News

Babcock & Wilcox Co.'s test facility for its new class of mini nuclear reactors is fully operational. The Integrated System Text facility in Bedford County, Virginia will test the mPower modular reactor's design and performance by simulating energy generated by a nuclear core through heating the reactor electrically.

Furmanite Corporation, a large provider of valve services, has acquired certain assets and operations of Crane Energy Flow Solutions' Houston Service Center.

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced it has been selected to provide professional technical services for Braskem, the largest thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas, at portions of the Marcus Hook Refinery they recently acquired, near Philadelphia, Pa.

Pacific Industrial Service, for 16 years a leader in Valve and Actuator Service and Repair, is proud to announce it is now the official West Coast distributor for Reyco valves. The new line of Reyco valves, a long-established brand of safety valves, adds to the already-sterling quality of Pacific Industrial's array of valves and gauges designed to suit any of its customer's needs.

Westinghouse will prepare detailed construction plans and cost estimates for two potential AP1000 reactors at Ontario Power Generation's (OPG's) Darlington site. "The plans and estimates would provide significant input in helping the Province of Ontario determine the baseload generation option that is best for Ontario's ratepayers," Westinghouse said. Westinghouse Americas president Joe Zwetolitz said that the company "is pleased to participate in the province's information-gathering process." The company has also opened an office in Toronto to better serve the Canadian market. Some 100 Canadian suppliers currently provide a wide range of products and services for the Westinghouse product lines, the company said.

North America is witnessing a fresh surge of natural gas production, which is encouraging investors to pump money into the industry, says a new report by natural resources expert GlobalData. The report states that the increase in shale gas drilling has made the US less dependent on LNG imports, and the region now plans to export some of its own natural gas production. The US has witnessed a huge increase in shale gas production, and consequently, the price of natural gas in the country has decreased, in turn attracting even more investors and LNG consumers. Significant commercial production of shale gas is being attained by the Barnett shale play in East Texas, the Fayetteville shale play in northern Arkansas, the Haynesville shale play in northern Louisiana, the Woodford shale play in eastern Oklahoma, the Antrim in upper Michigan, the Bakken in North Dakota and the Marcellus shale play stretching into western Pennsylvania, western New York and West Virginia.

 Enbridge Inc. (ENB) will spend up to USD 494.2 million more on safety features for its proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline to Canada's western coast.

Statoil revealed last month it had entered a farm-in agreement with Canada’s PetroFrontier covering exploration permits 103, 104, 127 and 128 in the Southern Georgina basin in the Northern Territory.

Canada’s Talisman Energy has hit gas in the final well of a three well campaign on the Szczawno concession in Poland’s Baltic basin.

Brazil is evaluating a possible tax cut on ethanol production to encourage less gasoline imports by Petrobras. Currently, the gasoline sold in Brazil comes with a 20% ethanol mix but the government plans to increase the mix to 25%.