Cameron LNG reaches final commissioning stage of first liquefaction train

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sempra Energy announced that Cameron LNG has begun pipeline feed gas flow to the first liquefaction train of the liquefaction-export project as it prepares to begin production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the facility in Hackberry, La, said lngindustry.

This is the final commissioning step for Train 1 of Cameron LNG Phase 1. "The entire Cameron LNG team has worked safely and diligently to reach this milestone and we expect to start producing LNG this quarter," said Lisa Glatch, chief operating officer of Sempra LNG and board chair for Cameron LNG. "Sempra Energy is now one step closer to reaching our goal of building up to 45 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG export capacity to serve global markets."

Following authorization received from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Friday, April 5, allowing the introduction of pipeline feed gas, Cameron LNG will begin ramping up the feed gas deliveries to the facility as it completes the commissioning process.

Phase 1 of the Cameron LNG liquefaction-export project, which includes the first three liquefaction trains, is a USD10 billion facility with a projected export of 12 Mtpa of LNG, or approximately 1.7 billion cubic feet per day.

Cameron LNG Phase 1 is jointly owned by affiliates of Sempra LNG, Total, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and Japan LNG Investment, LLC, a company jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). Sempra Energy indirectly owns 50.2% of Cameron LNG.

Sempra Energy's share of full run-rate earnings from the first three trains at Cameron LNG are projected to be between USD400 million and USD450 million annually.

Cameron LNG Phase 1 is one of five LNG export projects Sempra Energy is developing in North America: Cameron LNG Phase 2, previously authorized by FERC, encompasses up to two additional liquefaction trains and up to two additional LNG storage tanks; Port Arthur LNG in Texas; and Energia Costa Azul (ECA) LNG Phase 1 and Phase 2 in Mexico.

Development of Sempra Energy's LNG export projects is contingent upon obtaining binding customer commitments, completing the required commercial agreements, securing all necessary permits, obtaining financing, other factors, and reaching final investment decisions. In addition, the ability to successfully complete construction projects, such as the Cameron LNG facility, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Zhong Tian He Chuang, a joint venture of Sinopec and China Coal Energy Group, has taken off-stream Low density polyethylene (LDPE) unit owing to a technical glitch, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has undertaken an emergency shutdown at the units in early-April, 2019. Further details on duration of an unplanned outage could not be ascertained.

Located at Ordos in Inner Mongolia, China, the LDPE unit has a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported before, in September 2018, Sinopec Corp joined a group planning to build an oil refinery in Alberta, an enterprise that would strengthen demand for the Canadian province's heavily discounted crude.

Sinopec Corp. is one of the largest scale integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Its principal business includes: exploring, developing, producing and trading crude oil and natural gas; producing, storing, transporting and distributing and marketing petroleum products, petrochemical products, synthetic fiber, fertilizer and other chemical products. Its refining capacity and ethylene capacity rank No.2 and No.4 globally. Sinopec listed in Hong Kong, New York, London and Shanghai in August 2001. Sinopec Group, the parent company of Sinopec Corp., is ranked the 5th in Fortune Global 500 in 2012.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- German Gref, the head of Russia’s largest lender Sberbank, said he could not confirm if the bank was in talks with Azerbaijan’s state energy company Socar about a possible sale of the Antipinsky oil refinery, reported Reuters.

"I do not confirm this," Gref told reporters when asked if he could comment on earlier media reports that Sberbank, Antipinsky’s main creditor, was in talks about handing over control of the refinery to Socar.

As MRC informed previously, in October 2018, Azeri state energy company SOCAR started up its new oil refinery in Turkey. The USD6.3 billion Star refinery, the first in Turkey built in 30 years, will supply feedstock to Turkish petrochemicals firm Petkim to help to cut Turkey’s dependence on imported refined oil products. It will boost Turkish refining capacity by 30 percent. The plant on Turkey’s Aegean coast has capacity to process about 10 million tonnes per year (200,000 barrels per day) of crude.

SOCAR, which is keen on expanding operations in the retail oil products market abroad, is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in the domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tetra Pak has launched a connected packaging platform, which will transform milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers and digital tools, said Eppm.

Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will bring new benefits to food producers, retailers and shoppers, according to the company.

It has successfully completed pilots with its customers to test the new connected package and its performance in retail in Spain, Russia, China, the Dominican Republic and India, working with beverage, juice and milk producers. In Spain, one customer increased sales by 16 per cent through the scan and win campaign.

For producers, the new packaging platform will offer end-to-end traceability to improve the production of the product, quality control and supply chain transparency. It will have the ability to track and trace the history or location of any product, making it possible to monitor for market performance and any other potential issues.

For retailers, it will offer greater supply chain visibility and real-time insights, enabling distributors to track stock movements, be alerted when issues occur, and monitor for delivery performance.? While for shoppers, it will mean the ability to access a lot of information, such as where the product was made, the farm the ingredients originated from and where the package can be recycled.

Ivan Nesterenko, Vice President, Cross Portfolio at Tetra Pak said: “We are unlocking new opportunities for our customers to get more value from packaging than even before. No longer is it only about product protection and functionality, it is about connectivity. The future of packaging is undoubtedly digital: this launch is a step towards a truly intelligent package, and we are excited to collaborate with our customers on this journey."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings announced that they have reached an agreement for Saudi Aramco’s subsidiary, Aramco Overseas Company B.V (AOC), to purchase a 17% stake in South Korea's Hyundai Oilbank, a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The investment is valued at approximately USD1.25 billion. AOC’s’s investment in South Korea’s Hyundai Oilbank will support Saudi Aramco’s crude oil placement strategy by providing a dedicated outlet for Arabian crude oil to South Korea.

"Saudi Aramco continues to strengthen its position in the downstream sector. This acquisition demonstrates our investment in the highly complex refining sector in Asia, and continuous commitment to the region’s energy security and development," Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, Saudi Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Downstream, said.

"The investment supports Saudi Aramco’s broader downstream growth strategy, as well as providing long term crude oil options and offtakes as part of our trading business," Judaimi added.

Hyundai Oilbank is a private oil refining company established in 1964. The Daesan Complex, where Hyundai Oilbank’s major facilities are located, is a fully integrated refining plant with a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. The business portfolio of Hyundai Oilbank and its 5 subsidiaries includes oil refining, base oil, petrochemicals, and a network of gas stations.

AOC is a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. It provides support services to Saudi Aramco and, through its investments and joint ventures, forms an integral part of the global Saudi Aramco oil, gas, and chemicals enterprise.

As MRC informed before, in October 2018, state oil giant Saudi Aramco signed an agreement to invest in a refinery-petrochemical project in eastern China, part of its strategy to expand in downstream operations globally. The memorandum of understanding between the company and Zhejiang province included plans to invest in a new refinery and co-operate in crude oil supply, storage and trading, according to details released by the Zhoushan government after a signing ceremony in the city south of Shanghai.

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco's value has been estimated at up to USD10 trillion in the Financial Times, making it the world's most valuable company. Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 260 billion barrels, and largest daily oil production.
MRC