Supply Chain

• BP puts Mad Dog project expansion on ice Apr 22, 2013

  Oil producer BP Plc is reviewing the expansion of a major oil project in the Gulf of Mexico, calling the investment "not as attractive as previously modeled" thanks to market conditions and inflation, the company said via e-mail.

• Caterpillar's income tumbles 44.5% in first qtr. Apr 22, 2013

  Caterpillar Inc. posted first-quarter net income of $880 million, down 44.5 percent from nearly $1.59 billion in the same period last year on revenue that slid 17.3 percent to $13.21 billion.

• Inergy Midstream halts work on Commonwealth pipeline Apr 22, 2013

  Inergy Midstream LP has suspended development of its Commonwealth pipeline.

• OSHA cites Ball Aerosol for 11 alleged safety violations Apr 22, 2013

  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Ball Aerosol & Specialty Container Inc. for 11 alleged safety violations at its Hubbard, Ohio, metal container manufacturing facility.

• March construction starts up 8% on public works, utilities Apr 22, 2013

  Public works and utilities led an 8-percent gain in U.S. construction starts in March despite a fallback in housing and other nonresidential building sectors, according to McGraw-Hill Construction.

• Toyota bringing Lexus output to US via $360M outlay in Ky. Apr 22, 2013

  Toyota Motor Corp. will invest $360 million at its Georgetown, Ky., plant in a move that for the first time will allow it to begin assembling the Lexus—its best-selling ES 350 sedan—outside of Japan.

• Flooding, accident force lock closures Apr 19, 2013

  Four locks on the Illinois River and eight locks on the Mississippi River closed April 18 and 19 due to record flooding, with at least two more closures imminent.

• Boeing sets cuts; design shift said eyed Apr 19, 2013

  Boeing Co. will reduce engineering employment this year, it said, as its largest white-collar union claims the company is also actively looking to shift aircraft design work to Russia.

• More copper products mills mull price increase Apr 19, 2013

  A planned price increase by GBC Metals LLC, a division of Olin Brass Inc., for light-gauge, narrow-width and specialty finish products has encouraged other domestic mills to consider implementing a similar hike.

• Alupress plans $19.9M aluminum casting plant Apr 19, 2013

  Alupress AG plans to open a $19.9-million aluminum casting plant in Laurens County, S.C., aimed at servicing automotive clients in the region.

• Dan Keaton named Edgen Murray vice president Apr 19, 2013

  Edgen Group Inc. has named Dan Keaton vice president of its Edgen Murray segment’s Americas business, the company said April 18.

• Chicago flooding creates headaches Apr 18, 2013

  Torrential rains in and around Chicago caused highway closures and headaches for some area metals companies toward the end of this week, although most reported minimal lasting impact.

• TK unit shutting three facilities, opening two Apr 18, 2013

  ThyssenKrupp Materials NA Inc.’s Copper & Brass Sales division will close three of its processing and distribution facilities while opening two new ones as part of its latest cost-cutting initiative.

• Hunter Douglas Metals promotes Murphy Apr 17, 2013

  Hunter Douglas Metals Inc. has promoted Mike Murphy to director of transportation.

• Pipe, tube market still subdued, margins thin Apr 17, 2013

  Sentiment remains subdued in the pipe and tube market, with tepid demand and more-than-adequate stock levels leading to pressure on margins.

• USMX ratifies labor deal with ILA Apr 17, 2013

  Members of the U.S. Maritime Alliance Ltd. (USMX) ratified a new six-year master contract with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on April 17.

• More mills expected to stop CRU discounting Apr 17, 2013

  ArcelorMittal USA LLC’s announcement that it will cease selling hot-rolled steel priced off a discount to CRU Group’s index could see strong support from other steelmakers, sources said.

• Committee OKs bill to expedite Keystone XL pipeline Apr 17, 2013

  The House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 17 passed legislation that would expedite approval of TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline.

• Stainless steel shipments at 145,600 tons in March Apr 17, 2013

  Distributor shipments of stainless steel products in the United States totaled 145,600 tons in March, down 7.1 percent from 156,700 tons in the same month last year but up 1.8 percent from February’s 143,000 tons, according to Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) data.

• Auto industry puts vehicles on ‘major diet’ of aluminum Apr 17, 2013

  An all-aluminum vehicle could help trim weight by 40 percent while boosting fuel economy by 18 percent, according to a study commissioned by the Aluminum Association.

• Goncalves recalls 32-year steel career Apr 17, 2013

  Lourenco Goncalves’ retirement from the steel sector brings to an end a career that spanned more than three decades and multiple continents, and witnessed numerous changes in an evolving metals industry.

• Abakan, EWI partner on clad pipe Apr 17, 2013

  Abakan Inc. is partnering with welding and allied technologies organization Edison Welding Institute (EWI) to accelerate the manufacturing scale-up of its CermaClad pipe.

• GM, Ford collaborating on advanced transmissions Apr 17, 2013

  Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. will jointly develop new-generation nine- and 10-speed automatic transmissions for cars, crossover vehicles, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks.

• Atlas Pipeline in $1B deal to buy natural gas firm Teak Midstream Apr 17, 2013

  Atlas Pipeline Partners LP has agreed to pay $1 billion to acquire Teak Midstream LLC, a natural gas gathering and processing company with assets in the Eagle Ford shale.