Industry: Methanol & ammonia

AMERICAS FlexPO 2012 CMR Inc. recently concluded its 21st annual FlexPO conference. The conference was conducted over two days in downtown Houston, TX, and featured speakers from across the globe. The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Balaji Singh, President of CMR. Dr. Balaji Singh welcomed all the delegates and introduced the main theme for the […]

AMERICAS Shell selects site near Monaca, Pittsburgh for petrochemical refinery Shell Oil Co. has chosen a site near Pittsburgh for a major, multi-billion-dollar petrochemical refinery that could create thousands of construction jobs and provide a huge economic boost to the region. Shell has signed a land option agreement with Horsehead Corp. to evaluate a site […]

AMERICAS Ethylene XXI financing completion is expected by end of April Negotiations for a financing package for the Ethylene XXI complex planned by Braskem and Grupo Idesa for Coatzacoalcos, Mexico are expected to be making good progress, with final formal closing expected by the end of April. Ethylene XXI would include a 1,050 KTA ethylene […]

AMERICAS Eastman to acquire Solutia for USD 4.7 billion Eastman Chemical has reached an agreement to acquire Solutia for about USD 4.7 billion in cash and stock. Eastman expects the purchase to create a leading specialty chemical maker and offer the opportunity to grow its presence in Asia. Solutia shareholders will receive USD 22/share in […]

AMERICAS Polypropylene resin prices drop sharply North American polypropylene resin prices have dropped an average of 14 cents per pound since Oct. 1, while polyethylene prices have taken a smaller, 3-cent drop since then as well. The PP price drop ends a two-month period in which prices were flat. Prices for the material had reduced […]

DuPont starts up $500-Million Kevlar plant DuPont has started up a $500-million Kevlar para-aramid fiber plant in Cooper River, SC, the company says. The plant will begin supply customers at the end of the year. The plant, combined with a $50 million expansion at an existing Richmond, VA facility, increases global Kevlar capacity by 25%. […]

Coke and AT&T using more PlantBottle resin All conventional 500ml PET bottles for Coca-Cola, Coke Zero and diet Coke sold in the United Kingdom are being replaced by the company’s PlantBottle, which includes materials partly sourced from plants, according to Coca-Cola Great-Britain. In addition, AT&T Inc. announced Sept. 12 that it will use PlantBottle resin […]

AMERICAS LyondellBasell ending business relationships in Iran, Sudan, and Syria LyondellBasell Industries is ending its business relationships in Iran, Sudan, and Syria. The decision is the result of a business review that began more than a year ago and was affected by both an increased number of American executives on LyondellBasell’s management team and by […]

AMERICAS BASF to build Acrylic Acid and SAP complex at Camaçari, Brazil BASF has announced to investment in a world-scale acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) manufacturing complex in Brazil. The investment would be BASF’s largest in South America. The company has selected the Camaçari, Bahia, site for the investment. The complex, which […]

AMERICAS BASF to build Acrylic Acid and SAP complex at Camaçari, Brazil BASF has announced to investment in a world-scale acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) manufacturing complex in Brazil. The investment would be BASF’s largest in South America. The company has selected the Camaçari, Bahia, site for the investment. The complex, which […]

ConocoPhillips splitting in two, fate of plastics operations undecided ConocoPhillips Co. is splitting itself into two independent companies, but just which one will oversee its plastics joint venture may not be decided for “several months.” The Houston-based company announced its plan July 14 to spin off its downstream operations to create one firm overseeing refining […]

Sipchem, Hanwha form Wire and Cable Polymers Compounding JV Saudi Inernational Petrochemical Co. (Sipchem; Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia) and HanwhaChemical (Seoul) have signed an agreement to create an equally owned joint venture to produce special compounds for the wire & cable industry. The company, Wire & Cable Polymers Compounding Company, will invest SR225 million ($60 […]