ROUNDUP New projects

13 June 2005 00:01  [Source: ACN]

Go ahead for M&G’s new PTA unit in Brazil

3 June. M&G Group said its board had approved plans to invest an undetermined sum in the construction of a 50 000 tonne/year worldscale purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.

The facility in northeastern Brazil is scheduled to come on stream in the first quarter of 2008. The company said it expected to place key equipment orders by 30 July, with construction ‘beginning thereafter’.

Uhde wins $300m contract for Oman EDC

3 June. Uhde has won a US$300m licence, technology, and core-equipment supply agreement from Liwa Petrochemical Company for its planned 300 000 tonne/year ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant in the Sohar Port Industrial area in Oman.

According to reports from the Times of Oman, an agreement between the two companies was signed in Oman on 1 June. An Uhde spokesman said he could not deny the report, but was unable to provide any further details until the deal was formally concluded.

Ineos will expand Wilhelmshaven site

4 June. Ineos has reassured the Lower Saxony government in Germany that it plans to proceed with an investment of up to €1bn (US$1.25bn) on expanding its Wilhelmshaven production facilities.

Ineos group chief executive Jim Ratcliffe has told Lower Saxony prime minister Christian Wulff and economics minister Walter Hirche that work would begin soon on a €15m-20m detailed pre-engineering study.

According to a statement from the Niedersachsische state council, construction could follow the six months study, and completion is scheduled for 2008.

Ineos is planning to build a new cracker in Wilhelmshaven and expand production capacities at its existing 400 000 tonne/year polyvinyl chloride unit and chlorine electrolysis plant.

Ar-Razi awards methanol contract to MHI

6 June. The Saudi Methanol Co (Ar-Razi) has awarded a turnkey contract to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to build a 1.7m tonne/year methanol facility in Al-Jubail, the Saudi Arabian major announced today.

The project, which was approved by Sabic’s board of directors last June, is expected to come onstream in the first quarter of 2008. It will be the fifth methanol line for Ar-Razi, which currently produces 3m tonne/year.

OMC gets nod for second methanol unit

6 June. The shareholders of Oman Methanol Co (OMC) have given in-principle approval to plans for a second methanol plant in Sohar, Oman.

The project will have a capacity of 3000 tonne/day (990 000 tonne/year). OMC hopes to achieve financial closure for the project in the second quarter of 2006.

NCIC to build 300ktpa PVC unit in Nanjing

6 June. Nanjing Chemical Industrial Co (NCIC) plans to build a 300 000 tonne/year polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, a company source said.

The source said the company, a Sinopec subsidiary, had secured financing for the project. The proposed plant, to be based on the ethylene-route, would source ethylene feedstock from another Nanjing-based Sinopec subsidiary, Yangzi Petrochemical Co (YPC), he added. The aim is to bring the unit onstream in 2007.

Liwa to start up Oman EDC project in 2008

6 June. Liwa Petrochemical Co will bring onstream its 300 000 tonne/year ethylene dichloride (EDC) project in Sohar Industrial Port area, Oman, in Q2 2008.

Liwa is equally owned by Oman Oil Co (OOC), LG International (LGI), and Iran’s National Petrochemical Co (NPC). The joint-venture company aimed to complete financial closure on the project in the last quarter of 2005, OOC said.

LGI will be the turnkey contractor for the project, with construction work due to start in the first quarter of 2006. NPC will provide the feedstock under a long-term agreement.

Itochu mulls speciality plant in Nanjing

7 June. Itochu Corp is considering building a speciality chemical plant in Nanjing, China, company sources said.

One source said the firm was conducting a feasibility study, which it hoped to complete by end-2005. He added that Itochu would partner other companies for the project as its core business was in chemicals trading.

The sources declined to say what speciality chemicals the company would produce.

MGC settles plan for methanol project

7 June. Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) has finalised the infrastructure and utilities arrangements with the Chinese authorities for a 850 000 tonne/year methanol project at Chongqing last week, a company official said.

MGC is conducting a detailed feasibility study (DFS) that will include cost estimates from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and a local contractor. MHI and the Chinese contractor are providing basic engineering.

The official said the firm aimed to submit the DFS to the Chinese government by end-2005. Even though the government approved the project in August 2004, a change of approval procedures in September 2004 means that MGC must seek approval a second time.

Innovene, Saudi Delta plan $2bn crackers

8 June. BP petrochemicals, refining subsidiary Innovene and Saudi-owned independent development company Delta announced plans to invest US$2bn in a 1.2m tonne/year petrochemicals cracker and associated derivatives plants in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

The project, which Innovene and Delta said would provide a platform for future long-term growth, is anticipated in a memorandum of understanding signed in Riyadh last night. Subject to final approvals, a firm agreement will be signed before the end of the year. Commissioning of the first plants is expected in late 2008.

Long-term joint-venture plans by the partners involve a second worldscale cracker and downstream plants in Jubail, on Saudi Arabia’s east coast.

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