ICIS - Search Articles by Date : April 29 2002 - May 05 2002

NKNK upgrades EPDM plant
Russian company Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNK) is set to complete the revamp of a 20000 tonne/year ethylene propylene dienemonomer (EPDM) production more
(03 May 2002 11:22)

Roche makes strides in R&D pipeline portfolio
Roche has reported significant progress in its pharmaceutical R&D pipeline over the past two years. more
(03 May 2002 11:24)

Novozymes Rolls Out New Lipase for Cold Wash Temperatures
Novozymes hopes that a series of new product launches will help restore growth for its sales of detergent enzymes. The first of the new enzymes-a more
(30 April 2002 17:40)

Oilseed Earnings Up Despite Argentine Woes
As the oilseed industry focuses its attention to the economic drama unfolding in Argentina, the world's largest exporter of soybean by-products and more
(30 April 2002 15:06)

PO and PG Demand Strengthens on Improving Fundamentals
Demand for propylene oxide (PO) and propylene glycol (PG) appears to come back following last year's recession. Producers are looking to return to.... more
(30 April 2002 15:15)

NOx Requirements Create Opportunity in Emissions Trading
program is designed to offer flexibility in generating and using types of credits including long-term emission reduction credits (ERCs)," says Mr. more
(30 April 2002 16:53)

Roche's Virology Portfolio Shows Promise
Roche recently released new data that appear to justify the hype surrounding its late-stage virology pipeline. more
(30 April 2002 15:24)

IT in Brief
Elemica in Release Elemica has released The Elemica Connected Solution Version 4.0. The Elemica Connected Solution Integrates the enterprise more
(30 April 2002 16:42)

Specialties in Brief
million. EBITDA (cash flow) in-creased about 16 percent to $51.4 million. The company says increased productivity and lower raw material costs more
(30 April 2002 16:47)

Crompton Facility Garners Top OSHA Honors
Earlier this month, Crompton Corp.'s largest chemical manufacturing facility at Geismar, La., formally received its Star award from the Occupational.... more
(30 April 2002 15:02)

Management in Brief
European Chems. Brace for 1Q European chemical companies are expected to report lower sales and considerably lower operating income and earnings more
(30 April 2002 16:40)

Executive Insight: Rohm and Haas Stresses R&D, Cost-Cutting in Managing for Recovery and Growth
In line with other chemical companies, Rohm and Haas Company saw its revenues and earnings decline last year following the economic downturn. more
(30 April 2002 15:04)

Specialties Pricing
CELANESE Chemicals is increasing the selling prices for n-butyl, di-butyl and tri-butyl amines, as well as cyclohexylamine more
(30 April 2002 16:43)

Shuguang Chem expands sodium cyanide
Shuguang Chemical Group has commenced expansion of its 30% liquid sodium cyanide plant in Anqing, Anhui, China, to 40 000 tonne/year from 20 000 more
(03 May 2002 14:46)

Ethylene dives despite outage
Ethylene prices plunged by US$30-70/tonne last week despite an expected tightening in supply caused by an outage at Formosa Petrochemical's 900 000 more
(03 May 2002 15:35)

Idemitsu to exit PC in Brazil, shut EPS
Idemitsu Petrochemical is in talks with a foreign company to sell its 33% stake in a polycarbonate (PC) joint venture in Brazil and plans to shut more
(03 May 2002 15:07)

Chandra Asri crosses US$15m payment deadline
Chandra Asri failed to make an interest payment of approximately US$15m which was due on 1 May, a source close to the company told ACN last week. more
(03 May 2002 14:50)

Transformation at Kvaerner
It certainly appears to be a case of steady as she goes rather than steady as she sinks at Kvaerner these days. The Anglo-Norwegian shipbuilding, more
(03 May 2002 15:02)

Bottle-grade PET firms up by $10-20
PET bottle-grade prices in Asia firmed by US$10-20/tonne last week on the back of higher feedstock costs and tighter availability in the more
(03 May 2002 15:09)

2-EH/DOP offers down by $10-30 - Qilu plant swaps lldPE for hdPE
Northeast Asian producers last week reduced May offers for 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) and di-octyl phthalate (DOP) by US$10- 30/tonne to counter more
(03 May 2002 15:15)

Tight supply lifts PTA to $605-610
Tight Asian purified terephthalic acid (PTA) availability caused spot prices to surge to a four-year high last week, with business for early May more
(03 May 2002 15:16)

NPC: Meti welcome to inspect
National Petrochemical Co (NPC) of Iran said it would welcome any inspection of its facilities by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Economy more
(03 May 2002 15:37)

CPC studies three C2s in Taiwan/China
Chinese Petroleum Corp (CPC) is conducting a preliminary feasibility study on two crackers, in addition to its proposed 1.2m tonne/year No8 more
(03 May 2002 15:24)

Sichuan Chemical starts urea expansion project
Sichuan Chemical has started expanding and retrofitting its 480 000 tonne/year urea plant in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The urea facility will be more
(03 May 2002 15:39)

China petchem profits decline
Chinese petrochemical producers cited cheap imports and low product prices as the main reasons for declines in their net sales and profits for the more
(29 April 2002 13:57)

Far Eastern Group to invest US$15m to boost DSPC output
Taiwan's Far Eastern Group (FEG) plans to invest US$15m to improve DuPont Suzhou Polyester Co's (DSPC) production efficiency after its acquisition more
(29 April 2002 13:52)

MGC in search of PX and MMA alliances
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) is looking to form alliances with Japanese or foreign competitors for its (PX) and methyl metha-crylate (MMA) more
(29 April 2002 13:45)

Saehan creditors veto assets sale
Saehan Industries' creditors last week voted against the immediate sale of the company's polyester assets in Gumi, South Korea, because the terms more
(29 April 2002 13:34)

Acetic acid could face shortfall in May
Strong Chinese buying, ahead of a one-week holiday in early May, and fears of a drop in supplies in May drove acetic acid spot prices up more
(29 April 2002 14:06)

NEA C2/C3 sellers and buyers clash over May business
Northeast Asian ethylene and propylene makers locked horns with buyers last week over May offers. C2 selling ideas of US$610-620/tonne fob more
(29 April 2002 14:09)

...is to start up Sing elastomer in November
Mitsui will commission a 100 000 tonne/year Tafmer elastomer plant in Singapore in November. The plant will be Mitsui's first Tafmer production more
(29 April 2002 14:43)

ICI ready to reopen Pakistan PTA investor talks
ICI plans to contact potential strategic investors next week to restart talks for selling a stake in its subsidiary Pakistan PTA, a senior official more
(29 April 2002 13:49)

Indo Rama sticks to polyester schedule
Indo Rama Synthetics (India) is to keep to its schedule of completing its 182 500 tonne/year polyester project in 2004-05 despite the Indian more
(29 April 2002 13:46)

Anhui starts work
Anhui Huaihe Chemical Group has started work on expanding its concentrated nitric acid capacity from 60 000 tonne/year to 200 000 tonne/year. more
(29 April 2002 14:44)

Aromatics Malaysia and Idemitsu look at PX expansions
Aromatics Malaysia and Idemitsu Petrochemical are looking at expanding their respective paraxylene (PX)plants. Aromatics Malaysia is studying more
(29 April 2002 14:02)

Hanwha eyes China PE or PVC-VCM-EDC
Hanwha Chemical is studying building PE plants or a PVC-VCM-ethylene dichloride (EDC) complex in China, a source close to the South Korean company more
(29 April 2002 13:51)

Sinochem studies China C2 complex
Sinochem is conducting a feasibility study for an integrated petrochemical complex in China which would include a worldscale cracker and downstream more
(29 April 2002 13:41)

New Japan law drives Toyo out of Iran NH3
Toyo Engineering has withdrawn its bid to be the contractor for a 676 500 tonne/year ammonia project led by National Petrochemical Co (NPC) in more
(29 April 2002 13:42)

Disputes over price and tax issues stall Saudi gas/C2 talks
Disagreements over the price of gas, ownership and tax incentives have twice delayed the formalisation of the US$25bn gas core venture projects in more
(29 April 2002 13:54)

Samsung, LG and SK groups top debt list
The Samsung, LG and SK chaebols, all of which have petrochemical operations, have topped the list of heavily indebted business groups drawn up by more
(30 April 2002 09:56)

Ube mulls scrapping lldPE unit
Ube Industries is considering scrapping its 145000 tonne/year of lldPE in Chiba, Japan. more
(30 April 2002 11:49)

Styrenics are still smiling...
ASIAN styrene producers were last week upbeat about short-term market prospects despite a US$210/ tonne plunge in spot prices in April. Their more
(30 April 2002 09:55)

PSF up $10-20 as Chinese demand rises
Polyester staple fibre (PSF) prices rose by US$10-20/tonne from the previous week's level on the back of higher feedstock costs and stronger more
(30 April 2002 09:53)

That great big sinking feeling
The feeling of disappointment is great both inside and outside Japan. Whether the disappointment is entirely reasonable is very much a moot more
(30 April 2002 11:31)

Global Roundup
Dow Chemical came under fire for its 'reverse' life insurance policies as the Argentinian public got rid of yet another minister. Also in the week.... more
(01 May 2002 15:52)

Comment
When chemical companies find their competitive advantage in basic manufacturing being eroded by lower cost producers elsewhere, they start moving more
(01 May 2002 13:39)

Investing in biotechnology
Recent times have seen a huge rise in the number of biotech-based drugs coming onto the market. As the flow of products increases, many companies are.... more
(01 May 2002 13:28)

Creating more value
Dow's licensing and catalyst business, a product of the merger of Dow Chemical and Union Carbide, is using its combined capabilities to manage R&D.... more
(01 May 2002 13:27)

Slowly but surely
Speakers at the latest Fine Chemicals Conference tackled some challenging themes. Subjects up for discussion included how best to reduce the gap.... more
(01 May 2002 13:25)

Pumps profile
The demand for advanced equipment has risen in Asia over the past decade, as the chemical process industries have sought to upgrade plants and.... more
(01 May 2002 13:24)