ICIS - Search Articles by Date : June 13 2005 - June 19 2005

Market trends: Bulk chemical markets still subdued
Naphtha prices have risen to $415-420/tonne cif NWE in a pretty quiet market. Prices have largely tracked movements in crude oil. Lower cracker.... more
(13 June 2005 11:16)

Soaring rate of job cuts causes fears
France’s chemicals industry has seen the rate at which it loses jobs accelerate from the historical 1%/year to 1.5% in more recent times, says.... more
(13 June 2005 11:17)

Chem M&As still on hot streak
MERGERS and acquisitions (M&As) in the chemicals industry are continuing on a hot streak with a number of high-profile deals and more in the pipeline. more
(13 June 2005 10:03)

South Korea: good times here
FLORENCE TAN IT’S boomtime for South Korean engineering and construction companies as work continues to pour in. The popularity enjoyed by.... more
(13 June 2005 10:05)

US Trends: Markets on the brink of softer prices
Ethylene, PE, and PP prices and margins expected to slide, but, given the strong chlor-alkali cycle that could remain robust through 2007, chlorine.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Reaching crisis point
John Richardson discovers that the proposed European Union chemicals legislation will have a big impact on Asia, as many producers struggle to.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

New Projects Summary
Reported in ICIS 3-10 June 2005 more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Arkema to up presence in Asia
IN THE foreseeable future, Asia will be a high-priority market and investment destination for Arkema, the new Euro5.2bn (US$6.34bn) chemicals company.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Olefins remain on downward trend
Ethylene, butadiene, methanol, and MTBE markets are muted, while ammonia prices are stable despite thin trade. Naphtha falls on ample supplies and.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Solvents plummet from lofty levels
ICIS-LOR senior editor Anu Agarwal provides a review of the Asian solvents markets, as these products, like so many other petrochemicals, went into.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

NEA PP producers confident of passing $1000
Asian polypropylene (PP) producers were upbeat last week as a result of a price rally that began in early June. more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Toluene, PX and MX stage recovery
But benzene sentiment is weak as buyers wait and see. However, phenol looks good thanks to operating rate cuts by major NEA producers that have.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Global roundup - business
Titan sets IPO price lower 10 June. Titan Chemicals fixed the institutional price of its initial public offering (IPO) at Rm1.85 (US$0.49),.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

What’s a few numbers?
While aromatics markets provided mixed signals as to petrochemical price direction this week, olefins remained in the doldrums. more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Global roundup - New projects
DuPont studies China sites for projects 10 June. DuPont is evaluating sites in China for investment projects, according to James Ellis, the.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Global roundup - Markets
Kumho lines to produce on-spec phenol 10 June. Kumho P&B Chemicals aims to produce on-spec material at its phenol lines at Yeochun, South.... more
(17 June 2005 13:43)

Speciality chemicals, out of the woods?
Signs of faltering recovery in the speciality chemicals sector are undermined by high raw material prices. Marc Hennebert reports more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

DSM goes forward with Vision
Over the last five years, the Dutch chemicals and life sciences group has been busy shedding outdated interests and bolting on new assets. Cath.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Outsource for R&D effect
Why do R&D on your own if someone can help you do it better? This is the philosophy of enabling-technology company Symyx. Cath O’Driscoll explains more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

A natural solution
Recent hikes in oil prices have meant a move away from petrochemicals towards glycerine, writes Cath O’Driscoll more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

China leads the way
China’s speciality biocides market is growing twice as fast as more mature markets, writes Gillian Morris more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

New Projects Roundup
POLYBID EXPANDS INTO ROMANIAN CAPITAL Polybid is to invest $1.2m in Romania on an expandablepolystyrene plant. The unit will be built near.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Up FP7 funding, concludes study
A EUROPEAN Commission study examining the link between R&D investment and competitiveness has concluded that more spending on research will help to.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

ACS objects to PubChem
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is calling on lawmakers to help it curb expansion of a new database of small molecular structures funded by US.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Xplora will get children hooked on science
A new European Union-funded website aimed at making science education more interesting may prove helpful in longer-term efforts to boost the numbers.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Nanotubes speed up chips
In a breakthrough that could herald the development of more efficient computers and mobile phones, US researchers have found that carbon nanotubes.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

SNTG inks $230m deal
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG) has signed a deal worth nearly $230m with South Korean shipyard, ShinA Shipbuilding, for four parcel.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

EU chemical tanker bans
Two chemical tankers are listed among eight ships that were refused access on safety grounds into European Union ports between September 2004 and.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Commission goes Dutch
The European Commission is allowing the Dutch government to grant aid for using the European Train Control System (ETCS) on the Betuwe freight rail.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Brenntag’s Struger looks to the East
Helmut Struger, chief executive officer of Brenntag’s central and east European (CEE) subsidiary, Brenntag CEE, has outlined expansion plans for.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

VTG buy gives CEW access to Germany
German tourism group TUI has sold all of its shares in German rail logistics company VTG to French firm Compagnie Européenne de Wagons. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

A first methacrylic acid plant for Degussa in US
Degussa is planning a major expansion of its methacrylates (MMA) capacity and the construction of its first methacrylic acid plant in North America. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Hope for Tatarstan’s petchem plant
The Russian republic of Tatarstan hopes to start the construction of a new petrochemical complex later this year, despite having to re-tender the.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Akron allots $1.5bn spend
The Akron holding company of Russia is planning to invest $1.5bn to modernise its production facilities and to build ammonia, methanol and.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

IN Brief Projects Watch
BOMBAY TO FULFIL ITS MATERIAL DREAMS India’s Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Co (BDMC) will commission its 165 000 tonne/year polyester staple.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Swiss resins investment
Huntsman Advanced Materials is investing in a high performance multifunctional epoxy resins plant in Monthey, Switzerland. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Plant ‘first of its kind’
Foster Wheeler has been awarded two liquified natural gas (LNG) projects, one in India and the other in Australia. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Formosa to fill PC shortfall
Formosa Chemicals & Fiber (FCFC) will invest $181.8m in building a 75 000 tonne/year polycarbonate (PC) plant in Taiwan. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Albemarle ups Martinal FRs
Albemarle will expand its production of mineral-based flame retardants and high-purity magnesium hydroxide. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Commission resists directive
The European Commission’s Environment Directorate appears to be digging its heels in over requests from European environmental protection groups and.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Comments by EPA’s Johnson under fire
US senators and representatives of employees of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have hit out at comments made by EPA administrator.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Views on ETS please
The European Commission is launching a web survey to consult stakeholders on their views concerning the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Plasticiser toy ban may be widened
The European Parliament’s environment committee has decided that three phthalates, di-isononyl phthalate, di-isodecyl phthalate and di-n-octyl.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Reach proposals ask for special conditions
The official report from the Luxembourg Presidency Workshop on Reach highlighted that the concerns of SMEs are still a priority as well as the fact.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Sasol signs a safety charter
Sasol has joined with three of South Africa’s unions to sign a ‘safety charter’, which Sasol says states that management and labour unions are.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

$1m to double liquid calcium chloride
Tetra Technologies will spend $1m to double its liquid calcium chloride production in Southern California, US, by the end of the third quarter 2005. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Time for a change of mindset
The trend towards personalised medicines is pointing to a new business model for the partnership between biotech’s high-profile innovators and.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Commission probes Europe’s creaking energy markets
The European Commission has launched an inquiry into competition in gas and electricity markets within the European Union. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

INEOS SUPPORTS THE PROBE
‘The Commission seems to be saying all the right things,’ said Tom Crotty, head of Ineos Chlor, the UK chemical industry’s largest energy user. more
(17 June 2005 22:27)

Cefic adds its voice to call for EU review
CEFIC IS supporting the broad industry alliance that helped to persuade the European Commission there is a need to investigate the European energy.... more
(17 June 2005 22:27)