refinery in Naantali, Finland and cut 370 jobs to seek savings worth 50 million euros ($59.9 million) due to declining demand for fossil oil products, the Finnish biofuel producer and oil refiner said on Monday.
Royal Dutch Shell PLC may begin the permanent shutdown of its 211,146 bpd Convent, Louisiana, refinery early next week, people familiar with plant operations said on Monday.
China is on track to eclipse the U.S. as the world's top refining power, a position it has held since the mid-19th century, following a series of major refinery closures in the states.
BP Plc notified officials in Chicago and the state of Illinois of possible layoffs affecting more than 250 salaried employees at the company’s offices, BP said in a statement.
Permanent refining capacity closures expected for 2020-2021 have risen to about 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) as the COVID-19 pandemic hammers demand for oil products, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.
Royal Dutch Shell will halve crude processing capacity and cut jobs at its Pulau Bukom oil refinery in Singapore as part of an overhaul to reduce its carbon emissions.
Since April, when coronavirus reduced demand for refined products such as gasoline, distillate fuel, and jet fuel, gross inputs of crude oil and other raw materials to U.S. refineries have been lower than the five-year range (2015–19).
Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA is set to receive binding offers on December 10 for its Rio Grande do Sul state refinery Refap, with Indian conglomerate Essar Group and local firms Raizen and Ultrapar Participacoes SA among its potential bidders.
CVR Energy Inc plans to pursue a renewable diesel project at its 132,000 barrel per day (bpd) Coffeyville, Kansas, refinery if it succeeds in producing the fuel at its Wynnewood, Oklahoma, plant, the refiner said Tuesday.
Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it was closing its refinery in Convent, Louisiana, the first on the U.S. Gulf Coast to shut down since the coronavirus pandemic devastated worldwide demand.
Neste has agreed to acquire Bunge Loders Croklaan's refinery plant located in Rotterdam for $258 million euros.
Royal Dutch Shell plans to shrink its refining and chemicals portfolio from fourteen to six sites including its Deer Park, Norco, Pernis, Pulau Bukom, Rheinland and Scotford sites.
Oil producers on Monday shut offshore production and pulled workers off platforms in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico as the 27th named storm of the season strengthened into a hurricane and took aim at the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Mexican Energy Minister Rocio Nahle said on Sunday that construction of the country’s new refinery at the southern Gulf coast port in Dos Bocas was almost a quarter completed.
Global professional services organization, Lloyd’s Register Group, recently announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Energy business unit to Inspirit Capital, a London-based investment firm focused on building long-term...
Workers at French oil and gas major Total's Grandpuits refinery southeast of Paris have decided to suspend their strike, the union said on Tuesday.
Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday it plans to carry out major maintenance work on an undisclosed unit at its Pernis oil refinery in the Netherlands from mid-October to end November.
Energy companies forged ahead restoring oil and natural gas production in the U.S.-regulated northern Gulf of Mexico on Monday, three days after Hurricane Delta made landfall, said the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
If they can maintain recent progress, U.S. oil refiners should be able to bring stocks of diesel and other middle distillates close to normal levels in the first quarter of 2021.
U.S. Gulf operators have begun evacuating personnel and shutting down facilities in preparation for Tropical Storm Delta, which is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane as it moves into warmer waters.
Marathon Petroleum Corp, the largest U.S. oil refiner, began cutting jobs on Tuesday across the company, according to people familiar with the matter, as the COVID-19 pandemic sapped demand for motor fuels.
U.S. oil producer ConocoPhillips sees global demand returning to 100 million barrels per day and growing from there, with oil an "important part of the energy mix in any scenario" going forward, a senior executive said on Thursday.
Total is investing more than €500 million to convert its Grandpuits Refinery into a zero-crude platform for biofuels and bioplastics.
Global oil refiners reeling from months of lackluster demand and an abundance of inventories are cutting fuel production into the autumn because the recovery in demand from the impact of coronavirus has stalled.
Royal Dutch Shell is looking to slash up to 40% off the cost of producing oil and gas in a major drive to save cash so it can overhaul its business and focus more on renewable energy and power markets, sources told Reuters.
Brazilian oil company Petrobras said on Monday it will open another round of bidding for its Repar refinery in the state of Parana after receiving binding offers that were too similar in value.
Storm-tossed U.S. offshore energy producers and exporters began clearing debris on Thursday from Hurricane Sally and booting up idle Gulf of Mexico operations after hunkering down for five days.
The U.S. returned to being a net energy exporter in August despite disruptions from Hurricane Laura and ongoing uncertainty over the pandemic, according to data recently released by the American Petroleum Institute.
Yokogawa recently revealed the results of a global end-user survey on the outlook for industrial autonomy, which shows that 64% of respondents from companies in process industries are anticipating fully autonomous operations by 2030.
Offshore platforms and one refinery along the U.S. Gulf Coast shut down on Sunday as they prepared for a second hurricane strike in less than a month.
Citgo recently released an update on the status of its Lake Charles Refinery following Hurricane Laura, stating that the company expected all refinery units to be operational by mid to late October.
The closure of some U.S. oil refineries will have a net benefit to Magellan Midstream Partners LP’s refined products pipeline systems, the company’s chief executive officer said on Wednesday.
Motiva Enterprises restarted the crude distillation units (CDUs), coker, and hydrocracker on Saturday at its 607,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery.
Valero Energy Corp restarted the large crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 335,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas refinery on Sunday.
Oil refineries owned by Citgo Petroleum Corp. and Phillips 66 in Louisiana may be facing many more weeks of downtime as they wrestle with the loss of power and damage related to Hurricane Laura’s assault on the area last week.
South African petrochemicals group Sasol said on Monday that its Lake Charles Chemical facility in the U.S. state of Louisiana remained shut after Hurricane Laura made landfall last week.
DJI announces partnership with Shell to create, test and deploy drone technology at their Deer Park Manufacturing Complex to improve efficiency and worker safety during industrial inspections and emergency incident response.
Exxon Mobil Corp restored stable power to its 369,024-barrel-per-day (bpd) Beaumont, Texas, refinery on Thursday as it prepares to begin restarting production units, said sources familiar with plant operations.
U.S. energy companies on Thursday were organizing crews to evaluate offshore Gulf of Mexico platforms and assess damage to coastal operations as Hurricane Laura took its fierce winds inland.
The EPA has not made a decision on U.S. biofuel blending requirements for 2021 or on petitions from refiners asking to be exempted from past-year requirements going back to 2011, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Wednesday.
According to sources familiar with plant operations, Motiva Enterprises may shut the largest crude oil refinery in the United States for the passage of Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura later this week.
Flint Hills Resources recently announced that as part of its continuous efforts to transform and improve operations, the company is partnering with Molex to launch a first-of-its-kind digital approach to leak detection at industrial facilities.
Securing talent is becoming more challenging and expensive for oil and gas companies amid the coronavirus pandemic and a growing distaste for the oil business among potential young employees.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has confirmed significant progress made on its $3.5 billion “Crude Flexibility Project” (CFP), with 73% project delivery of ADNOC’s ongoing upgrade of refining capabilities in Ruwais.
U.S. refiner Phillips 66 plans to convert its San Francisco Refinery into a renewable fuels plant using cooking oil and food wastes.
The Philippine unit of Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday it will permanently shut one of the country’s two oil refineries, blaming a pandemic-led slump in margins, with other regional closures likely to follow, according to analysts.
Canada’s Co-op refinery complex in Regina, Saskatchewan, said it has contained and extinguished a fire in ‘Section 1’ of the 135,000 barrel-per-day refinery on Monday morning, with all personnel safe.
No injuries were reported from the fire, which broke out on Thursday. Sources familiar with plant operations said the 49,000-bpd 634 cat feed/heavy gas oil hydrotreater was shut by the blaze.
U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell sharply last week as refining rates hit their highest since March, while gasoline and distillate inventories rose, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
Marathon Petroleum plans to permanently close two small U.S. oil refineries in Martinez, California, and Gallup, New Mexico, the company said, eliminating 800 jobs in response to lower fuels demand.
U.S. oil refiners in coming days are expected to report the worst second-quarter results in a decade, with production outrunning demand while pandemic-related closings have sapped summer travel.
Total has signed an agreement to sell the Lindsey refinery and its associated logistic assets, as well as all of the related rights and obligations, to the Prax Group.
Bharat Petroleum Corp plans to restart a 200,000 barrels per day crude unit at its 310,000 bpd Kochi refinery in southern India by end of this month after a three-week maintenance shutdown, its head of refineries said.
U.S. refiners dialed back crude processing for a second week running, responding to lower consumption of all three major fuels.
U.S. refineries have sustained fewer mechanical outages as production has fallen because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, according to data from energy intelligence service Industrial Info Resources.
Reliance Industries, operator of the world’s biggest refining complex in western Gujarat, will shut one of its crude refining units at its export-focused plant in the fourth week of July for 3-4 weeks of maintenance.
A group of the world’s top oil companies, including Saudi Aramco, China’s CNPC, and Exxon Mobil, have for the first time set goals to cut their greenhouse gas emissions as a proportion of output, as pressure on the sector’s climate stance...
Chevron Corp restarted the 112,229 barrel-per-day (bpd) Pasadena, Texas, refinery on Tuesday night after completing a multi-unit overhaul that was extended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said sources familiar with plant operations.
Delta Airlines is exploring “all options” for its Trainer refinery in Pennsylvania, but has no change in plans for operating the plant, Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson said on an earnings call Tuesday.
Taiwan’s Formosa Petrochemical Corp has shut a residue desulphuriser (RDS) unit at its 540,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Mailiao refinery after it was hit by a fire early on Wednesday, three sources close to the matter said.
Venezuelan state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has restarted gasoline output at its 310,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Cardon refinery, two people familiar with the matter said, as the OPEC nation suffers from fuel shortages.
Refiner Irving Oil announced on Wednesday that it will lay off 250 employees, or roughly 6% of its global workforce, due to economic challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectioneering, LLC has launched a specialized recruiting and staffing firm offering workforce solutions to help companies find and secure the top Mechanical Integrity and Reliability talent needed to successfully operate their business.
API is currently seeking presentations abstracts for the 2021 Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit, scheduled for June 7-10, 2021 in San Antonio, TX. The deadline to submit your abstract for consideration is September 15, 2020.
Marathon Petroleum Corp plans to finish a multi-unit overhaul in late July at its 585,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, said sources familiar with plant operations.
U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp is delaying all maintenance projects at its 102,000 barrel-per-day St. Paul Park, Minnesota, refinery for 2020, a source familiar with the matter said, amid concerns related to the spread of the novel coronavirus.