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New study pushes for energy efficiency - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsAmerican physicist Amory Lovins has published some of the most important findings for climate change since Lord Nicholas Stern published “The Economics of Climate Change” in 2007. Current climate change discourse argues that globally, energy use has to be at least 3% more productively annually in order to stay below 2 degrees. Amory Lovins contradicts that the world’s ability to sustain such rapid savings (slightly above the 2015 peak of 2.8% per year) is far greater – and can prove even more profitable – than had been thought. In his paper, “How Big Is the Energy Efficiency Resource?”, Lovins shows that the potential for energy efficiency has been massively understated and its cost overstated, by analyzing not whole buildings, vehicles, and factories, but only their individual parts, thus missing valuable ways to help the parts work together to save more energy at lower cost. Lovins shows a pathway to staying well below 2 degrees is more achievable that any current climate scenarios assume or suggest. “In the same way that no one expected the cost of solar and wind to plummet, driving faster adoption that cuts their cost further,” said Lovins. “We have overlooked the ability of modern energy efficiency [...]
1Report: Asia solar capacity to triple; five-fold wind capacity addition expected in the next five years - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsTaiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are major markets with combined solar capacity additions expected to triple in the next five years, while wind capacity additions are expected to grow five-fold in the same period according to Black & Veatch, a US-headquartered firm specialising in building critical human infrastructure in energy, water, telecommunications and government services. The company reported that three of these countries, Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam, could become the fastest growing markets for renewable energy in the Asian region. “The opportunity for clients, including power producers, is in implementing technologically advanced, cost competitive and bankable engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) solutions. Deploying time and motion studies and drones, for example, has the potential to cut project schedule and cost,” said Mitesh Patel, the new director for Black & Veatch’s renewable energy businesses in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Patel says the company also sees the deployment of microgrids on the horizon offering utilities and large consumers of power the opportunity to proactively work together to help integrate intermittent renewable energy with fossil-fueled power. This approach will lead to the delivery of a stable and widely accessible power supply that can accelerate energy transformation and universal electrification. Off-grid solutions, like solar [...]
1Plant Expansions: Ineos to invest EUR150 mn in oxide business in Europe; Manali begins production of PU in Chennai - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsIneos Oxide’s Antwerp site in Belgium was the first to be acquired by Ineos in 1998 almost 20 years ago. From this one site Ineos says it has grown to become a global leader in petrochemicals, with interests in more than 170 sites employing 20,000 people, generating sales of around US$60 billion. To commemorate the 20th anniversary, the chemical firm is investing a significant sum of EUR150 million at its Zwijndrecht site, in Antwerp, as part of a EUR200 million investment programme. The other EUR50 million will be invested at Ineos’s sites in Cologne and Lavéra. Graham Beesley CEO of Ineos Oxide said: “We are marking Ineos’s incredible global success at the place where it all began 20 years ago.” Ineos says this shows its commitment to its European business. Projects will grow Ethylene Oxide storage and distribution, debottleneck its plants and increase the production of Ethylene Oxide derivatives for the European Market. A sixth alkoxylation unit in Antwerp is due to start up at the end of 2018, along with a 2,000 tonne expansion of ethylene oxide (EO) storage capacity at the site. The company is also upgrading EO production at Lavéra, France, to support the growing EO needs [...]
1Positive vista for energy, resources and marine sectors amid oil price hikes, trade tensions-report - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsCompanies in the Energy, Resources and Marine sectors (ERM) are rebounding as oil and commodity prices continue to rise and global GDP growth is projected to increase 3.4% in 2019. Travel activity is also on the up, with air prices expected to climb 2.6% globally next year, according to the recently published 2019 Energy, Resources & Marine Travel Forecast. “After a few challenging years, we saw a slow but steady recovery in 2018. We look forward to a more positive outlook for the year ahead – though with a few big caveats,” said Raphaël Pasdeloup, Senior Vice President, CWT Energy, Resources& Marine. “We expect continued growth in energy, metals and minerals commodities, as well as shipping. But geopolitical tensions, including around trade and Brexit, and a host of new and untested governments, especially in Latin America, could throw this positive trajectory off-course.” “While these factors make forecasting difficult, we project air and hotel prices to rise nearly everywhere in the sector in 2019,” said Pasdeloup. ERM industry activity and investments are closely correlated with the price of oil and commodities. Tight crude supplies, exacerbated by US sanctions against Iran, beginning November 4, are projected to contribute to higher prices. Meanwhile, [...]
1Qatar Petroleum in a three-year naphtha feedstock deal with India's Haldia - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsQatar Petroleum (QP) has signed a three-year naphtha feedstock sale agreement with India’s Haldia Petrochemicals. The agreement is to supply India’s Haldia Petrochemicals in West Bengal with a total of 600,000 tonnes of Light Naphtha starting in 2018, its statement said. The long-term supply agreement is the first naptha feedstock sale for QP to an end user in India, highlighting its push for more direct sales with end users. QP President/CEO Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said, “India is a very important country and energy partner for Qatar and we are proud of our longstanding excellent partnership. Qatar Petroleum Group of Companies continue to explore new opportunities with Indian counterparts to further enhance our co-operation on all fronts, and to effectively contribute to satisfying India’s growing demand for energy. “Qatar supplies Indian end-users with LNG, crude oil, condensate, LPG and other fuels; and we are proud to be able to strengthen our energy relations with India through HPL as an energy partner for the direct supply of naphtha feedstock.” HPL is one of the largest petrochemical companies in India. It has a competitive modern naphtha based petrochemical complex located some 125 km from Kolkata, with a total capacity equivalent to 700,000 tonnes/year [...]
1Air Products to build hydrogen plant in Texas - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsUS-based industrial gas company Air Products plans to build a new liquid hydrogen plant at its La Porte, Texas, industrial gas facility to meet increasing product demand from several customer markets. The liquid hydrogen plant will produce approximately 30 tonnes/day, will draw its hydrogen to be liquefied from Air Products’ existing Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline system network, and is to be on-stream in 2021. “The investment in this new liquid hydrogen production facility in Texas will assist with meeting current customer demand, as well as capture the increased growth that we see coming from several markets. Logistically, our La Porte plant has several operational benefits which make the site selection for this new facility a good choice. We are confident with this additional capacity that we will be able to meet the projected growing liquid hydrogen needs coming from the varied industries in the US for which a reliable source of this product is vitally important to our customers’ manufacturing operations,” said Marie Ffolkes, President, Americas at Air Products. Once liquefied at La Porte, the hydrogen will be delivered in trailers to customers in industries including: electronics, chemical and petrochemical, metals, material handling, float glass, edible fats and oils, and utilities. Air Products also has liquid hydrogen production plants operating [...]
2Govt wants Gail to exit petrochemical business: Dharmendra Pradhan - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsPetroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday that the government wants state-run Gail (India) to exit its petrochemical business. On the other hand, contrary to the earlier reports of hiving off the company’s marketing division, the Gail board is planning to have marketing and pipeline segments to be “independent and autonomous with separate balance sheets”. “The Gail board has approached the government saying that they are working on a similar proposal to have separate segments for pipeline and marketing. We want Gail to exit petrochemical business gradually and focus on its core area that is pipeline,” Pradhan said. Under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, marketing and transmission functions should not be performed by the same entity, so that there is no conflict of interest. This is so especially because companies like Gail are in a position to push their gas on priority, given that they also run pipelines as transmission entities. Following the legal requirement, Gail did not spin off its marketing business but decided to maintain a split of its business and accounts for marketing and transmission businesses. “Gail’s focus on pipeline business is required as around 30 million metric standard cubic meter per day [...]
1Oiltanking Singapore builds additional propylene tanks for Shell in Singapore - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsOiltanking Singapore Chemical Storage Pte Ltd, a joint venture company between Oiltanking GmbH and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets has tied up with Shell Eastern Petroleum Limited for additional propylene storage. With the existing C3 system at Oiltanking Singapore for Shell, this new addition of two propylene bullet tanks will complement and strengthen the strategic partnership between Shell and Oiltanking Singapore Chemical. Securing this new expansion for propylene, a key feedstock for Jurong Island, Oiltanking Singapore further anchored its position as a key chemical/propylene hub and integrated logistics and service provider for feedstock. With the new additional bullet tanks, the terminal will offer 84 tanks with individual storage capacity ranging from 800 cbm to 18,000 cbm, equivalent to a total storage capacity of 409,000 cbm. Oiltanking GmbH is a subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls, a Hamburg-based company that operates in the fields of energy supply, trading and logistics. Oiltanking is one of the largest independent tank storage providers for petroleum products, chemicals and gases worldwide. The company owns and operates 76 terminals in 25 countries within Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, India, and the Asia-Pacific region. Oiltanking has an overall storage capacity of 20 million cbm. [...]
1Burckhardt Compression and ExxonMobil collaborate in global lubricants - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsBurckhardt Compression and US oil/gas firm ExxonMobil have signed a global lubricants collaboration agreement to help deliver increased productivity, reduced cost and greater value to customers. This collaboration supports new product technology, engineered specifically for the unique performance requirements of reciprocating compressor systems and better meet customers’ needs. Burckhardt Compression has preferentially endorsed this new product technology for use in its equipment. The offer also includes enhanced equipment performance and lifetime, as well as lubrication related services. The companies will provide a full range of equipment and technical lubrication services to help customers who use the new products optimise equipment performance. These services, performed globally by Burckhardt Compression and ExxonMobil’s field engineering teams, include specialised training in products and lubrication best practices, lubricant analysis, equipment troubleshooting and maintenance support. Martin Wendel, President of Services Division at Burckhardt Compression said, “We are looking forward to working closely with ExxonMobil to offer the most suitable solution to our customers. With ExxonMobil, the lubricant expert on board, we are confident we can deliver best-in-class products and technical support for our advanced equipment to help customers achieve their business goals.” “Industrial operators rely on a wide variety of equipment, including high-pressure compressors, in their [...]
1Adnoc commissions delayed specialised coker/carbon black unit in Ruwais - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsAdnoc Refining, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), has completed the commissioning of a specialised coker unit, as part of its Carbon Black and Coker Project. With this, Adnoc says it will extract the maximum value from ‘bottom-of-the-barrel’ heavy oils and slurry, as it delivers on its aggressive Downstream strategy. Adnoc’s Carbon Black & Coker Project incorporates a coker, known in the oil and gas industry as a ‘delayed coker’, that will allow Adnoc Refining to recover highly specialised and valuable grades of carbon black and calcined coke, the company said. “Not only will it create higher value from what would otherwise be used for low value fuel oil, but both products are essential to industrial processes within Adnoc subsidiaries and other UAE industries, potentially removing the need to import costly raw materials,” it said. Increasing the flexibility of Adnoc’s refining assets to stretch the value of every barrel of oil – and produce additional feedstocks and additives for the petrochemical industry – is a key pillar of Adnoc’s Downstream expansion strategy, announced at its Downstream Investment Forum earlier this year. The strategy will see Adnoc become a world-class producer, supplier and trader of refined and [...]
1Maire Tecnimont provisionally awarded US$248 mn LPG project by Sonatrach in Algeria - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsItalian engineering firm Maire Tecnimont’s main subsidiary Tecnimont has been provisionally awarded by Sonatrach an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract for the execution of the LPG Train 4 – ZCINA Hassi Messaoud project, to be implemented inside the existing ZCINA Facility, located in the Hassi Messaoud area, in central Algeria. The overall Contract value equals to US$248 million, under a multicurrency basis. The contract is under a scheme for Engineering, Procurement and Construction activities. The scope of the project entails the implementation of a new train of 8 MMSm3 (million standard cubic meters) per day capacity of LPG and Condensate extraction from associated gas coming from the existing plants located nearby ZCINA facility outside the battery limits. This project is an extension to the existing ZCINA LPG plant which operations have been started up from June 2013 with three LPG trains, to increase the production of LPG and condensate from the Hassi Messaoud field. LPG or Liquefied Petroleum Gas is a pressurised liquid mixture of propane and butane used as fuel in heating appliances, cooking equipment, and vehicles. The provisional award is expected to be confirmed soon after finalisation of the contract annexes with the client and is subject to the final award notice [...]
1Posco awarded Long Son petchem project in Vietnam - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsPosco Engineering & Construction (Posco E&C) has signed a KRW81.2 billion contract to lay the groundwork for Long Son Petrochemical Complex (LSPC), wholly owned by Thailand’s SCG, in Vietnam. The South Korean builder will work on the 2.31 million sq m site on Long Son Island in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Work on the project, won from Vietnam Long Son Petrochemical (LSP)—the investor of LSPC—will begin next month with the completion date set at September 2020, the company said. LSPC was kicked off recently after a delay of ten years, with SCG reaching an agreement to buy PetroVietnam’s 29% stake in LSPC. LSPC is located in Long Son commune of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, 100 km from Ho Chi Minh City. This integrated petrochemical complex will have a total olefin production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes/year. It is designed to produce various petrochemical products, including essential plastic materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and other products in excess of 2 million tonnes/year, enabling it to substitute imported polyolefin products. Non-petrochemical supporting infrastructure, such as a deep sea port and other facilities, are also included. In January, Posco signed a KRW750 billion contract to build storage tanks and a [...]
1Indian Oil pumps up investments in Odisha: MEG/PTA/PX units; plastics/textile parks - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsIn a move aimed at drawing investments into the state of Odisha, Indian Oil Corporation has poured in further investments. Speaking recently, Chairman of Indian Oil, Sanjiv Singh, said, “Indian Oil is planning to set up an integrated PX/PTA plant and a glycols plant at the Paradip refinery at a combined investment of Rs13,000 crore. The PX/PTA and glycols plants will provide the raw material to catalyse the development of a world-class integrated Textiles Park being planned by the government of Odisha at Bhadrak.” The firm has also invested Rs.35,000 crore in a 15-million metric tonnes/year refinery at the Paradip refinery complex. A new polypropylene unit of 700 kilotonnes/year capacity, estimated to cost Rs.3,150 crore, will also be commissioned by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Indian Oil has entered into a joint venture with IDCO to develop the Paradip Plastics Park, at an investment of Rs106 crore, to provide a manufacturing base for the downstream plastics industry in Odisha with support facilities ranging from warehouse for raw material and finished products and product testing facilities. The park is spread over 120 acres, out of which 70 acres will be available for industrial plots. The downstream units coming up in [...]
1TechnipFMC wins a large contract for Vietnam’s largest olefins plant - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsTechnipFMC has been awarded by Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. (LSP), a large contract for the licensing, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and start-up of Vietnam’s first olefins plant on Long Son Island, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Vietnam. Designed as a flexible feed cracker, the olefins plant can utilize both naphtha and LPG feeds to produce olefins of up to 1.6 million tons per year depending on the feedstock mix. The olefins will help meet Vietnam’s rising demand for petrochemical products. The plant will also include proprietary licensed units and will be based on TechnipFMC’s proprietary ethylene technology. TechnipFMC is executing the project in a consortium with SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. of South Korea. TechnipFMC is the leader of the consortium and, as a global company, will execute all engineering, as well as the procurement of critical equipment from its operating centers located in Houston, USA, Rome, Italy and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nello Uccelletti, President of TechnipFMC’s Onshore/Offshore business, commented: “Our reliable proprietary ethylene technology and proven engineering, procurement and construction capabilities were key factors in this important, highly competitive award and confirms our leadership in this market. TechnipFMC will ensure, with SK Engineering & Construction, that this ambitious [...]
1IHS: Looming production shutdowns to affect MMA market - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsThe global market for methyl methacrylate (MMA) — a chemical critical to the production of plastics, paints, coatings and adhesives for a host of consumer markets — is increasing significantly, while supply continues to be constrained due to production shutdowns and operational issues at ageing production facilities, according to new chemical research from IHS Markit. MMA is essential for the production of a diverse range of consumer products, including automotive plastics, TV and electronics screens, optical devices, dental and orthodontic products, signage, lighting, windows, and household acrylic paints, coatings and adhesives. The primary application for MMA, which represents approximately 50% of global demand, is as a feedstock for production of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). PMMA is a key plastic used in a host of applications, including acrylic glass or “safety glass,” often known by trademark names such as Plexiglas or Lucite. The second largest application is for production of paints and coatings, which consume about 40% of global MMA demand, IHS Markit said. Currently, according to the “IHS Markit Global Acrylates and Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) Market Advisory Service” global demand for MMA through 2018 is expected to reach 3.7 million tonnes, and by 2023, demand for MMA will exceed 4.3 [...]
1LyondellBasell/Covestro kick-off circular steam project in the Netherlands - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsChemical company LyondellBasell and its joint venture partner, polymer maker Covestro, have kicked-off a large investment project at their site in Maasvlakte-Rotterdam, the Netherlands, resulting in an overall reduction of 140,000 tonnes/year CO2 emissions The Circular Steam Project incorporates an innovative technology into the existing production plant to convert its water-based waste into energy, reducing 0.9 Petajoule of energy and avoiding the release of 11 million kg of salt residue into the surface water. The Maasvlakte site, in the port of Rotterdam, is a 50:50 joint venture between the two companies, producing propylene oxide (PO) and styrene monomer (SM), based on the PO/SM technology of LyondellBasell. The project is an important contribution to the Dutch government’s CO2 reduction targets. As part of the project, a new bio plant and incinerator will be built on the Maasvlakte site, in which the production’s waste will be treated in two steps and transformed into steam. The steam will be used as an energy source in the existing on-site production plant, thus making it a circular process. Jean Gadbois, Senior Vice President Manufacturing Europe, Asia and International of LyondellBasell: “The Dutch government’s support is pivotal to the viability of innovative projects like this Circular Steam Project, which [...]
1Kazakhstan sets up PET waste-to-fibre recycling plant - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsConstruction of a plant for the processing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and the production of staple fibre has been completed in the Turkestan region in southern Kazakhstan. Investors in the project were Kazakhstan GreenTechnology Industries in cooperation with the foreign partner — Hong Kong General Industry and Commerce (China). The plant started production of the first stage — washing, drying and crushing PET waste, where 73 people are already employed. Now the company has started to launch the next stage — organisation of staple fibre production. With the full launch of the plant, more than 250 jobs will be created. Hong Kong General Industry and Commerce Co Ltd is a subsidiary of the international holding company Tianrun Group. It is the largest manufacturer and exporter of sectional heating radiators. The holding’s turnover is US$400 million a year; it has production facilities in China and Europe. Kazakh Invest national investment promotion company provided assistance in connecting the project to gas supply networks, as well as obtaining a working visa for the management and specialists of the Chinese company. According to official statistics, 5-6 million tonnes of solid household waste are stored annually in Kazakhstan, of which about 150-200,000 tonnes is [...]
1Maire Tecnimont secures HPCL-Mittal petchem project; deal valued at US$225 mn - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsItalian engineering company Maire Tecnimont’s subsidiary Tecnimont, in consortium with its Indian affiliate Tecnimont Private Limited, has been awarded two EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning) contracts by HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL), for the implementation of new HDPE and PP units. Once completed, the new HDPE unit will have a capacity of 450,000 tonnes/year, while the new PP unit will have a capacity of 500,000 tonnes/year. The time schedule is 25 months for mechanical completion. The units will be located adjacent to Guru Gobind Singh Refinery at Bathinda, Punjab, in northern India. HMEL is a joint venture formed by Mittal Energy Investments Singapore and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. The overall value of the EPC Lump Sum contracts is in the range of US$225 million. The projects’ scope entails Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning activities up to the performance guarantees test run of the monomer purification sections and the polymerisation areas. Pierroberto Folgiero, Maire Tecnimont CEO, commented: “With this important step in India supporting very prestigious clients such as HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited, we confirm our global leadership in polyolefins and consolidate our technology-driven footprint in Asia, a market with a very promising downstream investment cycle thanks to the availability of natural resources and the growing demand for [...]
1Oxiteno starts up surfactants plant in Texas - Energy Oil & Gas Asia | Oil & Gas sectors, Petroleum news, Energy newsBrazil’s Oxiteno has commenced operations at its new manufacturing plant in Pasadena, Texas. The new unit features alkoxylation technology and will produce a broad range of specialty surfactants such as polysorbates, amine and alcohol ethoxylates, EO/PO products, sodium isethionate, high molecular weight PEGs, and much more. The plant’s production capacity is 170,000 tonnes/year and it will serve regional and global customers. Oxiteno says it has invested around US$200 million over six years, including site acquisition, plant construction, and R&D facilities while creating more than 120 jobs. The strategic US Gulf location allows easy access to key raw materials, logistics, and a specialized workforce. The company will produce a wide range of nonionic surfactants and specialty alkoxylates serving key markets such as agrochemicals, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, personal care, oilfield chemicals, paints & coatings. “The start-up of our new alkoxylation plant in Texas is a key accomplishment in our journey to become a leading supplier of surfactants and specialty alkoxylates to US and global customers”, said Timothy Madden, CEO of Oxiteno in the US. “Our focus and expertise in this technology and broad portfolio of products and applications will fortify our ability to continue delivering value to our customers [...]
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