Americas top stories – weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Americas for the week ended 19 April 2013.

(Please click on the link to read the full text.)

Agency calls for stricter rules after US Chevron refinery fire
Regulatory agencies need more resources to monitor US refineries, and safety regulations need to be more authoritative, the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigation board said on Monday in unveiling its draft report on the August 2012 Chevron refinery fire in Richmond, California.

US March housing construction up 7%, but one-family units decline
US housing construction rose by 7% in March from February, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday, but the gain was wholly due to a surge in apartment projects while the crucial single-family home segment fell by nearly 5%.

US April epoxy resins contract prices widen on split settlement
US April epoxy resin contract prices widened because of a split settlement, sources said on Tuesday.

Fire at ExxonMobil refinery in Texas injures at least 12
ExxonMobil’s Beaumont refinery in Texas experienced a fire on Wednesday, injuring at least 12 contract employees.

US methanol spot prices soar 9 cents/gal on cutbacks in Trinidad
US methanol spot barge prices have soared 9 cents/gal this week on natural gas curtailments in Trinidad that began on 12 April because of unexpected problems at offshore platforms there, a source said on Wednesday.

Fertilizer plant explosion devastates Texas town
A fertilizer plant explosion that rocked the town of West, Texas, on Wednesday evening is understood to have left at least two people dead and dozens injured, with more victims potentially trapped in the wreckage of buildings demolished by the blast.

US president pledges federal help in wake of fertilizer plant blast
US President Barack Obama offered sympathy and federal support on Thursday to those killed and injured in the wake of a fertilizer plant explosion Wednesday evening at a retail distribution facility in the Texas community of West.  

ATF awaiting end of rescue efforts at site of fertilizer explosion
Members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team have been dispatched to the scene of a fertilizer explosion in the Texas town of West but are currently waiting for search and rescue operations to conclude before commencing their investigation, an ATF spokesperson said late Thursday.

Texas officials confirm 12 fatalities in fertilizer explosion
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Friday said that 12 people have been confirmed dead and approximately 200 injured following a massive explosion at fertilizer facility on Wednesday in the small community of West.

US April barge acetone initially settles down by 7.5 cents/lb
The US April barge acetone contract initially settled down by 7.5 cents/lb ($165/tonne €127/tonne) from March, sources confirmed on Friday.