ICIS - Search Articles by Date : May 15 2006 - May 21 2006

COMMENT Petrochemical forecasting
The world has become much more complicated for the petrochemical industry. From the Second World War to the 1990s, demand for petrochemicals was.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

5-minute project watch
Lotte daesan to up LLDPE not HDPE Lotte Daesan Petrochemical will expand an existing linear low-density polyethylene (lldPE) plant instead of.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Celanese targets Asia to win in global market
CELANESE IS concentrating its investments in Asia to build a sustainable competitive advantage and capitalize on the relentless trend of.... more
(20 May 2006 09:01)

Chemical industry future depends on students
THE FUTURE of the US chemical industry is dependent on getting students interested in science, said PhD chemist Ronald Breslow, upon receiving the.... more
(20 May 2006 09:01)

Dow expands Mich. chloridefacilities
DOW IS expanding its dry calcium chloride capacity by 30% at its Ludington, Mich. production facility. more
(20 May 2006 09:01)

Tronox mulls TiO2 expansion
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) producer Tronox is considering expanding capacity at one of its plants by 30,000–50,000 metric tons per year, according to.... more
(20 May 2006 09:01)

ICIS radio: Special Report: APIC
John Baker, editor, ICIS chemical business, talks to participants at APIC more
(15 May 2006 16:03)

ICIS radio: Chemical News Central: 19 May 2006
ICIS radio: Chemical News Central: 19 May 2006 RSS Air Products more
(19 May 2006 16:47)

5-minute Market Watch
Output at FPCC’s mailiao butadiene unit held back until Q1 2007 on delivery delay more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Rockwood increases its earnings
Rockwood Holdings raised first-quarter (Q1) 2006 operating income to $91.5m, up from $72.5m in Q1 2005. The speciality chemicals company said strong.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

QUOTES OF THE WEEK
‘Cracker margins were squeezed and there was a rapid escalation in electricity costs, and an inability to fully push these increases through in.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

EU INSIDER Commission swoops on gas suppliers
Commission swoops on gas suppliers The European Commission raided the premises of gas companies in five EU member states last week in the first.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

IPQ might raise PP production
Brazil’s Ipiranga Petroquimica (IPQ) is considering doubling its polypropylene (PP) production to 300 000 tonne/year, according to Paulo Magalhaes,.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

THE VIEW FROM BANGKOK
A bad case of Bangkok blues over oil An air of concern pervaded the corridors of the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, at this year’s Asia.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

THINK TANK
Oil companies signal strong intent to up material prices more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

IN BRIEF Supply Chain
Three Australasian firms join forces more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
DOW CHEMICAL ENERGY EFFORTS REWARDED more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

MARKET TRENDS & DATA - Spot values vary in slowing trade
As naphtha prices take a dip following crude, olefins buyers adopt a cautious approach. High demand and limited supply push up Asian ethylene spot.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

MARKETS DATA BANK
Prices contained in this magazine are gathered by various ICIS sources through consultation with producers, consumers and traders across Europe and.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

IN THIS WEEK
15 YEARS AGO ECN 27 MAY 1991 more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

NEW PROJECTS REPORTED IN ICIS CHEMICAL BUSINESS 8-15 MAY 2006
NEW PROJECTS REPORTED IN ICIS CHEMICAL BUSINESS 8-15 MAY 2006 more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Unto thine own self be true
Being an authentic leader is about being true to yourself and your values - not presenting a false corporate image or trying to emulate the.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

IN BRIEF Innovations
PURER HUENIG BASF has enhanced the purity of its Huenig’s base (N-ethyldiisopropylamine) offering to 99.5%. The product is suitable for use as a.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Zimmer sells off Polytrade
German contractor and process engineer Zimmer has sold its Polytrade subsidiary to India’s Zoom Developers. The sale price was not disclosed. more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Nanotech sector set to explode
A report by BCC Research predicts that the market for nanotechnology-based environmental applications will rocket, and will be worth more than $6.1bn.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Totally independent at last
After two years in the shadow of its parent company, Total, chemicals producer Arkema is ready to make its presence known more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Viable offshore manufacturing
Rainer Gross, Tim Lawrence and David Vasak explain the best way to relocate abroad more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Coal gasification on rise
Interest in the coal gasification route for methanol production is increasing, given the cost and availability restrictions on natural gas. more
(19 May 2006 18:27)

Japan shows mixed picture
MANY Japanese firms were rocked by higher naphtha prices last year, but those with exposure to the growing Japanese market benefited from increasing.... more
(19 May 2006 18:24)

Asian mood downbeat at Apic
Would delegates at the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (Apic) in Bangkok, Thailand, let pessimism over the high price of oil overwhelm.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

EPA stresses cooperation
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Stephen Johnson was in Europe last week to progress collaboration on environmental issues with.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

PTT/Asahi jv plan moves forward
Thai energy major PTT and Japanese petrochemicals major Asahi Kasei Chemicals have moved forward on their proposed $484m joint venture (jv), PTT.... more
(19 May 2006 18:26)

SNTG buys tankers from Japan
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG) has bought two tankers from Japan’s Iino Lines for $18.5m each. more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Borealis wobbles in Q1
Borealis’ first quarter was hit by significant one-off charges and dramatic rises in feedstock and power costs, the firm’s chief financial officer,.... more
(19 May 2006 18:23)

French power users’ consortium formed
Exeltium, a consortium of large electricity users that includes French chemical companies Air Liquide, Arkema and Rhodia, was officially formed in.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

WASHINGTON INSIDER
US gas reserves may be freed The US House of Representatives has taken a major first step toward restoring the supply of natural gas at reasonable.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

TVK profits halved
Arpad Olvaso, TVK’s chief executive, said the ‘drastic growth’ in petrochemical feedstock prices was expected to continue as he explained a 50% fall.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

IN BRIEF Markets Watch
Polyamide resins up Solutia is raising European, Middle East and African prices for its Ascend and Vydyne polyamide 66 resins by €200/tonne. more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Uhde will build SKC HPPO unit
SKC of Seoul has contracted Uhde of Germany to build a propylene oxide (PO) plant at Ulsan, using a new process developed with Degussa. more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

European ABS back on track
After a slight blip in April, Europe’s acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS) market saw sales pick up in May with producers also achieving price.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

PVC group in waste call
Vinyl 2010, which represents the European polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry, is calling on European Union member states to toe the line over the.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Brazilian firms report bad quarter
Increased feedstock costs and a stronger Brazilian Real have hit petrochemical results in Brazil, with majors reporting a decline earnings and little.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Chinese deputy woos Ratcliffe
China is actively courting foreign multinational investment in the chemicals sector, according to vice premier Zeng Peiyan. He said that last week to.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Fake supplies found
A chemical supplier from Jiangsu province, China, is responsible for producing a fake ingredient used in drugs sold by one of the biggest.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Three Circles eyes listing
Yunnan Three Circles Chemicals, a Chinese fertiliser producer, could be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange by the end of 2006, according to.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Hupac widens rail areas
Swiss intermodal transport operator Hupac has expanded its rail network through Benelux, Germany and Italy to meet strong growth. more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Basell set to take quarter share in Al-Jubail complex
Basell has signed a joint-venture agreement for a planned integrated ethylene and polyethylene (PE) complex in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia, with partners.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

GIBSON’S GRAPEVINE
ACN stand-off may harm acrylic producers more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Judge says blast was ‘chemical’
Chemicals at the AZF Toulouse site of Grande Paroisse (a division of Total) were responsible for the devastating explosion on 21 September 2001 says.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)

Thai toxic dumping challenge
Illegal toxic waste disposal is on the rise in Thailand amid a lack of cooperation among government agencies and companies, state officials have.... more
(19 May 2006 10:48)