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Asian Chemical Connections

Petro Rabigh phase 2 and Aramco’s ambition

By Malini Hariharan Petro Rabigh, the Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical joint venture, has moved to the next round of its ambitious phase 2 expansion which includes a new aromatics facility and a number of value-added derivatives. Construction tenders for seven packages have been issued and bidding is due to close on 1 October. Tenders […]

To frack or not to frack…

By Malini Hariharan …is a debate that has starting moving out of the US. A desire for energy independence has seen countries like Poland to embrace shale gas with the government welcoming US companies to quickly develop the country’s reserves, estimated at 5.3 trillion cubic metres. This would be enough to meet Poland’s annual gas […]

Will Three Still End Up As One in Qatar?

By John Richardson SHELL Chemicals announcement that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a cracker and derivatives project in Qatar seems to have upped the ante in what could be a struggle for only one parcel of feedstock. Graeme Burnett, Total Petrochemical’s senior vice president for Asia and the Middle East, in […]

Qatar Petroleum in Algerian cracker jv

By Malini Hariharan Qatar Petroleum’s (QP) ambition to extend its global reach has taken the company to Algeria. QP is reported to have picked up a 10% stake in the Total-Sonatrach joint-venture petrochemicals project at Arzew, Algeria. The entry of QP would result in a dilution of Total’s stake in the project to 41% with […]

Qatar eyes cracker capacity hike and propane cracking

By Malini Hariharan Ras Laffan Olefins Co (RLOC) is studying an expansion of its new cracker by using propane as a feedstock. At a recent news conference, Mohammed Yousef Al Mulla, general manager of Qatofin, the Qatar Petroleum-Total joint venture downstream of the 1.3m tonnes/year cracker, said that while the cracker was currently running at […]

Refinery closures – how many and how fast?

By Malini Hariharan Many Asian aromatics producers are optimistic that the worst is over and a gradual improvement in global demand coupled with firm Chinese demand will help them through 2009. There is also the expectation that a pressure on refining margins will lead to more plant closures which would also help the aromatics business. […]

Action in the propylene market

By Malini Hariharan Just when Asian propylene prices started easing comes news of disruptions in production and price hikes in the West. Propylene availability in Europe was hit after a strike by Total’s refinery workers early in the week resulted in the closure of 36% of France’s C3 capacity. This forced Total to declare force […]

GCC mood lifts despite worsening gas crisis

THE MOOD seems to have become a little more upbeat in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region of the Middle East thanks to the economic recovery. “The flow of foreign funds into the GCC came to a complete standstill in Q4 and the first quarter of this year, but in Q2-Q3 it reached all-time highs,” […]

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