ICIS - Search Articles by Date : April 05 2004 - April 11 2004

Lyondell snaps up Millennium
Lyondell Chemical is buying Millennium Chemicals in a stock and debt swap transaction worth $2.3bn. more
(05 April 2004 09:33)

BP unveils new petchem strategy
BP last week revealed a twin-track strategy and management approach for its petrochemicals business. more
(05 April 2004 09:33)

Clariant Aims for $719 Million
Clariant has opted to price its shares at a discount of around 33 percent for a rights issue aimed at raising SFr920 million ($719 million). more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

Businesses Explore Research Collaborations With Academia
If the European Union is to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s leading knowledge-based economy, in-dustry and academic science have to work.... more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

The ECJ Allows Parallel Trading for Discount Drugs
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has dealt a blow to efforts by the research-based pharmaceutical indus-try to have legal restrictions placed on.... more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

Sika Completes Wacker Buy
Sika continues to expand in sealant and bonding systems following the completion of its acquisition of a silicones business from Wacker. more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

Total Mulls Options for CIP
Total could delay the planned disposal of its intermediates and performance chemicals business for two to three years until its profitability is high.... more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

TKT Rebounds on European Dynepo Rights
Transkaryotic (TKT) more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

Most Majors Still Looking for Biotech Breakthrough
Biotechnology-based medi-cines are playing an increasingly important role in the global pharmaceutical market, yet biotech drugs are noticeably.... more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

Administration Charged With Blocking REACH
A senior House Democrat charges that the Bush administration and US chemical companies mounted a joint lobbying campaign to block efforts by the.... more
(08 April 2004 21:31)

SPC to cut back workforce
SHANGHAI Petrochemical Co (SPC) plans to reduce the manpower in its core businesses from 18 000 to 15 000 in the next three years, said a company.... more
(05 April 2004 09:43)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams more
(08 April 2004 10:48)

BTX up on news of BP blast
ASIAN spot benzene, toluene and styrene rose sharply after an explosion and fire at BP Chemicals’ refinery and chemicals complex in Texas City,.... more
(05 April 2004 09:43)

Xiang Lu’s PX project gets initial approval
THE Chinese government has approved Xiang Lu Petrochemical’s proposal for a 700 000–800 000 tonne/year paraxylene (PX) project in China. more
(05 April 2004 09:43)

FPCC plans metathesis unit
FORMOSA Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) is to build a metathesis unit to produce 250 000 tonne/year of propylene in Mailiao, Taiwan. more
(05 April 2004 09:43)

Gaoqiao set to start work on ABS and SBR
GAOQIAO Petrochemical aims to start construction work on its acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) projects in the.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

New Projects Summary
Reported in ACN 5-11 April 2004 more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

LG Petrochemical inks timetable
LG Petrochemical aims to achieve mechanical completion of its Won220bn (US$191m) phenol, cumene and bisphenol A (BPA) project at Yeochun, South.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Mitsubishi, IPCC still in talks
MITSUBISHI Corp is still negotiating with Iran Petrochemical Commercial Co (IPCC) on the purchase of various chemicals from the latter more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Kolon expects smaller loss in synthetic fibres
KOLON Industries expects to shave the net loss from its synthetic-fibre business this year to Won20bn-25bn (US$17.5m-21.8m), from about Won45bn last.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

CPDC ups capro capacity and switches to monthly pricing
ONE of the focuses at China Petrochemical Development Corp (CPDC) is on improving the cost efficiency of its caprolactam operations because of the.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Gaoqiao to be Mitsui’s partner
Gaoqiao Petrochemical, a Sinopec subsidiary, will be the local partner of Mitsui Chemicals for an earlier announced 120 000 tonne/year bisphenol A.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Anyang plans methanol unit
ANYANG Chemical Industry Group plans to build a 200 000 tonne/year coal-based methanol unit more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Nod for Jilin’s cracker expansion
PETROCHINA has obtained government approval to expand its cracker and to build three new units in Jilin city, Jilin, China more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Benzene’s fluctuating fortunes
With benzene forecast to be short in every major region by 2007, Paul Hodges evaluates the implications of the changing market for producers and.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Going private
Iran aims to solve the burgeoning unemployment among its youths by encouraging the involvement of private companies in the petrochemicals sector..... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Butadiene dynamics shift
WILL the flow of butadiene cargoes from the US to Asia, currently sporadic, become more regular, now that Sabina Petrochemicals, the joint venture.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Market trends: Paraxylene climbs
But traders are finding it increasingly hard to persuade customers to accept high fob offers. High benzene prices in the US accelerate East-West.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Market trends: Butadiene tightens
Butadiene supply is squeezed as turnarounds start, causing a sharp rise in offers and bids. Propylene firms on tightening availability more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Non-wovens ready to grow in Japan
JAPANESE non-wovens markets are poised for the strongest recovery since 2000, with 2004 annual GDP (gross domestic product) growth forecast at 1.7%.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

SpecialitiesRoundup
Borden Chemical has formed two separate joint ventures in China for the production of formaldehyde, resins and other materials. Borden said.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Yizheng to debottleneck China PTA
YIZHENG Chemical Fibre is to debottleneck its 450 000 tonne/year purified terephthalic acid (PTA) unit in Yizheng, Jiangsu, China, later this year more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Mitsubishi, Bayer could vie for Thailand phenol
MITSUBISHI Chemical and Bayer Polymers could end up competing for phenol supplies from the cumene-phenol/acetone project that is to be constructed at.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

2m tonne shortfall in MX by 2010 forecast
ASIA will see a shortfall of 2m tonne of mixed xylenes (MX) by 2010, with a sharp increase in demand from the paraxylene (PX) sector, forecasts Jim.... more
(08 April 2004 12:04)

Blackstone looks set to win tender for Celanese
Blackstone’s €3.1bn take­over bid for Celanese has succeeded, preliminary data suggest. more
(05 April 2004 09:39)

PX demand to grow as PET bottle resins increase
Paraxylene (PX) demand will not falter was the message from Chase Willet at CMAI’s petrochemical conference in Houston, Texas, US. more
(05 April 2004 09:33)

Players express dismay as benzene prices rocket
The European monthly benzene contract has rocketed to €566/tonne for April, an increase of €116/tonne. more
(05 April 2004 09:39)

Basell wins hdPE deal in China
Basell continues to make strides in China with another win for its polyethylene technology. more
(05 April 2004 09:39)

Sabic cracker under way
Sabic has begun basic engineering for its long-awaited cracker expansion at Geleen in the Netherlands, but a decision to go ahead with the project is.... more
(05 April 2004 09:39)

Opportune merger
Lyondell Chemical believes business conditions are improving but economic conditions create a wild card. Report by Peter Taffe more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

Coming back up?
Michael Gordon reports from this year’s NPRA petrochemicals meeting in San Antonio, detecting growing optimism for recovery but a realisation that.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

BP: at the core
The latest strategy from BP brings the focus back to three central products in the continuing search for higher growth and higher returns. Report by.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

20 years ago
ECN 23 April 1984 more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

People on the move
Basell   Werner Breuers Werner Breuers is to become president of Basell Polyolefins Europe on the.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

New Projects Summary
REPORTED IN ECN ON 15 and 22 MARCH Company Product Capacity Process Contractor Cost Startup .... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

Solvents Monitor: Feedstocks push up solvent prices
Solvent markets are benefiting from strong demand and producers have announced price hikes for April, with acetone and ethyl acetate achieving.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

Product Profile: Propylene
World demand is growing faster than supply as a large chunk of proposed new crackers will produce little propylene. New processes have emerged in a.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

Fine chemicals in brief
Avantium deal Netherlands-based Avantium Technologies and Degussa have broadened their collaboration with Degussa supplying a selection of.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)

Plans lined up for US site
New York, US-based speciality chemicals maker Schenectady International has purchased a 110-acre production site in Tennessee from Great Lakes.... more
(08 April 2004 15:05)