Industry: Specialty chemicals

AMERICAS  Sinopec licenses PP technology to US plant Sinopec will be licensing its gas-phase PP continuous pre-polymerization technology to Formosa Plastics in the USA. The technology has been licensed to four plants in China and this is the first license in the USA. Comments: Sinopec having licensed its PP technology to Formosa in the US, […]

AMERICAS  Mexichem acquires HDPE pipe and conduit producer  Mexichem will be acquiring Dura-Line for about USD 630 million. Dura-Line manufactures HDPE conduit, duct, and pressure-pipe products for telecom and data communications, energy, and infrastructure industries. Comments: Dura-Line is one of the largest plastic pipe manufacturers in the US. The company has a wide regional presence […]

AMERICAS  CB&I to market Versalis’ LDPE and EVA technologies in North America  Versalis and CB&I have signed an agreement through which CB&I will market and provide Engineering services for Versalis’ EVA and LDPE technology plants in North America. CB&I will offer both tubular and autoclave high-pressure processes. Comments: Versalis, a subsidiary of Italy-based Eni S.p.A, […]

AMERICAS  CPChem to go ahead with alpha olefins expansion  CPChem plans to begin a 100 KT expansion of its normal alpha-olefins plant at Cedar Bayou in Texas. CPChem has obtained the approval of its board and the required environmental permits. Comments: The expansion of the alpha-olefins plant further reflects CPChem’s strategy to take advantage of […]

AMERICAS   CPChem begins construction of PE plants   Chevron Phillips Chemical has broken ground for the construction of 500 KTA PE plant in Old Ocean, TX. This is a part of Chevron Phillips Chemical’s USD 6 billion US Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project which includes a 1,500 KTA ethane cracker at Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX. […]

AMERICAS   Sasol and Ineos to move forward with HDPE JV   Sasol and Ineos will be proceeding with a 50-50 JV for the manufacture of bimodal HDPE at Ineos’ manufacturing site in LaPorte, TX. The JV will construct a 470 KTA HDPE plant which is expected to begin operations in 2016. The plant will […]

AMERICAS   Flint Hills Resources to acquire PetroLogistics   Flint Hills Resources will be acquiring propylene producer PetroLogistics for USD 2.1 billion. PetroLogisticsis a major producer of propylene and operates the only propylene dehydrogenation facility currently operating in the United States. The propylene production facility has a capacity of about 725 KTA. Comments: As a […]

AMERICAS  Synthos to build Nd-PBR plant  Synthos will be investing in a USD 170 million synthetic rubber plant at Triunfo, Brazil. The plant will produce neodiyum catalyzed polybutadiene (Nd-PBR) rubber based on Michelin’s technology. The raw material for the plant will be supplied by Braskem. The plant will have a capacity of 80 KTA and […]

AMERICAS Repsol licenses CPChem metallocene technology Repsol has licensed the technology for producing metallocene polyethylene from Chevron Phillips Chemical. The technology will be implemented at Repsol’s site in Tarragona, Spain. At Tarragona, Repsol currently can produce 150 KTA of HDPE and 130 KTA of LDPE. Comments: The move by Repsol to be the first licensee […]

AMERICAS Dow Chemical moving ahead with polyethylene projects Dow Chemical is moving ahead with plans to add capacity for polyethylene and related feedstock in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Saudi Arabia. The first units of Sadara, Dow’s joint venture with Saudi Aramco in Jubail, are expected to be on-stream in 2015. Sadara will have a […]

AMERICAS Dow to build R&D facility in Texas Dow Chemical plans to build a new R&D facility at Lake Jackson, TX, near its largest manufacturing site at Freeport, TX. The Texas Innovation Center will house laboratory facilities and technical expertise centers to enable ongoing innovation that supports the commercialization of solutions across high-growth end-use markets […]

AMERICAS Axiall partners with Lotte for a cracker Axiall and Lotte Chemical have signed a preliminary agreement for a 50/50 joint venture for the construction of a 1,000 KTA ethane cracker in Louisiana. The cracker, which would be fed by shale gas, could begin operations in 2018, subject to the project approval by the companies’ […]