BPCLs Kochi refinery now the largest public sector refining unit in India

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kochi crude oil refinery in Kerala, operated by fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), has completed its expansion project to become the largest public sector refinery in the country, surpassing the capacity of Paradip and Panipat refineries operated by the largest retailer Indian Oil Corp (IOC), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

BPCL completed the Rs 16,500 crore Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) at Kochi in October last year, ramping up the capacity of the unit to 15.5 million tonne (MT) from the earlier 12.4 MT. That compares with 15 MT capacity each of IOC’s Paradip refinery in Odisha and Panipat refinery in Haryana.

“We have successfully completed the expansion project which has made Kochi refinery the largest , public sector refinery in the country,” Prasad K Panicker, Executive Director at the refinery told ETEnergyWorld. “It has resulted in boosting our crude processing capabilities with a nelson index of 10.8. We can now process almost all kinds of crude. From January 2018, we expect Kochi refinery to process around 1.3 MT of crude,” he added.

The Kochi oil refinery processed 1.2 MT crude in December 2017 as compared to 1 MT processed in the corresponding month a year ago, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), an arm of the oil ministry, shows.

A BPCL executive, in a conference call post the company’s second quarter results, had said the full completion of the expansion project at Kochi refinery will increase the refinery’s Gross Refinery Margins (GRMs) by USD2 per barrel and the company expects all the units to be working at full capacity by December 2017.

Panicker said that the company is currently working on a propylene derivative petrochemical project at a cost of Rs 5,426 crore which is expected to be completed in 2019. He added that BPCL had last week entered into a long-term agreement with US-based Air Products, supplier of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment to build, own and operate a new syngas production facility at its Kochi refinery.

Even after the commissioning of the largest public sector refinery, the state-owned fuel retailer is far behind Mukesh-Ambani led Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar complex in Gujarat which hosts two refineries of 33 MT and 35.2 MT capacity each along with a petrochemical unit.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lubrizol has launched two thermoplastic polyurethane resins for hot melt adhesives (HMAs). The products belong to the plasticiser-free Pearlbond 300 TPU series that stands out for its low activation temperatures and good bonding properties to various substrates, according to GV.

According to Lubrizol, its offering for HMAs can be found in technical textiles, interlinings, apparel (seam tapes and heat-transfer labels), conveyor belts, footwear and many demanding applications. The Pearlbond 360 and 960 TPU resins are said to perform well in outdoor applications thanks to their resistance to external agents (humidity and microorganisms). Pearlbond 360 is a breathable, plasticiser-free soft TPU with good wash resistance and adhesion to fabrics. This solution bonds well at a low activation temperature (< 120 C). This allows it to be combined with delicate fabrics and increases the protection of substrates from heat damage. Pearlbond 960 is a light-stable, breathable and plasticiser-free TPU which combines the above-mentioned properties with good UV resistance. It is said to be a durable solution with improved bonding and mechanical properties.

James Ruben, global market segment manager for adhesives at Lubrizol Engineered Polymers, said: "There is a strong demand from customers around the world to have adhesive solutions that combine softness, low activation temperature and high durability. End-uses such as quality garments, automotive and consumer goods require innovative bonding solutions. An increasing number of customers are in search of such a solution. Lubrizol is listening to those customers and is committed to addressing their needs."

As MRC informed previously, in February 2016, speciality chemicals major Lubrizol Corporation announced the commencement of its USD50 million chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) compounding plant in Dahej. This was the company's first CPVC compounding plant in the country, and it claimed that it is the first such in India by any global major.

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that apart from its production develops and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol is providing innovative solutions for its customers high-performance application needs and remains committed to ongoing investment in its CPVC capabilities that support future growth. With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,000 employees worldwide.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Honeywell announced that UkrGasVydobuvannya (UGV) has begun using Honeywell UOP’s HYT-4118 Unity hydrotreating catalyst to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel at the Shebelinsky refinery in Andreyevka, Kharkov Region, in eastern Ukraine, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Honeywell UOP’s HYT-4118 catalyst – similar to those pictured – provide high activity and stability for longer cycle lengths with low hydrogen consumption. The HYT-4118 catalyst removes sulfur from petroleum feeds that are used to make distillate, the raw material for making cleaner-burning diesel fuel. The catalyst is designed for use in low- to medium-pressure ultra-low sulfur diesel hydrotreating units, providing high activity and stability for longer cycle lengths with low hydrogen consumption. It works with a range of feedstocks including straight run diesel, light cycle oils, light coker gas oils and other cracked feedstocks.

“UGV chose the HYT-4118 catalyst because of its ability to produce diesel fuel that meets the Euro V emissions standard while conserving hydrogen,” said Mike Cleveland, senior business director for Honeywell UOP’s refining catalysts product line. “The catalyst meets UGV’s requirements for performance, product quality and economics.”

Hydrotreating is a critical step in the refining process where hydrogen and a proprietary catalyst are used to remove sulfur and other contaminants before conversion into transportation fuels. The process produces a cleaner-burning diesel fuel product that meets stricter fuel regulations such as the Euro V standard, which specifies sulfur content of less than 10 parts per million in transportation fuels.

Honeywell UOP’s line of Unity catalysts includes more than two dozen hydrotreating catalysts for hydrocracking and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) pre-treat, and diesel, kerosene and coker naphtha hydrotreating. Honeywell UOP also offers catalysts for naphtha hydrotreating and FCC gasoline desulfurization.

Honeywell UOP inaugurated the use of catalysts in the refining industry in 1931, beginning with solid phosphoric acid. This and subsequent processes significantly raised the yield of high-octane transportation fuels. Today, Honeywell UOP is recognized as a leading developer of advanced catalysts for the refining industry.

According to the International Energy Association (EIA), global demand growth for transportation fuels is shifting toward emerging economies with a diesel bias, while quality specifications for international marine fuels will drive a shift from residual fuel oil to marine diesel. Trucks, which are a key enabler of commercial activity in emerging economies, will lead to a significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 900 million tonnes through 2050, heightening the need for cleaner-burning diesel fuels.

UkrGasVydobuvannya is the largest natural gas producer in Central and Eastern Europe accounting for 75% of natural gas production in Ukraine. UkrGasVydobuvannya is a vertically integrated company with closed-cycle operations, from exploration of gas and crude oil reserves, field development, production, pre-treatment, transportation, processing the entire volume of produced hydrocarbon feedstock at own facilities with the full process cycle of oil refining to sales in the domestic market of Ukraine.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - ExxonMobil Corp plans to invest billions of dollars in the United States due in part to recently approved corporate tax rate cuts, the company's chief executive said on Monday, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Darren Woods, head of the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, said in a blog post on the company's website that Exxon expects to spend $50 billion in U.S. projects over the next five years. The company also is "actively evaluating" projects now in planning stages as a result of new tax and regulatory changes, he wrote in ExxonMobil's Perspectives blog "Tax and regulatory reform’s economic boon"

More than USD35 billion of that amount is for projects not previously announced, according to company spokesman Scott Silvestri. ExxonMobil previously pledged tens of billions of dollars for U.S. refining, petrochemical and shale exploration efforts. Last spring, it laid out a USD20 billion investment in its U.S. Gulf Coast chemical and oil refining operations through 2022, in an initiative called "Growing the Gulf".

The company also is increasing investment in its West Texas and New Mexico shale operations, and moving ahead on a USD10 billion petrochemical complex with Saudi Basic Industries Corp in Texas.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a tax reform package last month that cut top corporate income rates to 21 percent from 35 percent and allowed for immediate expensing for capital costs of projects.

"The recent changes to the U.S. corporate tax rate coupled with smarter regulation create an environment for future capital investments," Woods said, adding Exxon is reviewing "the impact of the lower tax rate on the economics of several other projects currently in the planning stages." Woods took over the top job in January 2017 after former chief Rex Tillerson resigned to become U.S. secretary of state.

ExxonMobil is slated to report its quarterly results on Friday. Shares of ExxonMobil fell 1 percent to close Monday at USD88.09 as oil prices also fell.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Aleta Richards will succeed Christine Bryant as head of commercial operations for Covestro LLC's North American Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties (CAS) business, effective from 1 February 2018, as per GV.

Richards’ appointment follows a recent communication in which Bryant was named the new head of Polyurethanes in North America, effective from the same date. In her new role, Richards will join the Covestro North American Leadership Team.

Having started her career at Covestro (then part of Bayer) in 1990, Richards is well acquainted with the organisation and brings to the role more than 20 years’ experience in marketing, sales, human resources and general management. She has held various leadership positions throughout the company, including time spent in the North American CAS group, where she led global key account sales and strategic marketing for four years. Richards also served as head of the Bayer US HR organization, which provided HR administrative services for roughly 14,000 Bayer employees. Currently, Richards serves as head of regional product management for the North American Polycarbonates business.

As MRC reported earlier, on 1 September, 2015, Bayer MaterialScience became known as Covestro. The plans for the carve-out of Bayer MaterialScience were announced in September 2014.

An in mid-September 2017, Bayer further reduced its holding in Covestro to 31.5% from 40.9% by selling 19 million shares in the plastics business for a total of EUR1.2 billion (USD1.4 billion).

Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) is an independent subgroup within Bayer. It was created as part of the restructuring of Bayer AG from the former business group Bayer Polymers, with certain of its activities being spun off to Lanxess AG. Covestro manufactures and develops materials such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, polycarbonates (CDs, DVDs), polyurethanes (automotive seating, insulation for refrigerating appliances) etc.
MRC