Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 9 April.

US Phillips 66 expects to report Q1 net loss on winter storm
Phillips 66 expects to report a first-quarter net loss of $680m-865m because of the polar storm and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the US-based refiner said on Monday.

LyondellBasell revises US April BDO, derivatives allocations on feedstock issue
LyondellBasell revised its April sales allocations for Americas butanediol (BDO) and derivatives, according to a customer letter dated 1 April seen by ICIS.

US Occidental, biotech firm to build CO2-to-bioethylene pilot plant
A subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV), and the biotechnology firm Cemvita Factory plan to build a bioethylene pilot plant that will produce the monomer from manmade carbon dioxide (CO2), the companies said on Tuesday.

Shell more ‘aligned’ now with US, Europe chems trade groups, spends at least $1.5m in 2020
Shell is now more aligned with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) after the US trade group welcomed in January the return of the US to the Paris Agreement to slow down climate change, the Anglo-Dutch energy major said on Wednesday.

US RPM may spend two quarters catching up with inflation
RPM International expects to spend the next two quarters implementing price increases to catch up with inflation, executives with the US-based sealants, adhesives and coatings producer said on Wednesday.

GM to idle more auto plants in N America due to chip shortage
General Motors (GM) is idling three automobile plants and extending shutdowns on two more because of a shortage of semiconductors, the US-based auto producer said on Thursday.

INSIGHT: Decarbonisation puts energy-intensive chemicals on the spotlight
The political will to decarbonise energy-intensive industries is there, the funding is there and, increasingly, the rhetoric of multinational chemicals producer executives is there.