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Petrochemicals

Galata Chemicals opens India technical center for plastics additives R&D

The technical center offers a full range of analytical and testing capabilities in support of product and application development efforts as well as marketing and technical service for the area customers, according to Dr. Peter Frenkel, global director of technology and innovation for Galata Chemicals.

Reliance picks Foster Wheeler for engineering on India paraxylene expansion

Foster Wheeler’s scope includes detailed engineering, licensor coordination and procurement services for the new paraxylene plant. The project will be executed from the company's Indian and UK operations.

UOP licenses MTO technology to China's Shandong for coal-to-olefins project

China's Shandong Yangmei Hengtong Chemicals Co. Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP's advanced MTO process to convert methanol from gasified coal into ethylene and propylene, building block materials used in the production of films, packaging, plastics and other petrochemicals.

Shell to set up global technology hub in Bangalore

The company said the Bangalore site will become operational by around the middle of the decade and will have up to 1,500 technology specialists. It will provide technology services to exploration, production, refinery, chemical and other businesses, according to a company statement.

India's Gulf Oil to buy specialty chemicals company Houghton International

The acquisition will allow Gulf Oil, part of the diversified Hinduja Group, to expand its lubricants and chemicals business. Indian companies have been increasingly looking overseas for acquisitions because red tape, corruption and land acquisition issues often hurt plans to expand at home.

PTT mulls building new China petrochemical plant

A feasibility study will be completed by the end of the year. Incorporated in late 2011 through a merger of PTT Chemical PCL and PTT Aromatics and Refining PCL, PTT Global Chemical has petrochemical capacity of 8.2 million tpy of olefins and aromatics and refining capacity of 280,000 bpd.

BASF to build emissions catalysts plant in Poland

Construction of the new 40,000 square meter facility – BASF’s largest in Europe – will begin before the end of 2012. The plant will start production in the first quarter of 2014. Additional expansion will follow, raising the total investment volume for the project to approximately €150 million.

Equate restarts major Kuwait ethylene glycol unit following July fire

The unit was successfully restarted ahead of schedule, the company said in a statement. Through the cooperation of its world-class workforce, EQUATE successfully restarted the unit at an earlier date than the previously announced mid-November target,” the company said.

Oxea mulls downstream plant expansions in Texas

The study is examining various scenarios to boost the Bay City plant’s capacities, as well as the further optimization of Oxea’s product portfolio, according to company officials. The announcement follows a recent project in which Bay City syngas production was successfully raised by 10%.

Improve integration opportunities for aromatics units—Part 1

Fluor Enterprises, Inc.: Vaidyanathan, S.  |  Zhou, J.
Apex PetroConsultants: Kapur, S.

An aromatics complex is a combination of processing units that can be used to convert petroleum naphtha and pyrolysis gasoline (pygas) into the basic petrochemical intermediates: benzene, toluene and ..