ICIS - Search Articles by Date : March 31 2003 - April 06 2003

Market trends: Ethylene climbs as demand rises
Increased demand for ethylene has pushed spot numbers up to $575-585/tonne cif NWE. Naphtha prices are also climbing as players seek prompt material.... more
(31 March 2003 17:18)

Producers face feedstook pressure
Feedstock hikes and the threat of war in Iraq are causing uncertainty in many fibre intermediates markets. Producers are pushing for price increases.... more
(31 March 2003 17:16)

Market trends: Naphtha prices track volatile crude
The price of Brent crude has reached a ten-year high on fears that Opec may not be able to meet market shortfalls. Meanwhile, methanol spot prices.... more
(31 March 2003 17:17)

Market trends: Spot styrene falls on weak interest
Weakening gasoline and crude oil prices pushed down MTBE values. Styrene values plunged by over $90/tonne as traders liquidate positions more
(31 March 2003 17:14)

Product profile: SBR
The industry continues to suffer from poor profitability, particularly in the emulsion sector, but any restructuring moves look unlikely in the short.... more
(31 March 2003 15:58)

Market trends: Paraxylene sees sharp correction
Paraxylene spot numbers have plummeted by $90/tonne to $700-730/tonne fob NWE. Producers say this is a more realistic price and report a slight.... more
(31 March 2003 17:12)

US monitor: Lead up to war creates uncertainty
The run up to the Gulf war created much nervousness in the US bulk chemical market, with US crude oil prices hitting $40/bbl in March. Producers are.... more
(31 March 2003 17:11)

EPS players push for hikes on fear of higher feedstock
Expandable polystyrene (EPS) consumers face the prospect of a push for a steep price hike in April more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Spoilt for choice
Acetic acid production has more feedstock and production approaches than any other volume chemical. Jeffrey Plotkin and Larry Song look at the.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Industry uncertainty will outlive conflict
Announcements of chemical price increases have flooded the global market during the first quarter (Q1) of 2003 more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

People on the move
ICI ICI has appointed Charles Knott as chairman and chief executive of its fragrance, flavours and food ingredients business,.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

20 years ago
ECN 4 April 1983 more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

News in brief
Tougher PC GE Plastics has announced the development of a new polycarbonate resin, branded Lexan EXL . The technology employed dramatically.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

News in brief
DuPont denial DuPont has refuted allegations made by the US-based Environmental Working Group that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) used in the.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

News in brief
Paying by plastic The European plastics industry has launched a click-to-give fundraising site, in order to raise money for water projects.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

News in brief
Clariant stone laid Clariant laid the foundation stone for its new Exolit OP flame retardant plant in Knapsack, Germany, on 31 March. The.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Market trends: Benzene values continue to slide
Benzene values are weakening on lower crude oil prices. April contracts have settled at E548 ($597)/ tonne FD, while spot numbers are at.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Plastics monitor: Feedstock costs push prices higher
Polymer prices moved up in March spurred on by rising feedstock costs and increased demand. There is still uncertainty concerning the effect of war.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Companies to bundle needs
Degussa and Bayer have decided to cooperate on the procurement of logistics services, which they say will raise quality and improve competitiveness more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Market penetration supports profits
Global chemicals distributor Brenntag says its financial results for 2002 were an improvement on the previous year more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Service deal clears the way
Guaranty Clearing Corporation (GCC) and ChemConnect have reached an agreement whereby GCC will offer clearing and settlement services for a variety.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Sunoco buy marks new era for PP
North America's PP industry consolidation continues with Sunoco's purchase of Equistar's Bayport plant in Pasadena, Texas, US. Martin Todd reports.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

SAIT assigns technologies to DPT
Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) of South Korea and the UK's Davy Process Technology (DPT) have signed an agreement, under which SAIT.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Significant growth expected
Biotechnology product sales in the US are forecast to grow by an average 11%/year over the next ten years, reaching $66bn in 2013, according to.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Jv paves way for expansion
Atofina and Samsung General Chemicals (SGC) formally concluded negotiations for a 50:50 joint venture last week, and together hope to expand a.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Visp facility is ahead of schedule
Lonza has announced that its new SF100m (E68m/$73m) biopharmaceuticals manufacturing plant at its Visp site in Switzerland will be operational by.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

BASF links up with university
BASF is opening a research laboratory within a 'supramolecular chemistry' laboratory in Strasbourg, France more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Nexia/DRDC test Protexia
Nexia Biotechnologies of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has signed an agreement with Defence R&D Canada-Suffield (DRDC) of Alberta to research and test.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Baytown expansion
ExxonMobil plans to expand its cogeneration facilities at its olefins complex in Baytown, Texas, US more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Companies ponder project
BASF and Petrobras are to re-evaluate the economic basis of their E300m acrylic acid project in Brazil as the market in South America remains below.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Know-how is pooled
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Institut Pasteur have signed a framework convention to pool their research to develop.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Dow/Symyx in single-site catalyst breakthrough
Dow Chemical and California, US-based Symyx Technologies have jointly claimed that for the first time a new class of single-site catalyst, for olefin.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Uniqema updates IT operations
Uniqema, part of ICI, has invested £12m (E17m/$19m) in a project to standardise and upgrade its IT operations in Europe more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Partners eye hydrocarbons
Engineers India (EIL) and Oil Industries Engineering &Construction have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on projects in the.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Prolaik seeks funds
Prolab Technologies' subsidiary Prolaik is struggling to find the final third of funding required for a Can$40m (E24.9m/$27.2m) oleic acid expansion.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

The final stop for Reach?
A major conference held last week in Brussels indicates that Reach is well on its way to becoming a piece of legislation that Europe's chemical.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

BP ups ldPE, eases out EVAs
BP is set to increase production of low density polyethylene (ldPE) extrusion coating grades from the two ldPE autoclave plants at its Cologne site.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

KBR forced to file for protection
Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), the US-based plant engineering and construction firm owned by oilfield service provider Halliburton, is to be put under.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

RAG to search for 'quick solution'
Karl Starzacher, chairman of German coal and chemicals group RAG, will resign his position at the end of May for 'personal reasons' more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Rival bid is possible
UK biotech entrepreneur Christopher Evans has revealed that his venture capital fund Merlin Bioscience might make a rival cash bid for biotechnology.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

EC in raid on chemical firms
The European Commission (EC) last week raided the offices of several chemicals producers including BASF, Atofina and Celanese as part of its.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Atofina sheds jobs in France
Atofina plans to cut around 100 jobs at two sites in northern France more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Eastman slashes pay due to 'unprecedented' costs
US plastics and fibres producer Eastman Chemical is cutting employee salaries by 3% and senior management pay by 6%, due to 'unprecedented' rising.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Oilfield chemical need set to rise
Global demand for oilfield chemicals is to expand by 2.5%/year, to hit $7.8bn in 2006, and will be restrained by a decrease in exploration in the US,.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Majors back away from merger plan
Japanese majors Sumitomo Chemical and Mitsui Chemicals are calling off negotiations to consolidate the overall operations of the two companies by.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

SNPE wins E350m payout
The French government has agreed to give SNPE a total of E350m in compensation for the loss of phosgene production following the Grande Paroisse AZF.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Consortium plans gather pace
Egyptian Arab Trading Co (Eatco) is assembling an international consortium to develop its proposed $1.4bn integrated natural gas-to-polyolefins.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

News in brief
MOL seeks buyout MOL has made a public offer for the outstanding shares it does not own in Slovakia's Slovnaft. MOL offered to buy the.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Eka Chile inks chlorate deal
Sweden-based Eka Chemicals, a subsidiary of Akzo Nobel, and Chile-based Celulosa Arauco y Constitucion will form a joint venture to build a.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)

Jacobs lands API contract
US-based Jacobs Engineering has been awarded a contract to provide engineering services for construction of an active pharmaceutical ingredient.... more
(04 April 2003 16:32)