With crude oil prices lingering at levels not seen in over a decade, do coal-to-olefins and methanol-to-olefins processes still hold a competitive edge against naphtha-based production?
Nigeria needs to urgently revise the contracts governing its onshore oil blocks if it wants to stem the decline of production in a low oil price environment, the head of Oando said recently.
(Thu, 18 Feb 2016) U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) crude oil production is estimated to increase to record high levels in 2017, even as oil prices remain low. EIA projects GOM production will average 1.63 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2016 and 1.79 million b/d in 2017, reaching 1.91 million b/d in December 2017. GOM production is expected to account for 18% and 21% of total forecast U.S. crude oil production in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Platts steel editors discuss the poor overall financial health of major metals producers in Q4 2015 and antidumping measures proposed by the US and issued by the EC.
(Wed, 17 Feb 2016) EIA's weekly survey of diesel prices shows that the U.S. average retail price for on-highway diesel fuel was $1.98 per gallon (gal) on February 15, falling below $2/gal for the first time since February 14, 2005. The U.S. average retail diesel price had last approached, but not gone below, the $2.00 mark in early 2009. Falling diesel prices reflect both decreasing crude oil prices and increasing inventories of crude oil and refined products.
(Tue, 16 Feb 2016) The Energy Minister and Secretaries from Canada, Mexico, and the United States are launching a framework for sharing energy information for North America, hosted at www.nacei.org. The website can be displayed in English, French, and Spanish and has links to all three countries' energy statistical agencies.
(Tue, 16 Feb 2016) The Electric Power Annual 2014 (EPA 2014) Report is now available with final data through 2014. The 2014 EPA presents 11 years (2004-14) of national-level data on electricity generating capacity, electricity generation and useful thermal output, fuel receipts, consumption, and emissions.
In developing countries, rapid urbanisation has led to an increase in the demand for transport, aggravating problems of pollution, congestion and accidents. Increasing public transport availability is one way of addressing these problems. In the Indian city of Kolkata, buses cater to a large number of people in the metropolitan area and are run by private operators as well as by the state government. Corporations owned by the state, known as state transport undertakings, operate buses.
Water resources infrastructure ranges from educational and research infrastructure, storage works (surface and underground), hydrological and meteorological stations, irrigation systems, to water infrastructure for eco-tourism. This water resources infrastructure serves the mining, agricultural, urban and rural water needs, the environment, amongst a host of other needs and demands.
