ICIS - Search Articles by Date : February 14 2005 - February 20 2005

Business in brief
Income climbs OxyChem has restated its fourth quarter net income due to an increase in the value of its investment in Lyondell Chemical. Lyondell.... more
(14 February 2005 17:31)

Customer focus is key to success
Customer value is the key to future success in chemicals and plastics, says Phil Allen, chief executive officer of MarketAbility, in response to a.... more
(14 February 2005 17:25)

Tight Stock Lifts Tung Oil Price
Low carryover stocks and small tung seed harvests in China and South America over the past two years led to upward price momentum in the tung oil.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Oils, Fats & Waxes in Brief
cargill will acquire the grain and oilseed meals trading business of privately-owned Italian company Pagnan. Cargill plans to absorb Pagnan’s grain.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Oils Spot Prices
LATE SPOT PRICES more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Jobs and People
Movements in the industry. more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Butadiene Prices Near Record High
Healthy demand and a tight supply picture made worse by product allocations have pushed US butadiene prices into record territory. more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Petrochemicals in Brief
BTX A February benzene deal was completed at $3.27 per gallon, while March deals were sealed as high as $3.41 and April deals were done at $3.44 per.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Benzene Prices Firm On Likely Styrene Rebound
Despite steady fundamentals and high inventory levels, benzene prices have firmed significantly in the past few weeks, and prices continue to rise in.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Statins Could Still Go OTC, Despite Recent Setback
Though the Food and Drug Administration is likely to reject Merck & Company Inc.’s request to offer an over-the-counter version of its prescription.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Pharmaceuticals in Brief
AVID BIOSERVICES Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc., has sealed a commercial manufacturing agreement with Halozyme.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Sigma-Aldrich Buys Proligo for RNA Technology
Sigma-Aldrich Corp. will acquire Proligo, a supplier of custom DNA, custom RNA, phosphoramidite raw materials used for DNA and RNA synthesis and.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Executive Insights: Arch Chemicals CEO Discusses Goals For Arch and ACC
Arch Chemicals’ chairman, president and CEO Michael E. Campbell. more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

US Manufacturers Seek Trade Reform With China
The chemical industry, like other manufacturing industries, is seeking to capitalize on the growing market opportunities in offshore markets,.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Demand and Innovation Pushing OLEDs
Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGaA’s recent purchase of Avecia’s organic light-emitting diode (OLED) business—coupled with its purchase of Schott.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Industrial Specialties Pricing
Crompton Corp. is, effective March 1, increasing the price of its Royalene EPDM product line. Royalene Oil extended grades will go up by 15c. per.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Ultrapar to Up Fatty Alcohols
Brazilian holding company Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiary Oxiteno, will invest $94 million over the next two years for the.... more
(18 February 2005 20:52)

Sitting pretty
Restructuring starts to bear fruit for the Japanese petrochemical companies, with many companies reporting good results. The upturn in the.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Ahead of the game
A strong performance in core products PVC and silicon wafers is likely to help Shin-Etsu Chemical post record profits for the 10th year in a row more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

A leaner machine
Mitsui is expanding in core businesses through alliances and investments. But weakness in functional and engineered materials has to be resolved more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Show of strength
Restructuring of Showa Denko is almost over except for the aluminium business. And the results of the transformation are already evident more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

New projects summary
As reported in ACN 7-20 February 2005 more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Japan PP exports to rise
POLYPROPYLENE (PP) exports from Japan are expected to increase this year while imports are set to decline, following the trend seen in 2004,.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Japanese players report impressive results
Major Japanese chemical companies have posted impressive gains in sales and operating profit for the first three quarters of the financial year.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Tussle over Vietnam project
CONTROVERSY has erupted over the Vietnamese government’s decision to ask PetroVietnam to reconsider the location of its proposed fertiliser project.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Optimal may expand Kerteh cracker
OPTIMAL Olefins is considering expanding its 600 000 tonne/year cracker in Kerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia, said a source close to the company. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Jana signs contracts for chlor-alkali, ECH and CaCl2
JUBAIL Chemical Industries Co (Jana) has signed contracts with several companies for its US$160m chlor-alkali-epichlorohydrin (ECH) project in.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

VSPA mulls PE-PP project
THE Vietnam Saigon Plastics Association (VSPA) is considering a polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) project in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Linhai plans 500ktpa PVC
Inner Mongolia Linhai Chemical Industry Co plans to expand its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) capacity to 500 000 tonne/year in two phases, a company.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Total shelves PS expansion
TOTAL Petrochemical has shelved a plan to expand its 75 000 tonne/year polystyrene (PS) plant in Tuas, Singapore, a company spokeswoman told ACN. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

ASPC in PE start-up talks
ARYA Sasol Polymers Co (ASPC) is in nego­tiations with its contractors to revise the start-up dates of its polyethylene (PE) project in Assaluyeh,.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Bapco considers PE-PP project
BAHRAIN Petroleum Co (Bapco) is considering a polyethylene (PE)-polypropylene (PP) project in Bahrain, an industry source told ACN. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Esfahan picks Eurotecnica & Nargan
ESFAHAN Petrochemical has selected a consortium made up of Eurotecnica and Nargan for its phthalic anhydride (PA) project in Esfahan, Iran, a company.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

China salt shortage to stay
CHINESE salt prices are expected to stay firm in 2005 as supply is forecast to remain tight throughout 2005 and possibly even in 2006. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Caustic soda set to increase in Q2
ASIAN producers of caustic soda were optimistic last week that prices would increase in Q2 2005 owing to high demand and limited availability. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

BPA expected to remain up
BISPHENOL-A (BPA) producers were last week banking on tight supply to support higher prices until the of end of the second quarter, though buyers.... more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

PA predicted to stay firm
ASIAN phthalic anhydride (PA) producers are optimistic prices will improve in the coming months on the back of increased demand. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Market Trends: Styrene strengthens
High US prices lead to a surge in benzene costs, which consequently impact styrene. Mixed xylene and paraxylene also rise in an otherwise dull market more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Global roundup
From stories supplied by the CNI and ACN teams. more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

Market Trends: Naphtha rebounds
The crude price spike sees naphtha bounce back. Ammonia benefits from a long-overdue market correction, but the rest of the market remains quiet more
(18 February 2005 15:34)

A global spread
The lubricants industry faces challenges from both developed and developing markets, though each presents many opportunities, report Geeta Agashe and.... more
(14 February 2005 17:27)

Riviera lights
With European Union entry on the horizon, industrial development remains a work in progress. However, for the future, a period of rapid growth looks.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

Investment potential
Strong growth in the pharma sector is threatened by unhealthy public finances and a slow approvals process. But ambition persists among smaller.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

20 years ago
ECN 18 February 1985 more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

People on the move
AstraZeneca AstraZeneca has appointed John Patterson as executive director with responsibility for the design and implementation of clinical and.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

Thinking big
Foreign companies have snapped up a large chunk of the local paint and varnish industry in Croatia. And local companies are favouring partnerships in.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

Image crisis
Negative perceptions of chlorine are still widespread, but the chlor-alkali industry continues with efforts to clean up its act. Muriel Cozier.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

Peak perfection
Profits are good and the forecast for the petrochemical industry is encouraging. But, at this point in the profit cycle, it is down to individual.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

Distributors have key role in improving supply chain
Chemical distributors have a key role to play in improving the dynamic of the chemical supply chain, according to Dow Chemical’s global purchasing.... more
(18 February 2005 17:14)

Ecodock to set up a green recycling yard
Netherlands-based Ecodock is in talks with authorities in Dubai to set up its first ‘green’ ship recycling yard outside the country. more
(18 February 2005 17:14)