-ExxonMobil has assembled a group of experts to study the possible addition of a third crude distillation unit at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery, Reuters reports. It was reported in April that ExxonMobil was considering expanding the Beaumont refinery to 850,000 barrels per day by the end of the decade. That would make it the largest refinery in the U.S. and the fourth largest in the world.
-Meanwhile, Valero CEO Joe Gorder said his company “feels pretty good” about the prospects of adding a methanol unit at its St. Charles refinery in Louisiana. Via FuelFix, Gorder said Valero would advance the project if it finds a partner to share the costs of construction. Valero doubled its profits in the second quarter of 2015 on strong refining margins, lower energy costs and less planned and unplanned downtime compared to last year.
-Quantum Energy and Native Son Holdings filed an air quality permit with North Dakota regulators for a new refinery in Berthold, the Oil & Gas Journal reports. The 40,000-barrel-per-day refinery will cost approximately $650 million to build.
-Tesoro was in talks to acquire HollyFrontier earlier this year, Reuters reports. Sources say the two firms broke off negotiations when HollyFrontier’s board of directors balked at Tesoro’s proposed purchase price and other terms. It is not known what price was offered, but Tesoro is said to still have interest in making a deal. A merger would create the fourth-largest independent refiner in the U.S.
-The Obama Administration on Wednesday issued a final rule designed to prevent crude oil train accidents similar to the July 2013 disaster in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Via Reuters, under the new rule two qualified railroad employees must ensure handbrakes and other safety equipment are properly engaged when a train carrying oil or other hazardous materials is left unattended. In 2013, an unattended train carrying crude oil rolled downhill and derailed in Lac-Megantic, killing 47 people and destroying part of the town.
