ICIS - Search Articles by Date : January 13 2003 - January 19 2003

Who's who 2003 - out now
The 2003 edition of Who's Who in World Petrochemicals & Plastics is now published more
(13 January 2003 12:06)

Ineos Chlor follows Solvay
Another European producer announced a E100/tonne price increase on caustic soda late in December more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

US$41m aid for HOCL in bid to draw investors
Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL) aims to attract more suitors through a new bidding process that will be launched after its financial.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Atofina-SamsungGen joint venture on target for end-Q1
The planned Atofina-Samsung General Chemicals (SGC) joint venture is still set for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2003 more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Indonesia's petchems hope fuel hikes will be reversed
The Indonesian petrochemical industry is clinging to the hope that the government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri will reverse its decision to.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Ube in talks over PE business
Ube Industries is in talks with a number of chemical companies in Chiba, Japan, on the future of its PE business more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Asahimas expects lower profits but higher sales in 2003
Asahimas Chemical is forecasting a decline in profits but a rise in sales for the year ending 31 December 2003 compared with last year's figures more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Idemitsu to gain from alliance
Idemitsu Petrochemical will benefit from the move by Japan's two biggest oil refiners, Nippon Oil Corp and Idemitsu Kosan, to form an alliance and.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Pla-Net plans investments in China next year
Pla-Net Holdings is planning trade and manufacturing investments in China in 2004 more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Shadow dancing
The Chandra Asri-Peni saga that saw Peni's shareholders giving up their stakes last year is not over. There is now speculation as to who might buy.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Fibre intermediates: Push for MEG, PTA hikes
Tight supply and mounting feedstock costs prompt MEG and PTA producers to hike nominations for February, despite weak demand more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Acrylic fibre dips to under $1.30/kg
Acrylic-fibre prices in Asia were on the decline last week, even as its raw material, acrylonitrile, remained relatively stable more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

New capacities could soften PTA prices
The price surge currently being witnessed in Asian PTA markets could see some softening in the next few months more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Market trends: Aromatics on a roll
Prices for all products soar, with styrene shooting up $100 due to market tightness, high naphtha, crude and benzene more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Market trends: Olefins offers climb
Naphtha remains very high. Strong crude due to fears of supply disruptions caused by possible US military action in Iraq and the Venezuelan strike.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

New projects summary
As reported in ACN 23 December 2002 - 12 January 2003 more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Kingboard plans 3 projects for Changzhou
Kingboard Chemical Holdings plans to produce methanol, phenol and acetone in Changzhou New District (Changzhou Hi-Tech Development Zone) in.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

LG in talks for stake in SECC PVCproject
LG Chem is holding talks with Fujian Southeast Electro Chemical Co (SECC) on taking a stake in the latter's 450 000 tonne/year PVC project and in more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Asahimas looks at building power unit
Asahimas Chemical is considering building its own power plant in an effort to deal with Indonesia's looming severe power shortage and the recent.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Finolex plans VCM/PVC start in Q1/Q2
Finolex Industries Ltd is planning to start building its 130 000 tonne/year vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and 130 000 tonne/year PVC lines in.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Saudi Chevron to release engg list
Saudi Chevron Phillips (SCP) is expected to release a pre-qualifying list of engineering firms this month for the selection of a turnkey contractor.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Dalian Petchem mulls PX plant
Dalian Petrochemical is considering building an 800 000 tonne/year paraxylene (PX) unit next to its refinery in Dalian, Liaoning, China more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Singapore derivatives studies by duo
Shell Chemicals and Sumitomo Chemical will conduct individual feasibility studies for the construction of derivatives downstream of their proposed 1m.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Koch 'bid' could upstage LG/Honam for Hyundai
A source close to the LG Chem/Honam Petrochemical consortium said the two companies would have to ‘play hardball’ following reports that Koch has.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

Olefins soar on high naphtha
The bubble could be about to burst in olefins markets as a result of price rises that have been driven by tight supply, the cost push from naphtha.... more
(17 January 2003 15:20)

E-fficient models
In the challenging world of e-business, a group-wide competence network proved to be the ideal solution for Degussa, bringing benefits rapidly across.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Sales dip across solvent market
Chlorinated solvents sales volumes fell by 7% in 2001 to 271 000 tonne, in comparison with 291 000 tonne in 2000, according to data published by the.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

TotalFinaElf begins revamp
TotalFinaElf has launched a E65m ($67.7m) programme of work at its Provence refinery, near Martigues in southern France more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Safe and secure
ECN recently visited two UK logistics specialists to discuss how they are developing their businesses. John Baker reports from SOBL and Mark.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

News in brief
Eastman increase Eastman has announced a E0.05/kg price increase for its line of speciality acids and anhydrides following cost pressures.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

News in brief
Rail freight moves According to the US Association of American Railroads (AAR), the volume of chemicals moved by rail freight traffic on.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

News in brief
Express solutions GTC Biotherapeutics of Framingham, Massachusetts, US, and Trans Ova Genetics of Sioux Center, Iowa, have signed a.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Solvents monitor: Isopropanol availability remains low
Ongoing tightness in the isopropanol market continues as maintenance is planned at three US plants. Acetone numbers have fallen and producers are.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Asian MEG price surge set to have knock-on effect
European MEG producers and consumers admit that the recent surge in Asian spot and contract prices has increased the likelihood of higher MEG quarter.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Basell mulls lldPE to PP conversion
Basell has confirmed that it is considering converting its mothballed Spherilene linear low density polyethylene (lldPE) plant in Westlake, Lake.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Codexis/Lilly collaborate
Codexis, a subsidiary of California-based Maxygen, has agreed a multi-year collaboration with Eli Lilly, to develop improved fermentation processes.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Future looks bright for biotech
US biotechnology sales are expected to increase by 13% to $23bn in 2003, according to a recent analysis by biotech and chemical industry consultancy.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Bristlecone lines up IT services contracts
Bristlecone, a business process and technology consultancy company with experience in complex supply chain software implementation, has been awarded.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Commercial production of Nodax to begin next year
The family of biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters being developed by Procter & Gamble (P&G), Nodax, is due to begin commercial.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

CEA to coordinate plastic cell project
France's Atomic Energy Commissariat (CEA) is co-ordinating a E10m ($10.6m) project to develop plastic photovoltaic solar cells more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Shaw/JGC win Chinese EPC
The Shaw Group's Stone & Webster and Japan's JGCCorporation have been jointly awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Helm steers across seas
Despite difficult conditions across the chemical sector, international marketing company Helm is set to report a positive balance sheet for the end.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

cGMP pilot
Norwegian fine chemicals company Borregaard has expanded its operations with the opening of a new research and pilot plant at its Sarpsborg site, 40.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

UK has bags of spark, says CIA
The UK chemical industry has downplayed predictions that electricity shortages may strike as early as 2004 more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Uhde starts work on VCM plants
German contractor Uhde has been awarded contracts for two vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) projects in China more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Eastman and Solutia warn of Q4 losses
Warnings of 2002 fourth quarter (Q4) losses from US-based Eastman Chemical and from Solutia were announced last week more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Shaw wins PMDI contract
Dow Chemical has awarded Shaw Group's Shaw Constructors the contract for construction of a $200m polymeric methylene diisocyanate (PMDI) facility in.... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

Greek tragedy for policy review?
Is the Greek presidency purposefully delaying the progress of the chemicals policy review or is it merely that this subject is not hot on the agenda..... more
(17 January 2003 14:46)

OX players question Q4 rollover
Orthoxylene (OX) quarter one (Q1) contracts in Europe, have initially settled at a rollover of quarter four's E470/tonne FD more
(17 January 2003 14:46)