US Steelworkers Union looks at clean energy to replace lost jobs at oil refineries
A union official stated that the United Steelworkers union will rely on clean energy projects in order to boost membership growth and offset losses at oil refineries and petrochemical facilities, even if Donald Trump is elected president on November 5. The USW, a union that represents 30,000 workers at crude oil refineries and petrochemical plants in North America, has predicted a major expansion as the Inflation…
BP warns that weak margins in refining will hit Q3 profits
BP has said that a decline in the refining margins will reduce its third quarter profit by $400 to 600 million dollars compared to the previous three-month period. In a press release, the British group said that it also expects its oil trading results to be poor. Oil refineries around the world are experiencing a decline in profits that is at a multi-year low. This marks a downward turn for an industry which had seen a surge in returns following the pandemic. It also highlights the global slowdown.
The US Renewable Diesel Production Capacity has experienced its largest monthly decrease in history
Data from the Energy Information Administration on Monday showed that the U.S. renewable-diesel production capacity decreased in July at the highest rate since the industry's rapid expansion began three years ago. The capacity to produce biomass-based biofuels and renewable diesel, excluding biodiesel, has fallen by 299 million gallons annually from June, to 4.60 billion gallons in July. This is the second decline since the EIA started keeping records in the year 2021.
Sources say that Sinochem, a Chinese company, plans to withdraw from its US shale joint venture with Exxon.
Sinochem, a Chinese state-backed oil company, plans to sell its 40% stake, worth upwards of $ 2 billion, in a U.S. joint venture with Exxon Mobil, according to people familiar with the situation. Sources claim that Sinochem hired Barclays investment bankers to help it with the sale of its Wolfcamp joint-venture stake. Source: Exxon has the first right of refusal to sell the joint venture, which is majority owned and operated by the company.
Nigeria Seeking Operators for State-owned Oil Refineries
Nigeria's state-owned NNPC Ltd oil company said it has started the tender process for the operation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries, which are scheduled to begin processing crude this year.The oil refineries, which are being upgraded after being shut for several years, have the capacity to process 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 110,000 bpd, respectively.Nigeria, which is Africa's biggest oil producer, is…
Fire at Russian oil refinery Omsk injures seven people, but production continues
The local governor reported that seven people, including one person in serious condition, were hospitalized after an fire broke out at the Russian oil refinery in Omsk. However, the plant claimed to be operating normally and its production plans will not be affected. The fire at the Omsk Refinery has been brought under control. The automatic safety system of the plant detected a fire within technological equipment. The refinery, Russia's biggest, said that it was operating normally.
Survival of the fittest: petrochemical manufacturers battle global glut
The survival mode of petrochemical producers is on in Europe and Asia. Years of capacity building in China, the top market for petrochemicals, and high energy prices in Europe have pushed margins down two years in a row. The weakness of the sector is concerning for an oil industry that looks to petrochemicals as a way to maintain profits in future years when transportation fuel demand will fall with the energy shift.
Has Green Hydrogen Sprung a Leak?
The green hydrogen express is gathering pace, but it may have a worrying problem with leaks.As governments and energy companies line up big bets on the much-touted fuel of the future, some scientists say the lack of data on leaks and the potential harm they could cause is a blind spot for the nascent industry.At least four studies published this year say hydrogen loses its environmental edge when it seeps into the atmosphere.
BP Beefs Up Hydrogen Team in Bet on Fuel's Future
BP is beefing up its hydrogen management team as the energy company prepares to accelerate investments in the low-carbon fuel which it believes will play a key role in the world's shift away from fossil fuels.The revamp of the hydrogen team is the first clear sign of changes Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, a former head of RWE Renewables, has made since becoming BP's head of natural gas and renewables in March.It also…
China Approves $20B Mega Petchem Complex
China's state planner has given initial approval for a $20 billion refinery and petrochemical project to be built in Shandong province, the country's hub for independent oil refineries, said two persons with knowledge of the matter.China's National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) gave a green light on Monday for the Shandong provincial government to start planning a 400,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery and 3 million tonne-per-year ethylene plant in Yantai…
China's Daily Crude Oil Imports Rebound in April
China's crude oil imports rebounded in April from a month earlier on daily basis as refiners ramped up output amid a recovery in fuel demand with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak easing while crude prices crashed on slumping consumption elsewhere.Crude oil arrivals were 40.43 million tonnes last month according to a full data table released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday, equivalent to 9.84 million barrels per day (bpd).That was more than the 9.68 million bpd imported in March…
Country-by-Country Look at Dropping Fuel Demand
It's hardly news that the COVID-19 pandemic has sent most every market into tumult, most notably the oil and gas market as political power plays flood the world with oil precisely when demand has plummeted. Here we provide some recent insights on just how steep falls in fuel demand has been as lockdowns to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus limit the movement of more than 4 billion people.UNITED STATESU.S.
Brent Crude Drops to $26.35. Outlook Bleak
Oil prices fell on Thursday, ending three sessions of gains, as movement restrictions worldwide to contain the coronavirus destroyed demand and overshadowed expectations that a U.S. $2 trillion emergency stimulus will bolster economic activity.Brent crude futures fell $1.04, or 3.75%, to $26.35 a barrel by 0834 GMT. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 94 cents, or 3.8%, to $23.55 a barrel. Both contracts are down about 60% this year."Oil markets received a lift from the U.S.
China Can't Meet Its US Energy Commitments
The more you delve into the details of China's commitment to buy an additional $52.4 billion in U.S. energy over the next two years, the more it becomes apparent the goal is unachievable, even with the best will in the world.As part of the "Phase 1" trade truce between Beijing and Washington, China undertook to buy energy over and above a $9.1 billion baseline of U.S. imports in 2017, with a split of an extra…
Big Corn, Big Oil Unhappy with Fed's Biofuel Plan
Corn farmers, ethanol producers, refinery representatives, energy traders and state and local officials from the Midwest all blasted away at the Trump administration's proposed biofuels plan for next year during a public hearing on Wednesday hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).The hearing in Ann Arbor, Michigan, marks the second public meeting on the topic in as many days, airing the grievances…
CSB: Chemical Leak Caused Fire at ITC Houston Terminal
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said on Wednesday that a fuel leak, possibly due to open valves and a running pump, set off a massive blaze at a Mitsui & Co Ltd petrochemical storage operation along the Houston Ship Channel in March.The fire that began on March 17 at Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) spread black smoke across Houston, shut the nearby ship channel, slowed production at local oil refineries…
Russia's Rosneft Tenders Marine Fuel Cargos in Euros
Top Russian oil producer Rosneft has put up marine fuel cargos for sale with the euro as the default currency, a tender document showed on Monday, in line with its plan to sell oil products in the single currency instead of the U.S. dollar.Rosneft said it had tendered to sell up to 70,000 tonnes of low-viscosity marine fuel with sulphur content of up to 1% from its oil refineries with delivery between Sept. 1 and Oct.
Gazprom Neft, Zyfra to Develop Digital Products
Oil company Gazprom Neft and tech firm Zyfra agreed to set up a joint venture to work on developing digital products for management of industrial processes.A preliminary agreement on this was signed by Andrey Belevtsev, Director for Digital Transformation at Gazprom Neft, and Igor Bogachev, CEO of ZYFRA, at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.The collaboration will be focused on developing digital services for integrated planning…
Svitzer: 5 year Contract with Oil Refinery
Svitzer Caribbean Dominicana won a 5-year contract with Limetree Bay Refining, LLC, commencing June 15, 2019.The company expands its market coverage providing tugboat services to some of the key oil refineries and terminals in the region – South Riding Point Terminal in Bahamas, Nustar Terminal in Statia, Buckeye Terminal in St. Lucia and now Limetree Bay Refining in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.Svitzer Caribbean…
TX Refineries Cut Output as Spill Curbs Shipping
Royal Dutch Shell Plc and LyondellBasell Industries cut production on Monday at their Houston-area oil refineries because of shipping disruptions along a waterway affected by a petrochemical fire and spill, according to people familiar with the matter.A fire and fuel leak at Mitsui & Co Inc's Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) storage facility in Deer Park, Texas, last week sent gasoline, water and fire suppressant foam into the Houston Ship Channel…
