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Petrochemicals

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.

Alfa Laval to supply heat exchangers for Singapore petrochemical plant

Alfa Laval - a firm specializing in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling - has received an order to supply its Packinox heat exchangers to a petrochemical plant in Singapore. The order value is about SEK 110 million and delivery is scheduled for 2012, the company said.

Sunoco to sell Ohio phenol plant for $106.5mn

US refiner Sunoco has agreed to sell its phenol manufacturing facility in Haverhill, Ohio, to Haverhill Chemicals, an affiliate of Goradia Capital LLC. Sunoco will sell the facility and the estimated value of the product inventory attributable to the facility for a combined price of approximately $106.5 million, it said.

BASF to raise global capacity for copper catalysts

BASF announced a new round of capital investment projects to increase its production capacity and further enhance its global manufacturing operations for copper and copper-chrome catalysts. These investments are aimed at improving catalyst manufacturing efficiency to meet increased global demand, the company said.

CB&I wins technology deal for China propane dehydrogenation unit

CB&I said that its Lummus Technology business has been awarded a contract by Ningbo Haiyue New Material Co. for the license and engineering design of a grassroots propane dehydrogenation unit to be built in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China.

Eastman completes Sterling Chemicals acquisition

Eastman Chemical has completed its acquisition of Sterling Chemicals, a single-site North American petrochemical producer, for $100 million in cash. This acquisition includes Sterling’s plasticizer and acetic acid manufacturing assets in Texas City, Texas.

Air Products to supply hydrogen for Shell Deer Park refinery in Texas

Air Products announced a long-term agreement with Shell Oil to supply a significant portion of the hydrogen requirements at Shell's refinery in Deer Park, Texas. The hydrogen supply will commence in mid-2013, the company said.

Fluor wins engineering deal for Dow, Saudi Aramco $20bn chemical complex

Fluor has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) contract for all of the utilities and offsites at the al-Jubail chemical complex in Saudi Arabia. The complex is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical.

US hikes storm forecast as Gulf season nears peak

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) elevated its forecast on Friday for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, raising the number of expected named storms from its preseason outlook and potentially threatening refining and petrochemical operations along the US Gulf coast and eastern seaboard.