ICIS - Search Articles by Date : June 02 2003 - June 08 2003

Product profile: EPDM
Market growth has been flat but new grades and applications are stimulating fresh demand. New capacity will be needed to feed the rapid growth in.... more
(04 June 2003 11:36)

Hagen does better
Bayer Polymers is the world's second biggest engineering polymers and polyurethanes player, turning over almost E11bn last year. It is set to become.... more
(06 June 2003 17:28)

Specialties Pricing
AIR PRODUCTS and Chemicals Inc. is increasing its prices for Airthane and Versathane polyurethane prepolymers and Primax surface modified particles more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

Tosoh to Expand Chloralkali Operations in Asia
Tosoh Corp. will invest an additional ´17 billion ($143 million) to add aniline production facilities to its fully integrated chloralkali more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

ACC Urges Congress to Oppose Energy Policy
As the Senate resumed debate on omnibus energy legislation last week, the chemical industry joined other businesses in urging lawmakers to oppose more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

Texas Court Decision Praised
In upholding a lower court's decision to dismiss a lawsuit against three petroleum companies (Atlantic Rich-field, Lyondell Petrochemical, more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

Euro Drug Industry Criticizes EU Drugs Registration Plan
Both the research-based and generic pharmaceuticals sectors are criticizing an agreement by the European Union's (EU) health ministers on new rules more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

Victrex Posts Impressive Growth on PEEK Polymer
Victrex PLC, the world's sole manufacturer of the high performance polymer polyetherether ketone (PEEK), increased sales by 32 percent to £39 more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

Animal Fats Prices Spike on Canadian BSE Case
Prices for tallow and all animal fats have surged recently in the wake of reports of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), better known as mad more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

Cambrex Expands Cell Therapy Capability
Cambrex Corp. is doubling its cGMP cell therapy manufacturing capacity to support its growing cell therapy services business. The company will more
(06 June 2003 21:11)

KP creditors to start fourth bidding round in Sept
KP Chemical's creditorsare to launch a fourth round of bidding in September in an effort to obtain higher bids for the company's assets more
(03 June 2003 12:27)

SK Global closure could lift Corp
A move by creditors of South Korea's SK Global to liquidate the company could be to the long-term advantage of its major shareholder, refining and.... more
(03 June 2003 12:28)

Hyundai companies in debt write-off tussle
The former Hyundai group's non-petrochemical affiliates are being asked to write off Won80bn (US$67.2m) of accounts receivable and loans they have.... more
(03 June 2003 12:27)

Ibrahim Fibre: PTA buy from FCFC akin to 'snarl of a tiger'
Ibrahim Fibre has fired a warning shot to its sole feedstock supplier by announcing that it would purchase 'token' quantities of purified.... more
(03 June 2003 12:27)

Kolon sells nylon-film lines to Honeywell for $26.7m
Kolon Industrial has sold for Won32bn (US$26.7m) both of the 3700 tonne/year biaxially oriented nylon-film lines in Dangjin, South Korea, that it had.... more
(03 June 2003 12:26)

Huge losses at Nissho, Nichimen
Restructuring costs take toll on trading majors, but joint entity expects better times more
(03 June 2003 12:36)

SGC-Atofina jv apportioning of sales baffles market
How exactly will the Samsung General Chemicals (SGC) and Atofina petrochemical joint venture be run? more
(03 June 2003 12:35)

M-E advantage is set to stay
The Middle East is set to retain its huge feedstock advantage over Europe, the US and Asia until at least 2007 more
(03 June 2003 12:25)

Seeking solutions
Singapore needs to find new sources of growth in order to better protect itself from external shocks more
(03 June 2003 12:26)

A niche market
The stage is small for the electronic-chemicals industry in Singapore, but it faces the same challenges as the rest of Asia more
(03 June 2003 12:25)

Small=beautiful?
Singapore's plastics- processing industry may have lost production to neighbouring countries. But it can still build on its strengths in niche.... more
(03 June 2003 12:35)

Downstream focus: A road less travelled
Despite the problems and the scepticism, Singapore has pushed ahead with its dream of becoming a world-class biomedical hub. Alfred Tong looks at the.... more
(03 June 2003 12:24)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams more
(03 June 2003 12:36)

Startup report: Q3 goes to Iran/China
Several of the projects starting up this quarter are from Iran and China more
(03 June 2003 12:32)

China's PE imports fall by 16%
China's imports of PE fell by 16.67% in the first quarter of this year over Q1 2002 as a result of the combined effects of the Iraq war and the Sars.... more
(03 June 2003 12:32)

Three producers restart or up PA operating rates
Petrowidada, IG Petrochemicals and Thirumalai Chemicals either increased operating rates or restarted their phthalic anhydride (PA) plants last week.... more
(03 June 2003 12:32)

PE/PPoffers rise
Offers for June cargoes of PE and PP increased last week over business concluded for May on the hope that the price recovery would be sustained more
(03 June 2003 12:31)

Phenol cargoes to China to drop sharply
Deep-sea phenol cargo shipments to China are expected to decrease sharply in May and June more
(03 June 2003 12:31)

PS, ABS producers in China up op rates
PS and ABS producers in China increased their operating rates last week following better PS and ABS prices more
(03 June 2003 12:30)

Market trends: C2 offers rise to $410
Ethylene offers continue to climb. However, prices for naphtha remain volatile, rising to $240, then falling later in the week more
(03 June 2003 12:36)

Project watch: The case for prudence
After a difficult 2002 with lower-than-expected demand growth and increased production, linear alkylbenzene could be left facing an even more.... more
(03 June 2003 12:26)

No8 Olefins study expected to be ready by Q1 2004
National Petrochemical Co (NPC) expects to complete its joint feasibility study with Shell Chemicals and Basell for its No8 Olefins project at Bandar.... more
(03 June 2003 12:28)

Bandar Imam PVC for startup by 2006
National Petrochemical Co (NPC) plans to start up its chlor-alkali and PVC complex in Bandar Imam, Iran, by 2006 more
(03 June 2003 12:29)

Siam Cement eyes C2 complex
Siam Cement is considering investing in a cracker complex in Iran more
(03 June 2003 12:29)

Tomen stake in NPC monomer venture?
Tomen Corp is considering a majority stake in a monomer joint venture with Iran's National Petrochemical Co (NPC) in Iran more
(05 June 2003 08:54)

Hyosung to invest $350m in overseas projects
Hyosung Corp plans to invest US$350m in overseas projects by 2006, of which US$150m has been budgeted for a new spandex polyurethane fibre plant in.... more
(03 June 2003 12:34)

SCAC to form jv for PVC plant in Ningxia
Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical (SCAC) plans to form a joint venture with two Chinese companies to build a 100-120 000 tonne/year PVC plant in.... more
(03 June 2003 12:34)

Toray to start up PPS line in Oct
Toray Industries plans to start up a 3000 tonne/year polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) compounding line in Shenzhen, southern China, in October this year more
(03 June 2003 12:34)

Burrup plans fertiliser study for Q2 2004
Burrup Fertilisers expects to conduct a final feasibility study on an ammonia-urea complex in Australia in Q2 2004 more
(03 June 2003 12:33)

Continental plans China PA-DOP
Continental Chemical to invest US$100-120m in integrated complex in Guangdong more
(03 June 2003 12:33)

Sasol mulling LAB
Sasol is considering producing linear alkylbenzene (LAB) based on normal-paraffin produced from its gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Ras Laffan more
(03 June 2003 12:33)

Tests may cost chems billions
Japan's chemical companies may have to pay billions of yen to test for the safety of new chemicals when the revised Chemical Substances Control Law.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

IOC shows renewed interest in Haldia Petchem stake
The long drawn-out tale of debt-laden Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd's (HPL) efforts to attract a strategic investor could get stretched further as news.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

TriPolyta to be de-listed from Jakarta exchange
TriPolyta will be de-listed from the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) and trading in its shares will cease on 7July, a JSX official told ACN last week more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

Mitsub dumps PVC alliance plan
Mitsubishi Chemical has abandoned its earlier plan to form alliances with other Japanese PVC players, and is looking at other restructuring measures.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

Peni signs on TriPolyta as its sole marketing agent
Petrokimia Nusantara Interindo (Peni) has inked a deal with Indonesia's largest PP producer, TriPolyta, making it the sole marketing agent for Peni's.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

Idemitsu gets profit boost
Idemitsu Petrochemical, which had expected to register zero or negative profits for the financial year ending 31 March 2003 because of the naphtha.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

TPI: Court 'no' likely
Thailand's Central Bankruptcy Court will likely reject the new administrator of Thai Petrochemical Industry (TPI) nominated by creditors at a meeting.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

Volumes sink but cash margins broaden in Q2
While cash margins have improved significatnly, writes Sergey Vasnetsov, the bad news is sales volumes of the more profitable chemicals have been hit.... more
(06 June 2003 16:06)

SK Corp walking on a tightrope
While SK Corp would suffer long-term damage from any bailout of trading affiliate SK Global, it would unlikely be fatal more
(06 June 2003 16:06)