-Wednesday’s contract negotiations between Shell and the United Steelworkers union ended without resolution, and the two sides will meet again on Monday. The union has rejected seven offers from Shell thus far.
-Meanwhile, a local Steelworkers union in Pasadena, Texas, pushed back against allegations of harassment made by the National Right to Work Foundation. Via FuelFix, the foundation alleges union employees are using a Facebook page to threaten workers who cross the picket lines. USW Local 13-227 said the Facebook page in question is not run or monitored by its leaders and that the local is not using it as a method of communication. LyondellBasell announced Tuesday it filed unfair labor practice charges against the union, claiming workers picketing outside its Houston refinery threatened other employees who returned to work and used abusive language against them on social media.
-Kinder Morgan announced its anchor shippers for its Northeast Energy Direct Project, which would deliver natural gas from the Marcellus Shale to energy markets in the Northeast. The shippers — primarily electric distribution companies — signed agreements to transport approximately 500,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas.
-Huntsman will shut down its manufacturing sites in Cartersville, Ga., East St. Louis, Ill., and King of Prussia, Pa., by the end of the year as it restructures its color pigments business. The company expects to eliminate 120 positions. The restructuring of its pigments and additives businesses was announced in December.
-Shell and Harvey Gulf International announced their new LNG-powered offshore supply ship is now serving Shell’s deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell said the 302-foot vessel is the first of its kind in the region to run on both LNG fuel and diesel. LNG fuel is seen as helping gulf vessel operators comply with new sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions regulations.