Evonik Industries is increasing production capabilities of its MMA plants

(Plastemart) -- Evonik Industries, one of the leading suppliers of methacrylate chemistry, is increasing the production capabilities of its Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) plants throughout the world to meet the rising demand. Evonik will increase production capabilities of Methyl Methacrylate through debottlenecking and plant expansion projects in existing plants in Europe (Worms and Wesseling in Germany), Asia (Shanghai in China), and the United States (Fortier) in 2011 and 2012.

Upon completion of the projects Evonik industries will be able to produce approximately 50,000 additional metric tons of MMA. Thomas Muller, Senior Vice President & General Manager Acrylic Monomers, said of the previously announced expansion of the Methyl Methacrylat capacity: "We are reacting timely to support the growth of our customers." Methyl Methacrylate is primarily used for Polymethylmethacrylate resins and surface coatings.

MRC

(Reuters) - Thailand's top industrial conglomerate, Siam Cement Pcl , confirmed on Tuesday it was interested in buying stakes in two petrochemical companies in Indonesia worth a combined estimated USD 1.1 billion.

Indonesian chemical producer Sulfindo Adiusaha is up for sale with an estimated price tag of USD 700 million and may draw interest from Siam Cement and South Korea's Hanwha Chemical Corp when first-round bids are due in late August, sources with knowledge of the deal said recently.

Separately, Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings is trying to sell its 23 percent stake in Indonesian petrochemicals maker Chandra Asri in a deal worth an estimated USD 400 million, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters recently. Last week, Thailand's PTT group said it was keen to buy a stake in Chandra Asri.

MRC

(Saudi Gazette) -- Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co. (Satorp), has selected three banks to arrange a planned Islamic bond, or sukuk, issue that will help it finance a large refinery complex at Jubail. Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Samba Capital and Saudi Fransi Capital were chosen as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners for the sukuk, Satorp said in a statement posted on its website.

The offering, which earlier this month secured regulatory approval, will kick off Sept. 10 and last for 16 days. The total sukuk size will be determined by Satorp at a later stage, it said.
The Islamic bond is the first Shariah-compliant project sukuk instrument in the Arab world's largest economy.

Satorp, a company that is 62.5 percent owned by Aramco and 37.5 percent owned by France's Total S.A., plans to build a 400,000 barrel-a-day export refinery in Jubail. The refinery complex, estimated to cost more than USD10 billion to build, is part of a drive by the world's top oil exporter to boost refining capacity by more than 1.7 million barrels a day from installed capacity of 2.1 million barrels a day now.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Siemens Energy has received an order from China for the supply of two gas-turbine-driven axial-flow compressors trains for the first propane dehydrogenation (PDH) project in China. The purchaser is Tianjin Bohai Chemical Industry Group Co.; a company specialized in areas of the chemicals sector such as caustic soda, and the organic/inorganic/refined chemicals, rubber and plastic processing, and biochemicals industries. Currently, the demand for propylene in Asia is growing very fast. The implementation of PDH projects will facilitate China's own propylene production and the development of its downstream industries.


MRC

(Sibur) -- The public hearing involved representatives of the Tobolsk society, the city administration and the city council, representatives of the company ⌠Tobolsk-Neftekhim, ⌠NIPIgaspererabotka, and the ⌠Environmental Security Training and Consulting Centre. As a result of the hearing, the majority of participants voted to accept the findings of the presented material as corresponding to the environmental impact assessment concerning the construction and operation of the product pipeline.
The discussion of this project is connected with the production capacity of the residual life of the existing product pipeline. The construction of the new branch of the pipeline will ensure the reliability and safety of transporting natural gas liquids (NGL) from gas-processing plants to the ⌠Tobolsk-Neftekhim facilities.

MRC