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Petrochemicals

Saudi Polymers JV to start up integrated petchem complex in Q1 2012

Saudi Polymers Co. (SPCo) – the joint venture comprised of Chevron Phillips Chemical and partner National Petrochemical Co. – has completed construction of its petrochemical manufacturing facility located in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Commercial production is expected in the first quarter of 2012.

PPG launches plan to secure additional TiO2 supply

US-based paints and coatings major PPG Industries said Tuesday it has undertaken a strategic initiative with multiple global suppliers to secure and enhance its supply of titanium dioxide (TiO2), as well as add to the global supply of the raw material. TiO2 prices have soared in recent years amid dwindling supply.

Qatar Petroleum, Shell plan $6.4bn petrochemical project by 2017

Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, minister of energy and industry in Qatar, and Shell CEO Peter Voser each signed an agreement Monday to develop a world-scale petrochemicals complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar. Project officials estimated at a press conference that the project will cost $6.4 billion, with operations starting up in 2017.

Linde to build hydrogen plant at northeast China chemical complex

The Linde Group says it will build and operate a new hydrogen plant in the Jilin Chemical Industrial Park (JCIP) in northeast China. The hydrogen plant is expected to come on stream by the end of 2013, supplying several companies in the Jilin chemical complex with high-purity hydrogen.

Sinopec, SK mulling China ethylene joint venture

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (SNP), or Sinopec, said Friday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation with Korea's SK Group. The two companies say they will continue to discuss joint investment in an 800,000 tpy ethylene project in Wuhan in central China.

CB&I lands engineering pact for new petrochemical complex in Russia

CB&I has been awarded a contract by OJSC Rosneft for the license and basic engineering of a naphtha steam cracking unit and a butadiene and benzene extraction unit for a new petrochemical complex in Russia. The steam cracking unit, which will be the world’s largest, is designed to produce more than 1.4 million tpy of ethylene and more than 600,000 tpy of propylene.

Chevron Phillips Chemical closes deal for Neste Oil polyalphaolefin plant in Belgium

Chevron Phillips Chemical has successfully completed the acquisition of a polyalphaolefin (PAO) plant located in Beringen, Belgium from Neste Oil. The deal was first announced in September.

Sasol to launch feasibility study on possible ethane cracker in Louisiana

The board of directors for Sasol has approved a feasibility study on a possible ethane cracker and ethylene derivatives complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the company said on Tuesday. Capacity would be between 1 million and 1.4 million tpy of ethylene.

Jacobs to design sulfuric acid coolers for El Dorado

Jacobs said that its Canada-based Chemetics unit in Pickering, Ontario, has been awarded a design and fabrication contract by El Dorado Chemical Co. for three proprietary designed sulfuric acid coolers to be installed in the company's acid plant in El Dorado, Ark. The scope involves the design and fabrication of drying, interpass and final anodically protected sulfuric acid coolers.

Cereplast inks bioplastic distribution deal in Turkey

Cereplast on Tuesday announced a three-year distribution agreement with GAMA Plastik AS to supply bioplastic resin in Turkey. The country is one of the fastest growing plastics markets in the world and third in terms of market share in Europe behind Germany and Italy.