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Asian Chemical Connections

US Shale Gas: The Truth Versus Perception

  Source of picture: alfin2100blogspot.com   By John Richardson SINCE when has the truth mattered in the battle between environmentalists and the oil, gas and chemicals industries? This is a game of perception on both sides as estimates of risk are heavily subject to data that is either biased in the way it is collected or […]

LG Chem – Tried And Trusted Versus New Businesses

  By John Richardson THE potential returns from LG Chem’s electric battery and electronic materials are tremendous and are leading to some bullish forecasts from analysts as to future earnings. What will be interesting, though, is what will be the main driver of profitability for the South Korean major over the next few years – […]

No Going Back, But Don’t Expect Smooth Ride

Cloth nappies?….you have to be kidding       Source of picture: babygavin.com   By John Richardson IT IS the biggest transformation that the global economy has probably ever undergone, resulting in numerous opportunities and challenges for the chemicals industry as emerging markets continue to boom. The obvious opportunity is for those who can meet […]

China, Russia To Boost Iranian Ethylene Trade?

Iran’s South Pars gas field Source of picture: www.petropars.com   By John Richardson THE ability of Iran to further exploit its huge natural gas reserves – and in so doing maintain ethylene exports at constant levels throughout the year – now appears to hinge on Chinese investment (Western companies have withdrawn from the Iranian energy […]

Middle East Study Casts Doubt On Downstream Strategy

Petro Rabigh Source of picture: arabianoilandgas.com   By John Richardson Petro Rabigh’s attempt to move further down the value chain raises interesting questions over exactly how successful the Saudi joint venture will be in attracting the necessary investment. As my fellow blogger Malini Hariharan wrote earlier this week, plans for the second phase of Petro […]

Propylene And the Law Of Unintended Consequences

Will this year’s K-Fair see some major announcements to take advantage of the relative fall in ethylene costs? Source of picture; http://www.k-online.de/   By John Richardson THE rise in the price of propylene relative to ethylene is exercising the minds of senior executives in the polypropylene (PP) industry. As fellow blogger Paul Hodges highlighted earlier […]

Hambrecht Reportedly Attacks China Business Climate

Jurgen Hambrecht Source of picture: www.wiwo.de/unternehmen-maerkte   By John Richardson BASF’S Jurgen Hambrecht has made highly critical and extremely high-profile comments about China’s business environment, according to the Financial Times. The CEO of the German chemicals giant is quoted as saying over the weekend – during a four-day visit to China by German chancellor, Angela […]

Iran Petchems Hit By New Sanctions

  Source of picture: irantrip1wordpress.com     By John Richardson IRAN’S ability to further develop its oil, gas and petrochemicals sectors has received further major blows from new rounds of United Nations and US sanctions. One June 9, the UN approved a fourth round of sanctions on the country, including restrictions on financial transactions, a […]

Assessing Real Versus Sensationalised Risks

  Source of picture: www.sierraclubgreenhome.com   By John Richardson WHEN the bisphenol-A (BPA) health scare erupted a couple of years ago I rushed out and changed all my baby boy’s milk bottles to ones made from polypropylene (PP). “Did you know that there are concerns now being expressed in Europe about the plasticisers used in […]

Chemicals Growth Story Gets More Complicated

A Velozzi plug-in hybrid Source of picture: www.zerauto.nl.blog   By John Richardson Doom-mongers are claiming the end is nigh with the world heading for a double-dip recession. This is happening at the same as the optimists are talking of the world entering a new sunny upland of sustained exceptionally strong emerging-market growth, which will more-than […]

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