Before the pandemic hit, the nation’s manufacturing sector — including the refining and petrochemical industries — was wrestling with how to find and train enough young people to replace the wave of Baby Boomers retiring from the workforce at a rate of nearly 6,000 per day.
Last week, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones launched the latest salvo in his relentless crusade to coerce the nation’s leading insurance companies to divest from oil and natural gas company holdings.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) has announced the winners of the 2020 Annual Safety Awards, part of an ongoing mission to enhance and recognize outstanding workplace safety.
It was 2010 and Jerry Wascom, ExxonMobil’s Americas refining director, was worried. Despite fuel and petrochemical manufacturers making significant improvements in the safety of their individual operations, across the industries there was an uptick in serious incidents. Workers were getting injured, surrounding communities were losing confidence, the reputation of the industries was being tarnished and regulators were becoming increasingly engaged. Wascom turned to his counterparts within the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association (AFPM), the industry trade group, and asked, “Are we doing enough to protect people?”
The cost of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance credits, specifically D6 renewable identification numbers (RINs), is out of control. Sales of D6 RINs for conventional ethanol recently registered above $1.90 (the highest trades in history).
Refineries are not the story when it comes to retail gasoline prices. Raw materials (in this case crude oil) account for the biggest share of the final price consumers pay.
Coronavirus developments are front of mind for everyone, including the staff at AFPM. We took a moment to speak with Jeff Gunnulfsen, senior director, security and risk management, about industry preparedness for the pandemic.
