Americas
Air Products launches new ASU project at Chinese coal-to-chemicals plant
The project, capable of producing 12,000 tpd of oxygen and significant tonnage volumes of nitrogen and compressed dry air for the customer's coal chemical plant, represents one of the largest single on-site ASU orders ever committed to an industrial gas company.
California counties oppose Phillips 66’s oil-by-rail project to local refinery
It is one of several rail projects on the US West Coast that have undergone lengthy environmental reviews while facing heated opposition in light of fiery crude train crashes since mid-2013.
Dow’s Univation, Linde agree to collaborate on cracker, PE integration
Under the agreement, Univation and Linde will work toward delivering streamlined technology, capital expense and operational expense reduction opportunities and improved quality in early-stage design to ethylene cracker and polyethylene projects.
US chemical index shows signs of slowdown: ACC
Accounting for adjustments, the CAB remains up 1.6% over this time last year, a marked deceleration of activity from one year ago when the barometer logged a 3.2% year-over-year gain from 2014.
DuPont doubles down on cost cuts ahead of merger with Dow Chemical
DuPont says it is now targeting cost cuts of $730 million in 2016, with annual savings adding up to $1 billion. Those new projections are higher than figures stated in December.
Flow control provider Accudyne names new CEO
Treadway, who most recently served as president and CEO of Thomas & Betts Corp., a global business unit of ABB, will assume the position on March 1 and be based in Dallas.
Brazil’s Petrobras nears sale involving chemicals producer Braskem
State-run Petrobras has received interest from major international chemical companies for its 36% stake in Braskem's total capital, according to the Reuters report.
Siemens to buy engineering simulation software supplier CD-adapco
CD-adapco is a global engineering simulation company with software solutions covering a wide range of engineering disciplines including fluid dynamics (CFD), solid mechanics (CSM), heat transfer, particle dynamics, reactant flow, electrochemistry, acoustics and rheology.
US gasoline inventories rise more than expected, but distillate fuels fall
Crude inventories rose by 4 million bbl for the week, compared with analysts' expectations for an increase of 2.8 million bbl. Oil inventories climbed to the highest level since 1990.
M&G Chemicals to expand Corpus PTA, PET plant
In a statement, M&G Chemicals announced an increase in planned PET capacity from 1 MMtpy to at least 1.1 MMtpy, and in PTA capacity from 1.2 MMtpy to 1.3 million MMtpy.

- Dow to close three European chemical plants, cut 800 jobs 7/10
- Indian Oil to upgrade Panipat refinery's diesel unit for green jet fuel production 7/10
- Nayara to use Univation Technologies' PE process for world-scale plant in India 7/10
- Gunvor plans to halt oil terminal activities at Europoort refinery 7/10
- EU to set up Critical Chemical Alliance to secure supply chains 7/10
- Greenergy proposes to close Immingham biodiesel plant in the UK 7/10