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• Uncle Sam back from the dead?

  A very interesting report by McKinsey (you can sign up free for their online newsletter which only takes a minute) expands on the theme of reverse globalisation which I talked about last week. The cost of shipping a standard 40-foot container has tripled... Posted Sep 10 2008, 09:38 AM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: US, Economics, China, Environment, technology, Europe, aromatics, Middle East, Olefins, Business, Oil & Gas, Naphtha & other feedstocks, sustainability, Shell Chemicals, McKinsey, Company Strategy, Innnovation, oil price, shipping costs

• Fusion - new aromatics broker

  It's all change in the small world of European aromatics brokers. Tom Smit, formerly of Petrochemical Brokerage (PCB), has set up a new chemicals broking firm called Fusion. Launched on 1 August 2008, the new broking team comprises Smit, plus two... Posted Aug 26 2008, 11:17 AM by ICIS Chemicals Confidential Filed under: trading, gossip, aromatics, brokers, ICIS, PCB, PDIT, Fusion

• BASF seeks "decisive" change

  Now this is old but not widely publicised - Jurgen Hambrecht's comments during the BASF Segment Day Chemicals event which took place in London on 8 July. Navigate down, click on the webcast, and listen to the Q&A session after Dr Hambrecht's... Posted Aug 07 2008, 12:06 PM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: Environment, Oil, aromatics, Olefins, Business, Oil & Gas, Naphtha & other feedstocks, Company Strategy, alternative energy, Fischer Tropsch, catalysts

• Jones and Robinson join PDIT aromatics traders

  Following on the surprise news last week that Ross Jones , formerly with Nova Chemicals in Fribourg, had joined Adam Popov at aromatics traders PDIT, comes the news that Mark Robinson, currently at Petrochemical Brokerage (PCB), will also be heading for... Posted Aug 07 2008, 09:46 AM by ICIS Chemicals Confidential Filed under: trading, gossip, aromatics, traders, styrene, Nova, PCB, Fribourg, Rotterdam, PDIT

• It's a whole new ball game

  First of all, apologies to readers for my complete neglect of this blog over the last six weeks. I can only plead overwork and being too stunned by the collapse of the global economy to think about the blogosphere. I promise regular posts from now on... Posted Jul 21 2008, 09:37 AM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: Economics, India, Admin, aromatics, Olefins, Oil & Gas, Markets

• Ashok Kishore to head Trammochem trading

  In a surprise move which rates very highly in the realms of Blog gossip and has set all the yahoo messenger screens buzzing, petrochemical trader Trammochem announced today that Ashok Kishore - well-known trader in aromatics - would "assume the responsibility... Posted Jun 30 2008, 02:00 PM by ICIS Chemicals Confidential Filed under: chemicals, trading, aromatics, corporate life, traders, Trammochem

• Asian Aromatics - Peter's "Letter from Bangkok"

  Peter Salisbury in Bangkok on the trail of Asian aromatics sends his "Letter from Bangkok"... Call me cliched, but Thailand is a great place to hold a conference on the petrochemical industry in Asia. A fantastic mix of the ultra-modern and... Posted Jun 27 2008, 02:20 PM by ICIS Chemicals Confidential Filed under: business travel, conferences, aromatics, Thailand, Asia, Bangkok, aromatics conference, International eChem, Reliance

• Aromatics become ever-more challenging

  If the refining industry is the tail that certainly does not wag the dog of oil exploration, where does that leave aromatics? Quite probably, the flea on the coat of the dog. And it gets ever-more complicated and the risks keep multiplying for the industry... Posted May 07 2008, 11:06 AM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: ethanol, Biodiesel, aromatics, Projects, aromatics muddle, food versus fuel

• Projects and protests

  I am back from my holiday and have discovered no earthshaking developments in the last few weeks. But the following news articles caught my eye. First, Dow Chemical’s European arm and GACL have agreed on a 50:50 joint venture to produce 200,000 tonnes... Posted Apr 23 2008, 08:40 AM by India Chemicals Blog Filed under: Environment, aromatics, R&D, Dow Chemical, Companies, Refining, Petrochemicals, GACL, Government Policy, Speciality Chemicals, Bhopal, IOC, Olefins, Paradip, MRPL, Vishakhapatnam, chloromethanes, Kakinada, Mangalore

• History will surely repeat itself

  The mood at the recent NPRA International Petrochemical Conference in San Antonio, Texas, was mixed, despite all the economic gloom. Some producers said they were still making money - especially those selling into manufacturing sectors benefiting from... Posted Apr 08 2008, 08:05 AM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: Economics, China, technology, aromatics, Japan, oil prices, Polyolefins, Projects, Business, Oil & Gas, Markets, US recession, gasoline, US housing

• If I had a dollar for every time.........

  .......I had heard a company saying it was moving up the value chain (or rather a Euro or a British pound these days), I wouldn't be writing this blog entry while smelling the wonderful aroma of pork sausages being cooked for my tea. Brown sauce and... Posted Feb 19 2008, 01:01 PM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: China, technology, aromatics, Dow Chemical, Olefins, Polyolefins, brown sauce and mash, Pork sausages, performance products, Styrenics, Projects, Business

• Valentine's Special from benzene brokers Excalibur

  The Blog is excited to hear from new brokers Excalibur that they intend to inject a little fun into their work, through their Valentine's Special. "We are offering free Valentine’s day chocolates for everyone who does a deal with us until 14... Posted Feb 08 2008, 09:15 AM by ICIS Chemicals Confidential Filed under: gossip, Valentine, Excalibur, aromatics, brokers

• China coal to benzene threatens

  With naphtha prices so high, heavy aromatics and pygas feedstock for producing benzene are not only expensive but are also in tight supply due to operating rate cutbacks. Longer term also, as we've already discussed here, there are major doubts over... Posted Jan 20 2008, 01:47 PM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: China, technology, aromatics, Projects, Oil & Gas, Markets, Naphtha & other feedstocks

• More talk of credit tightening in China

  Call me a bitter old cynic, but some of the talk in this ICIS news article about a government lending crackdown might be from a few traders taking positions. But still, it does seem as if the government is taking some measures to restrict loan growth... Posted Dec 14 2007, 08:07 AM by Asian Chemical Connections Filed under: Economics, China, aromatics, Olefins, Polyolefins, Styrenics, more blue-eared pig problems, letters of credit, traders telling lies