ICIS - Search Articles by Date : March 13 2006 - March 19 2006

EU INSIDER
SOLVAY SAYS integrating its Pharma and Fournier Pharma business, which was bought in July 2005, will require 400 job cuts in France to restore.... more
(13 March 2006 13:47)

Odfjell predicts a strong 2006
Odfjell is predicting even stronger profits in 2006 after its robust performance in 2005. more
(14 March 2006 13:44)

IN BRIEF Americas Watch
ACC rails AT train system competition more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

WALL STREET VIEWPOINT
Challenging time ahead for us petrochemicals more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

China on the brink of a fall?
It would be nice, just occasionally, to cut through all the public relations fluff and hear somebody, somewhere from a chemical company go on the.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Watchdog predicts pollution all-clear for thawing river
China’s environmental watchdog does not believe that there will be further pollution when the Songhua River thaws this spring. more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

India traders and users unhappy about budget
India’s giveaway for polymers budget, reported last week, has not been universally welcomed by players there. more
(18 March 2006 10:43)

Ciech gets state approval for two company buy-out
Poland’s Ciech agreed in principle with state privatisation agency Nafta Polska that it would buy two companies last week. more
(18 March 2006 10:41)

Positive numbers from tank terminal operator
Tank terminal operator Vopak posted full-year revenues for 2005 up 5.5% to €683.6m and announced a positive outlook for shareholders. Vopak said.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Degussa’s Brazilian scheme
Degussa plans to double both its carbon black and hydrogen peroxide production in Brazil by the first quarter of 2007, according to Peter Nagler, the.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

IMCD wraps up Optima deal
Major distributor IMCD has bought Optima Chemicals, a speciality chemicals distributor for the cosmetics industry. Rotterdam, Netherlands-based IMCD.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Shell and Statoil unite on oil recovery project
Shell and Statoil are to collaborate over the development of the world’s largest enhanced oil recovery project using carbon dioxide capture and.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

R&D boosts BASF numbers
R&D investment at BASF Agricultural Products has helped the division achieve total peak sales of €1900m in 2005, about €100m more than earlier.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Ethylene in the NPC pipeline
Iran’s National Petrochemical Co (NPC) has expanded the scope of its ethylene pipeline, leading to plans for five new petrochemical complexes. more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Is it time to leave the party?
North American margins are healthy, but may dampen in the second half after a heavy turnaround season more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

EC plans to secure transport shipment
The European Commission has proposed a voluntary scheme to improve the anti-terrorist security of shipments by rail, road and inland waterways..... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Clearer GMO information is needed
GREATER TRANSPARENCY in relation to the risk management of GMOs and more consumer information is needed, according to delegates at a recent meeting.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Study calls for research
A report from the EU’s Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (Scher) has indicated that there is a need for more research on the.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Sayanskhimplast ups PVC capacity
Sayanskhimplast plans to raise its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) output by about 60% to 400 000 tonne/year by 2011 and could eventually boost capacity to.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Sinopec and HPCL agree project MoU
Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL), the Indian state-owned refiner, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese refining major Sinopec.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

TKOC awards EPC to Foster Wheeler
The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC) has awarded Foster Wheeler the engineering, procurement and construction supervision contract for an ethylene.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

VIEW FROM JAPAN
Japanese firms like china + one more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

IN BRIEF Asia Watch
Henkel sells stake to vuya investments more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

GIBSON’S GRAPEVINE
LME sees encouraging start more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Kaltex Mexico plans growth
Kaltex Fibers will modernise and expand its acrylic fibres plant in Altamira, Mexico, from 65 000 tonne/year to 100 000 tonne/year, said general.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

US: further PFOA measures required
The United Steelworkers union (USW) has said that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must take further measures to ‘stop DuPont and other.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

MEPs support mercury ban
Europe’s MEPs have backed the European Union’s mercury strategy which would lead to a ban on mercury exports by 2010. The Parliament said that ‘It is.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Pair plead guilty to price fixing
Solvay and Akzo Nobel have pleaded guilty to price fixing in US peroxygen markets and agreed to pay the Department of Justice (DoJ) $41m and $32m in.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

BB&T begins chems coverage
US investment bank BB&T has begun coverage of the chemical sector with an upbeat forecast, seeing continued strength in commodity products. On the.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

IN BRIEF: Environment Watch
Dynea will use atrion’s software more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

US in China trade threat over piracy
The US has threatened to ‘reassess’ its trade relations with China because of continuing Chinese counterfeiting, piracy and other barriers to US.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Asia set to fuel plastics demand
Asia’s booming economies and growing industries such as car manufacturing and footwear, will see demand for plastics grow by 40% between 2004 and.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

IECA rejects calls for gas caps
A US think-tank, Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), has said that a cap and trade system for control of greenhouse gases is ‘unworkable’..... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

THINK TANK Mood is positive despite low solvent demand
The unseasonally sluggish demand for solvents in the Middle East in the first two weeks of March this year would, on the surface, seem to belie the.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Indians boost price protection
Indian majors Reliance Industries, Haldia Petrochemicals and Gail India have extended price protection to their domestic polyolefin customers for the.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Europe butanediol market under pressure from Asia
Low Asian prices are pressurising the European butanediol (BDO) market. Buyers and sellers concur that the delta between European and Asian prices is.... more
(18 March 2006 10:46)

VAM sellers paint a picture of strong Q2
Despite a €40/tonne drop in European first-quarter (Q1) ethylene contracts, vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) producers managed to resist a similar.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Borouge is key in Borealis’ future
Borouge, the 40:60 joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), expects to receive bids for its proposed cracker.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Firms hit by rising energy costs
High energy prices in Northwestern Europe have lead to cut backs in chlorine and fertiliser production and a profit warning from Kemira GrowHow. more
(18 March 2006 10:40)

DuPont paints out 1500 jobs
DuPont is cutting close to 1500 jobs in its performance coatings business, with the heaviest losses occurring in its European operations. more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

The peak is behind us
Ethylene capacity is expected to outstrip demand growth in 2006 and 2007 more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

CEO views Sabic’s Al-Mady highlights challenges for Middle East
SAUDI BASIC Industries Corp. (Sabic) warns that although the Middle East is now the world’s most attractive location for petrochemical assets, it.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Asia olefins forecast skyrockets
A snug market coupled with booming demand will keep prices high more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

CEO views Basell’s Trautz upbeat on prospects
Despite continued high oil prices, Basell ceo Volker Trautz remains upbeat on prospects for 2006. more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Tightening up Europe olefins
Prices are likely to remain high this year, but margins have been disappointing despite strong demand more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

CEO views Dow’s Liveris calls for industry’s voice to be heard
THE US chemical industry must make its voice heard, particularly with the growing natural gas challenge, asserts Dow Chemical chairman and ceo Andrew.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Fit for future: Degussa way
DEGUSSA CEO Utz-Hellmuth Felcht is proud of Degussa’s accident record, which he considers one of the best. But last year, the almost perfect safety.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Farewell classic car colours
Any colour you want, as long as it’s black, was Henry Ford’s maxim in the early days of the automobile. Now, it seems, anything goes – so much so.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Meeting the Asian chemical demand
ICIS publications Exclusive Mukesh Ambani talks about India’s role in the future of petrochemicals, ahead of the NPRA meeting in San Antonio, Texas,.... more
(18 March 2006 09:10)

Schering repels bidders
Schering has brought out its cannons to fight an unfriendly takeover by one of its German rivals, family-owned pharmaceuticals and chemicals group.... more
(18 March 2006 10:38)