Petrochemicals
AkzoNobel to buy BASF’s industrial coatings unit
The business generated revenue of about €300 million in 2015 and supplies products for a number of end uses, including coil, wind energy and general industry, and commercial transport.
Genomatica, Eni’s Versalis make bio-butadiene via renewable feedstocks
The success of this innovative undertaking results from a newly-developed process for the on-purpose production of butadiene which uses various types of sugars as feedstock.
LSB reaches mechanical completion on new El Dorado ammonia plant
LSB defines mechanical completion at the El Dorado ammonia plant as having concluded the installation of process vessels and rotating equipment, including associated piping and valves.
Asahi Kasei opens Mexico plastic compounds site
Continued demand growth for plastic compounds is forecast in Mexico, where various manufacturing facilities are increasingly located, especially by US, European, and Japanese manufacturers.
China exports more diesel as local demand slows
Diesel exports in the first quarter of 2016 may high a record high for that period, flooding Asia with supply at a time when profit margins are close to six-year lows, industry sources have said.
Downstream strength enables France’s Total to exceed expectations
The company saw high margins in refining and chemicals and a strong performance in its retail and lubricant businesses. Total fared better than many peers in the quarter, as its extensive downstream business benefited from weak oil prices.
Lanxess, Saudi Aramco to launch rubber venture ARLANXEO this April
LANXESS and Saudi Aramco signed an agreement to create a 50:50 joint venture for the development, production, marketing, sale and distribution of synthetic rubber.
Axens to supply technology on China’s first plant for crude-to-paraxylene
The complex includes a final-conversion refinery oriented towards the production of naphtha and an aromatic complex to maximize high-purity paraxylene production.
Kuwait’s KPC to sell struggling assets to cut costs
Nizar al-Adsani, chief executive of KPC, was quoted as saying the company had started efforts to sell its Europoort refinery in the Netherlands and had decided to shut a fertilizer plant.
LyondellBasell contracts Fluor for FEED on new Texas chemicals unit
The propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol plant will be the world’s largest of its type and will be located at LyondellBasell’s existing Channelview and Bayport Choate complexes in Texas.
- Brazil's Petrobras to invest $4.8 B in integration between Reduc refinery and Boaventura complex 7/8
- Braskem completes first sale of circular polyethylene in South America 7/8
- bp's 440,000-bpd refinery in Whiting, Indiana (U.S.), reported flaring due to operational conditions 7/8
- UK's insolvent Lindsey oil refinery secures some crude supply to keep running for now 7/8
- Brazil's energy minister hints at possible fuel price cuts 7/8
- Marathon Galveston Bay refinery (U.S.) hydrotreater to remain shut until September 7/8
