The Oil Daily articles from November 2006

The Oil Daily archives from November 2006

Board calls for switch to refinery flares.(United States. Chemical Safety Board)
November 1, 2006... The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is calling for the oil industry and federal regulators to halt the use of the equipment whose failure caused the deaths of 15 workers at BP's Texas City refinery in March 2005 and replace it with a new, safer...

Discount sours keep Valero's outlook bullish.
November 1, 2006... Leading US independent refiner Valero posted another record quarter and beat analysts' expectations, but relatively weak refining margins kept the company from reporting even better earnings. The San Antonio-based company, which is North...

Marathon's profit up on refining strength; oil sands deal seen soon.(Marathon Oil Co.)
November 1, 2006... Marathon Oil kept the money train rolling for the integrated oil sector, announcing Tuesday a third-quarter net income of $1.62 billion, a 111% rise from the year ago. Much like rivals Chevron and ConocoPhillips, Marathon's downstream business...

Crude rebounds on product expirations, short covering.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
November 1, 2006... Crude and product futures rebounded late Tuesday on short covering inspired by the expiration of the November heating oil and gasoline contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex). The product expiration at the end of the session...

Daily oil & gas price review: prices for Tuesday, October 31, 2006.(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... Crude Oil [GRAPHIC OMITTED] US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Spot Cash/Spot Change Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) +0.16 53.66 54.38 54.15 LLS (St. James)...

Aramco exec says US energy independence unattainable.
November 1, 2006... Energy independence for the US is unattainable and political promises to the contrary are irresponsible, a top Saudi Arabian oil executive said Monday. Growing demand for fossil fuels in the US matched with shrinking supplies mean the...

EOG: drilling boom has only modest impact on gas supply.(EOG Resources Inc.)
November 1, 2006... EOG Resources does not believe that the current high level of drilling activity in the US will lead to a glut in natural gas supplies that could trigger a collapse in prices. "North American production growth was pitifully tepid (this...

Interior faces another royalty flap with Chevron case.(Department of the Interior)
November 1, 2006... The Interior Department's handling of oil and gas royalties from offshore drilling is once again stirring controversy, the latest being its failure to pursue a royalty underpayment case against Chevron for natural gas produced in the Gulf of...

Corrosion on BP's Prudhoe pipe more severe than thought.(BP America Inc.)
November 1, 2006... The leaky pipeline that prompted BP to order the partial shutdown of Alaska's massive Prudhoe Bay oil field in August was more severely damaged than initially reported. The London-based oil supermajor cut Prudhoe Bay's 400,000 barrels per...

Majors settle delta dispute.(Top Briefs)(Royal Dutch-Shell Group of Cos.)(Chevron Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron have reached separate agreements with protesters from the Kula community in Nigeria's Rivers state, paving the way for a return to four oil flow stations, closed since Oct. 25. Locals from Kula village in the...

Venoco sets IPO price.(Corporate News)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Oil and gas explorer Venoco on Tuesday set its planned initial public offering (IPO) at 12.5 million shares at an estimated $19-$21/share. The Denver, Colorado-based company said it is selling 10 million shares, and stockholders are...

Stock market scorecard.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical table)
November 1, 2006... Stock Market Scorecard Integrated Close 1-Day Majors 10/31 Chg. % Chg. Hess 42.40 +1.37 +3.34% Norsk Hydro 23.15 +0.49 +2.16 Repsol YPF 33.45 +0.66...

KBR prices IPO shares.(Corporate News)
November 1, 2006... Halliburton subsidiary KBR, an oil services contractor, on Tuesday set the expected price of its planned initial public offering at $15-$17/share. The company had previously set the size of the IPO at 27.84 million shares. Credit...

TransCanada earnings fall.(Earnings)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... TransCanada, Canada's biggest pipeline firm, said on Tuesday its third-quarter profit dropped from a year-earlier profit that was propped up by a huge gain. The Calgary-based company said net income in the quarter was C$293 million (US$259...

Downtime cuts Rowan Q3.(Earnings)(Rowan Drilling)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Oil rig contractor Rowan on Tuesday reported quarterly earnings that fell short of Wall Street estimates as operating results were hampered by rig downtime. The company posted third-quarter net income of $87 million (78 cents/share),...

Pemex profit up on tax cut.(Earnings)(Petroleos Mexicanos)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Mexican state oil monopoly Pemex said Friday that it made a pre-tax profit of $17.4 billion in the third quarter on sales of $25.2 billion. Net profit at the state company, which paid 59% of its revenue to the federal government in taxes...

BJ posts strong quarter.(Earnings)
November 1, 2006... Oil services company BJ Services announced net income of $228 million (76 cents/share) for the quarter ending Sep. 30, an 85% improvement over the 41 cents/share earnings reported for the same period in 2005, and up 13% compared to the 67...

Prices boost imperial profits.(Earnings)
November 1, 2006... Third-quarter profit at Imperial Oil, Canada's No. 2 oil producer and refiner, rose 26% on higher heavy crude prices and a surge in production at a major Alberta project, the company said on Tuesday. Imperial, known for extensive heavy oil...

Total satisfied by Bolivia deal.(Latin America)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Oil companies operating in Bolivia will make an average profit of 15% on their operations under new contracts following the country's energy nationalization, Carlos Villegas, the country's minister of hydrocarbons, said Tuesday. That is...

Ecuador lowers export prices.(Latin America)(Petroleos del Ecuador)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Petroecuador will offer its Oriente heavy sour crude to most customers in November at the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) minus $14.74, compared to WTI minus $11.58 in October. The new price will apply to all exports, except those to...

Centurion up on deal rumors.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Centurion Energy International Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Centurion Energy International, a junior oil firm operating in Egypt and West Africa, said on Tuesday it is in talks with an unnamed company about a possible transaction, sending its shares up 3%. Calgary-based Centurion, whose stock had...

ICE hits new records.(Oil & Gas Markets)(Intercontinental Exchange)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Electronic energy marketplace Intercontinental-Exchange (ICE) announced that its regulated futures subsidiary, ICE Futures, set new volume and open interest records on Monday in the ICE Brent crude futures contract, as well as new open interest...

Experts see lower heating costs.(Oil & Gas Markets)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The winter outlook for natural gas, oil and electricity prices is mild, just like the weather forecast, industry experts said Tuesday. However, an unexpected drop in temperatures could cause a slight rise in prices. Consumer natural gas...

Canada OKs pipe expansion.(Pipelines)(Kinder Morgan Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Kinder Morgan said Tuesday that Canadian regulators have approved an expansion of its Trans Mountain oil pipeline, part of a project that will boost capacity by a third to 300,000 b/d in three years. The company said the National Energy...

Newfoundland refinery planned.(Refining)(Newfoundland and Labrador Refining )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Newfoundland and Labrador Refining have filed an application to the provincial environment department to construct an oil refinery at Southern Head, between North Harbour and Come By Chance, at the head of Placentia Bay on the southeast coast...

Dominion E&P assets could fetch $20 billion.
November 2, 2006... Dominion has decided to drastically downsize its exploration and production operations after failing to convince investors of the value of its North American upstream assets. The Richmond, Virginia-based company, which has made a name for...

Louisiana lobbies Kuwait for new refinery.(Kathleen Blanco)
November 2, 2006... While on an economic development trip to the Far East, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Wednesday the Bayou State is on the verge of two major energy deals, including a preliminary agreement with Kuwait to build a $4 billion refinery in...

Devon joins CNR, EnCana in cutting back on Canadian gas drilling.
November 2, 2006... Devon Energy said on Wednesday it will probably allocate less capital to its Canadian natural gas business next year because high service costs and a weak US dollar have led to poor margins. On the other hand, the Oklahoma City-based...

Nymex crude closes almost even on mixed inventory data.(New York Mercantile Exchange)
November 2, 2006... Crude futures closed nearly unchanged on Wednesday after trading within a wide price range following the release of US petroleum inventory data that set bears and bulls fighting for control. The market focused entirely on the Energy Information...

Daily oil & gas price review: prices for Wednesday, November 1, 2006.(Statistical table)
November 2, 2006... Crude Oil [GRAPHIC OMITTED] US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Cash/Spot Change Spot Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) +0.08 53.74 54.42 55.54 LLS (St. James) +0.08 ...

Holly seeks higher margins by running more 'black wax' and Canadian heavy blends.(Holly Corp.)
November 2, 2006... Like other refiners in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains regions, Holly Corp. is attempting to step up its use of cheaper-priced heavy Canadian crude. The Dallas-based independent refiner is currently working with North American pipeline...

EIA weekly statistics; for week ended October 27, 2006.(Energy Information Administration)(Statistical table)
November 2, 2006... EIA Weekly Statistics For Week Ended October 27, 2006 US Crude Oil: Stocks (1) (millions of bbl) Current Previous Week Week Chg. PADD 1 14.3 17.1 ...

New Position to integrate energy and foreign policy at State Department.(Department of State appoints Gregory Manuel)
November 2, 2006... Signaling the Bush administration's intention to elevate energy issues in its foreign policy decisions, the US State Department is planning to appoint a new energy advisor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Gregory Manuel, currently...

Study says Arctic may not hold as much oil, gas as US thinks.
November 2, 2006... The US cannot look to the Arctic regions as the solution to energy independence as the volumes of oil and gas now locked beneath the icy waters and frozen tundra across the far northern latitudes still don't match what exists in the Mideast in...

BP says replacement of Marshall not related to Prudhoe woes.(Steve Marshall)(Doug Suttles)
November 2, 2006... Oil giant BP announced Tuesday that it was replacing Steve Marshall, head of its Alaska operations, in a move it said was unrelated to its recent problems on the North Slope. Doug Suttles, president of BP's operations on the Russian Far...

Petrocan buys Marathon fields in Syria.(Marathon Oil Co)(Petro-Canada Inc)
November 2, 2006... Petro-Canada said Wednesday it had completed the purchase of rights to two Syrian gas fields from US Marathon Oil. The deal, covering a 90% stake in Marathon's contract for the Ash Shaer and Cherrife fields in central Syria, was priced at US$46...

CNR slashes '07 capital budget.(Canadian Natural Resources)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Canadian Natural Resources on Wednesday said its third-quarter profit had risen sevenfold, helped by a pretax gain on favorable hedges. The Calgary-based also said it would cut its 2007 budget by 23% due to oil services cost inflation,...

Enbridge accelerates projects.(Earnings)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Enbridge, Canada's No. 2 pipeline firm, said Wednesday during its quarterly earnings call that it will hasten construction of its Alberta Clipper pipeline because of growing US demand for heavy oil from Alberta's oil sands and slow development...

Patterson earnings surge in Q3.(financial report Patterson-UTI Energy Inc)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Onshore contract driller services company Patterson-UTI on Wednesday said quarterly earnings surged 75% from a year ago on strong demand for its contract drilling services. Net income in the third quarter increased to $186 million...

Pioneer output growth on track.(Pioneer Natural Resources financial report)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Dallas-based independent Pioneer Natural Resources announced Wednesday net income of $81 million (64 cents/share), up from $62 million (44 cents/share) for the third quarter 2005. The company reported cash flow from operating activities for...

Stock market scorecard.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical table)
November 2, 2006... Stock Market Scorecard Close 1-Day % Chg. 11/1 Chg. % Chg. 10-Day 52-Wk YTD Integrated Majors Statoil 25.75 +0.39 +1.54% +4.04% +18.94%...

Panda plans Ethanol plant.(Ethanol Corp)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Panda Ethanol announced Wednesday its plans to build a 100 million gallon per year ethanol plant near the city of Muleshoe in Bailey County, Texas. The facility will have the capacity to refine about 38 million bushels of corn annually, which...

Shell Canada to expand AOSP.(Exploration & Production)(athabasca oil sands project)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Shell Canada has decided to proceed with the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP) Expansion 1, a 100,000 b/d expansion of the oil sands mining and upgrading facilities. The Athabasca project currently produces about 155,000 b/d of synthetic...

Exxon seeks Zakum boost.(Exxon Mobil Corp)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Exxon Mobil hopes to increase oil recovery rates at the Upper Zakum oil field in Abu Dhabi by at least 50%, a senior official said Wednesday. The UAE and Exxon signed a production sharing deal in March, giving the US major a 28% stake in...

GAO to probe royalty collection.(Government Accountability Office)(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... The US Government Accountability Office has agreed to investigate the Minerals Management Service's (MMS) collection of oil and gas royalties, the House Government Reform Committee said Wednesday. House Government Reform Committee Chairman...

Frontier gets favorable ruling.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... Frontier Oil on Wednesday said it received a favorable ruling by Los Angeles superior court in its Beverly Hills pollution lawsuits, for which the company had an insurance policy of more than $100 million. As a result of the order, the...

US refining margins dip slightly.(Brief article)
November 2, 2006... US margins hardly moved last week, falling 4 cents to average $8.61/bbl, according to analysts at AG Edwards. During the same week last year, margins were at $9.50/bbl. For the fourth quarter, margins are averaging just under $8. Margins...

BG sees 'tough' terms for new Bolivia fields.
November 3, 2006... The UK's BG Group on Thursday played down the impact of new upstream terms in Bolivia on existing fields, but said the conditions for new developments would be "very tough." Presenting quarterly results, Chief Executive Frank Chapman said...

Talisman freezes '07 budget on cost fears.
November 3, 2006... Canadian independent Talisman said on Thursday it expects to keep its exploration and development spending flat in 2007 at around C$4.8 billion (US$4.2 billion) to counter the high cost of services and equipment in North America and the North...

Despite falling margins, Sunoco, Tesoro post strong Q3 profits.(financial report)(Financial report)
November 3, 2006... Independent refiner Sunoco, which has a large presence on the East Coast, on Thursday reported record earnings, beating analysts' expectations. But the Philadelphia-based company experienced higher profits largely because of strong retail sales...

Crude futures fall on adequate supply, Opec skepticism.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Crude futures fell sharply Thursday on a combination of bearish factors, including resumption of some Nigerian production, adequate US inventories and skepticism over whether Opec members will follow through with output cuts as agreed recently...

Daily oil & gas price review: prices for Thursday, November 2, 2006.(Statistical table)
November 3, 2006... Daily Oil & Gas Price Review Prices for Thursday, November 2, 2006 Crude Oil [GRAPHIC OMITTED] US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Spot Cash/Spot Change Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago ...

Alaska legislature sues Murkowski to stop pipe contract.
November 3, 2006... Alaska lawmakers have asked a state superior court judge to issue an injunction to prevent lame duck Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski from executing a contract for a $25 billion natural gas pipeline project over the Legislature's objection. ...

Exxon, others back European research into carbon capture.
November 3, 2006... Exxon Mobil and several other major oil and gas companies are joining a European research scheme aimed at evaluating the role that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology may play in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, Exxon said Thursday....

Investors eye output growth, cost control as prices stabilize.
November 3, 2006... Oil equities have moved in lockstep with oil prices over the past several years. But with oil prices stabilizing over the past month or so, the thinking among some Wall Street analysts is that factors besides the oil price will play an...

Russia won't limit Exxon's export rights.
November 3, 2006... Russia has no plans to limit Exxon Mobil's right to export natural gas from the Sakhalin-1 project independently of gas giant Gazprom, as the project is being developed under a production sharing agreement (PSA), according to Deputy Industry...

November loading plan shows less Iraqi crude headed for US.(Statistical data)
November 3, 2006... Iraq is set to export 401,000 barrels per day less of Basrah Light crude to the US in November than it did in October despite the fact that US refineries could be looking for more crude to process into winter products. According to the...

Anadarko, Chevron in asset swap.(Top Briefs)(Anadarko Petroleum Corp acquired with Chevron Corp)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Anadarko Petroleum has agreed to transfer its exploration properties in the Canadian Arctic to Chevron in exchange for an increased stake in the Tonga deepwater discovery in the Gulf of Mexico. Under the agreement Chevron will take over...

Enterprise forms new unit.(Corporate News)
November 3, 2006... Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners is forming a new master limited partnership, Duncan Energy Partners, and will own 100% of the general partner of the new entity. Duncan Energy Partners' initial assets will include a 66% interest...

Gas in storage falls 9 Bcf.(EIA Gas Storage Report)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Stocks of working natural gas in US storage facilities fell 9 Bcf for the week ending Oct. 27, leaving storage levels at 3,452 Bcf, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Gas stocks are 288 Bcf higher than last year at...

Working gas in storage.(EIA Gas Storage Report)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Working Gas in Storage (in Bcf for week ended Oct. 27) Region Oct.27 Oct.20 2005 E. Consuming 1,976 1,990 1,880 W. Consuming 468 467 435 Producing 1,008 1,004 848 Total ...

Oneok Q3 net falls sharply.(Earnings)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Natural gas distributor Oneok said on Wednesday that its net income for the third quarter fell sharply from the year-ago period that had been bolstered by a gain from the sale of its oil and gas production business. That sale, finalized...

Tanker rates boost Teekay Q3.(Earnings)(Teekay Shipping Corp.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... US-listed tanker shipping group Teekay Shipping on Wednesday reported higher quarterly earnings, helped by higher voyage revenues and increased vessel operations. Teekay said net income rose to $79.8 million ($1.07/share) from $42.7...

Stock market scorecard.(NEWS ALERT)(Statistical table)
November 3, 2006... Stock Market Scorecard Integrated Close 1-Day Majors 11/2 Chg. % Chg. Repsol YPF 33.56 +0.58 +1.76 Petro-Canada 42.23 +0.56 +1.34 Chevron 67.79 +0.81 ...

Williams profits up on output.(Earnings)
November 3, 2006... Natural gas producer and pipeline company Williams Cos. on Thursday reported higher third-quarter earnings on increased natural gas output and sales margins. Net income rose to $106.2 million (18 cents/share) from $4.4 million (1...

Dayrates lift Transocean Q3.(Earnings)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Transocean, the world's largest offshore oil and gas driller, on Thursday posted much improved third-quarter earnings on higher dayrates for its drilling rigs. Net earnings rose to $309 million (96 cents/share) from $170.4 million (50...

Alaska output gains in October.(Exploration & Production)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
November 3, 2006... Alaskan crude production clawed back another 64,000 b/d in October--on top of the 45,000 b/d monthly gain in September--reaching 746,900 b/d, according to data from the state's Department of Revenue Tax Division. Output was still more than...

Shell plans Beaufort Sea wells.(Exploration & Production)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Royal Dutch Shell is moving forward with plans to explore for oil and gas in the shallow coastal waters of the Beaufort Sea. Four exploration wells are planned along Alaska's northern arctic coast for next summer--two at the Siv Ullig...

Exxon agrees to Natuna talks.(International)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Exxon Mobil has agreed to talks with the Indonesian government on the huge Natuna D-Alpha gas block after Jakarta said the operating contract it holds had expired, an Exxon Mobil Indonesia official said on Thursday. Indonesian Oil Minister...

PGS workers seized in Delta.(International)(Petroleum Geo-Services)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Two employees of Norwegian seismic firm Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) were kidnapped in a raid on one of the company's accommodation vessels, which was anchored near Chevron's Funiwa platform offshore Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta. The...

Firm files claim against Ecuador.(Latin America)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Panamanian oil company City Oriente Ltd. has filed an arbitration claim against Ecuador, charging the Andean country of breaching its contract after it passed a contested oil law that affects foreign operators, a company spokesman said on...

S&P lifts PDV credit outlook.(Latin America)(Petroleos de Venezuela)(Standards & Poor)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Standards & Poor's said Wednesday it raised its outlook on Venezuela's state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDV) after reviewing the company's 2005 financial results. S&P said in a statement it maintains its B+ long term foreign...

Opec blamed for instability.(Legislation/Regulation)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... A US congressional committee says Opec is stoking instability in the oil market and is demonstrating its intent to exploit the market further. "Opec is anything but blameless in the oil price surge of the last two years. The cartel is the...

Valero safety under fire.(Legislation/Regulation)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... The US Chemical Safety Board urged refining giant Valero on Thursday to improve safety procedures after an investigation into the deaths of two contractors who were asphyxiated while retrieving a roll of duct tape that had fallen into a...

Arizona boosts renewables.(Legislation/Regulation)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Arizona utility regulators on Wednesday approved rules requiring the state's regulated utilities to generate 15% of their total energy from renewable sources by 2025. The new rules will require a major shift for the state's utilities, which...

St. Mary buys Texas assets.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(St. Mary Land & Exploration Company)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... St. Mary Land & Exploration Company announced Thursday that it has entered into a $250 million acquisition agreement for oil and gas assets in West Texas from several undisclosed private parties. The properties are in the Midland Basin and...

TC PipeLines buys Tuscarora stake.(Mergers & Acquisitions)
November 3, 2006... TC PipeLines, the master limited partnership affiliate of TransCanada PipeLines, is acquiring Sierra Pacific Resources' 50% interest in Tuscarora Gas Transmission for $100 million, plus assumption of $37 million in debt. Tuscarora owns a...

Calypso LNG advances.(Natural Gas)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Calypso LNG, a subsidiary of the North American arm of France's Suez, announced Thursday that it had received a letter from the US Coast Guard deeming complete the company's application for a deepwater port license. The completion of the...

Energy issues factor in tight elections.
November 6, 2006... A bruising battle is on for control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, with Republicans struggling to fend off surging Democrats who are promising a new direction and an end to US foreign oil dependence. Polls show Democratic...

Tax proposal could doom Canada's trusts.
November 6, 2006... Canada's Conservative government shocked the oil and gas industry as well as other Canadian business sectors last week when Finance Minister Jim Flaherty called for the elimination of tax advantages for income trusts, the focus of much of the...

California oil tax proposal comes down to the wire.
November 6, 2006... Money, it seems, is no impediment in the intense fight in California over a proposal to tax oil production to raise $4 billion to promote alternative fuels (OD Oct.16,p1). Big oil has reached into deep pockets to shell out much of the nearly...

Crude stuck in high $50s as Opec cuts having little effect.(New York Mercantile Exchange)
November 6, 2006... Crude futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) were stuck in the high $50 per barrel range last week, as the beginning of Opec production cuts were not enough to give the market much of a lift. Opec curbing production has mainly...

Daily oil & gas price review: prices for Friday, November 3, 2006.(Natural gas)(Statistical table)
November 6, 2006... Daily Oil & Gas Price Preview Prices for Friday, November 3, 2006 Crude Oil [GRAPHIC OMITTED] US Domestic Crudes ($/barrel) Cash/Spot Change Spot Price 5-Day Avg. Month-Ago WTS (Midland) +1.28 ...

US spot sweets trade stronger as refiners emerge from maintenance.(Opec agreement to slash production)
November 6, 2006... The US spot market for sweet crudes is holding pretty strong amid rising refinery throughput ahead of the winter. Refineries coming back from autumn turnarounds are picking up more crude cargoes both from domestic sources as well as from...