BASF has launched a proprietary new Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) additive designed for butylene selectivity in refineries. The product called Evolve improves butylene yields while preserving unit conversion and valuable fuels yields when compared to existing technologies, the company claims.

On August 1st, 2013, Karsten Radtke took over as Chief Executive Officer of Uhde Corporation of America, a business partner of ThyssenKrupp Uhde. The current economic trends in the US are good news for Uhde Corporation of America, which has offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado and Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.

The company intends to use cassava pulp to generate advanced ethanol for transportation. Going forward, St1 aims at constructing up to 20 Etanolix plants in the region, with a total production capacity of 400 million liters of ethanol per year.

The international inspectorate Tüv Süd has recently certified the Wacker Group’s mass balance method for tracing renewable raw materials in silicone manufacture. The manufacturer is the first company in the world to produce silicone fluids without the use of fossil resources.

Saudi Aramco signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with “Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals” (RRPCL), a consortium of Indian oil companies, to jointly develop and build an integrated mega refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri, in the state of Maharashtra.

In a step to shift its power business toward cleaner energy, Total SA agreed to buy Paris-based utility Direct Energie, adding 2.6 million electricity and gas customers in France and Belgium.

The Star program aims to further integrate MPC’s former Texas City refinery into the Galveston Bay refinery. Under the terms of the agreement, Fluor will be responsible for engineering and procurement services of the project.

DuPont shows its commitment to the cellulosic ethanol sector with the opening of its newest biorefinery in Iowa. With an annual production capacity of 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol, the facility tops the sector for output and makes strides towards meeting US government biofuel initiatives.

Keeping NGL (Natural Gas Liquid) pipeline components operating in optimal condition is an ongoing challenge for the oil and gas industry. Rising temperatures in the liquid pumps and the resulting issues for their seals represent one such challenge.Learn how you can profit from dry gas seals.

Akzo Nobel's Specialty Chemicals business is studying plans to expand production of high-purity vacuum salt at its Delfzijl site in the Netherlands. The project would increase output at the facility by around 25 %.