Petrochemicals
INEOS licenses polypropylene process for Shenhua project in China
INEOS Technologies has licensed a process for the manufacture of homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers to China Shenhua Coal to Chemical Xinjiang Coal Chemical Co. The plant will produce a wide range of PP products to serve the growing market in China.
LSB Industries to cut output at Alabama ammonia plant after pipe rupture
The company said early estimates point to a three- to five-month outage at the ammonia plant, depending on lead times for repair parts. Until then, the Cherokee Nitrogen facility can produce a limited amount of nitric acid and ammonium nitrate solution from purchased ammonia.
Korea Petrochemical taps Toyo to build EO/EG plant
Toyo will provide the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) based on the basic design package of US-based company Scientific Design (SD). The mechanical completion of this plant is scheduled for May 2014. Toyo has already built 13 EO/EG plants based on SD’s technology.
Shell to expand Singapore olefins, aromatics plant
The upgrade will increase the plant's capacity to produce olefins and aromatics by more than 20%, the company said. Work will take place during the next maintenance turnaround of the plant, which currently can produce 800,000 tpy of ethylene. It mainly uses naphtha as a feedstock.
Mitsui Chemicals mulls investment in US market
Low natural gas prices resulting from the US shale-gas boom are stimulating new investments in petrochemical plants there. "We're in talks with several companies," company president Toshikazu Tanaka told reporters. "The US is a very big market. We're interested."
Sabic, Vopak to jointly build Saudi Arabia chemical, downstream terminal
Once commissioned early 2015, the storage capacity of the petrochemical and downstream terminal will be about 250,000 cubic meters. The first phase will consist of around 40 commodity and specialty chemical storage tanks, complete with truck handling and ship loading facilities for five berths.
LyondellBasell to restore idled German LDPE line
Startup of the new line, out since January 2012, is targeted for mid-2013. The Wesseling LDPE line has historically been used to produce LDPE grades for healthcare applications. The company says restoration of this LDPE line will enhance its ability to supply an important market.
Methanex wins environmental approvals for plant relocation in Louisiana
The approval represents a key milestone for the project. With air permits now in place, construction on the Geismar site can commence, according to the company. Dismantling activities in Chile have progressed and the project remains on track to produce methanol by the end of 2014.
Sinopec, Huntsman agree to build propylene oxide, MTBE plant in Nanjing
Huntsman will own 49% of the joint venture, and Sinopec will own 51%. The facility will produce 550 mm lbs/year of PO and 1.6 billion lbs/year of MTBE at a capital cost of $750 million. It will be completed by the end of 2014 and it will utilize Huntsman's proprietary PO/MTBE manufacturing technology.
Sabic, Shell to expand Saudi petrochemical venture
Sabic said the two companies will jointly conduct studies for a styrene monomer propylene oxide, or SMPO, project and a polyols project before making a final decision. The firms said they also agreed to explore international petrochemical opportunities beyond Sadaf and Saudi Arabia.
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