Petrochemicals
Jacobs wins work on RSPL India soda ash project
Under the terms of the contract, Jacobs is providing detailed engineering, project management, procurement and construction supervision services for RSPL’s greenfield project. The capacity of the facility is estimated at 500,000 tpy of light soda ash. Officials did not disclose the contract value.
Gulf refiners brace as Hurricane Isaac strikes land
UPDATE: Isaac intensified to a hurricane Tuesday prior to making an evening landfall in extreme southeast Louisiana. Several major downstream facilities appear in its path.
US chemicals firm TPC to go private in $850mn deal
First Reserve director Neil Wizel said the investment firm plans to help TPC Group expand its core business to capitalize on shale plays in North America and the resulting increase in supply of natural gas and natural gas liquids. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Olin buys caustic soda group KA Steel Chemicals
KA Steel, headquartered in Lemont, Illinois, is one of the largest distributors of caustic soda in North America and one of the leading bleach manufacturers in the Midwest. The purchase price for Olin was $328 million.
US chemical production flat, trending downward
According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the US Chemical Production Regional Index (US CPRI) slipped by 0.1% in July, following flat growth in June.
Uhde wins FEED work for Sibur PP plant in Russia
The 500,000 tpy plant is planned to be constructed in Tobolsk, Tyumen Region, in West Siberia. The plant will produce a wide range of high-quality polypropylene brands for use, for example, in textile and packaging applications as well as in the production of automotive body parts and consumer goods.
Petrobras picks Foster Wheeler for engineering on Brazil gas-to-chemicals project
Foster Wheeler will act as integrator for the entire complex. The project is expected to produce in excess of 1 million tpy of ammonia and urea fertilizers, methanol, acetic acid, plus formic acid and melamine, helping to reduce Brazil's imports of these products. Financial terms were not disclosed.
US chemical activity index nudges higher in August
The American Chemistry Council's chemical activity barometer grew by 0.4% from July and 1.1% from August 2011, reflecting gradual economic growth and several positive US industry trends. The CAB is a leading economic indicator derived from a composite index of chemical industry activity.
A Schulman acquires US compounder ECM Plastics
The deal is valued at $36.5 million and should close in September. "With ECM’s expertise in custom color matching, higher-value compounding and specialty additive formulations, we believe they are an excellent strategic fit as we continue to focus on niche products," said Joseph M. Gingo, Schulman CEO.
BASF joins collaboration to develop bio-acrylic acid
BASF, Cargill and Novozymes recently signed an agreement to develop bio-based technologies to produce acrylic acid from renewable feedstocks. The annual global market volume of acrylic acid is around 4.5 million tons, with a value of $11 billion at the end of 2011.
- thyssenkrupp Uhde to build a low-emission polyester plant for KÖKSAN in Turkey 4/9
- Southern Energy Renewables and Axens Sign MoU to advance SAF projects in Louisiana and beyond 4/8
- One of the largest heat pumps in the world has reached BASF's Ludwigshafen site 4/8
- LANXESS introduces surcharge for Lewatit ion exchange resins 4/8
- HyOrc secures industrial site and accelerated permitting path for Portugal green methanol project 4/8
- India raises HPCL Rajasthan Refinery project cost to $8.6 B 4/8
