LyondellBasell claims to be one of the world’s largest polymers, petrochemicals and fuels companies and a global leader in polyolefins technology, production and marketing; a pioneer in propylene oxide (PO) and derivatives; and a significant producer of fuels and refined products, including biofuels. 
Headquartered in the Netherlands, LyondellBasell in 2010 had combined annual sales of nearly $41bn and more than 14,860 employees worldwide.
History
On 20 December 2007, Lyondell and Basell completed its $19.4bn (Euro13.6bn) merger, forming LyondellBasell Industries.
Company movements
Please see LyondellBasell leaves bankruptcy, ending 16-month stint and Timeline: Lyondell’s path through US bankruptcy protection on ICIS news.
Please see LyondellBasell rejects latest €15bn Reliance offer, Reliance to pursue targets if LyondellBasell bid fails – analysts, Reliance raises LyondellBasell offer to $13.5bn - sources and India's Reliance offers to acquire control of LyondellBasell on ICIS news.
In September 2009, the US bankruptcy court approved a joint venture between LyondellBasell and Sumitomo Chemical. For more on this please see Lyondell gets approval for Asia jv with Sumitomo on ICIS news.
In May 2009, Access Industries entered into an agreement with ProChemie Holding to form a new joint venture that will own LyondellBasell.
The new company, to be named ProChemie GmbH, will be owned equally by Access Industries and ProChemie Holding. (For more on this story please go to ICIS news).
In April 2009, LyondellBasell added its holding company “LyondellBasell Industries AF SCA” to its Chapter 11 protection filing.
On 6 January 2009, LyondellBasell filed for Chapter 11 protection in the US, which applies to its operations in the US and one of its European holding companies, Basell Germany Holdings.
LyondellBasell had previously held refinancing discussions with a syndicate of banks over the payment of $281m (€230). The discussions were first started in December 2008.
In addition in December 2008, its subsidiary Lyondell Chemical filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to say it had begun talks with lenders in order to extend payment dates and restructure its debt. (Please refer to ICIS news for more on this story).
In June 2008, Arkema purchased LyondellBasell’s ethacryl business through its flow additives subsidiary Coatex. Coatex, which specialises in acrylic-based polymers, will be complimented by the ethacryl business’s range of polycarboxylates molecules. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
In March 2008, Solvay completed the sale of its US-based polypropylene (PP) compounds unit, SEP Engineered Polymers, to LyondellBasell Industries. Financial details were not disclosed. The deal was first announced in November 2007.
Its businesses are divided into four divisions: polymers, chemicals, fuels and technology. The chemicals and fuels divisions as well as the company's finance offices are headquartered in Houston, US. The polyolefins division is headquartered in the Netherlands.
Lyondell
Lyondell was formed in 1985 from the integration of selected chemical and refining assets of the Atlantic Richfield Company (Arco). In 1989, Lyondell was spun-off into a separate company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1998, Lyondell gained a leading position in polymers and expanded geographically through the acquisition and integration of Arco Chemical.
Lyondell Chemical and Millennium Chemical
In March 2004, the boards of directors of Lyondell Chemical and Millennium Chemical approved a stock-for-stock combination of the two companies. The merger of Lyondell and Millennium Chemicals became official on 1 December 2004.
Following the 1 December 2004 transaction, both Millennium and Equistar were wholly owned subsidiaries of Lyondell. In the new organisation, Lyondell, Equistar and Millennium remained as a separate legal entity and kept its own separate debt structures.
Lyondell Chemical and Equistar
Equistar Chemicals was formed in December 1997 as a Delaware limited partnership owned by Lyondell Chemical and Millennium Chemicals.
In May 1998, Lyondell, Millennium, Equistar and Occidental consummated a series of transactions to expand Equistar through the addition of Occidental's petrochemical assets.
In 2002, Lyondell bought Occidental's share to give it a 70.5% interest and Millennium the remaining 29.5% share.
Equistar Chemicals became a wholly owned subsidiary of Lyondell Chemical Company on 1 December 2004, through Lyondell's completed acquisition of Millennium Chemicals.
Basell
Basell was formed in October 2000 through the merger of the three large polymers businesses of Montell, Elenac and Targor.
Olefins / polyolefins and derivatives
Ethylene
Propylene
Polyethylene
Polypropylene
Acetyls
End uses: food packaging, adhesives, textiles, consumer products.
Propylene oxide and related products
Propylene oxide (PO)
Propylene glycol ether (PGE)
Oxyfuels
Styrene monomer (SM)
Propylene glycol (PG)
End uses: insulation, home furnishings, coatings, adhesives, aircraft de-icers.
Advanced Polyolefins
Polypropylene based composite materials and alloys
Catalloy process resins
Polybutene-1
End uses: automotive, appliances, coatings, specialty films, flexible hot water piping.
Refining / Fuels
Gasoline
Diesel
Olefins Feed
End uses: automotive fuels, aviation fuels, heating oil, industrial engine lube oils.
Technology
Process licensing
Catalyst sales
Technology services
New ventures
End uses: polypropylene and polyethylene manufacturers.