ICIS - Search Articles by Date : February 19 2007 - February 25 2007

KBR lands propylene contract
KBR has won a basic design engineering contract for a 200,000 tonne/year propylene plant to be built in northeast China by the Jilin Chemical.... more
(19 February 2007 13:22)

Oman delivers a blow to unified currency scheme
Oman has backed out of an agreement to launch a unified currency among the Middle East's Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states by 2010. But.... more
(19 February 2007 13:23)

EU INSIDER Why Green vows are looking a bit off-color
Can it be that EU ministers are already breaking their green ­resolutions? In January, the Commission revealed its new energy.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Clariant Q4 shares dip
Clariant reported disappointing fourth-quarter results last Tuesday, causing its share price to fall by more than 3%. However, CEO Jan Secher.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

IN BRIEF Europe watch
Axa reduces its stake in merck French private equity group Axa said that it has reduced its stake in Germany's Merck KGaA to 3.3%. Late last.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Oman hit by gas shortages
THE lack of gas in Oman has forced the government to ­postpone gas-intensive downstream projects, according to a news report. Oman's Ministry.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

EU will drop import tariffs
The EU plans to eliminate tariffs on basic petrochemical imports from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) when a proposed free-trade pact comes into.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Egypt in talks with Saudis
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are mulling expanding cooperation in the petrochemical and gas sectors, according to the Kuwaiti news agency. Egyptian.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

IN BRIEF Environment watch
Sixth solvents awards launched The European Solvents industry Group (ESIG) has launched its sixth Solvents Stewardship Awards. Any company.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Secure your spot at ChemSecure
From April 17-19, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) will host ChemSecure, its Security Conference and Expo, in Arlington, Virginia. ICIS is proud.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Sentimental journey
A breakthrough in price forecasting enables ICIS to give an early warning of direction changes in the markets more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

ICIS conferences
World Biofuels Markets Congress & Exhibition March 6-9 Brussels Expo Centre, Belgium Tel: +44 20 7801 6333 Email:.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

conferences
PETROCHEMICALS - A BEGINNER's COURSE PART I March 13 and... PETROCHEMICALS - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL PART II A deeper understanding of market.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

5 MINUTE NEWS WATCH
Sunoco in phenol force majeure Sunoco declared force majeure for phenol in North America due to feedstock cumene availability issues. Sunoco.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

COMMENTARY Gentleman, start your engines!
Ethanol is making major inroads. With increasing adoption and money pouring into new technologies to improve yields, momentum is gaining steam. The.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"It is clear that chiral technologies are playing an increasingly important role" Mark Cassidy, Dowpharma See page 22 "If the price.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

NOVA cuts operating rates
CANADA'S NOVA Chemicals was running its Canadian plants at an average 85% of capacity earlier last week, compared with the normal 100%, because of.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Farm Bill aims at biomass feedstock
THE NEXT Farm Bill will address the challenges of supplying biomass feedstock for future cellulosic ethanol plants as part of a wider energy.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

CariSal builds chloralkali
TRINIDAD AND Tobago-based CariSal Ltd. will invest $80m to build a chlor-alkali plant in Point Lisas, Trinidad. The facility, which will produce.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Ethanol output to exceed 10bn gallons by 2009
ETHANOL OUTPUT could surpass 10bn gal/year by 2009 as the industry adds some 6bn gal in new capacity, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Auto racers lead the way
THE ADOPTION of ethanol by US auto racing was an important step forward for wider acceptance of the biofuel, US auto racing legend Bobby Rahal said.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

US ups its forecasts on energy prices
PRICES FOR oil and natural gas likely will be higher in the near term than previously forecast, but the Department of Energy said last week that.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Westlake dives on earnings whiff
SHARES OF Westlake Chemical took a dive as the company's fourth-quarter results missed Wall Street estimates by a mile. Westlake .... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Trade group warns of wide strike impact
CANADA'S CHEMICAL industry reiterated a warning about the broad impacts of the strike at rail firm Canadian National (CN), not only within the.... more
(23 February 2007 16:51)

Downhill from here on
Next year will be transitional for global commodity petrochemicals as the cycle falls from its 2005 peak, says Sergey Vasnetsov, a senior analyst at.... more
(22 February 2007 09:13)

ICIS radio: Special Report: BASF outlook with Bock
Feed Air Products Weblink more
(22 February 2007 13:54)

ICIS radio: Special Report: Syngenta and biofuel
Feed Air Products weblink more
(23 February 2007 12:32)

ICIS radio: Chemical News Central: 23 Feb 2007
Feed Air Products weblink more
(23 February 2007 15:56)

Taiwan hits trouble
Taiwan's polymer producers are entering troubled times as a triple threat from falling Chinese imports (see table), certainty of additional.... more
(19 February 2007 13:24)

Ciba beats down losses
Ciba specialty Chemicals has narrowed its 2006 net loss to Swfr41m ($33m/€25m) from Swfr256m a year ago, reporting a rise in operating income for.... more
(19 February 2007 13:27)

US-Asian arbitrage opens as ACN stocks tighten
Asian acrylonitrile (ACN) buyers are seeking lower-priced, deep-sea, spot cargoes from the US Gulf due to tight supply and rising prices, say.... more
(19 February 2007 13:29)

Chemtura posts loss in Q4 2006 results
Chemtura has reported a loss from continuing operations for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2006 of $145.9m (€112m) - 57% worse than its 2005 figure. .... more
(19 February 2007 13:28)

Huntsman agrees sale to Flint Hills
Huntsman has agreed to sell its base chemicals and polymers business to Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, for $761m (€579m)..... more
(19 February 2007 13:30)

NEW PROJECTS REPORTED BY ICIS 19-25 February 2007
Company Product Capacity Process Contractor Cost Startup Status Air Products .... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

20 YEARS AGO/10 YEARS AGO
ECN 2 March 1987 Sabic and Neste study PP project SABIC has confirmed that it is studying a massive propylene and polypropylene (PP).... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

People on the move
Air Products has named Monty Alger as vice president and chief technology officer. Alger joins the company from General Electric, where he has.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
Sixth solvents awards launched The European Solvents industry Group (ESIG) has launched its sixth Solvents Stewardship Awards. Any company.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
Waste directive given more power The European Parliament has voted in favour of strengthening the waste directive proposed by the European.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

IN BRIEF Supply chain
LEL TO TAKE EU-WIDE APPROACH TO REACH The LEL-Group has developed a common strategy to implement Reach, the EU's new chemical policy. The group.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

IN BRIEF Markets Watch
HDA plant delay The restart of ConocoPhillips' 80,000 tonnes/year hydro-dealkylation (HDA) unit at Immingham, UK, has been postponed because of.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

Brice's prices
positive outlook offsets falling EPS prices more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

Sentimental journey
A breakthrough in price forecasting enables ICIS to give an early warning of direction changes in the markets more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

Secure your spot at ChemSecure
From 17-19 April, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) will host ChemSecure, its Security Conference and Expo, in Arlington, Virginia. ICIS is proud.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

DIARY ICIS CONFERENCES
PETROCHEMICALS - A BEGINNER's COURSE PART I 13 March and... PETROCHEMICALS - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL PART II A deeper understanding of market.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

Getting producers back in shape
POLYOLEFINS PRODUCERS should join their local gyms, begin taking vitamin tablets and quit the booze and the cigarettes, metaphorically speaking, if.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

THINK TANK It's not just a case of pokerface for pharmaceuticals
It has always been frustrating being a conglomerate. For Solvay now perhaps more than ever before. Management's efforts to shift the group more.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

IN BRIEF Innovations
Japanese study nano-antioxidants In Japan, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has discovered that.... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

EU INSIDER
Why green vows are looking a bit off-colour more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

IN BRIEF Asia Watch
Singapore chemexports on rise Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (NODX) in January rose by 11% year-on-year after a decline of 14% in December..... more
(23 February 2007 16:53)

WASHINGTON INSIDER
Optimism over cellulosic ethanol production more
(23 February 2007 16:53)