Environment & Safety Gas Processing/LNG Maintenance & Reliability Petrochemicals Process Control Process Optimization Project Management Refining

Petrochemicals

Foster Wheeler awarded EPCm contract for Engen South Africa pipeline project

Foster Wheeler has been awarded a contract by Engen Petroleum for engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) services for Engen’s new multi-products pipeline feeder lines and infrastructure project at the company’s Durban refinery in South Africa.

Dow polypropylene process technology chosen for new Qinghai unit in China

The Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co. has selected the UNIPOL polypropylene process technology from Dow Chemical for its new 160,000 tpy polypropylene unit in China. The unit will provide polypropylene as part of Qinghai’s integrated magnesium metal project to produce homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers.

Hurricane Irene forms in Atlantic, may hit Carolina polymer sites by weekend

Hurricane Irene formed early Monday near Puerto Rico, making it the first such storm of the 2011 Atlantic tropical season, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). Irene is expected to strike the southeastern US coast near South Carolina or North Carolina over the upcoming weekend as a major hurricane, with winds of at least 115 miles/hour.

BASF to build €500mn acrylic acid plant in Brazil

BASF will invest in a world-scale production site for acrylic acid, butyl acrylate and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil, it said on Friday. It will be the first acrylic acid and superabsorbents plant in South America. With an investment of more than €500 million, it is the largest investment in BASF’s century-long history in South America.

INEOS technology for PVC, VCM chosen by Qingdao Haijing project in China

Qingdao Haijing Chemical has selected technology from INEOS to use in the production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and suspension polyvinyl chloride (S-PVC) technologies for a project at its new site in Dongjia-kou Pro Port Industrial Zone, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China.

Novamont, Genomatica form Europe JV for bio-BDO

Genomatica and Novamont have signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture that is expected to lead to the first industrial plants in Europe producing butanediol (BDO) from renewable feedstocks.

KBR to expand DuPont offices at Delaware campus

KBR announced that its Building Group subsidiary has been awarded the second phase of a multi-phase expansion at DuPont’s Chestnut Run Plaza, the chemical major’s suburban campus in Wilmington, Del.

Fluor wins EPC deal for Saudi Arabia polymer plant

Fluor has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by SAPCo, a joint venture company being formulated between Saudi Acrylic Acid Co. and Evonik Industries, for the super absorbent polymer project (SAP) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

KBR awarded technology, engineering contract for South Korea phenol plant

KBR was awarded a contract by LG Chem Ltd. (LG) to license phenol technology for LG’s 240,000 tpy phenol plant in Daesan, South Korea. The Daesan plant will be the second license by LG for KBR’s phenol technology, the company said.

Dow Corning starts production of monosilane gas for use as solar feedstock

Dow Corning said on Wednesday that it has begun production of high-purity monosilane gas - a key material used as an anti-reflective solar cell coating and as a feedstock for photovoltaics.