ICIS - Search Articles by Date : July 21 2003 - July 27 2003

The debate over GM crops rages on
The intense debate over genetically modified (GM) crops continues unabated in Europe more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Benzene contracts slump sets pace for caprolactam
The E209/tonne slump in NWE quarter three (Q3) benzene contracts, which settled at E316/tonne FD NWE, was the key factor behind the reduction in Q3.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

People on the move
Cambrex US life science company Cambrex has appointed Richard Giles as director, business development, for the Cambrex pharma business unit. He.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

20 years ago
ECN 1 August 1983 more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

News in brief
Dow rail link opens Dow Chemical has shipped the first products out of its Seadrift, Texas, US, facility using a new rail link to a terminal.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

News in brief
Rhine comes clean Thanks to an international cleanup programme introduced following the chemicals spill by Sandoz in 1986, the river Rhine is.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Low demand limits spot activity
There are few signs of recovery as US markets are restrained by slow demand. Energy values are gradually rising after the end of the Iraq war..... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Further out of Reach?
The European Commission's consultation period on Reach has sparked a range of different views, including calls for a radical rethink and a more.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

The CV: Wim Lemsom
'If you hire people you have different options,' says Wim Lemsom, 'You either train people to develop commercial skills or give commercially skilled.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Letters
ECN's recruiting our future campaign has generated a wealth of responses from throughout the industry more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Rhodia scientist wins Socsa prize
To recognise and encourage excellence among young chemical sector employees, the UK's Specialised Organic Chemicals Sector Association (Socsa) makes.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Majors loom as China booms
Petrochemical majors are no longer considering new European crackers, and are instead favouring siting olefins and polyolefins production closer to.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

'Green 8' criticise Commission
The European Commission's environmental record is deteriorating, says a group of major European environmental organisations more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Shell sets five goals
Shell Chemicals has become the third major chemicals company to set binding targets to measure its sustainable development performance more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Schroder plea saves eco-tax
Following an appeal by chancellor Gerhard Schroder, the European Commission has decided to drop plans - for now - to move against Germany's mandatory.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

NK scoops sole distribution deal
NK Chemicals Europe has become the exclusive UK distributor for Hansen & Rosenthal (H&R) of Hamburg, Germany. H&R operates a large refinery in.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Hoyer sets up in Shanghai
Hoyer of Germany has increased its presence in the Chinese market by forming a joint venture (jv) with Shanghai JY Group more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Online purchasing to escalate
Corporate executives perceive online purchasing and total quality management (TQM)to be the most significant business innovations for their.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

BASF IT wins firewall contract
BASF IT Services is supervising more than 20 firewalls for BASF companies in the Asia-Pacific region from its firewall operations centre in.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Stagnant SAP market strives to cope with overcapacity
European manufacturers of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) are having to cope with overcapacity in a near-stagnant market, as the expected rapid.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

News in brief
African cotton test Monsanto has begun trials of its genetically modified cotton in the west African state of Burkina Faso, the first such tests.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Panel cautions on GMOs
No scientific case for ruling out all genetically modified (GM) crops and their products has been found by the UK's GM Science Review Panel more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

EU ruling clamps down on antibiotics in animal feed
Use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed is no longer allowed more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

UK Nesta funds heat exchanger
A novel approach to heat exchanger design is being backed by £100 000 (E141 000/ $158 000) of funding from the UK's National Endowment for Science,.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

ExxonMobil/Symyx ink alliance
ExxonMobil and Symyx Technologies have embarked on a five-year alliance to use high throughout experimentation techniques across ExxonMobil's entire.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Ledervin looks for BP support in supplying PTA to unit
Brazilian textiles group Ledervin is trying to attract BP to build a purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant in northeast Brazil to supply its.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Degussa ups output
Degussa Fine Chemicals is to debottleneck production of Ralox LC antioxidant at its Ludwigshafen plant in Germany more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Once troubled - now group triples profits
Norsk Hydro's petrochemicals business almost tripled operating profits in the second quarter (Q2) to NKr36m (E4.3m/$4.8m) from NKr13m in Q2 last year more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Smiths seals polymer sale
UK aerospace systems company Smiths Group announced last week the sale of its polymer sealing solutions business to Sweden's Trelleborg for.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Repsol ready to expand
Repsol YPF plans to invest E1.2bn in its chemicals business by 2007, it toldÊSpanish stock market watchdog Comision Nacional de Valores more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Inventa wins contract
Swiss engineering company, Inventa-Fischer, has won a contract worth over SF20m (E13m/$14.7m) from China for the construction of a polyester plant more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Sector results show mixed performance
Europe's pharmaceutical sector has turned in a mixed bag of first half results, with negative currency effects, generic competition and public.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Akzo builds on high coatings demand
Akzo Nobel is investing in a new decorative coatings plant in China in a bid to strengthen its position in the fast-expanding market more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Roche price slides further as DSM closes on deal
DSM's acquisition price for Swiss pharmaceuticals group Roche's vitamins and fine chemicals business has been reduced by E200m to E1.75bn more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Akzo Nobel is ahead of predictions
Akzo Nobel beat analysts' expectations with just a 20% fall to E201m in net income before non-recurring items for the second quarter more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Workers unhappy, says survey
Academic and managerial employers in the German chemical industry are dissatisfied with their companies' lack of attention to personnel development,.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Jobs go in Paris HQ
Atofina plans to cut 142 jobs at its Paris headquarters (HQ) by the end of 2004 more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Floating methanol plant to tap African gas reserves
A floating gas-to-methanol plant is being planned to exploit stranded natural gas reserves off the west coast of Africa more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Two protect alliance rights
Honeywell International and GEM Microelectronic Materials are suing to prevent completion of Air Products and Chemicals' $300m purchase of Ashland's.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

News in brief
Ionic liquids gain Degussa's subsidiary Creavis Technologies & Innovation has gained an interest in Germany-based ionic liquids startup.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

PA set on downward path
Phthalic anhydride (PA) producers were not surprised to see this quarter's contract prices follow orthoxylene's downward path more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Polyamide stabilises, but margins weaken
European polyamide markets may be stabilising in early quarter three (Q3), although contract prices are expected to drop sharply, following the.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Celanese inks strategic supply deal
Celanese has signed a long-term, large-scale contract to source methanol from US-based marketer Southern Chemical Corporation more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Millennium's Landuyt no longer in
Millennium Chemicals, whose chairman and chief executive officer William Landuyt last week resigned, has been left reeling under the effects of weak.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

BASF portfolio grows
BASF is expanding its US inorganic chemicals portfolio through the $65m acquisition of Callery Chemical from Mine Safety Appliances more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Q3 contract prices drop on lower benzene
NWE phenol contract numbers have dropped to E740-780/tonne FDNWE from the values above E900/tonne seen back in May more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

Dow bucks the trend as others show Q2 stress
Dow Chemical bucked the US trend with its second quarter (Q2) financial performance last week more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

MTBE hits Texas Petrochemicals
Texas Petrochemicals LP (TPLP) and three affiliates last week filed for Chapter 11 reorganisation under the US bankruptcy code citing 'drastic and.... more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

No job cuts for Methanova
Degussa has sold its methanol derivatives business, Methanova, to the growing Ineos Group for an undisclosed sum more
(25 July 2003 10:56)

US losses hit Shell
Volatile feedstock prices contributed to a 16% fall to $111m in Shell's chemicals earnings in the second quarter more
(25 July 2003 10:56)