ICIS - Search Articles by Date : August 28 2006 - September 03 2006

Sinopec eyes Tianjin for phenol/acetone project
Sinopec is planning to build a 350 000 tonne/year phenol and acetone plant downstream of its 1m tonne/year cracker project in Tianjin, China. more
(31 August 2006 12:04)

BASF to grow in Russia
BASF is considering expanding its chemical production in Russia, either on its own or through a partnership, possibly with Russian gas company.... more
(01 September 2006 14:43)

BASF eyes UK for GM field trials
BASF has applied to the UK’s Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for permission to conduct field trials of genetically.... more
(01 September 2006 14:52)

Huntsman ups TiO2 for market share
Huntsman plans to expand its titanium dioxide (TiO2) plant at Greatham, UK, by 50 000 tonne/year. more
(01 September 2006 14:46)

Who says oil and water don't mix?
Researchers in Canada have discovered a surfactant that can mix and un-mix oil and water mixtures at will. The new alkyl amidine promises to help.... more
(01 September 2006 14:53)

Pakistan PVC boosted by 50%
Engro Asahi Polymer and Chemicals, Pakistan’s sole poly­vinyl chloride (PVC) producer, plans to expand its 100 000 tonne/year plant near Karachi by.... more
(01 September 2006 14:44)

Butadiene prices set to rise in Q4
Butadiene spot prices have reached the $1200/tonne fob mark in Europe as cracker problems keep the lid on supply. more
(01 September 2006 14:48)

Big stores monopoly of power
Major US retail chain stores are putting increasing pricing pressure on producers of chemical-based consumer products, pinching margins and even.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Pesticides are not welcome here, says Indian market
AN ALLIANCE of environmental groups, along with the India-based Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), are calling on pesticide manufacturers to.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

European M&A kaleidoscope shows its colours
Consolidation and restructuring activity surges across the board more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

High feedstock costs may force acetic acid hikes
Asian acetic acid makers could raise prices by up to $20/tonne for September and October shipments, due to high methanol feedstock costs. more
(02 September 2006 11:31)

Global silica growth on the up
Global consumption of precipitated silica, including sodium aluminium silicates, is set to total 2.1m tonne in 2015, representing growth of.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Oversupply forces ATC to scrap SM
AROMATICS Thailand Co (ATC) has shelved its 450,000-600,000 tonne/year styrene monomer (SM) project because of technology developments, a likely.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Smaller fish enter the pond
How Ampac financed the acquisition of Aerojet Fine Chemicals more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Consumers get a right to request ingredients
THE EUROPEAN Commission has published guidelines that enable consumers to get more information about the ingredients used in cosmetics. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

BASF moves up the profitability index
BASF moved up 11 notches against 2004 in the 2005 profitability index for German-based companies published by the business daily Handelsblatt. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Solvay gets plant approval
SOLVAY Indupa has gained board approval for a $150m investment to expand and modernise its vinyls production plant in Santo André, Brazil (ECN 28.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

TOP STORIES FROM ICIS NEWS
21-27 AUGUST more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Dow closes plants to cut back costs
Dow Chemical plans to close plants in Sarnia and Fort Saskatchewan, Canada, and Porto Marghera, Italy, in moves designed to reduce structural costs.... more
(02 September 2006 11:26)

Foster Wheeler wins in Gujarat
Foster Wheeler Energy has won a contract from India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) to provide technology consultancy services for a petrochemical.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Antidumping duties are likely if economy dips
Antidumping duties directly affecting the petrochemical industry will become more common across Asia if the global economy takes a dip. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

School days are a real blast
Isn’t it great to be at that age where you can still remember chemistry teachers doing silly, and usually explosive things, and where your employer.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Yara sets sights on all of Fertibras
Yara International came closer to securing 100% control of Brazil's Fertibras for about $211m by offering to buy all the non-voting shares in the.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Distributors revolutionised as private equity builds out
The industry is reshaped by dynamic investors on the prowl for private owners and producers more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Good deals for careful shoppers
The mistakes of the last decade have provided useful lessons and low-priced assets to companies committed to fine chemicals more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Fran Keeth leaves Shell for retirement
Fran Keeth, executive vice president for Shell Chemicals, will retire from Shell on 31 December 2006. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

OX settlement to impact snug PA
Phthalic anhydride (PA) consumers are facing high spot numbers, with the prospect of an increase in contract prices, following the initial settlement.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Lukoil in talks with Turkey
LUKOIL has held further talks with Turkish government officials leading to the inclusion of petrochemical plants in the $2bn-2.5bn Black Sea coast.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

What are your green credentials?
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP Greenpeace has published a guide which it says ranks electronics companies on the basis of their "green credentials". more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

IN BRIEF Environment Watch
EPA lays down the law on orphan HPVs more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

THE VIEW FROM INDONESIA
Singapore's China Enersave has invested Sing$50m ($31.8m/ €24.8m) to build its third biomass plant in China. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

South Korea sees double
South Korea's petrochemical exports have jumped by 50% compared with a year ago, thanks to increasing global demand for plastics, said the Korean.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

M&A goes fever-pitch
German firms have been at the forefront of a frenzy of M&A activity this year, with key players like BASF and Linde bagging some of the biggest.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

THINK TANK Thailand toils to climbthe industry ladder
Gripped by fear of regional competitors from the Middle East and China, Thailand wants to move up the value chain and compete on innovation in.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Japan jumps on the ETBE bandwagon
Japan is to introduce ethanol-based ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) into gasoline supplies next year, according to Japanese news reports. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

WASHINGTON INSIDER: PIPELINE LOSES ITS BIGGEST SUPPORTER
A sudden turn in Alaskan politics could further delay the long-sought gas pipeline by a year or more and shift public support from the pipeline to.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

GM rice causes a stir
US Rice farmers are suing Bayer CropScience over the alleged contamination of their crops with genetically modified rice. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

China gets a handle on river caustic spillage
China's authorities have said that a chemical spill in Hancheng City, in Shaanxi Province, China, which killed one person and seriously injured.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Sweden gives deca-BDE the boot
THE SWEDISH government has decided to ban the use of deca-BDE, a brominated flame-retardant. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Enersave builds third plant in China
Singapore's China Enersave has invested Sing$50m ($31.8m/ €24.8m) to build its third biomass plant in China. more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Wilmar quadruples bio-plan
SINGAPORE'S Wilmar International is looking to quadruple its biodiesel production in Indonesia, a month after unveiling plans for its first unit in.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Mexico see rise in natgas
Rising Mexican natural gas production has had little effect on the domestic petrochemical industry but will help the sector in the longer term, says.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

NEW PROJECTS REPORTED BY ICIS 28 AUGUST-3 SEPTEMBER 2006
  Company Product Capacity Process Contractor Cost Startup Status Biofuel Technologies.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

IN BRIEF Innovations
BASF applies for potato research more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

TANKS ON THE MOVE
In the early hours of 22 August, Oiltanking Stolthaven started lifting its new prefabricated tanks in place at its 50,000m3 storage expansion in the.... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

MARKETS TRENDS: Markets subdued, prices flounder
Prices slump across the board and Europe's olefins markets are largely inactive. The energy complex takes a tumble and production woes blight Asia more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

Codexis raises $37m for APIs
US-based, biotechnology concern Codexis has raised $37m of finance as part of its strategy to move into the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).... more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

IN BRIEF Supply chain
Vopak expands at Singapore more
(01 September 2006 19:01)

DuPont fires $100m into Nomex fibres
DUPONT will invest more than $100m in a three-part multi-product, multi-region expansion plan for its Nomex high-performance fibre that is scheduled.... more
(02 September 2006 11:29)

Air Products sells amines
Air Products is selling its amines business to Belgium's Taminco and expects to sell the larger polymers business later this year. more
(02 September 2006 11:27)