ICIS - Search Articles by Date : October 04 2004 - October 10 2004

Arkema is carved out of old Total block…
Total has achieved its goal of carving out a standalone chemicals arm by October, just eight months after it announced its intentions to do so. more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

‘Trust’ is theme for Cefic’s Elverding
Cefic’s new president Peter Elverding, chairman of DSM, called for more trust and cooperation between companies, NGOs and EU institutions at last.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

IT in Brief
PeopleSoft in Release more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Life Sciences Insights: IPO Window Opens for Biotech
Although investor caution still remains, the biotechnology industry is on track to improve its financing efforts in 2004. Monies raised from initial.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Oracle, PeopleSoft Resume Legal Battle; PeopleSoft Names CEO
Oracle Corp. continues its pursuit of rival enterprise resource planning (ERP) provider PeopleSoft Inc. as the two companies began a trial last week.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Global and US Manufacturing Activity Shows Signs of Slowing
Although still posting gains, the global and US manufacturing sector may be showing signs of slowing. Manufacturing activity increased again in.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Sigma-Aldrich Teams Up With Chloragen in Transgenic Plants
Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals, a division of Sigma-Aldrich Corp., is moving into the product end of the transgenic plant market through a development.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

LCDs Pushing Demand for NF3
The nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) market continues to grow, spurred by demand for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), although the threat of oversupply lies.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Specialties in Brief
JSR Corp. will be doubling its chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) consumable materials business this year. According to the Tokyo-based company,.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Specialties Pricing
BASF will raise North American prices by 6 percent on all paper colorants and pigments, and by 6 to 8 percent on all process chemicals, effective.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Wall Street Raises Profit Outlook for Chemical Firms
With chemical prices and volumes showing continued strength, Wall Street is unleashing a new round of upward revisions in profit forecasts as well as.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

News in Brief
DuPont Exits European JVDuPont will sell its half of polyester joint venture DuPontSA to partner Sabanci Holding, for an undisclosed amount. DuPontSA.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Chiron Will Not Deliver Flu Vaccine
Emeryville, Calif.-based Chiron Corp. said last week it would not deliver any of its Fluviron vaccine to the US market for the 2004-2005 flu season.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded last week to three scientists for discovering the process by which the cell degrades proteins. Aaron.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

AFFC Holdings Buys BP’s Fabrics and Fibers Unit
Private equity consortium AFFC Holdings Inc., comprising Sterling Group, Genstar Capital and Laminar Direct Capital, has agreed to acquire BP’s Amoco.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

Henkel Buys Sovereign Specialty
Henkel Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Chicago-based Sovereign Specialty Chemicals Inc. for roughly $575 million from New York.... more
(08 October 2004 18:43)

SIM, SIP may merge after SAU buyout
INDONESIAN sister companies Satomo Indovyl Polymer (SIP) and Satomo Indovyl Monomer (SIM) might merge after majority shareholder Sulfindo Adiusaha.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

More gasoil used
JAPANESE petrochemical producers that have been modifying their crackers to use less naphtha and more gasoil will continue to do so, despite the.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

PPIA petitions against polymer-tariff extension
THE Philippine Plastics Industry Association (PPIA) has petitioned the government, opposing an extension of the current tariffs on polymers, said a.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Marubeni targets $6m sales increase
MARUBENI Corp aims to achieve a US$6m increase in oleochemical sales for the financial year ending 31 December 2004, according to a company source. more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Specialities Roundup
UCB said it had sold its surface specialities business to Cytec Industries for Euro1.5bn (US$1.8bn), of which Euro200m would be in Cytec.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Market Trends: Asian benzene dives
Benzene prices plunge on the back of weaker US spot numbers, as styrene slides in sympathy. Phenol prices continue rising on tight supply and high.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Market Trends: Naphtha at new high
Rising crude and trader speculation boost naphtha. Elsewhere, markets are quiet owing to the Chinese holidays, except for ammonia, which is.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Acetic acid contract prices surge, but spot prices drop
ASIAN acetic-acid producers have nominated an increase of US$100–125/tonne cfr Asia for Q4 2004 contracts over Q3 settlements. more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Asian benzene surplus destabilises market
ASIAN benzene producers and traders were last week turning to the US to relieve themselves of their surplus material. more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Ethylene is key to Asahimas’ expansions
A CRUCIAL issue likely to affect Asahimas Chemical’s plan to expand its polyvinyl chloride (PVC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), ethylene dichloride.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

Shanghai Zijiang to build BOPA plant
SHANGHAI Zijiang Enterprise Group is to build a 5500 tonne/year biaxially oriented polyamide (BOPA) plant in Minhang, Shanghai, China, a company.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

JG hopes to break ground mid-05
JG SUMMIT is looking to break ground for a 300 000–350 000 tonne/year cracker project in the Philippines by mid-2005, said a source close to the.... more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

PetroVietnam to woo investors
PETROVIETNAM plans to conduct roadshows in Paris, France, and Houston, US, in November, said a company source. more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

New Projects Summary
As reported in ACN 4-10 October 2004 more
(08 October 2004 19:13)

ExxonMobil buys Basell’s share of CIPEN plant
ExxonMobil Chemical has bought Basell’s 50% share in the Compagnie Industrielle des Polyethylenes de Normandie (Cipen) linear low-density.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Fire ravages Indian bleach firm
A fire at India’s only calcium hypochlorite plant, at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, destroyed product and input inventories valued at Rupee20m.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

DuPontSA up for sale?
DuPontSA told ECN last week that it would make a ‘major’ announcement in the second week of October. Several industry observers believe it will.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

CPC receives $1.8m civil penalty
Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPC) will pay a $1.8m (€1.45m) penalty for Clean Air Act violations that killed three and injured nearly 100 at its.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Atofina's unions need convincing
While a third of Atofina’s workers attended meetings to explain the name and strategy behind Arkema, the CGT trade union organised a 24-hour strike.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Bayer affirms equity swap
Bayer has confirmed its shareholders could receive one share for every ten Bayer shares held in its new standalone chemicals and polymers company.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Rhodia share value settles following leap
Rhodia’s share price stabilised last week after a substantial leap in late September. more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Celanese confirms HQ move over waters
Celanese last week confirmed its plans to move corporate headquarters from Germany to Dallas, Texas, US, following its takeover by US private equity.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

AstraZeneca targets Mexico and China for sales growth
AstraZeneca aims to make Mexico as important a market as Italy or Spain, targeting respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and cancer, said Bruno.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

All change for BorsodChem in share float
BorsodChem’s ownership structure has changed dramatically following the successful flotation of 62.6% of the company in a placement that raised.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Henkel in stake-swap cash deal
Henkel, Germany’s consumer products and speciality chemicals group, has agreed to exchange its 28.8% stake in US cleaning supplies business Clorox.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Kemira shares out
Shareholders in Finnish chemicals group Kemira have agreed to an additional dividend and will accept more than 30m shares in agrochemicals spin-off.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Millennium/Lyondell to tie
The merger of Lyondell Chemical and Millennium Chemicals is expected to become official on 1 December, the companies say. more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

RAG sells Bakelite to Borden
RAG, the German energy-to-property company has sold its Bakelite epoxy resins business to US chemicals producer Borden Chemicals, which is owned by.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Business in brief
Henkel’s seal deal German consumer chemicals group Henkel has confirmed plans to acquire US-based adhesives and hollow parts sealants.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

YG delists shares
Yorkshire Group delisted its shares from the London Stock Exchange last week and prepared for asset sales and winding up. more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Dow defends itself in court
Dow Chemical found itself the focus of arguments in the Michigan Supreme Court in the US last week. more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Communication challenge
Cefic president Peter Elverding’s call for more trust and cooperation between the industry, NGOs and EU institutions is a heartfelt one. more
(08 October 2004 18:58)

Entering the fray
Total’s chemicals spin-off came into being on 1 October. John Baker interviewed the senior management team in Paris to learn all about the new.... more
(08 October 2004 18:58)