The Oil Daily articles from August 2008

The Oil Daily archives from August 2008

Marathon may split up into two companies.(Marathon Oil Co.)
August 1, 2008... Marathon Oil has decided that the integrated business model may not be the best path forward for it. The Houston-based company--the fourth biggest US-based oil firm--said Thursday it is evaluating a possible split into two independent,...

Exxon turns in $12 billion second quarter.(Exxon Mobil Corp.)(Financial report)
August 1, 2008... Exxon Mobil had no trouble posting a nearly $12 billion second-quarter profit, thanks to oil selling for around $120 per barrel during the period. Such a strong oil price, however, continues to eat into the profitability of downstream...

Apache trims 2008 growth forecast to 2% after gas plant explosion.(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Apache Corp. said on Thursday its second-quarter earnings more than doubled, topping Wall Street expectations, as the independent oil and natural gas company profited from high energy prices. Profit in the quarter rose to $1.4 billion...

Crude futures give back most of previous session's big gain.(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... US crude futures closed lower on Thursday, reversing big gains made the day before. "I think they overdid it a little yesterday," said Peter Donovan of Vantage Trading in New York, referring to a short-covering rally on Wednesday that...

Daily oil & gas price review.(Statistical table)
August 1, 2008... Daily Oil & Gas Price Review Prices for Thursday, July 31, 2008 US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Cash/Spot Change Spot Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) +2.71 122.02 121.29 138.73 LLS (St. James)...

Bolivia seeks help from Venezuela to boost natural gas reserves.
August 1, 2008... Bolivia plans to increase its natural gas reserves by 10 trillion cubic feet with the help of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDV), according to the head of state-owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales de Bolivia (YPFB). YPFB President Santos...

Shell takes fresh look at Nigerian security after recent attack.(Royal Dutch-Shell PLC)
August 1, 2008... Royal Dutch Shell is to review security at oil and gas installations offshore Nigeria in the wake of a surprise attack in June on its deepwater Bonga oil field. "At our deepwater facilities, we always thought an attack would be relatively...

Mexican Congress likely to pass limited energy reforms this fall.
August 1, 2008... A majority of Mexican lawmakers will likely approve modest energy reforms during the fall legislative session, according to several industry analysts. Drawing on an energy reform package proposed in April by President Felipe Calderon, the...

Refiner Tesoro does not expect gasoline demand to recover in 2008.(Tesoro Crude Oil Co.)
August 1, 2008... Independent refiner Tesoro does not expect gasoline demand to pick up again this year because of high prices and changes in motorists' driving behavior. Consequently, refining margins will likely stay low for the foreseeable future,...

Eni upstream chief resigns.(Corporate News)(resignation of Stefano Cao)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Italian oil major Eni has unexpectedly announced the departure of Stefano Cao, upstream chief since 2000, "to take up new professional challenges." He will be replaced by his deputy, Claudio Descalzi. After a 30-year career with Eni,...

EIA gas storage report.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical data)
August 1, 2008... Gas in Storage Rises by 65 Bcf Stocks of working natural gas in US storage facilities rose by 65 Bcf in the week ending Jul.25, leaving storage levels at 2,461 Bcf, according to the Energy Information Administration. Gas in storage is 357...

TransCanada profit surges.(Earnings)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Profit at TransCanada rose 26% in the second quarter as power prices rose and expenses fell. The company, Canada's largest pipeline and power firm, said net income climbed to C$324 million (US$318 million), or C58 cents/share, in the...

IP sells Haynesville rights.(Exploration & Production)(International Paper Co.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... International Paper said on Thursday it agreed to sell the right to drill on 13,000 acres in the Haynesville Shale play in Louisiana to natural gas company Chesapeake Energy for $263 million. Chesapeake and other energy companies have been...

Fayetteville lifts Southwestern.(Exploration & Production)(Southwestern Energy Co.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Southwestern Energy said its production and earnings for the second quarter of this year were boosted by further strong growth in the Fayetteville Shale gas play in Arkansas. As of Jul. 1, Southwestern's gross operated production from the...

Stock market scorecard.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical table)
August 1, 2008... Stock Market Scorecard Integrated Close 1-Day % Chg. Majors 7/31 Chg. % Chg. 10-Day 52-Wk YTD Marathon 49.47 +4.34 +9.62% +13.65% -13.21% -18.72% Statoil ...

Japan June crude imports fall.(International)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Japan's crude oil imports slid 9.4% in June to 3.53 million b/d, although average first-half imports were 6.8% higher than in the same period of 2007 at 4.3 million b/d, latest official data show. Volumes from No. 1 supplier Saudi Arabia...

Sunrise axes Timor LNG plan.(International)(Woodside Petroleum Ltd.)(liquified natural gas)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Australia's Woodside Petroleum appears to have abandoned plans to build an LNG liquefaction plant in East Timor to monetize its Sunrise gas and condensate project. A Woodside official said Thursday that it is now focusing on two other...

Jakarta mulls new oil tax.(International)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Indonesia is mulling a windfall tax on oil firms or an export tax as possible options to boost energy revenues, an official at energy watchdog BP Migas said Thursday. The tax proposals have alarmed energy companies, which say they could...

Libya gets cozier with Russia.(International)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Libya this week finally released an executive from Russian oil company Lukoil who has been jailed without charge since November. Alexander Tsygankov was freed just hours before the Libyan and Russian prime ministers sat down for a meeting in...

Chevron starts up Agbami.(International)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Chevron said on Thursday it started production at its Agbami field offshore Nigeria, the country's largest deepwater field. The field is currently producing about 20,000 b/d of oil and natural gas liquids, and will ramp up to around 100,000...

Chinese demand surges.(International)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... China's apparent oil demand surged to 7.9 million barrels per day in the first half of the year, according to Oil Daily calculations. Taking domestic production and net imports into account, total apparent demand was 6% higher than in the same...

Enbridge raises earnings guidance.(NEWS ALERT)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Canadian pipeline company Enbridge is boosting guidance for its 2008 annual operating earnings to C$1.85-$1.95/share, up 10 cents from the previous outlook, Chief Executive Patrick Daniel said Thursday as the company disclosed its second...

Rubiales, Ecopetrol strike deal.(Latin America)(Rubiales Energy Corp.)(Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos S.A.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Pacific Rubiales Energy said on Thursday its subsidiary, Meta Petroleum, has reached an agreement with Ecopetrol, the national oil company of Colombia, to jointly develop the Alicante Block in the Llanos Orientales Basin of Colombia. Under...

Brazil oil strike averted.(Latin America)(Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Oil workers in Brazil said on Thursday they have suspended a nationwide strike planned for Aug. 5, after state-run oil company Petrobras submitted a new offer in negotiations (OD Jul.16,p1). A representative for FUP, an umbrella union for...

Murphy cuts refinery runs.(Refining)(Murphy Oil Corp.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Murphy Oil said Thursday it has cut runs at two of its US refineries to maintain profitability. Throughout the year, refiners have reduced production as record crude oil prices and falling gasoline demand have eaten away at profits. ...

Chevron struggles on home turf in California.(Financial report)
August 4, 2008... Chevron posted a record second-quarter profit of $6 billion, despite the company's inability to turn a downstream profit in the period. Like those of peers such as Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, Chevron's quarterly earnings were driven by...

Hedges hurt top US gas producer Chesapeake.(Chesapeake Energy Corp.)(Financial report)
August 4, 2008... Chesapeake Energy reported a substantial second-quarter net loss on Thursday as its results took a hit from bad hedges. The Oklahoma-based company also said it has become the biggest producer of natural gas in the US, Chesapeake posted a net...

Congress breaks for recess without addressing high energy prices.
August 4, 2008... Lawmakers departed Washington on Friday to begin the five-week August recess without approving legislation to address soaring retail gasoline prices. Both parties were content to leave unresolved a political issue that they believe will give...

Crude ends week with modest gain after Israel comments on Iran.
August 4, 2008... Crude ended a choppy week slightly higher on Friday after prices found support in hawkish comments by the possible future Israeli prime minister. Nymex light, sweet crude closed up $1.02 at $125.10 per barrel. Brent on ICE Futures Europe...

Daily oil & gas price review.(Statistical table)
August 4, 2008... Daily Oil & Gas Price Review Prices for Friday, August 1, 2008 US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Cash/Spot Change Spot Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) +0.69 122.71 121.26 141.49 LLS (St. James) ...

Sours strengthen in US spot market; sweets slide, might fall even further.
August 4, 2008... Trade in sweeter grades was relatively quiet in the domestic US spot crude market last week, although refining margins improved slightly as a result of better gasoline cracks. Sweeter grades firmed a little relative to benchmark West Texas...

Baker Hughes drilling report.(Statistical data)
August 4, 2008... Rig Count Fell by 6 The number of drilling rigs searching for oil and gas in the US rose by one last week to 1,922, Baker Hughes said. During the same week last year, there were 1,791 rigs at work. The number of rigs searching for oil...

Argentina raises power prices, sparking hopes gas could follow.
August 4, 2008... Argentina increased electricity rates last week for the first time in seven years, raising hopes among natural gas distributors that they may soon be allowed to implement similar price hikes. While seen as a move in the right direction, the...

Total reports improved earnings, confirms sale of Sanofi stake.(Financial report)
August 4, 2008... French major Total bucked some trends Friday, reporting a year-on-year increase in second-quarter output, albeit of just 1.3%. But it echoed its competitors in reporting improved earnings on the back of high crude oil prices. The company...

Malaysia mulls price cut.(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Malaysia is considering cutting fuel prices in response to falling international oil prices, its Bernama news agency said Friday. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the government is still looking at a few issues before making an...

Hot weather, tropics setting up natural gas futures for rebound.
August 4, 2008... Natural gas and oil futures oscillated last week amid a collage of clashing fundamental and technical indicators. However, it appears that after the recent pullback in prices the market may be turning bullish again as a new wave of buying is...

Talks on UK nuclear plants sale break down.(EDF Energy)
August 4, 2008... Talks that could have led to eight UK nuclear power stations being sold to France's EDF broke down without agreement late Thursday. The French state-owned nuclear incumbent was reportedly willing to pay more than [pounds sterling]12 billion...

Apache resumes Australia output.(International)(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... US energy firm Apache plans to resume gas output at its gas plant off Western Australia slightly ahead of schedule, after an explosion in June knocked out a third of gas supplies to a key mining region. Gas from the Varanus Island plant off...

Nigeria takes 150,000 b/d hit.(International)(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Nigeria's crude oil production fell by 150,000 b/d last week after militants sabotaged two major pipelines operated by Royal Dutch Shell in the Niger Delta, an official with Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) said Friday. The Movement for...

Gazprom reserves edge up.(International)(OAO Gazprom)(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Gazprom increased its proven gas reserves by 0.6% in 2007 to 18.27 trillion cubic meters, the Russian daily Kommersant reported Friday, citing a memorandum released ahead of the gas giant's planned eurobond placement. The Russian gas giant...

Statoil freezes Iran investment.(International)(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... StatoilHydro said Friday that it will make no new investments in Iran, in apparent response to US pressure to restrict investment in the Opec member nation amid the growing controversy over its nuclear program. The Norwegian company's...

Stock market scorecard.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical table)
August 4, 2008... Stock Market Scorecard Integrated Close 1-Day % Chg. Majors 8/1 Chg. % Chg. 10-Day 52-Wk YTD Marathon 47.81 +2.68 +5.94% +9.83% -16.12% -21.44% Petro-Canada...

Stevens seeks speedy trial.(Legislation/Regulation)(Ted Stevens)(Brief article)
August 4, 2008... Sen. Ted Stevens has pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of knowingly filing inaccurate financial statements to hide more than $250,000 in gifts that he received from disgraced oilfield services company Veco Corp. and top company...

Ecuador starts clock on Perenco's exit.(Legislation/Regulation)
August 4, 2008... Mining and Oil Minister Galo Chiriboga has officially notified French oil company Perenco that Ecuador will start the process of ending the company's contract, which will run out in 2010 (OD Jul.28,p1). "The official letter was sent last...

Tropical storm takes aim at Southeast Texas.
August 5, 2008... The energy industry was taking precautionary measures on Monday as Tropical Storm Edouard was projected to make landfall near Galveston, Texas, on Tuesday, with winds possibly reaching hurricane-strength. The storm, which formed suddenly...

Alaska approves TransCanada pipeline plans.
August 5, 2008... Alaska lawmakers have approved a state license for TransCanada to build a pipeline to deliver North Slope natural gas to the energy hungry lower 48 states. The state Senate approved the measure on Friday. The House voted in favor of the...

Record earnings reports fail to help oil shares in July.
August 5, 2008... Oil equities suffered their worst month in years in July as falling crude oil and natural gas prices sent shares tumbling. No integrated oil company was spared during the month with losses of 10% or more common for the group. The IPF...

Nymex crude briefly dips below $120 despite US Gulf storm threat.(New York Mercantile Exchange Inc.)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... New York crude futures fell to a three-month low on Monday, dipping below 120 at one point after prices fell $5 in just a few minutes. Crude, products and natural gas prices all ended the day sharply lower despite the fact that Tropical...

Daily oil & gas price review prices for Monday, August 4, 2008.(Statistical table)
August 5, 2008... Daily Oil & Gas Price Review Prices for Monday, August 4, 2008 US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Cash/Spot Change Spot Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) -3.95 118.76 120.94 142.62 LLS (St. James)...

Alaska senators call for fresh seismic survey of Arctic refuge.
August 5, 2008... Alaska Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski have sent a letter to the Bush administration urging the federal government to assess the potential oil reserves contained in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The...

Cooling degree days for the week of Aug. 2, 2008.(Statistical table)
August 5, 2008... Cooling Degree Days For the week of Aug. 2, 2008 -Week Dev- -Cum Dev- From From From Week From Year Cum From Norm...

Ecopetrol profits surge.(Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos S.A. financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... Colombia's state-owned oil company Ecopetrol said it booked a net profit of 5.65 trillion Colombian pesos ($3.19 billion) in the first half of the year, 177% higher than in the same period of 2007. Ecopetrol's sales rose 69% to 16.61...

Offshore drilling flares up as electoral issue in North Carolina.
August 5, 2008... Mirroring developments elsewhere along the eastern seaboard, some of North Carolina's political leaders have recently warmed up to the idea of developing oil and gas resources located off the state's coast. Both of North Carolina's US...

Algeria's Sonatrach sees exports drop in 2007 as revenues mount.
August 5, 2008... Algerian state oil and gas company Sonatrach said its total hydrocarbon production in 2007 reached 233.3 million tons of oil equivalent, up 2% from 2006. Crude and condensate production held steady at 79 million toe/yr, with the slight...

India drops biofuels program.(Alternatives)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... India has reportedly shelved plans to develop a biofuels industry amid growing concern about the role of biofuels in rising food prices and their effect on the environment. A government committee set up to consider plans to produce...

Bangladesh drops Chevron case.(International)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... The army-backed interim government of Bangladesh has decided to drop a domestic lawsuit filed by state-run oil and gas company Petrobangla against US-based energy firm Chevron, a senior official said on Saturday. Petrobangla filed the case...

Malaysia unveils price plans.(International)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... Emerging details of Malaysia's fuel pricing plans suggest the government intends to cut retail prices as early as next month if global oil prices remain below $125/bbl. Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said on national TV...

China urges energy saving.(International)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... Fears that an ongoing power crisis could curtail economic growth have prompted the Chinese government to issue new energysaving guidelines. The State Council, or cabinet, on Friday urged local governments to conserve electricity and oil by...

Russia's July output falls.(International)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... Russian crude and condensate production in July slid by 1.2% from year-earlier levels, largely because of a delayed start to the production season at the Sakhalin-2 project on the Russian Pacific shelf. According to preliminary Energy...

TNK-BP CFO quits.(International)(James Owen)(Chief Financial Officer)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... The ongoing shareholder conflict at Russian- UK joint venture TNK-BP has resulted in the resignation of Chief Financial Officer James Owen. "As the current shareholder issues remain unresolved, Mr. Owen feels it is difficult for him to...

Kashagan could face new delay.(International)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... The Eni-led consortium in charge of Kazakhstan's giant Kashagan oil project is targeting mid-October to finalize an agreement reached in June that postpones production from the field until October 2013. But sources close to the project say...

UK Court freezes Yemeni assets.(International)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... The UK High Court on Monday froze 15 bank accounts of Consolidated Contractors Co. (CCC), one of the Mideast's largest construction firms, as part of a long-standing feud over revenues from a Yemeni oil field. The accounts--held in banks...

Shell said to seek Sibir stake.(International)(Royal Dutch Shell)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... Royal Dutch Shell is reportedly in talks with Russian partner Sibir Energy to swap its 50% holding in the duo's Salym Petroleum Development venture in West Siberia for a direct stake in Sibir. The swap could be worth upward of $2 billion,...

Stock market scorecard.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical table)
August 5, 2008... Stock Market Scorecard Integrated Close 1-Day % Chg. Majors 8/4 Chg. % Chg. 10-Day 52-Wk YTD Marathon 45.21 +0.08 +0.18% +3.86% -20.68% -25.71% BP ...

City Oriente exits Ecuador.(Latin America)(Petroleos del Ecuador)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... State-owned Petroecuador plans to invest 40 million to $50 million to increase oil production by around 67% in Block 27, Oil and Mining Minister Galo Chiriboga said on Friday. Petroecuador's production subsidiary, Petroproduccion, took...

Campos Basin strike averted.(Latin America)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... Oil workers in Brazil's Campos Basin have called off plans to strike at Petrobras facilities after the state-run energy company agreed to renegotiate contracts for its staff at offshore platforms, a union official said on Monday. The...

US congress approves Libya deal.(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... The US Congress has passed legislation designed to compensate US victims of Libyan acts of terror--clearing the way for full diplomatic relations. The Libyan Claims Resolution Act, approved on Jul. 31, will set up a comprehensive...

BP, shell woo Origin.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(British Petroleum Company PLC)(Royal Dutch-Shell PLC)(Brief article)
August 5, 2008... BP and Royal Dutch Shell have emerged as rivals to the UK's BG in the competition to buy Australia's Origin Energy. The UK's "Daily Telegraph" said Monday that the two supermajors have approached Origin about its coalbed methane (CBM)...

Obama 'compromises' on drilling, oil release.
August 6, 2008... Responding to public dismay over high gasoline prices still hovering around $4 a gallon, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama on Monday expressed support for opening limited portions of the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to...

Crude closes below $120 as storm peters out.
August 6, 2008... Crude oil prices fell on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Edouard passed through the Gulf of Mexico without causing serious damage. The market focused on weak US economic growth as a reason to bid down oil. Nymex crude sank as low as $118 early on...

Anadarko hits output guidance, despite independence downtime.(Anadarko Petroleum Corp.)(Financial report)
August 6, 2008... Anadarko Petroleum said Tuesday it managed to hit its second quarter output guidance, despite a lengthy shutdown at the Independence natural gas production hub in the Gulf of Mexico. Output for the quarter came in at 548,000 barrels of oil...

Nigeria moves forward with plans to restructure oil industry.(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... Proposals aimed at overhauling Nigeria's beleaguered oil industry--and transforming Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. NNPC) into a stronger, more independent state oil company--have been submitted President Umaru Yar'Adua. The oil and gas...

Daily oil & gas price review.(Statistical table)
August 6, 2008... Daily Oil & Gas Price Review Prices for Tuesday, August 5, 2008 US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Cash/Spot Change Spot Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) -2.87 115.89 119.74 139.00 LLS (St. James)...

High prices smother US oil demand, world consumption still grows.
August 6, 2008... Falling demand in the US has taken the steam out of the oil price rally, with oil plunging almost $30 from its high of $147 three weeks ago. Preliminary data shows US consumption is down a hefty 860,000 barrels per day in the first seven...

Asian giants go head to head to acquire Russia-focused imperial.(Imperial Energy Corporation PLC)
August 6, 2008... The contest to acquire Russia-focused independent Imperial Energy appears to be shaping up as a battle between India and China--both of which are on the hunt for overseas oil and gas assets to feed booming demand back home (OD Aug.5,p6). ...

BP spearheads Angola's first development in ultra-deep waters.(British Petroleum Company PLC)
August 6, 2008... Top African producer Angola has launched the deepest-ever offshore project in West Africa. BP's development of Block 31, approved last week, is the first in Angola's ultra-deep waters and will include the deepest wells that the UK supermajor...

Alaska lawmakers Urge TransCanada boss to clarify Exxon remarks.
August 6, 2008... Alaska lawmakers have demanded an explanation from TransCanada Chief Executive Hal Kvisle about comments he made to the Toronto Globe and Mail just days after the legislature awarded his company an exclusive state license to pursue a North...

Malaysia Ups biodiesel output.(Alternatives)(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... Faced with softening prices for palm oil, Malaysia and Indonesia plan to use surplus inventories to produce biodiesel over the next few months in a bid to stop prices falling further, officials said Tuesday. Malaysian Plantation Industries...

Nexen resumes North Sea output.(International)(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... Nexen expects to resume production at its Scott and Telford oil and gas platform in the North Sea by the end of this week following about two weeks of scheduled maintenance, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The platform was producing about...

Turkmenistan finds gas.(International)(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... Turkmenistan has discovered a new gas field in the Central Karakum desert, roughly 110 km northwest of the capital, Ashkhabad, the country's press service said this week. Exploratory well No. 1 showed daily flow rates of 200 Mcm of natural...

Iraq tenders drilling work.(International)(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... Iraq's North Oil Co. (NOC), one of 15 state firms affiliated with the oil ministry, has invited bids for drilling, completion and workover of a number of wells in the Akkas gas field, in western Iraq, and in the East Baghdad oil field in the...

Stock market scorecard.(Statistical table)
August 6, 2008... Stock Market Scorecard Integrated Close 1-Day % Chg. Majors 8/5 Chg. % Chg. 10-Day 52-Wk YTD Hess 96.18 +3.11 +3.34% -7.50% +59.87% -4.64% Exxon Mobil ...

Protesters killed in Bolivia.(Latin America)(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... The leaders of Venezuela and Argentina canceled a trip to Bolivia on Tuesday after protests roiled the country and two miners were killed before a recall vote in which President Evo Morales has put his job on the line. In natural gas-rich...

Petro-Canada shuts refinery.(Refining)(Brief article)
August 6, 2008... Petro-Canada said on Tuesday it has begun closing down its 125,000 b/d refinery in Edmonton, Alberta, ramping up to a full closure over the next week, as it launches a planned 60-day maintenance shutdown to tie in new equipment. ...