-An explosion and fire at Pemex’s refinery in Ciudad Madero, Mexico, killed one worker instantly and injured 11 — three of whom later died from their injuries. Via Fox Business, the Friday explosion occurred at a coker plant that was undergoing maintenance. Pemex is investigating the cause of the blast. The Ciudad Madero refinery suffered a gas storage tank fire in late July — an incident that resulted in nine injuries.
-Private equity firm Blackstone Group is set to buy a 50% stake in Haynesville Shale assets owned by Shell for $1.2 billion, according to news reports. Via Reuters, Shell entered the Haynesville region in 2007 through a joint venture with Encana Corp. Shell has recently undertaken an effort to sell off some $15 billion in global assets.
-Martin Midstream Partners will acquire a 42% interest in Cardinal Gas Storage Partners, which is involved in the operation and management of four natural gas facilities in north Louisiana and Mississippi. The $120 million transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.
-A new study by scientists at the Stockholm Environment Institute says the Keystone XL pipeline would increase global carbon emissions by four times the amount previously estimated. The researchers say increased oil production would bring down the price of gasoline, thus increasing consumption and resulting emissions. The American Petroleum Institute says the new study is irrelevant since the oil that would be transported by Keystone XL would get produced even without the pipeline.
-Dallas-based E&P firm EXCO Resources appointed Richard A. Burnett as its new CFO following the resignation of Mark Mulhern. Burnett joined EXCO last November and currently serves as its vice president and chief accounting officer. Mulhern is leaving EXCO to join a real estate investment trust in North Carolina.
