Petrochemicals
HPI spending pegged for slight increase in 2013
Even with healthy predictions for expenditures, market players are remaining cautious when making decisions on key projects as they await regulatory clarity. The forecast breaks out capital spending to reach $57.6 billion and maintenance spending to reach $69 billion.
US chemicals outlook bolstered by expansion of shale gas market – PwC
Further downstream, specialty chemical entities are starting to feel the effects of natural gas and NGL prices on their business models. As the commercial distribution of ethane and ethane-based raw materials increases, it could trigger new innovations and investment in new technologies.
PPG to acquire US industrial coatings firm Spraylat
Privately-owned Spraylat holds a strong position in industrial markets such as automotive parts, architectural powder coatings, transportation, and general industrial niches, including mirror, electronic device, metal office furniture and storage, and sign coatings, according to PPG officials.
CB&I licenses technology to China coal group for new polypropylene project
The new plant will use the Novolen advanced gas-phase polymerization technology for the production of the full scope of polypropylene homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers. The 200,000 tpy polypropylene project is expected to start up operations in 2014.
Petronas, LanzaTech agree to develop acetic acid from waste gases
In this collaboration, the two firms say they will work together to extend the technology to include carbon dioxide (CO2) containing gases from several sources, including refinery off gases and natural gas wells, to produce acetic acid. Investment terms were not disclosed.
Foster Wheeler to build packaging center for Saudi chemical complex of Sadara
The packaging center, expected to be completed in the second half of 2014, will serve as a logistics handling hub. The facility will handle packaging, storage and loading of chemical products and performance plastics for road and rail transport within Saudi Arabia and for export to overseas markets.
Clariant to expand production of dehydrogenation catalysts at Kentucky plant
The expanded production is planned to start up in September 2013. The catalysts are used in the petrochemical sector to produce C3- and C4-olefins from light paraffins (including butadiene) using the CATOFIN and CATADIENE technologies, exclusively licensed through CB&I.
Lanxess picks Foster Wheeler for engineering on Singapore polybutadiene project
The new facility, which LANXESS says is expected to be the largest of its kind in the world, will be designed to produce 140,000 tpy of Nd-PBR and will include process and finishing buildings, a central control room, a substation and a tank farm. Financial terms were not disclosed by the companies.
Dow Chemical agrees to market, sell products from Saudi Sadara venture
Products covered under the new agreement include polyethylene (PE), propylene oxide, polyether polyols, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) aromatic isocyanates, propylene glycol, butyl glycol ethers, amines and polyolefin elastomers.
OxyChem picks CB&I for engineering on proposed Texas ethane cracker
The scope of work for CB&I includes the basic engineering for the ethylene technology and five SRT (short residence time) cracking heaters from CB&I's Lummus Technology business unit. Feedstock for the proposed cracker is anticipated to be ethane derived from domestic shale gas.
- EPA finalizes historic new renewable fuel standards to strengthen American energy security 3/30
- The role of integrated biorefineries in achieving alternative fuel goals 3/30
- Natural gas liquids exports reached record highs in 2025 3/30
- Australia’s biggest LNG plants suffer outages due to cyclone, straining global supply 3/27
- Iran war chokes petrochemical supply, sends plastic prices soaring 3/27
- Stockholm Exergi taps Inprocess to deliver advanced process simulator for BECCS project 3/27
