ICIS - Search Articles by Date : April 24 2006 - April 30 2006

Sasol takes the technological lead
Sasol has been building GTL and CTL technologies since 1947 and has spread its know-how around the globe more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

NEW PROJECTS REPORTED IN ICIS CHEMICAL BUSINESS 24- 30 April 2006
NEW PROJECTS REPORTED IN ICIS CHEMICAL BUSINESS 24- 30 April 2006 more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Building with big ambitions
The world’s largest twin polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plants now dominate the industrial horizon in Plock, Poland more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Full steam ahead
Europe’s biofuels industry is experiencing a kind of gold rush as myriad producers – most recently in Spain – scramble to meet demand more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Hikes prove to be a mixed bag
Record highs for crude oil prices, and consequently naphtha feedstock costs, will hurt petrochemical makers, but in some circles will not be.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

The record breakers
Germany’s plant contractors are considered tops in technology, but also in price. That is why engineering firms such as Linde, Lurgi, Uhde or Zimmer.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Plastics Monitor April price push disappoints
Targeted price increases fall short in April, despite the relentless rise of raw material costs, but producers insist that hikes are on the cards for.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Pair reach lignin products agreement
Norway’s Borregaard LignoTech and Russia’s JSC Vyborg Cellulose have signed a long-term supply and distri bution agreement for lignin- based.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Demand outstrips labour supply
The rising cost of plant construction, brought on by a deluge of simultaneous projects across the globe, is beginning to have a major impact on the.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

IN THIS WEEK15 YEARS AGO10 YEARS AGO
ECN 6 May 1991 more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

BASF and Gazprom deal
BASF and Gazprom deal more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Commission slammed over procedures
The European Court of Auditors has hit out at the Commission’s procedures and handling of the trans-European network for transport (TEN-T) projects. more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Chemical Profile Acrylic acid
USES more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

WHAT DO COMPANIES THINK THE OIL PRICE MEANS?
ExxonMobil said profits from its chemicals business slumped by 33% in the fourth quarter of 2005, mainly due to reduced margins amid higher feedstock.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Plastics Monitor Asian prices firm on record crude
Asian polyethylene (PE) prices are being pulled up by higher crude prices and a firming ethylene market. Offers for May PE material have reached.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

IN BRIEF Markets Watch
FIRST QUARTER fall in CHLORINE production more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

GIBSON’S GRAPEVINE
Toluene takes a spell in the driving seat more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

COMMENT
Pricey oil always a bad thing? more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Conferences
June 2006 more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

5-minute Market Watch
SINGAPORE CLUSTER output grows 4% more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

5-minute Project Watch
Degussa mulls pmma downstream of mma more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Aerosol risk is unconfirmed
A meeting of Germany’s scientific experts, the federal state authorities and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), has been unable to.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

EU INSIDER
calls to open European ENERGY markets more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Open market to foreign mergers, SAYS BARROSO
Open market to foreign mergers, SAYS BARROSO more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

IN BRIEFAmericas Watch
JRH purchase gives Sigma-Aldrich boost more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

WASHINGTON INSIDER
Gasoline rises and bush ignores offshore oil As US gasoline prices continued to climb and Republicans worried about a consumer backlash in.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
China stops projects to save waterways more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Rhodia plans resins plant
Rhodia is set to build a 48 000 tonne/year polyamide resins plant in Onsan, South Korea. more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Geleen site wins Dutch approval
Sabic Europe has won Dutch government approval to build a new naphtha cracker at its Geleen petrochemicals complex in southeast Netherlands. more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Enaex invests $170m to up capacity
Enaex will invest $170m to double its ammonium nitrate production to 800 000 tonne/year in Mejillones, Chile. The company claims the plant will.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Camillo Eitzen acquires more carriers
Camillo Eitzen is buying more chemical carriers. The $111m investment is being financed through cash and long-term debt. more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Stone & Webster wins Yanbu contract
Stone & Webster has won an outline contract to build a butene and aromatics plant at Yanbu in Saudi Arabia for Sabic affiliate Yanbu National.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Sabic targets China in its expansion plan for Asia
Sabic is embarking on a major expansion programme in Asia, with the opening of new warehouses and offices. more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Laszlo Kovacs leaves BorsodChem
Laszlo Kovacs, chief executive of BorsodChem, left the company suddenly last week, days before the annual general meeting and after the board had.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Plant design market is forecast to grow by 11% this year
Demand for plant design software and services is set to grow by an estimated 11% in 2006, to $800m, according to US technology market research firm.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Tesco in the black, and green
What do you do if you are the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, banking profits of £2.21bn last year, but still no-one seems to like you? Invest in.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

EC backs biosimilars
The European Commission has given its backing for the first generic version of a biopharmaceutical drug to be commercialised in the EU. Sandoz’ drug.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

KBR ammonia tech for Egypt
Halliburton engineering subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) will license its proprietary ammonia technology for a $540m ammonia plant being built.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Serbia to sell off oil and petrochemical plants
The Serbian Privatisation Agency said last week that the sell-off of the country’s state-owned oil and petrochemicals plants was likely to begin in .... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

THINK TANK Degussa is drawn into the tempest
The German firm has experienced troubled times recently. Its new chairman must work to turn it around more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

ACC hits out at green lobby group’s take on TRI change
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has reacted angrily to a report from green lobbyist Environmental Working Group (EWG) that suggests proposed.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

DuPont faces PFOA class action
DuPont could face a class-action lawsuit relating to disclosure of information on the health effects of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is used.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

EC groundwater move slammed
European Council proposals to amend the 1980 Groundwater Framework Directive have been criticised by the European Parliament’s Environmental.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Avecia in skin tissue project
UK firm Avecia Biotechnology has announced it will take part in a three-year £1m (€1.4m/$1.8m) project aimed at manufacturing stem cells used to make.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

China cracker partnership
Sabic is in the final stages of negotiations for participation in a 1.3m tonne/year Dalian Shide cracker project in China, which is reportedly.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

ECH tight for the foreseeable future
With European epichlorohydrin (ECH) demand strong and no additional capacity coming onstream this year, producers suggest that the market is unlikely.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Metathesis unit planned at Al-Jubail
Saudi European Petrochemical Co (Ibn Zahr), an affiliate of Sabic, plans to build a metathesis unit that will produce 150 000 tonne/year of propylene. more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Sherwin-Williams brushes up profits
Strong domestic and global sales saw US paints major Sherwin-Williams’ first-quarter (Q1) consolidated net sales grow by 15% on the year before to.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Adipic on the rise
The adipic acid market has gone from strength to strength this year, with a succession of price rises ensuring healthy producer margins. The bullish.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)

Trip seals China-Middle East deals
China’s president, Hu Jintao, met Sabic chairman and ceo Mohamed Al-Mady, at Sabic headquarters in Riyadh, last week. Hu’s trip coincides with Saudia.... more
(28 April 2006 10:50)