Graham Corp was contracted to procure a vacuum system for a new Middle Eastern refinery

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Graham Corporation has announced it has been awarded a contract to procure vacuum system for a refinery in the Middle East. The company didn't name the project, but it mentioned it is under construction, it also said that the delivery is planned for April - June 30, 2012.


James Lines, Graham's president and chief executive officer, commented, ⌠The oil refining markets in the Middle East are expanding, with plans to add refining and petrochemical production capability throughout the region over the next four to five years. We have an excellent reputation for delivering critical services to oil refineries and petrochemical production plants, and this new contract adds to our recent successes on projects at two other refineries now under construction in the region.


Graham Corporation is a global designer and manufacturer of critical equipment for the oil refining, petrochemical and power industries, including the supply of components and raw materials to nuclear power plants.


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Orpic was launched in Muscat and Sohar

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Orpic, the new name and brand for Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company SAOC, was launched at the firm's plants in Muscat and Sohar.


Orpic is the culmination of a successful 12-month integration programme for Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company LLC (ORPC), Aromatics Oman LLC (AOL) and Oman Polypropylene LLC (OPP). With plants in both Muscat and Sohar, Orpic aims to set a new standard for Oman's refining and petrochemicals industry with increased efficiencies and significantly improved operational and financial performance.


The launch of the new brand Orpic' is part of the restructure process started almost a year ago to integrate Oman Refineries and Petrochemical Company with each of Aromatics Oman and Oman Polypropylene.


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Saipem was awarded the EPIC contract for new subsea developments

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- In Egypt, Burullus Gas Company awarded Saipem the EPIC contract for new subsea developments in the area of the West Delta Deep Marine Concession, located about 90 kilometres offshore the Northwest Nile delta, at water depths between 400 and 1.000 metres.


The development encompasses the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of a total of seven new subsea wellheads and relevant infrastructures, umbilicals and flowlines.


Saipem has already carried out two earlier phases of the West Delta Deep Marine Concession's subsea development. The work will be connected to existing infrastructure.


The offshore activities will be carried out mainly by the highly-specialized vessel, Saipem FDS. Saipem has also been awarded contracts to operate in the Norwegian and British sectors of the North Sea, mainly relevant to the deployment of the Saipem 7000 vessel for platform transportation and installation, and to the deployment of the Castoro 7 vessel for the installation of subsea pipeline and structures.


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Mold maintenance service to expand business opportunities

(Plastics Today) -- Providing mold maintenance service means that mold manufacturers can extend their business further downstream and create new opportunities.


Karl Szanto, vp operations for Tech Mold Inc. once said, "The benefits of running a trouble-free mold are obvious; increased productivity and profitability are just the beginning. Good care, an aggressive preventative maintenance program, and a vigilant production crew are the keys to running a mold that will provide a long, trouble-free production life."


One new solution is the Certified Maintenance Provider (CMP) program from ToolingDocs, a solutions provider for mold maintenance and training. The company recently expanded its curriculum to include two new, hands-on courses: Tooling Component Repair and Hot Runner Repair.


Custom Mold & Design (New Hope, MN) is a mold builder but not a molder. However, it began looking to expand its customer base by providing Mold Maintenance Services and becoming a Certified Maintenance Provider (CMP) to some of its molding customers. "Every mold builder will do mold repair for their customers, but they don't necessarily go seek that business," said Randy Winton, global training and assessment manager for ToolingDocs.


According to Tom Caron, vice president of sales for Custom Mold & Design, the program definitely has benefits. Currently, the company is performing beta tests with two customers that are molders, and results have been quite good. "We're going to continue the tests for another 30-60 days then launch the CMP program on a larger scale ," said Caron in an interview with PlasticsToday. "So far these two customers are very pleased and we've taken over their entire mold maintenance responsibilities."


Custom Mold & Design has created a separate cost center for the CMP program, in addition to its mold manufacturing business and its machined components business segment, explained Caron.


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Polimeri Europa and Novamont announced plans for a new chemical plant

(Plastics Today) -- Polimeri Europa and Novamont announced plans for a new chemical plant that will utilize vegetable oil feedstock for the production of bioplastics, biolubricants, and bioadditives for elastomers. The bio-based chemical complex will be located on the island of Sardinia in Porto Torres, with a total estimated investment cost of half a billion euros (USD 700 mln). The project consists of seven new plants spanning an integrated production chain from vegetable oil to bioplastics. The full project is scheduled to be completed within the next six years, but a new research center devoted to bio-chemistry will start up in the third quarter.


Called Matrica, which means mother in the Gallurese dialect of Sardinia, the 50:50 joint venture set up by Polimeri Europa and Novamont, has already completed basic engineering of the first phase, which will feature the bio-based chemical complex. Italian energy company Eni also plans to invest an additional Euro 250 million in a biomass power station to provide electricity. The overall installed capacity of so-called bio-products will be 350 KTa.


Matrica will target the global biobased chemical sector, which Polimeri Europa and Novamont say is forecast to grow at 17.7% per year and 8.1 million tons by 2015. Polimeri Europa will also convert existing Porto Torres production from traditional fossil into bio-based productions. All the traditional chemical plants at the site except for nitrilic rubbers will be shut down, with workers transferred to the new project.


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