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Posts in refining

• Explosion at Iraq’s Main Oil Refinery

  Andy Rowell

  Jan07

  Further trouble for Iraq’s beleaguered oil industry. An explosion today at a fuel storage tank caused a huge blaze at the country’s largest refinery some 180 km north of Baghdad, injuring at least 36 workers. The fire is said to be spreading. “This is the biggest fire I have ever seen at Baiji refinery. We…
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• Victims of Oil

  Mark Floegel

  Jul26

  The shop around the corner raised the price of sandwiches by a quarter this week. Although the housing meltdown is raising concerns that it may take the whole American economy down with it, prices are going up and the reason is the cost of oil. Oil, and therefore gas, prices remain at near-record levels. A…
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• Refining Shortage Causes High Gas Prices

  Andy Rowell

  Jul23

  America’s high gas prices are being caused, in part, by what has been called an “invisible hurricane” – have been plagued by a record number of fires, power failures, leaks, spills and breakdowns this year, causing dozens of them to shut down temporarily or trim production. These mechanical breakdowns have created a bottleneck in domestic…
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• BP Freezes Payments to Browne

  Andy Rowell

  Jul10

  It may not be such a happy retirement for Lord Browne. His former employer, BP has frozen payments worth more than £1.5m owed to him, while a court case is resolved. John Manzoni, the outgoing head of BP’s refining operations, is also having payments worth nearly £500,000 suspended.

• BP Explosion Report ‘Toned Down’

  Andy Rowell

  Jun12

  BP’s internal investigator has admitted in sworn testimony that his final draft report on the UK company’s management responsibility for the 2005 Texas refinery explosion was toned down. Wilhelm Bonse-Geuking, BP’s European refining group vice-president, was charged with leading a team to determine management responsibility for the devastating explosion which killed 15.

• Big Oil Grilled By House Anti-Trust Panel

  Andy Rowell

  May18

  Big Oil went on the defensive this week, being grilled before a House Judiciary Committee antitrust panel. It denied denying accusations that mismanagement and a lack of competition are the reasons behind this spring’s record gasoline prices in the US. Already there have been four record prices this week. The surge has been attributed to…
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• Shell Oil Fined For Pollution at California Refinery

  Andy Rowell

  May10

  Shell’s subsidiary, Shell Oil Products has paid nearly $3 million in penalties at its California refinery following an equipment failure that sent nearly 1,000 tons of excess carbon monoxide into the air. The pollution escaped the refinery in Martinez back in March after three boilers that simultaneously produce steam and control the plant’s carbon monoxide…
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• BP Expands in Pakistan

  Andy Rowell

  Apr30

  BP looks set to win a controlling stake in Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in a deal worth around $600 million.The Pakistani Government owns 54 per cent of PSO and is selling 51 per cent stake in the group, leaving 3 per cent in government hands. BP has been competing with Petronas, the Malaysian oil and…
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• NZ Greens Unveil New Climate Policy

  Andy Rowell

  Mar27

  The New Zealand Green Party has unveiled a new climate change policy that rejects carbon taxes and emissions trading in favour of an emitter-pays approach. They argue their solution offers the best hope of carbon charges and trading while ensuring taxpayers are not left holding the estimated $600 million bill for New Zealand’s Kyoto liabilities…
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• BP: “Organisational” Deficiencies Led to Fire

  Andy Rowell

  Mar21

  The long-awaited report by the US Chemical Safety Board concluded that “organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the BP Corporation” caused the fire at the company’s Texas refinery in 2005. The 335-page report calls on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to increase inspection and enforcement at U.S. oil refineries and…
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