Category: Nieuws

Sugar Land refiner CVR Energy proclaimed in May that it was shifting from crude refining to the growing demand for renewable fuels.

CVR planned to convert its Wynnewood, Okla., refinery to produce renewable diesel. Just three months later, severe February weather and a summer drought sent agricultural feedstock prices soaring and forced the company to postpone its $100 million conversion project.

“We have reached a point where we are ready to bring the hydrocracker down to complete the final steps of the conversion process,” CVR CEO Dave Lamp told analysts during a conference call in August. “However, renewable diesel feedstock prices have increased considerably, particularly for refined bleached and deodorized soybean oil to a level where the economics do not make sense for us to complete the conversion at this time.”

CVR’s setback underscores the challenges refiners face as the oil industry moves from petroleum to lower-carbon fuel sources to reduce carbon emissions and avert the worst consequences of climate change. Refiners face a conundrum: Continue to refine petroleum and risk climate change fallout, or rely on agricultural products at the mercy of Mother Nature and a warming planet.

“Over the last decade we’ve seen more extreme events,” said Patricia Luis-Manso, head of agriculture and biofuels analytics for S&P Global Platts. “Supply risks are increasing with climate change.”

They also face criticism for helping to boost the price of agricultural products at a time when the world’s growing population needs more and cheaper food.

These supply and climate change risks will have profound implications for refiners along the Gulf Coast, many of which are making the leap to renewable fuels amid growing public and investor concerns about climate change. The Houston area has the nation’s largest concentration of refineries, employing more than 4,800 workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The industry appears to be moving aggressively from petroleum and toward renewables. Houston refiner Phillips 66 is looking to convert its San Francisco Refinery in Contra Costa County, Calif., to a renewable fuels facility capable of producing 800 million gallons per year of a lower carbon fuel made from waste fats, greases and vegetable oils. The Rodeo Renewed project, supported by Southwest Airlines, is expected to be complete in early 2024.

San Antonio-based Valero and partner Darling Ingredients will expand capacity at its renewable diesel refinery Diamond Green Diesel in Norco, La., by 400 million gallons per year. The plant, which will process recycled animal fats, used cooking oil and inedible corn oil into diesel fuel, is on track to be completed in the middle of the fourth quarter of 2021. Valero also is expanding its renewable diesel production capacity at its Port Arthur facility by 470 million gallons per year by the first half of 2023.

Exxon Mobil last month said it plans to produce renewable diesel at its Strathcona refinery in Edmonton, Canada. The refinery, expected to produce about 20,000 barrels per day of renewable diesel, will use locally grown plant-based feedstock.

Chevron this month said it will invest $600 million in a soybean joint venture with Bunge, the world’s largest oilseed processor, to develop lower carbon intensity feedstocks. Marathon Petroleum, the Ohio-based spin-off of Houston company Marathon Oil, is converting an oil refinery in Martinez, Calif., to a biofuel refinery featuring renewable fuels from such biobased feedstocks as animal fat, soybean oil and corn oil.

Royal Dutch Shell and BP also are investing in biofuels, and TotalEnergies last year began producing aviation biofuels. Chevron intends to produce aviation biofuel for Delta Air Lines and track the emissions via Google Cloud.

Pros and cons

Refiners are interested in transforming agricultural products, also called energy crops, into biofuels because they burn cleaner than fossil fuels, releasing fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

As countries around the world become more focused on decarbonization policies, setting up low-carbon targets or mandates to adopt low-carbon alternatives to reduce emissions, more refiners have turned to agricultural biofuels. Corn is turned into ethanol, sugarcane is used to produce bioethanol and soybeans are used to make biodiesel.

President Joe Biden in April pledged to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030, in a push by the administration to aggressively combat climate change.

The Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal program that requires transportation fuel sold in the U.S. to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels, requires that a portion of transportation fuels come from biofuels.

But bad weather is highlighting the volatility of using edible products as bio-based fuels.

In Brazil, the worst drought in almost a century followed by severe frost has reduced the sugarcane crop to the lowest in a decade, causing biofuels output to plunge to a four-year low at 7 billion gallons and sending prices to an all time-high at around $745 per cubic meter.

A severe drought in the Midwest and wildfires in Canada have also depleted food supplies, driving prices to new highs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts the price of soyabean oil will average 65 cents a pound this year, more than double the price of two years ago.

Although new technologies are being developed to help reduce risk, including a variety of seeds that are more resistant to the elements, severe weather events and a finite supply of agricultural products emphasize the need for diversification of emission-reducing efforts.

Some companies are turning to advanced biofuels made from non-food-based feedstocks, including from agricultural and forestry residues, such as corn stalks and husks, and bagasse, grasses, algae and industrial waste.

In Brazil, a recent study from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials identified that potentially more than 125 percent of the country’s sustainable aviation fuel demand could be produced from bio-residues that are readily available, such as bagasse (the residue left over after processing sugar cane), wood chips and tallow.

But advanced biofuels haven’t reached the affordability and scale that traditional corn ethanol and soybean-based biodiesel have achieved.

In addition, traditional biofuels made from food crops emit only slightly less emissions than petroleum-based fuels once fertilizers, transportation and processing are accounted for, according to Daniel Cohan, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University.

“It will be important to transition to biofuels that are made more efficiently from agricultural and forestry wastes or algae,” Cohan said.

Competing with food

Several U.S. refiners, including CVR, are taking the leap from traditional petroleum-based fuel to biofuels. But, in addition to bad weather and the higher cost of advanced biofuels, the transition also raises the broader question of whether society should be using food to produce fuel.

Demand for biofuels made with agriculture crops as a lower carbon replacement for oil in the energy transition reduces potential food supplies in a world with a growing population. Using corn, soybean and other agricultural products as a replacement for oil comes as the world is expected to add 2 billion people that will need more food, according to S&P Global Platts.

“The more that we rely on food crops for fuel, the more vulnerable we will be to having food or fuel shortages when extreme weather disrupts crop production,” Cohan said. “The hope has always been that we would start making more of our biofuels from other biomass materials rather than from food.”

Yet, petroleum refineries have proven to be an increasingly risky investment amid the global pandemic and as more electric vehicles are hitting highways around the world.

The pandemic, which brought a substantial decrease in demand for motor fuels and refined petroleum products, also contributed to the plight of refiners, with several plants closing last year. As a result, refinery capacity in the U.S. decreased by 4.5 percent to a total of 18.1 million barrels per calendar day at the start of 2021, according to the Energy Department.

Some companies are selling off refineries, including Phillips 66, which in August began seeking a buyer for its Alliance refinery in Belle Chasse, La.

Refiners also are facing the expansion of the electric vehicle landscape, decreasing the need for biofuels. Electric cars and trucks use an electric motor powered by electricity from batteries or a fuel cell.

The shift would have major economic ramifications for the state’s oil and gas industry. Transportation accounts for about a quarter of total U.S. energy consumption and is currently dominated by petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that electric vehicles displaced nearly 600,000 barrels of oil products per day in 2019. That figure is expected to grow to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2030.

“To address climate change, it won’t be enough to merely replace petroleum-based fuels with food-based ones, but instead we’ll need to transition to cleaner options like advanced biofuels, electricity, or cleanly produced hydrogen,” Cohan said.

HoustonChronicle by Marcy de Luna, September 29, 2021

The UK government has decided to temporarily suspend competition rules for the country’s downstream oil sector in an attempt to alleviate supply-chain issues at fuel service stations.

The measure — known as the Downstream Oil Protocol — will exempt the industry from competition legislation so information can be shared and fuel supply optimised. “While there has always been and continues to be plenty of fuel at refineries and terminals, we are aware that there have been some issues with supply chains,” business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said. “This is why we will enact the Downstream Oil Protocol to ensure industry can share vital information and work together more effectively to ensure disruption is minimised.”

The government has implemented the long-standing contingency plans after a sustained period of panic buying by motorists over the past few days forced many UK fuel service stations to close, with others running short of at least one grade of gasoline or diesel. The rush on service stations began late last week when it emerged that a shortage of qualified heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers had disrupted fuel supply to some forecourts. BP, which operates the largest number of filling stations in the UK, said at the time that 50-100 of its more than 1,200-strong network were running out of at least one grade of fuel and that a handful had been forced to close temporarily.

The supply chain problems have since been exacerbated by unusually high demand from motorists concerned about a looming fuel shortage, with long queues forming at service stations over the weekend. The exact number of filling stations affected is unclear. ExxonMobil and Shell, which operate the second- and third-largest number of fuel service stations in the UK, both declined to say how many of their forecourts had run out of fuel. But ExxonMobil stressed that fuel supply to its distribution terminals is normal and urged drivers to stick to their usual buying patterns, and Shell said it is working hard to ensure supplies for motorists. “Since Friday [24 September] we have been seeing higher-than-normal demand across our network which is resulting in some sites running low on some grades. We are replenishing these quickly, usually within 24 hours,” Shell said.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) — representing independent fuel retailers, which now account for 65pc of the UK’s more than 8,000 forecourts — said it is impossible to ascertain how many of its members’ service stations have been affected. But it said its chairman, Brian Madderson, has spoken to a number of members who between them run around 200 sites and they reported 50-90pc are dry.

The PRA said it does not know how long the disruption will last. “However, our assessment is that if most vehicles are now full, this gives some respite to replenish the tanks,” executive director Gordon Balmer told Argus.

The UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA) — a trade body representing refiners, renewable fuel producers, terminal operators and filling stations — has reassured the public that there are no reported issues with the production, storage or import of fuels.

Temporary visas

Supply chain delays caused by the shortage of HGV drivers are not unique to the UK’s downstream oil sector. They are being seen across the country’s economy, notably in the food industry. Freight industry group Logistics UK estimates that the country needs around 90,000 more HGV drivers. The UK’s Road Haulage Association published a report on the shortage in July, in which it identified Brexit, Covid-19, an ageing workforce, tax changes and unsatisfactory pay as being among the key factors.

The government announced a package of measures to tackle the shortage on 25 September, including a plan to give temporary visas to 5,000 HGV drivers for three months in the run-up to Christmas and deploying ministry of defence examiners to increase driver testing capacity. The government acknowledged that fuel tanker drivers need additional safety qualifications, and said it will work with industry to ensure people can access these as quickly as possible.

Argus by James Keates, September 29, 2021

The COVID pandemic has wreaked considerable damage on the economies of South America’s smaller fiscally fragile countries, with the former Dutch colony of Suriname hit especially hard.

During 2020 the impoverished South American nation’s gross domestic product shrank by 13.5%, the continent’s worst performance after Venezuela. A deeply impoverished Suriname now finds itself mired in a severe economic crisis that is threatening an already fragile state that only emerged from an intense political impasse during July 2020.

The depth of Suriname’s economic problem is reflected by the former Dutch colony defaulting on scheduled debt service payments for $675 million of sovereign debt during 2020. Since then, Paramaribo has been negotiating with creditors to cure the default. That resulted in international credit agencies Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings downgrading Suriname’s credit rating.

President Chan Santokhi, who won the tiny South American country’s top office in the July 2020 election, is battling to resurrect a flailing economy and cast off the corruption as well as the malfeasance of the Bouterse administration. Like in neighboring Guyana, Santokhi’s government plans to exploit what appears to be Suriname’s considerable offshore petroleum wealth to revitalize the economy, bolster government finances and return the former Dutch colony to growth.

Despite Suriname only possessing oil reserves of 89 million barrels, the tiny South American nation possesses enormous oil potential. The impoverished country shares the Guyana Suriname Basin, which the U.S. Geological Survey estimates contains up to 35.6 billion barrels of undiscovered oil resources. Already, neighboring Guyana is experiencing a massive oil boom that saw its GDP expand by an exceptional 43% during 2020.

Exxon’s slew of quality oil discoveries in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, with the latest at the Pinktail well, point to even greater petroleum potential. Exxon along with partner Malaysian national oil company Petronas, which is the operator, found the presence of hydrocarbons at the 15,682-foot Sloanea-1 exploration well in offshore Suriname Block 52. The 1.6-million-acre Block 52 and neighboring 1.4-million-acre Block 58 are believed to lie on the same hydrocarbon fairway as the prolific Stabroek Block.

That proposition is supported by the five quality oil discoveries made by Apache and TotalEnergies, the operator, in Block 58 where they both hold a 50% interest.

Investment bank Morgan Stanley in 2020 announced that it had modeled the oil potential for Block 58 and determined that it could contain oil resources of up to 6.5 billion barrels.

Industry consultancy Rystad Energy estimates that the five discoveries made in offshore Suriname up until the end of June 2021 hold recoverable oil resources of up to 1.9 billion barrels of crude oil.

At the June 2021 Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit Apache’s Vice President Global Geoscience and Portfolio Management Eric Vosburgh stated; “What I would say is that the ultimate scale of the resource and production potential is big. I think I need a word bigger than big, but it’s big.”

Apache and partner TotalEnergies are committed to developing Block 58. At the start of 2021, Apache announced that most of its annual $200 million exploration budget will be directed toward drilling in Suriname.

TotalEnergies set a 2021 exploration budget allocated $800 million with the energy supermajor devoting a third of its exploration appraisal activities to Block 58.

While plans to develop the block have yet to be released TotalEnergies and Apache are expected to make their final investment decision during mid-2022 and work toward first oil by 2025. Suriname’s national oil company and industry regulator Staatsolie has the right to farm into Block 58 and take up to a 20% stake, which would see it liable for $1 billion to $1.5 billion in development costs.

Paramaribo is also focused on attracting further energy investment in Suriname recently awarding three shallow-water blocks to foreign energy supermajors. TotalEnergies and partner Qatar Petroleum won Blocks 6 and 8, which are adjacent to Block 58, and Chevron was awarded Block 5.

That region is underexplored and thought to possess considerable petroleum potential. 

The medium and light crude oil found in Block 58 has similar characteristics to the Liza grade crude oil being pumped from the neighboring Stabroek Block. When that is combined with a low estimated breakeven price of around $40 per barrel Brent it is easy to see why offshore Suriname is especially attractive for international energy companies.

As further petroleum discoveries are made, oilfields developed and infrastructure built the breakeven price for offshore Suriname will fall to under $40 per barrel, making the region competitive with neighboring offshore Guyana and Brazil. 

The downgrades to Suriname’s credit rating will make it difficult for Paramaribo to raise urgently needed capital including that required by Staatsolie to exercise its farm in option for Block 58.

International ratings agency Fitch in April 2021 announced it had downgraded Suriname to restricted default (RD) after the government failed to make $49.8 billion of payments on its 2023 and 2026 notes.

That event according to the ratings agency was Suriname’s third default since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Those events highlight why Paramaribo must resolve the negotiations with creditors and the potential for a sovereign debt default if it is to build further momentum for the exploitation of Suriname’s vast offshore petroleum resources.

The current economic crisis coupled with the economy shrinking by nearly 14% last year emphasizes why Paramaribo must attract further investment from foreign energy companies so it can experience a massive economic boom like the one underway in neighboring Guyana.

It is French oil supermajor TotalEnergies which is positioned to become a leading player in Suriname’s emerging offshore oil boom.

Oilprice by Matthew Smith, September 22, 2021

WTI oil has recently made several attempts to settle above the $70 level but failed to gain additional upside momentum and pulled back.

However, WTI oil remains close to this psychologically important level and has a good chance to get back to yearly highs in the remaining months of this year.

It is already clear that coronavirus-related concerns have failed to put big pressure on oil as many traders were ready to buy any significant pullback. As a result, WTI oil has quickly rebounded from the $62 level to the $70 level.

While the situation with coronavirus remains a big concern for oil traders, recent data suggests that the number of new daily cases in the world has started to decline. Importantly, the number of daily deaths has began to decline as well.

Watching this grim data may be more important to the analysis of potential coronavirus-related restrictions around the world as governments will likely focus on critical cases and deaths rather than on total caseload as vaccination progresses.

Meanwhile, recent inventory reports indicated that crude inventories continued to decline. According to the latest EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report, U.S. commercial crude inventories declined by 7.2 million barrels from the previous week. U.S. domestic oil production increased from 11.4 million barrels per day (bpd) to 11.5 million bpd but it will take a hit in the upcoming reports due to the negative impact of Hurricane Ida.

OPEC+ has recently decided to stick to its plan to raise oil production by 0.4 million bpd per month as the organization believed that demand recovery was strong despite challenges presented by the spread of the Delta variant of coronavirus.

In fact, OPEC+ increased its demand growth outlook for 2022 to 4.2 million bpd. The economic rebound continues at a robust pace thanks to the strong support from the world’s central banks and governments, and demand for oil looks strong as well.

The key question for the oil market is whether the world will have to deal with another wave of the virus at the beginning of the flu season in the Northern Hemisphere. More coronavirus-related restrictions may put pressure on demand growth, but governments’ desire for new lockdowns appears limited except for countries like Australia and New Zealand, which are located in the Southern Hemisphere.

In case developed countries manage to get through the beginning of the flu season without new restrictions, oil demand will continue to grow while crude inventories will remain under pressure. In this bullish scenario, WTI oil will have a good chance to test yearly highs near the $77 level.

Let’s start with the weekly chart. WTI oil failed to get to the test of the 50 EMA as it received strong support near the $62 level. The rebound was very strong, and WTI oil has quickly managed to get back above the 20 EMA which is located at $67.60.

Currently, WTI oil is stuck between the support at the 20 EMA and the resistance at the psychologically important $70 level. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

In case WTI oil manages to get back above the $70 level, it will head towards the next resistance at the $74 level. A move above this level will open the way to the test of the resistance which is located at yearly highs at the $77 level.

On the support side, a move below the 20 EMA will push WTI oil towards the recent lows near the $62 level. Oil ignored technical levels during the recent moves in the $62 – $67 range, but it remains to be seen whether it will be able to gain strong downside momentum and quickly get to the test of the recent lows near $61.75 as the oil market looks ready to buy strong pullbacks.

As usual, more levels can be found on the daily chart. However, it should be noted that the road to yearly highs still looks rather easy in case oil manages to settle above the resistance at the $70.

Most likely, the market will attract more speculative traders once oil settles above $70, and oil may quickly get to the test of the next resistance at $72.50. A move above this level will push oil towards the above-mentioned resistance at $74.

On the support side, a move below $67.60 will open the way to the test of the support level at $66. In case oil declines below this level, it will head towards the next support at $64. If oil manages to settle below the support at $64, it will move towards the support at the recent lows at $61.75.

S&PGlobal by Surabhi Sahu, September 14, 2021

Oil’s Rebound Continues As Crude Inventories Decline

WTI oil has recently made several attempts to settle above the $70 level but failed to gain additional upside momentum and pulled back. However, WTI oil remains close to this psychologically important level and has a good chance to get back to yearly highs in the remaining months of this year.

It is already clear that coronavirus-related concerns have failed to put big pressure on oil as many traders were ready to buy any significant pullback. As a result, WTI oil has quickly rebounded from the $62 level to the $70 level.

While the situation with coronavirus remains a big concern for oil traders, recent data suggests that the number of new daily cases in the world has started to decline.

Importantly, the number of daily deaths has began to decline as well. Watching this grim data may be more important to the analysis of potential coronavirus-related restrictions around the world as governments will likely focus on critical cases and deaths rather than on total caseload as vaccination progresses.

Meanwhile, recent inventory reports indicated that crude inventories continued to decline. According to the latest EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report, U.S. commercial crude inventories declined by 7.2 million barrels from the previous week. U.S. domestic oil production increased from 11.4 million barrels per day (bpd) to 11.5 million bpd but it will take a hit in the upcoming reports due to the negative impact of Hurricane Ida.

OPEC+ has recently decided to stick to its plan to raise oil production by 0.4 million bpd per month as the organization believed that demand recovery was strong despite challenges presented by the spread of the Delta variant of coronavirus.

In fact, OPEC+ increased its demand growth outlook for 2022 to 4.2 million bpd. The economic rebound continues at a robust pace thanks to the strong support from the world’s central banks and governments, and demand for oil looks strong as well.

The key question for the oil market is whether the world will have to deal with another wave of the virus at the beginning of the flu season in the Northern Hemisphere.

More coronavirus-related restrictions may put pressure on demand growth, but governments’ desire for new lockdowns appears limited except for countries like Australia and New Zealand, which are located in the Southern Hemisphere.

In case developed countries manage to get through the beginning of the flu season without new restrictions, oil demand will continue to grow while crude inventories will remain under pressure. In this bullish scenario, WTI oil will have a good chance to test yearly highs near the $77 level.

Let’s start with the weekly chart. WTI oil failed to get to the test of the 50 EMA as it received strong support near the $62 level. The rebound was very strong, and WTI oil has quickly managed to get back above the 20 EMA which is located at $67.60.

Currently, WTI oil is stuck between the support at the 20 EMA and the resistance at the psychologically important $70 level. RSI is in the moderate territory, and there is plenty of room to gain additional upside momentum in case the right catalysts emerge.

In case WTI oil manages to get back above the $70 level, it will head towards the next resistance at the $74 level. A move above this level will open the way to the test of the resistance which is located at yearly highs at the $77 level.

On the support side, a move below the 20 EMA will push WTI oil towards the recent lows near the $62 level. Oil ignored technical levels during the recent moves in the $62 – $67 range, but it remains to be seen whether it will be able to gain strong downside momentum and quickly get to the test of the recent lows near $61.75 as the oil market looks ready to buy strong pullbacks.

As usual, more levels can be found on the daily chart. However, it should be noted that the road to yearly highs still looks rather easy in case oil manages to settle above the resistance at the $70.

Most likely, the market will attract more speculative traders once oil settles above $70, and oil may quickly get to the test of the next resistance at $72.50. A move above this level will push oil towards the above-mentioned resistance at $74.

On the support side, a move below $67.60 will open the way to the test of the support level at $66. In case oil declines below this level, it will head towards the next support at $64. If oil manages to settle below the support at $64, it will move towards the support at the recent lows at $61.75.

YahooFinance by Vladimir Zernov, September 13, 2021

BTMS is a platform that integrates, upgrades or completely replaces existing systems. The primary purpose is supervising and managing Terminals, Tank farms and loading/unloading trucks, ships and rails.

BTMS was developed by engineers who have more than 30 years of experience in the oil & gas industry.  BTMS has the task of combining the functionalities necessary for the entire Monitoring and Management System to work in a way acceptable to operators, dispatchers and other business entities. Its task is to enable the exchange of data between SCADA, Tank System, Metering stations and other business and technological processes.  

Also, this software is responsible for inspecting all authorized business entities in the condition of the tank, active and inactive batches and transports (completed and planned) and the preparation and distribution of the necessary business reports, all in accordance with their assigned access rights. 

BTMS is made for: 

• Tank storages
• Terminals

Benefits: 

• Respect legacy

Maximal utilization of existing software’s and hardware’s 

• Open and flexible

Various connectivity options. 

Unlimited number of clients 

• Modular

Customer buys what he needs and when he needs it 

Clients can run on exiting computers 

• Cybersecurity 

Certified methods for cybersecurity, especially for plant and process data 

The BTMS platform can be divided into several modules: 

• Scheduler
• Planner
• Terminal Management
• Infrastructure
• Reports
• Control house (Laboratory)
• KPI

The system architecture follows four main guidelines that allow modularity and scalability of the system: 

• Component-based design – separation into specific independent sections
• Multi-level architecture – allows flexibility and reusability
• Distribution – allows easy scaling 
• Service Oriented Architecture – eases integration with other Systems

Cybersecurity 

BTMS is implemented in companies of strategic value and requires compliance with all network and application security levels. BTMS can be implemented in network infrastructures where the separation of process and business data networks is required. BTMS retains the existing task and functionality in such systems as well, and communication between these networks takes place via data diodes intended for one-way data flow. 

Terminal Management System 

Terminal Management System ensures efficient, accurate, safe, and secure material transfers for tank storage facilities/terminals. This module will help operators to manage and supervise tank farms, loading/unloading trucks, ships and rails. Terminal Manager also offers real-time data monitoring and connection to existing systems. Terminal Manager is a scalable, highly reliable solution that is appropriate for terminals of all sizes. 

Contains a real-time load / unload scheduler. 

Systematically enforces your schedule for accurate and reliable offloads and automatically triggers sample capture. 

Possibility of connecting with quality control laboratories. 

Berth monitoring: 

– sampling system management 

– manage the arrival / departure of ships 

– connection of measuring stations for loading/unloading ships 

Automation from entry to exit allows a facility to operates completely unmanned with site access to product offload handled by drivers. 

Accurate inventory tracking provides the information needed for planning and operations and customer position reporting. 

Easy-to-use, reliable system provides flexibility and supports additional growth as a terminal expands. 

Alarms, reports and balancing 

For more information, please contact us. 

Luvis Projekt d.o.o. 
Phone: +385 1 644 8222 
E-mail: info@luvis-pro.com 
www.luvis-pro.com  

U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp, along with Chevron Corp, is seeking to bulk up in the burgeoning renewable fuels space by finding ways to make such products at existing facilities, sources familiar with the efforts said, as reported by Reuters.

The two largest U.S. oil companies want to produce sustainable fuels without ponying up billions of dollars that some refineries are spending to reconfigure operations to make such products. Renewable fuels account for 5% of U.S. fuel consumption, but are poised to grow as various sectors adapt to cut overall carbon emissions to combat global climate change.

Both Chevron and Exxon have massive refining divisions that contribute heavily to their overall carbon emissions. The companies have been criticized for a less urgent approach to renewable investments than European rivals Royal Dutch Shell Plc and TotalEnergies, and have generally spent a lower percentage of their capital than those companies on “green” technologies.

The companies are looking into how to process bio-based feedstocks like vegetable oils and partially processed biofuels with petroleum distillates to make renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable gasoline, without meaningfully increasing capital spending.

Commercial production of renewable fuels is costlier than making conventional motor gasoline unless coupled with tax credits.

A task force was created at Exxon’s request within international standards and testing organization ASTM International to determine the capability of refiners to co-process up to 50% of certain types of bio-feedstocks to produce SAF, according to the sources.

Exxon says it will repurpose its existing refinery units among other strategies to produce biofuels. It aims at more than 40,000 barrels per day of low-emission fuels at a competitive cost by 2025.

“We see the potential to leverage our existing facility footprint, proprietary catalyst technology and decades of experience in processing challenging feed streams to develop attractive low-emission fuels projects with competitive returns,” spokesperson Casey Norton said in an e-mailed response.

Chevron is looking into how to run those feedstocks through their fluid catalytic crackers (FCC), gasoline-producing units that are generally the largest component of refining facilities.

“Our goal is to co-process biofeedstocks in the FCC by the end of 2021,” a Chevron spokesperson told Reuters, to supply renewable products to consumers in Southern California.

The company is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop a path to produce fuel that would qualify for emissions credits.

A source familiar with the matter said if approved by the EPA and CARB, Chevron would be able to produce and generate credits for renewable gasoline. That product is not yet commercially available, but can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 61% to 83%, depending which feedstock is used, according to the California Energy Commission.

Chevron said on its earnings call earlier this month that in the second phase of its process, it would be the first U.S. refiner to use the cat cracker to produce renewable fuels.

“We did it this way, in part, because it’s very capital-efficient … It’s literally just a tank and some pipes,” Chevron Chief Finance Officer Pierre Breber said on the call.

Congress is considering legislation for tax credits that would further spur refiners to process sustainable aviation fuel commercially.

Some refiners, like San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp and Finland-based Neste, have ramped up production of renewable fuels from waste oils and vegetable oils to cash in on lucrative federal and state financial incentives. Several U.S. refiners are in the midst of partially or totally converting plants to produce certain renewable fuels, particularly diesel.

If approved, new methods of producing renewable fuels at refineries could allow refiners to avoid lengthy environmental permitting processes. Many of these processes are still undergoing further testing to see which can make renewable fuels commercially, but without damaging refining units.

By BIC Magazine, September 16, 2021