1.   Ashland Inc. said the head of its refining unit is retiring at a time when Ashland is seeking refining alliances with other oil companies.

2.   Buying the Basis assets will probably raise the value of the refining unit.

3.   CPC said Healey will be replaced as treasurer by Robert Gluck, who has been vice president of finance for its North American corn refining unit.

4.   Heating oil rose for the first time in seven days after a fire forced Citgo Petroleum Corp. to shut a refining unit used for making the fuel.

5.   Salomon Inc. said it reached a definitive agreement to sell its Basis Petroleum oil refining unit to Valero Energy Corp.

6.   Suncor Energy Inc. said its third-quarter earnings more than doubled because of higher oil production and improved performance by its refining unit.

7.   The company first said in December it was seeking possible alliances for its refining unit.

8.   The return of the refining units comes after the end of the summer vacation driving season in U.S.