This Week in Chemical Engineering - Fuels & Petrochemicals Spotlight: July 23, 2018

Don't miss out on the latest business and technology news for chemical engineers, featuring select items in relation to Fuels & Petrochemicals.

Shale helps US reach 11M barrels of oil output per day

The US produced a record 11 million barrels of oil per day last week, helped along by shale production. Capacity could define the upper limits of production, analysts say, with Permian Basin output roughly equal to pipeline capacity.

HSBC: Texas could pump more oil than Iran, Iraq in 2019

Investment bank HSBC said Texas is on track to surpass Iran and Iraq to become the world's third-largest oil producer next year if it were a country. Output from the US state is seen reaching 5.6 million barrels per day in 2019, compared with a projected 4.8 million barrels per day for Iraq and 3 million barrels for Iran.

Study: Potential Enbridge oil leak could cost almost $2B

Scientists estimate a worst-case oil leak in a Michigan segment of a pipeline owned by Canadian company Enbridge would cost up to $2 billion, including cleanup and lost revenue. The study centered on Enbridge's Line 5, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet.

Flow battery development holds high potential for storage

Flow batteries, which have fluid cathode and anode material, hold tremendous potential for storing energy on a large scale but are costly and dangerous due to the chemicals used. Stanford researchers believe they have a solution with a sodium and potassium metal used on the negative side of the battery, a water-based liquid on the positive side, and, in between, a ceramic membrane made out of potassium and aluminum oxide, thus keeping the cost and the peril down

Baltimore files lawsuit against 26 oil and gas companies

Baltimore is aiming to hold 26 oil and gas companies responsible for catastrophic consequences to the environment from climate change. The city filed a lawsuit against the companies alleging they knowingly contributed to the effects of climate change, a key concern for a city vulnerable to rising sea levels.

• US refining capacity largely unchanged despite record production