The US Environmental Protection Agency issued final renewable fuel quotas for fiscal 2014, 2015, and 2016, and biomass-based diesel quotas for 2014-17 that are more ambitious than those proposed in June.

Shell Chemical LP reported taking the final investment decision (FID) to increase alpha olefins (AO) production at its chemical manufacturing site at Geismar, La., making the site the largest AO producer in the world, the company said. Shell will construct a fourth AO unit, which will add 425,000 tonnes/year of capacity.

Wildlife recovery in Prince William Sound has been extensive enough to warrant closing federal and state legal actions against ExxonMobil Corp. from the March 1989 grounding of the tanker Exxon Valdez and subsequent crude oil spill into the sound, the US Department of Justice and Alaska Department of Law jointly announced.

The US petroleum liquids pipeline network grew to more than 190,000 miles in 2014, 3.5% more than 2013’s total, the Association of Oil Pipe Lines and American Petroleum Institute jointly reported on Nov. 30.

Researchers have developed a technology that improves the removal of salt from seawater, a breakthrough that may alleviate the increasing demand for fresh water in some countries.

Researchers have developed a technology that improves the removal of salt from seawater, a breakthrough that may alleviate the increasing demand for fresh water in some countries.

STAR Rafineri AS, through a contractor, has let a contract to Technip SA, Paris, to provide technology as well as detailed engineering and procurement for equipment to be implemented at a hydrogen plant that will be built near the planned 214,000-b/d SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR) in Izmir, Aliaga, Turkey.

The Australian government has agreed to renew the retention lease over the Scarborough area fields offshore Western Australia held by ExxonMobil Corp. and BHP Billiton.

FAR Ltd., Perth, has received a presidential decree allowing it to extend its current production-sharing contract offshore Senegal for a further 3 years, starting in February.