ICIS - Search Articles by Date : February 20 2006 - February 26 2006

Sulzer and Resitec claim new purer phytosterol method
Swiss firm Sulzer Chemtech and Brazilian company Resitec have together devised a new method of manufacturing high-purity phytosterol, a natural.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

UBC will handle for Ineos Polyolefins
UK logistics firm UBC is to handle bulk export and storage from Ineos Polyolefins’ (formerly Innovene) Grangemouth polyethylene (PE) and.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Foster Wheeler gets PetroRabigh utilities contract
Foster Wheeler Energy and Foster Wheeler Arabia have been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Rabigh Refining and.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

BP and Edison plan hydrogen plant
BP and Edison Mission Group, a subsidiary of Edison International, have announced plans for a new $1bn hydrogen-fuelled power plant to be located.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

PVS and Air Products deal
PVS Chemicals has signed an exclusive agreement to supply high purity sulphuric acid to Air Products in Europe. more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

New narcotics neuro-knowledge
The finding of a common signalling pathway in the brain implicated in most forms of addiction could point to a single strategy for treating drug.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

BASF in exclusive talks over Degussa unit sale…
Degussa says it has begun exclusive talks with BASF over the sale of its construction chemicals business and is aiming to conclude a deal soon. more
(20 February 2006 15:24)

Hydro Polymer sees huge profits decline
Norsk Hydro’s polymers arm, Hydro Polymer, suffered a drop in 2005 full-year operating profits to NKr69m (€8.5m/$10.2m), from NKr254m a year ago..... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Biopharma first for Lonza
Work on Singapore’s first commercial-scale biopharmaceuticals manufacturing facility started last week following the signing of a joint venture.... more
(20 February 2006 15:28)

New acrylonitrile plant for Thailand?
The location of the first commercial propane-to-acrylonitrile plant to use Asahi Kasei Chemicals’ proprietary technology has not yet been confirmed,.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Thai ethanol makers weigh their options
Wrangling over ethanol pricing in Thailand shows no sign of abating, with ethanol producers saying they will turn to exports if local oil companies.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

China oil profits reverse
High crude oil prices hit China’s oil refining industry hard last year, as a Rmb20.8bn (€2.17bn/$2.58bn) profit in 2004 turned into an Rmb30bn loss.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Lotte in rumours of S-Oil stake buyout
Fresh suggestions that South Korea’s Lotte Group is still keen on taking Saudi Aramco’s 35.8% share in fellow South Korean company S-Oil Corp are.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Japanese chemicals profits rise on electronics demand
Fiscal third quarter results announced recently by Japanese petrochemical companies failed to spring any major surprises, though they did perhaps.... more
(20 February 2006 15:26)

Buoyancy abounds at Plastindia
If pessimism and frustration were some of the feelings emerging from the Plastindia exhibition in 2003, the mood at this year’s event was just the.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

WWF slam Saicm deal as ‘extremely disappointing’
The final agreement on the Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (Saicm) has received more criticism from NGOs, with WWF’s.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

EC welcomes Kyoto emission legislation
The Commission has welcomed the agreement by European Parliament and the Council to reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases. Reducing these.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

THINK TANK - LNG won’t save the day for US petchems
If US petrochemicals executives had hopes that liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports would arrive like the cavalry to rescue their industry from.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Asia overtakes Europe in compounding growth
Although Europe’s compounding industry has performed relatively weakly over the past few years, the Asian market has witnessed strong growth, say.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Emirates introduce new Ministry of Environment
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has established a Ministry of Environment which is expected to tighten regulations regarding the petroleum and.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

ABS sellers anticipate February hikes
Decent demand and high feedstock costs are fuelling European acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS) producers’ hopes of moderate price increases in.... more
(20 February 2006 15:29)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
COMMISSION ADOPTS LABELLING LEGISLATION more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

It’s steady so far for PA
The year has started well for phthalic anhydride (PA) producers, who report a steady first quarter so far. Demand has been reasonably good for the.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Emissions info requested
A group of 211 institutional investors, with assets of $31 trillion under management, have written to 1800 of the world’s largest quoted companies.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Winning ways for biofuel
Remember the wine lake the EU, or EEC as it was then, built up in the 1970s – a sister headache to the infamous butter mountain? Well, with all the.... more
(20 February 2006 09:39)

Monsanto set to underwrite Solutia exit from Chapter 11
Monsanto will underwrite the $250m rights issue to Solutia creditors that is likely to propel the speciality company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.... more
(20 February 2006 15:23)

Picture clears as RAG puts the IPO jigsaw together
The pieces of the puzzle that would see German energy concern RAG take over 100% of Degussa, list on the stock market from 2007 and quit coal mining.... more
(20 February 2006 15:22)

Pole position
Orlen and MOL are fighting to take the CEE oil and petrochemicals No.1 position, says Will Conroy more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Philanthropic issues key to global success
Global business leaders have agreed a ‘manifesto for tomorrow’s global business’ which argues that the companies most likely to succeed are those.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Air Liquide plans €80m for Antwerp
Air Liquide will double its hydrogen production in Antwerp, Belgium, by investing €80m on a second plant to supply BASF’s production facility. more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Proposed mercury ban turns up heat
The use of household mercury thermometers could be phased out under new proposals unveiled by the European Commission. Under the proposed.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

PET prices rise but producer margins still disappoint
Despite having attained significant hikes for February, European polyethylene terephthalate (PET) producers are already hoping for further increases.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

ECEAE rebuffs Scher report
The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) has hit out at the response made by the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Asian ethylene supply to shorten this year
Asian ethylene markets face their tightest year yet, with an estimated production loss of 2.8m tonne in 2006 due to a heavy turnaround schedule. This.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Paint a good picture
A lack of investment in Russian paints and coatings could divert the profits towards importers, warns Terry Knowles more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Synthetic fuels in Russia
With the help of gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, remote or stranded gas resources and flared gas can be converted to liquid fuels, reports Gunter.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

WWF attacks freight plans
Environmental group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has attacked the European Union’s (EU) plans to shift freight from roads to rivers. more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

The sun rises eastwards
Marc Fermont considers the reality of expanding chemical and polymer distribution in central Europe and compares this with more established western.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Arkema looks to bright future
Ouch! The comparison with Rhodia clearly hurts. Arkema, Total’s vinyls to performance products planned spin-off, should be looked on more like a.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

A different face?
The Russian petchem industry has started to restructure, but which path will development take? Tony Holloway assesses some realistic scenarios more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

Beauty comes the full circle
THE ANCIENT Greeks built a Mediterranean empire on the back of three elements – slavery, silver mines and olives. Today, the Italians are also.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

NEW PROJECTS
REPORTED IN ICIS CHEMICAL BUSINESS 13-19 FEBRUARY 2006 more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

IN THIS WEEK
15 YEARS AGO 10 YEARS AGO more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

CAREER & JOBS: Step up your influencing powers
In organisational life, influence is a key skill. It helps earn cooperation from colleagues, ensures your voice is heard and makes you a better.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

EU INSIDER
EU PLANS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

IN BRIEF Asia Watch
YANSAB VALUE LEAPS ON FIRST-DAY TRADING more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

VIEW FROM INDIA
INDIA AIMS FOR THE BIG TIME WITH PETCHEM HUBS more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

IN BRIEF Americas Watch
ACC REPORT UPBEAT more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

WASHINGTON INSIDER
PRESSURE IS ON CONGRESS FOR MORE GAS DRILLING more
(24 February 2006 15:29)

IN BRIEF Supply Chain
Kuehne & Nagel: Mid-East Growth Switzerland’s Kuehne & Nagel is to build a distribution centre at the Dubai Logistics City, which it intends to use.... more
(24 February 2006 15:29)