Rhodia to sell binap

Rhodia to sell binap

F O C U S Consolidated Contractors International of Lebanon to develop and market GTL production facilities with capacities between 5000 bbl/day and 1...

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F O C U S Consolidated Contractors International of Lebanon to develop and market GTL production facilities with capacities between 5000 bbl/day and 15,000 bbl/day. Under the deal, Rentech will provide the GTL technology, Consolidated Contractors will handle the construction concerns, and Jacobs will offer its syngas and product refining technology. Nitrogen and Methanol, Mar-Apr 2003, (262), 8

Rhodia to sell binap The Phosphorus and Performance Derivatives unit of Rhodia is to sell binap, the ligand widely used for chiral catalytic processes. Rhodia bought the manufacturing rights from Great Lakes Chemical earlier this year. European Chemical News, 19 May 2003, 78 (2053), 34

Sabic, Süd-Chemie to acquire Scientific Design Sabic and Süd-Chemie are to form a joint venture to acquire the catalysts and technology company Scientific Design from Linde. Scientific Design supplies catalysts for making EO; olefins from alcohols; and maleic anhydride from n-butane. It also supplies process technology for petrochemicals, including EO and EG, ethanolamines, ethoxylates, glycol ethers, MA, and polyols. Sales are of the order of double-digit millions. The part ownership in Scientific could increase Süd-Chemie’s catalysts sales by over $200 M/y. Sabic is also to increase its stake in StaMax to 100% with the acquisition of the 50% held by Owens Corning. StaMax makes StaMax P glass fibre PP composites. Sabic will have exclusive production and marketing rights for StaMax P in Europe. Chemical Week, 9 Apr 2003, 165 (13), 16

Sasol celebrates listing on NYSE Sasol has listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, offering shares to the value of $4 bn. Sasol aims to encourage investment in the company. Sasol plans to increase its shareholder base outside South Africa to 50%. Its current overseas share value is 15% in the US and 10% in

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the UK. Sasol plans to increase its investment in gas-to-liquids projects in the near future, increasing its spending in this area from $1 bn in 2002 to $1.5 bn within the next two years. Sasol intends to focus more on worldwide alliances to achieve targets, expanding existing product lines like alpha olefins and solvents. Sasol’s $900 M joint ethylene, polyethylene project with National Petrochemical Co in Iran is scheduled to come on-stream in 2H 2004. Sasol produces 200,000 bbl/day synthetic diesel which is used captively as a petrochemical feedstock. Sasol plans to increase synthetic diesel capacity to 500,000 bbl/day. Sasol also plans to use its propriety GTL technology in new operations in Nigeria, Iran, and Qatar. In Qatar, Sasol and Qatar Petroleum plan to bring on-stream a joint $900 M GTL plant by 2005. This unit will produce 24,000 bbl/day of GTL diesel, 9000 bbl\day naphtha and 1000 bbl/day of LPG. Sasol continues to invest in its Condea surfactants jv. Chemical Market Reporter, 14 Apr 2003 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Chemical Week, 16 Apr 2003, 165 (14), 12

Tor Minerals International announces large order for boehmite Tor Minerals International (Tor) announced, without disclosing financial implications, that it had received an order, to be filled in 2003, for about 4 M lbs of boehmite which Tor currently manufacturers in its Netherlands plant. The buyer was a manufacturer of petroleum and environmental catalysts and Tor was in the process of negotiating a multiyear contract for the sale of boehmite to that company with a minimum requirement in excess of 6 M lb/y and potential of over 10 M lbs. Upon the conclusion of a long-term purchase contract, Tor would build a plant to produce boehmite at its Corpus Christi, TX, complex. Based in Corpus Christi, Tor Minerals International manufacturers pigments in Corpus Christi, Malaysia, and The Netherlands which are marketed worldwide. Press release from: Tor Minerals International, 722, Burleson Street, Corpus Christi, TX 78402, USA. Tel: +1 512 882 5175. Fax: +1 512 882 6948. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.torminerals.com) (25 Apr 2003)

NEW PLANTS Novel propane dehydrogenation plant commissioned in Spain The world’s largest propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant has started trial operation at BASF’s site in Tarragona, Spain. The €240 M plant was built and will be operated by BASF Sonatrach PropanChem SA, a jv between BASF and Sonatrach of Algeria. The plant, which has a capacity of 350,000 tonne/y of propylene, uses a process that is new to BASF. The project has led to the creation of 70 new jobs. Output from the plant will be converted into polypropylene at a neighbouring plant operated by Basell. Press release from: BASF Group, Germany, website: http://www.basf.de (10 Apr 2003)

Nigerian MTO project moves forward Eurochem Technologies Corp has delegated UOP LLC to provide basic engineering for Eurochem’s proposed methanol-to-olefins (MTO) plant. The plant will be constructed as a segment of the petrochemicals complex in the Ibeju Lekki area of Nigeria. The complex will yield 400,000 tonne/y of high-density polyethylene and 400,000 tonne/y of polypropylene employing natural gas as the initial feed. The MTO plant will turn about 2.5 M tonne/y of methanol into about 400,000 tonne/y of each of propylene and ethylene. Chemical Engineering (New York), Mar 2003, 110 (3), 21

Syntroleum GTL pilot plant start-up Syntroleum has successfully put into start up a 3 bbl/day GTL pilot plant at its Tulsa headquarters in Oklahoma. The facility, which the firm calls its Advanced Reactor Unit (ARU), utilises its multi-stage slurry technology. The $5 M facility will be utilised as a testbed and as a demonstration unit for the firm’s GTL technology development activities. Nitrogen and Methanol, Mar-Apr 2003, (262), 8

PetroChina to build three polypropylene plants PetroChina Co Ltd is to erect three large PP units in China. Tecnimont will be the engineering contractor and

JUNE 2003