Dow Europe raises prices of ethylene copolymers in Europe

HORGEN (Dow) -- Dow Europe GmbH will implement a price increase of 120┬/mt for all PRIMACOR≥ copolymers sold in Europe.

The increase will be effective June 1, 2010, or as contract terms allow.

MRCMRC Reference

Share in the Russian market, 2008:

polyethylene - 2.5% (including LLDPE - 33.1%);

polypropylene - 0.8% (including PP-impact - 1.1%);

polystyrene - 2.6%.

Annual sales growth in Russia, recent 5 years:

polyethylene - 55%;

polypropylene - 28%;

polystyrene - 2%.

Imports by processing technologies:

pipe extrusion;

film extrusion;

sheet extrusion;

foaming.

(prw) -- United Polymers, the UK's largest supplier of Aquafil technopolymers, has gone from ⌠strength to strength since taking on the distribution of the Aquafil brand.

⌠We've increasing volume and customers, enhancing the Aquafil brand in the UK, said Raj Sanghera, managing director of United Polymers. ⌠Based on customer feedback, present users of Aquamid and Econyl materials are very happy with the service we provide.

⌠Anyone looking to source Aquafil materials is more than welcome to contact us.

MRC

(BusinessWeek) -- Qatar has signed an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell and China National Petroleum Corp. to jointly explore for and produce natural gas onshore and offshore Qatar, Shell said Monday.

The 30-year agreement calls for Shell and CNPC's PetroChina International to worth together in exploring for natural gas. Shell will hold a 75 percent share of the project, with CNPC holding the remaining 25 percent, Shell said in a statement.

The 8,089 square kilometer (3,123.17 sq. mile) "Block D" includes both offshore and onshore areas near Qatar's northern city of Ras Laffan.

If exploration succeeds, Shell and PetroChina will produce the natural gas under the supervision of Qatar Petroleum, the statement said.

MRC

LONDON (ICIS news)-- BP Refining and Petrochemicals (BPRP) has declared force majeure on propylene (C3) supplies from its PCK Schwedt, Germany, and Nerefco Rotterdam, Netherlands refineries, a company source said on Tuesday.

⌠The forces majeures were declared on Monday (17 May) the source said.

In a letter to its customers, BPRP said that a gas leak and resulting fire on 15 May had forced it to declare force majeure for the rest of May 2010 to its customers supplied from its PCK Schwedt fluid catalytic cracker (FCC).

The FCC had been down for planned maintenance since 7 April and had been due to restart around 6 May.

MRC

(prw) -- Ineos has lifted the force majeure declared on 5 May for its deliveries of General Purpose Polystyrene (GPPS) and EPS packaging grades from its plant in Wingles, France.

The blockade of the canals by French barge owners has now been cleared. The regular supply of styrene monomer to the Wingles site has been resumed and all production lines have been restarted and are now operating smoothly.

MRCMRC Reference

Ineos is a petrochemical group.
In Russia Ineos's interests are represented by Ineos Polyolefins and IneosChlorVinyls.

The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PVC - 4.5%;

polyethylene - 1.9%
(HDPE - 2.8%, LDPE - 1.2%);
polypropylene - 1.4%
(PP-random - 22.1%, PP-impact - 2.0%);
polystyrene - 0.9%.

Imports by polymers processing technologies:
profile extrusion;
pipe extrusion;
film extrusion;
injection molding.