Indigenous groups eye Trans Mountain stake

An indigenous coalition is forming in Canada with the aim of buying a controlling interest in the Trans Mountain pipeline and expansion project between Alberta and British Columbia from the federal government. Source: News


Australia to increase environmental transparency for offshore projects

The Australian government has announced there will be increased transparency for all environmental plans for offshore oil and gas activities. All plans will be published, and draft environment plans for offshore seismic and exploration drilling activities will be open for public comment under changes to environmental regulations. Source: News


Aramco agrees to buy SABIC for $69 billion

Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industries Corp., already partners in the development of technology to produce chemicals directly from crude oil, will merge. Aramco signed an agreement under study since last year to buy 70% of the chemical manufacturer from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The private transaction is worth $69.1 billion. Aramco said […]


Higher-octane gasoline seen as more effective fuel efficiency choice

Increasing the octane standard for gasoline sold in the US would improve overall motor vehicle fuel efficiency more effectively than simply waiting for electric and other alternative-fueled cars and trucks to gain a substantial market share, two reports issued by the Alexandria, Va.-based Fuels Institute argued on Mar. 27. Source: News


Vedanta to appraise oil discovery in India

Vedanta Ltd.’s oil and gas unit plans to appraise an oil discovery in its H-2 well in the Krishna-Godavari basin on India’s East Coast. The well, on Block KG-OSN-2009/3, encountered multiple reservoir zones in a Mesozoic sequence at 3,310-4,026 m with hydrocarbon indications during drilling and downhole logging. Source: News


US Sen. Alexander proposes ‘New Manhattan Project’ for clean energy

US Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) proposed what he termed “one Republican’s response to climate change: a New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy.” His plan would double federal funding for energy research and natural gas, carbon capture, and eight other “grand challenges” over the next 5 years to create new sources of cheap, clean energy, he […]


HollyFrontier wraps unplanned maintenance at El Dorado refinery

HollyFrontier Corp. has completed unplanned maintenance during this year’s first quarter at subsidiary HollyFrontier El Dorado Refining LLC’s 135,000-b/sd refinery in El Dorado, Kan. As of Mar. 26, the crude unit was back online, and the refinery remained in the process of restarting all downstream units, the operator said. Source: News