ICIS - Search Articles by Date : June 30 2003 - July 06 2003

New projects summary
As reported in ECN on 23 and 30 June 2003 more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

The view from downstream
The FECC congress debated the possible consequences of the European chemicals policy on downstream users at its meeting in Berlin, Germany, last.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Johnson Matthey/TEC link up
UK licensor Johnson Matthey will combine its methanol synthesis technology with Toyo Engineering Corp's (TEC) MRF-Z reactor on a 445 500 tonne/ year.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

AK to maintain Bromborough
Lubrizol has awarded Aker Kvaerner an integrated maintenance contract for work on its high performance chemicals plant in Bromborough, UK more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Product profile: Formic acid
Producers are bullish about growth prospects in animal feed. Strong demand in Europe is likely to be followed in other parts of the world,.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

EIL and EIED win $3m contract
Engineers India (EIL) and Energy Industries Engineering & Design (EIED) of Iran have been awarded a $3m contract relating to the 9th Olefin complex.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Council needs a louder bark
Europe's industrial competitiveness is the hot agenda item more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Plastics monitor: Price slump begins to bottom out?
Continued de-stocking pushed polymer prices downwards in June. Players believe the current phase of price reductions may end soon and are hoping for.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

News in brief
Online resource Biopendium Online , an Internet-accessible annotation resource, has been launched by Inpharmatica of London, UK. The service.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

News in brief
Chemicals list The European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) has reduced the number of high production volume chemicals giving cause for concern.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

People on the move
Akzo Nobel Rob Frohn, general manager of Akzo Nobel's surface chemistry business unit, will succeed Fritz Frohlich as group chief.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

20 years ago
ECN 11 July 1983 more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

News in brief
Online ordering Lancaster Synthesis, a Clariant group company, and Intershop have developed and implemented a multi-currency Internet.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Styrene players negotiate as benzene and ethylene settle
NWE European styrene buyers and sellers are seriously engaged in the negotiation of quarter three (Q3) contracts now that both the benzene and.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Air Products bags GTL deal
Air Products has been selected to supply two 1.2m tonne/ year air separation plants for Qatar more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

News in brief
Sale of bond issue Syngenta has arranged a new bond issue programme that will allow it to raise up to $2bn in long-term debt. The.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Market trends: Xylenes follow strong US market
Mixed xylenes continued to climb on firmer US values and hit $410-415/tonne fob NWE. MTBE also jumped up during the week on higher energy numbers more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

EWS speeds delivery
UK railfreight operator EWS has won a contract to move intermodal containers for P&O Nedlloyd more
(04 July 2003 17:46)

Brazil's chemical index drops
The Brazilian chemical production index decreased by 12.05% in May 2003 according to the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry (Abiquim) more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

UOP/Atofina push process
A cracking process to convert C4 to C8 olefins to propylene and ethylene has been jointly developed by UOP and Atofina more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Reaching a solution?
Cefic will issue its response to the new chemicals policy this week and will be coordinating a specific response from industry to the proposals,.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Warwick supplies titanium dioxide pigments
  Warwick International, Flintshire, UK Warwick International of Flintshire, UK, is distributing a range.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Hydrogen fuel cell trial starts
BOC has begun two hydrogen fuel cell trials at its own sites in the UK more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Borealis earmarks E200m spend for polyolefins output
Borealis plans to invest E200m in a new 350 000 tonne/year polyethylene (PE) plant and a 90 000 tonne/year expansion of a polypropylene (PP) plant on.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Nearing nano solution with DNA
Researchers at DuPont claim to be nearing a solution to separate conducting and semi-conducting nanotubes by using DNA, according to a report in.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Methanex revises Burrup plans
Methanex hopes to receive board approval later this month for its revised plans for a $500m 1.3m tonne/year methanol plant on the Burrup Peninsula,.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

SGI delegates head west
Some 50 companies have been invited by the Saudi Arabian government to attend an exploratory meeting in the UK later this month to discuss the.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

EPS plummets in second quarter on weak demand
Expandable polystyrene (EPS) producers had a troubled second quarter, as poor demand sent prices plunging more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Linde/Sasol sign cooperation deal
Linde Gas is to build a E10m liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) plant, with a capacity of 60 000 tonne/year, on the Marl Chemical Park in the Ruhr region of.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Test reactor is evaluated
A three-phase reactor for the manufacture of organic chemicals is currently undergoing development by Robinson Brothers of West Bromwich, UK, and the.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Solutia completes drug facility
Solutia Pharmaceutical Services Division has completed the second phase of its containment facility at its site in Bubendorf, Switzerland, and has.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

First reading could be delayed
The first reading of the proposed European Union chemicals policy by the European Parliament may be delayed until late next year to enable the.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Italy promises integration
The environment will play a central role in the Italian presidency of the European Union, said Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's prime minister, speaking at.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

ICI successor named
ICI has named former chief executive of Lloyds TSB bank Peter Ellwood as successor to Lord Trotman as chairman more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Bayer offers biotech externally
The biotechnology department of Bayer's Pharmaceutical Division in Wuppertal Elberfeld, Germany, is offering its services to external clients more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Kemira division plans job cuts
Tikkurila Coatings, the paints and coatings division of Finnish chemicals group Kemira, has revealed plans to cut 'some tens' of jobs upon the.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Huntsman axes 85 jobs in UK
Huntsman is to close three of the eight manufacturing units at its Whitehaven, Cumbria site in the UK, with the loss of 85 jobs more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Degussa ups output
A surge in demand is prompting Degussa to expand production of its Acematt TS 100 matting agent more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Possible GTL units for Qatar
Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Marathon Oil of the US have signed a statement of intent to study gas-to-liquids (GTL) production in Qatar more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Sabic meets demand
Sabic EuroPetrochemicals is to add a second production line to its StaMax P plant in Genk, Belgium, following its recent buyout of joint venture.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

MEPs adopt directive resolution
The European Parliament has adopted a legislative resolution on a European Union greenhouse gas emissions trading system directive, paving the way.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Proposed fund will aid victims of asbestos
A Republican-sponsored bill in the US, which would create a $108bn national fund to compensate victims of asbestos poisoning without the need for.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Pipe rupture was to blame
The collapse of a 1760m3 storage tank at Vopak's Botlek terminal in the Netherlands was due to a ruptured steam pipe in the tank more
(04 July 2003 17:45)

Commission makes it easier
Simplified control procedures for the shipment of waste are being proposed by the European Commission in a revision of the ten-year-old Waste.... more
(04 July 2003 17:47)

Air Products buys for $300m
Industrial gases manufacturer Air Products has agreed to buy the electronic chemicals business of US-based conglomerate Ashland for $300m in cash more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Players agree E137/tonne price drop for quarter three
The European quarter three orthoxylene contract has settled at E418/tonne FD, representing a drop of E137/tonne from quarter two's E555/tonne FD more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Stock issue knocks share price
Germany's Merck has raised E105.8m in a private share issue to institutional investors more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

OMV raises $540m equity through notes and bonds
OMV, Austria's leading oil and chemicals firm, has raised $540m to help refinance acquisitions made earlier this year more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Olefin players reach quick contract settlements
In a flurry of activity a cluster of third quarter (Q3) olefin contracts have been concluded, fulfiling market hopes for early settlements more
(04 July 2003 17:44)

Textile proprietors found guilty
A court in Alicante, Spain, has handed out prison sentences to eight factory owners and a factory inspector, following six deaths and 62 cases of.... more
(04 July 2003 17:44)