-Sasol has successfully commissioned an ethylene tetramerization unit at its Lake Charles, La., complex. The unit is in start-up mode and is expected to be fully operational by mid-year.
-Energy Transfer Partners plans to build a pipeline that would deliver Bakken crude oil to refiners in the Midwest and the Gulf Coast region. Via Reuters, the firm said it would initiate an open season March 12 to gauge market interest. Previous attempts by Oneok and Koch Pipeline Co. to build Bakken pipelines were unsuccessful due to insufficient demand from shippers.
-Meanwhile, Shell’s Ho-Ho pipeline remains shut after a Thursday afternoon leak spilled 364 barrels of oil near Port Neches, Texas. A Shell spokeswoman would not say how long the pipeline would be out of commission.
-Celanese appointed Amy Hebert vice president of its European business. Hebert previously served as vice president of Albemarle’s catalyst division — one of the fastest growing business units at Albemarle.
-Canadian oil sands consortium Syncrude named Mark Ward as its new CEO, effective April 1. Ward most recently led Nigerian operations for ExxonMobil, which manages operations at Syncrude along with Imperial Oil. Current Syncrude CEO Scott Sullivan will return to ExxonMobil.
