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Talking chemicals in Canada's Rockies

Even with scenery like this sometimes you have to think petrochemicals. The CERI (Canadian Energy Research Institute) annual petrochemicals conference has been held at the Delta Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, for the past few years. ICIS' Nigel Davis...

Published 11 Jun 2009 13:05 by ICIS Chemicals Confidential

Filed under: Canada, conferences, Middle East, Rockies, CERI, Canadian Energy Research Institute
Micro-management gone too far?

"Nobody can see until the end of the month - never mind into the third quarter," commented an olefins trader recently. "The reason is that very senior managers are too busy micro-managing everything, from getting involved in trying to track...

Published 8 May 2009 7:26 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, China, Indonesia, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East, Business, Markets, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, APIC, Managing people, Knowledge management, Company Strategy, South Korea, financial meltdown, CEOs, Taiwan, micro-management, commodity chemicals, credit control, human resources
Is it better to be right for not quite......

......all the right reasons than to be wrong altogether? Sounds a dumb question, perhaps - unless you take particular pride in being one of those know-it-alls. The point I am trying to make (and assuming that chemicals pricing doesn't collapse beforehand...

Published 29 Apr 2009 15:33 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, China, Europe, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, Projects, Business, Oil & Gas, Naphtha & other feedstocks, global recession, China to export deflation, China's economy, swine flu, CBI Research & Consulting, BTX
It's getting darker and darker out there

It would be nice to start the weekend with a little cheer, but I'm afraid no amount of gormless optimism would work. DuPont, as you can see from this excellent piece from my colleague Nigel Davis at ICIS , has revised its forecast for 2009 global...

Published 24 Apr 2009 11:25 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, China, Europe, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, China's economy, high inventories, Canton Trade Fair, China unemployment, deflation threat, China Daily
Trade protectionism on the rise

India has launched a petition for PP anti-dumping action against Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Oman . This is the first case of this type in India. Producers, as we predicted on this blog earlier on, will be increasingly attempting to protect their home...

Published 4 Mar 2009 9:46 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: India, Middle East, Polyolefins, Business, Markets, Singapore, Company Strategy, trade protection, antidumping petitions, WTO applied and bound tariff rates
How to make money in a downturn Part 1

Herein begins an occasional series where I offer advice on how to make a little cash. By the way, is it me or do I get the sense that a lot companies haven't woken up to the severity of the crisis we are in? A recovery this, and I think quite probably...

Published 9 Feb 2009 13:16 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: Economics, China, Indonesia, Europe, India, aromatics, Japan, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, Styrenics, Business, Markets, Methanol & Derivatives, Malaysia, Philippines, Fibre Intermediates, Company Strategy, South Korea, financial meltdown, Kate Beckinsale, trade protection, antidumping petitions, living in cloud cuckoo land, John Cusack
It's tough at the top.......

It's easy to take pot shots at the boss, and everyone of course feels they have been underpromoted and could do the job better themselves. Andrew Liveris is just the latest in a long line of CEOs to experience both envy - and at the moment perhaps...

Published 5 Feb 2009 13:40 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Environment, Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, Business, Kuwait, Wall Street Journal, Rohm & Haas, global warming, Managing people, Company Strategy, Manchester Utd, bitter Leeds fan
Middle East liquidity dries up

In the soccer world, the UAE has been making headlines this week. It is proposing to fund the first-ever £100m ($150m) transfer - of the Brazilian player, Kaka, to Manchester City. But behind the scenes, the collapse of the oil price has been playing...

Published 18 Jan 2009 16:43 by Chemicals & The Economy

Filed under: Economic growth, Oil markets, Financial Events, M & A, Leverage, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iran, Manchester City, Premier League, Kaka
Any spare change, Mister?

It's all about hoarding cash over the next few years, but survival might not even be possible for even the best managed of companies if Martin Wolf's worst-case scenario comes true. The Financial Times columnist writes of the unravelling of globalisation...

Published 9 Jan 2009 5:45 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, China, Europe, Federal Reserve, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, Business, Financial Times, Company Strategy, LyondellBasell, Barack Obama, state ownership, Us stimulus package
Dubai training seminars

The ICIS conference and training team is back from Dubai after the running a Baseoils conference, two training seminars and a joint ICIS/Nexant Middle East Petrochems conference, leaving the city seriously depleted of earrings, pashminas and fake handbags...

Published 11 Nov 2008 17:15 by ICIS Chemicals Confidential

Filed under: business travel, conferences, baseoils, Middle East, ICIS Training, Equate, Dubai
All those wasted lives - but at least you got your bonus

Mr Obscenely Rich Got Out In Tiime Banker, please look into these eyes, see the pain from the last Great Depression and maybe you will give some of your obscenely huge bonus towards poverty relief. And perhaps also you'll be willing to pay for all...

Published 29 Oct 2008 12:45 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, Economics, China, Europe, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, Oil & Gas, Fibre Intermediates
Even Middle East budgets are being cut

Yes, I know this blog has gone very quiet - but as the world has imploded, a few more pressing issues have come to the fore. On a business trip last week the extent of the crisis became apparent when a Middle East producer told me that travel and entertainment...

Published 21 Oct 2008 9:02 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: Economics, China, Middle East, Olefins, Polyolefins, Projects, Business, Company Strategy, financial meltdown, margin slide, rising capital costs, China demand, Middle East budget cuts
Tainted food hits polymer sales

As if the problems confronting China's polyolefin markets were not enough, sales have apparently been further hit by the tainted food scares which began with baby's milk. A wide range of products are now affected with Cadbury becoming the latest...

Published 29 Sep 2008 14:15 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: China, Environment, Middle East, Polyolefins, Projects, Australia, financial meltdown, China civil unrest, Tainted food, Cadbury
Global chemical growth slows

The latest American Chemistry Council report on global production growth makes sombre reading for anyone outside the Middle East: • Global growth (dark green) is now only 1.4%, versus 4.1% in January • N American growth (dark blue) declined by 2.4% in...

Published 28 Sep 2008 6:48 by Chemicals & The Economy

Filed under: Europe, Economic growth, Oil markets, Middle East, Asia, ACC, N America, CEE, Latin America
Even Middle East funding is under threat

The reach of the credit crisis is such that liquidity is even becoming hard to come by in the hugely wealthy Middle East, according to this report. With so few petrochemical projects officially announced for the region post-2012 (although I am hearing...

Published 24 Sep 2008 14:44 by Asian Chemical Connections

Filed under: US, China, Dow Chemical, Middle East, Business, Naphtha & other feedstocks, Hank Paulson, Ben Bernanke, Saudi Aramco, financial meltdown, financial rescue package, the deadly duo, Ras Ta Nura, Ras Tanura

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Talking chemicals in Canada's Rockies

Micro-management gone too far?

Is it better to be right for not quite......

It's getting darker and darker out there

Trade protectionism on the rise

How to make money in a downturn Part 1

It's tough at the top.......

Middle East liquidity dries up

Any spare change, Mister?

Dubai training seminars

All those wasted lives - but at least you got your bonus

Even Middle East budgets are being cut

Tainted food hits polymer sales

Global chemical growth slows

Even Middle East funding is under threat