Petrochemicals
BASF begins commercial bio-butanediol production
BASF has produced its first commercial volumes of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) from renewable raw material, and is offering this product to customers for testing and commercial use, company officials announced this week. The fermentation process uses dextrose as a renewable feedstock.
German chemical sector targets US for investment
German companies invested €3.2bn in new chemical plants or expansions in the US a year ago, up 54% from the prior year. The US now accounts for 41% of foreign investments, up from 28% in 2005.
OCI plans to build largest US methanol plant
With a daily capacity of 5,000 tons, the Beaumont plant will be the first methanol facility of this scale in the US and will be the country’s largest based on its nameplate capacity.
Chevron Phillips enlists Yokogawa to automate new Texas cracker, PE plants
As the main automation contractor, Yokogawa will supply the control systems, safety systems, remote instrument enclosures, and the analyzer shelters and analytical systems. The control system platform will be based on Yokogawa’s CENTUM® VP integrated production control system.
Enterprise starts up new NGL fractionator in Texas
The new unit, which has the capability to fractionate up to 85,000 bpd of NGL, increases total NGL fractionation capacity at Enterprise’s Mont Belvieu facility in Texas to approximately 655,000 bpd.
GE to provide technologies in Egypt for greenfield petrochemicals project
GE and Carbon Holdings signed a $500 million agreement to provide technology and equity support to Tahrir Petrochemicals' greenfield naphtha cracker and olefins complex project in Ain Sokhna, Egypt.
Brazil’s Odebrecht mulls new ethane cracker, PE complex in West Virginia
The complex, named the Ascent — Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise, would include the ethane cracker, three polyethylene plants, and infrastructure for water treatment and energy co-generation.
Sinopec to upgrade two China petrochemical plants with Honeywell automation
Honeywell's Profit Suite R400 process optimization software will be deployed at two ethylene-cracking facilities, helping to improve plant performance by increasing energy efficiency, improving flexibility of its operations, and maximizing the plants' overall yield of high-value products.
Shell nears agreement with Iraq to build $11-billion petrochemicals complex
The plan to move forward on a petrochemical plant follows a meeting in Baghdad between Shell CEO Peter Voser and Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki. The Iraq government said after the meeting that it will soon sign a "heads of agreement", in which both sides will commit to early planning for the project.
Honeywell taps Jacobs as project manager for new chemicals site in China
Jacobs is providing services such as basic and detailed design, permitting, project controls, quality, HSE management, procurement, and construction management services, with the option to provide commissioning as required. The plant should start up in the fourth quarter of 2014.
- Azerbaijan's State Oil Company redirects supplies of jet fuel from STAR refinery to Turkish domestic market 5/8
- Hungry to sell, UAE slips hidden oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz 5/8
- Seven markets to track if peace breaks out in the Middle East 5/8
- Asia exports of refined fuels plunge amid Hormuz closure 5/8
- Libya's Zawiya oil refinery shut due to nearby clashes 5/8
- Meghna PVC partners with Jotun to manage corrosion maintenance 5/7
