Kramski North America Inc. installed new equipmnet

(Plastics Today) -- Metal stamping and overmolding specialist, Kramski North America Inc. (Largo, FL) has installed a new 140-ton Arburg 420C Allrounder to injection mold cases, covers, and buttons for the new RxEnergy NeverDie Series of sterilizable lithium battery packs for use in orthopedic power tools used in surgery. The job is the first of two in the battery market that Kramski recently landed, with both prompting capital investments, according to Glenn Shaw, director of sales.


Kramski is also stamping the beryllium-copper contact terminals for the RxEnergy battery in-house assembling all components of the battery packs, and charging, testing, and bar coding each finished assembly. This battery technology enters the market as a replacement to standard nickel cadmium batteries, with several purported benefits, including lighter weight, longer life, and faster charging.


Kramski supplies molded components and assemblies for the RxEnergy battery systems for use in orthopedic surgical devices.


MRC

Petro Rabigh posts USD 107 mln losses

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Rabigh Refining and Petrochemicals Company (Petro Rabigh) posted a $107m loss in the second quarter compared to USD 186.25 mln profits in the first quarter. The first half profits have slashed 25% to USD 78.98 mln compared to USD104.87 mln for the same first half 2010.


The company blamed a two-month closure of its facilties for the loss, as it conducted maintenance work requiring total production shutdown. Closure of the complex for maintenance from April 21 to June 30 hit sales for the comparable period of 2011 hard.


The reason for the loss in the second quarter is the substantial decrease in sales resulting from loss of production during the shutdown period of the complex for test and inspection maintenance," the firm said in a statement.


Operational losses for the second quarter were USD 103.72m, compared to a profit of USD 22.13m in the same quarter last year, it said. Petro Rabigh started operations at its USD 10.1 billion complex in 2009. Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical each have 37.5-percent stakes in the joint venture, while the rest is publicly held.


MRC

APEX Petrochemical factory to be shut down forcibly

(Plastemart) -- Governor of Rayong has forcibly shut down the APEX Petrochemical factory in Map Ta Phut industrial zone and declared the surrounding area as a dangerous zone after leaks of a hazardous substance were detected. The plant produces vinyl chloride monomer, which is used to make polymer polyvinyl chloride or PVC.


The Governor led a team of engineers and officials to investigate the premises and has ordered authorities to remove all hazardous substances from the factory.


MRC

Shell Chemicals to extend the August shutdown of its its naphtha-fed steam cracker

(Platts) -- Shell Chemicals plans to extend the August shutdown of its its naphtha-fed steam cracker at Pulau Bukom, Singapore, to 40-45 days from around one month, sources close to the company said Thursday. The steam cracker, which is able to produce 800 KTa of ethylene and 450 KTa of propylene, is scheduled to shut around August 11. The cracker also supports a 155 KTa butadiene unit. The duration of the turnaround was likely extended to carry out further repairs, the sources added.


The steam cracker is relatively new and was first brought on stream in March last year. After the startup, the cracker had been experiencing some technical problems, which caused several shutdowns in late 2010.


MRC

US benzene spot prices have hit a 10-week high

(ICIS) -- US benzene spot prices have hit a 10-week high on a combination of stronger energy prices, lower benzene production rates and position taking ahead of August contract settlements, trade sources said on Wednesday.


One aromatics broker even suggested Tropical Storm Bret, which was forecast to move away from the Bahamas earlier this week, was factored into the higher US prices.


Some US benzene and styrene producers have lowered production rates due to the seasonal lull in demand. But one benzene trader said there was talk of an upcoming turnaround in early August at a refinery in Baytown, Texas, which also could have triggered the increase. The increase also comes as styrene and benzene prices move higher in Europe.


Despite the increase overseas, European benzene prices are still below US values, which has created an open trans-Atlantic arbitrage window.


MRC