ICIS - Search Articles by Date : November 21 2005 - November 27 2005

PX shortage predicted
Europe will face a supply pinch on paraxylene (PX) in the 2006-08 timeframe as significant new capacity for purified terephthalic acid (PTA) goes.... more
(25 November 2005 13:56)

Firms sign up to safety declaration
Nine more companies have signed up to the ‘world safety declaration,’ an initiative promoting workplace safety. The companies’ involvement was.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

EU fails to meet recycling targets for old vehicles
The EU’s end-of-life vehicle (ELV) directive is failing its objectives, according to a report by a European Commission stakeholder group. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Solvent to reduce CO2 emissions
A novel solvent for removing carbon dioxide from power plant emissions is longer lasting and consumes less energy than conventional solvents,.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Nanotube foams stay bouncy
Foams made of carbon nano­tubes act like ‘super-compressible springs’ that don’t weaken and lose their springiness with time, researchers have found. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

EU to harmonise advanced therapy
New EU-wide rules covering gene, cell and tissue-based therapies have been proposed by the European Commission to harmonise the classification and.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

IN Brief Innovation Watch
Predictions for Biogenerics market more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Bax Global acquisition boosts Deutsche Bahn in Asia-Pacific
Deutsche Bahn has signed a contract to buy Bax Global in a deal reported to be worth $1.1bn. The acquisition of the California, US-based company will.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Norwegian profits up
Third quarter profits at Norwegian shippers Odfjell and Camillo Eitzen have risen as revenues climb on strong demand. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Low Rhine level threatens traffic
Low water levels on the river Rhine in Germany are delaying shipments. Loading capacities of barges are restricted with only 60-70% of capacity.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

IN Brief Logistics Watch
CER welcomes move more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Europe must fight for LNG
Adequate gas resources are available to Europe and a number of new supply projects are under way. But increasing global competition will have major.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Gas price hits producers
Soaring natural gas prices in the UK have forced Terra Nitrogen and Ineos Chlor to cut production at their respective ammonia and chlor-alkali.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Cracker margins turn around in Q4
European cracker margins have recovered significantly as the fourth quarter (Q4) has progressed. And the main reason for the improvement in cracker.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

IN Brief Markets Watch
ciba specialty chemicals announces price rise more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Prices stabilise after troubled times
Propylene contract markets present a confused picture. In October, polymer grade contracts split, with certain consumers accepting 51 cent/lb and.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

20 years ago News Watch
25 November 1985 more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

ICL profits up
Israel Chemicals (ICL) reported a 62.7% rise in third quarter operating income to $166m, boosted by price increases in most product areas. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Power fears as a crisis looms
In the week when spiking energy prices led to production cuts at chemical companies in Europe, industry associations across the continent pledged to.... more
(26 November 2005 09:38)

Tronox is offered at $14/share
Kerr-McGee’s titanium dioxide (TiO2) subsidiary Tronox launched its 17.48m share initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday 22 November after cutting.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Moderate performance by Cognis
Cognis saw virtually flat profits for the first nine months of this year on sales up 2.7% to €2.38bn. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax,.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Agrium bid rejected
Agricultural products distributor Royster-Clark last week rejected a cash bid by Agrium made on 8 November as ‘inadequate, opportunistic, coercive.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Russian explosion
Russia’s Voronezh­sintezkauchuk synthetic rubber plant at Voronezh in Central Russia, was shut for several hours last week after one of its.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Johnson Matthey unveils operating profits rise
Johnson Matthey unveiled a 3% rise to £114.5m (€167.6m/$196.2m) in first half (H1) operating profits excluding restructuring costs, last week. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Rhodia launches rights issue
Rhodia, the loss-making French chemical company, has launched a €604m rights issue to raise money to pay loans and fund new projects. However, the.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

M&A activity muted in 2005, but more to come
MERGER AND acquisition activity this year has taken a pause after the frenetic pace of 2004, but there has still been plenty of activity. And, while.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Meeting your demands for expanded coverage
ICIS is refocusing its business in Asia with a programme of investment in its magazine portfolio. From January, news and analysis on Europe, the.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Chemical Profile: PVP
28 November-4 December 2005 more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Shell progresses Singapore cracker
Shell Chemicals has progressed its planned world-scale cracker project in Singapore with the award of contracts for basic design and engineering to a.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Lukoil studies complex
Russian oil giant Lukoil will conduct a joint feasibility study, with state-owned Kazmunaigaz, of plans to build a $3.5bn gas and chemical complex in.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Jv to build silanes plant
Degussa has signed a deal with Rizhao Lanxing Chemical Industry Co to build a sulphur-functional silanes plant in China. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

TiO2 plant for DuPont
DuPont has signed an agreement with the city of Dongying, China, to build a $1bn titanium dioxide (TiO2) plant in the city’s Economic Development.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Foster Wheeler wins Lucite contract
Lucite has awarded the basic engineering design contract for its Singapore Alpha technology methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant to the UK’s Foster.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Hopax boosts production
Taiwan’s Hopax Fine Chemicals will increase its fine chemical production five-fold with the construction of a $20m unit in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

IN Brief Projects Watch
calabrian plant more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Qapco drops Qatar ldPE plan after feasibility study
Poor economics have forced Qatar Petrochemical Co (Qapco) to drop its proposed low density polyethylene (ldPE) expansion in Mesaieed, Qatar, a.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

People on the move
GEOFF DANN was elected as the new president of the UK’s Chemical Industries Association (CIA) at the association’s annual general meeting. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

GM compensation for Danish farmers
The European Commission has agreed to let Denmark pay compensation to farmers if they suffer economic losses when genetically modified (GM) material.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Mixed response for Reach vote
The British Chemical Distributors and Traders Association (BCDTA) has welcomed the result of the European Parliament’s vote on Reach, describing it.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Web help for good practice
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, in partnership with a network of Euro Info Centres, has launched a new website to provide.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Alliance supports workplace safety
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have established what they call an ‘historic.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

New Projects Roundup
FLUOR wins offsites build for Qatar LNG more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

REPORTED IN ECN 21-27 November 2005
REPORTED IN ECN 21-27 November 2005 more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Pause for digestion
The list of M&A deals for 2005 may be shorter than last year, but signs are that 2006 will see a renewed activity, writes John Baker more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Accent on technology
Elaine Burridge reports on the work of Accenture scientists based near Nice, France, who are creating new business opportunities for companies around.... more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Sound advice
Dede Williams looks at the importance of counselling for companies that are restructuring or investing more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Reach out
As the arguments over Reach head towards a conclusion, Muriel Cozier takes a look at the issues involved more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

M&A 2005
A comprehensive list of European M&A and joint venture activity in the chemicals sector, as reported in ECN over the past 12 months. more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

Responsible Care Supplement: Special mentions for Cyplus and Pharmavision
During the final assessment the judges singled out two entries for a special mention of commendation more
(26 November 2005 10:41)

US butadiene market still feeling impact from hurricanes’ wrath
THE US butadiene market has yet to regain its footing since back-to-back hurricanes hit the Gulf Coast in August and September. While pricing has.... more
(22 November 2005 16:12)