BP reported a 16.8% year-on-year drop

(ICIS) -- BP reported on Tuesday a 16.8% year-on-year drop in replacement cost profit before interest and tax at its refining and marketing division to $1.49bn (┬1.07bn) in the third quarter of 2011 on the back of higher crude prices and negative foreign exchange effects. The segment's profit before interest and tax fell by 34.7% year on year to $1.12bn in the third quarter of 2011, the UK-based oil giant said in a statement.

⌠The third quarter saw a return to strong operations, relative to the weather-related power outages that impacted our second-quarter results, the company said. Compared with the same period a year earlier, the results in the third quarter reflected an improved refining environment, partially offset by increased turnaround activity, it said.

BP's refining and marketing division also benefited from strong refining feedstock optimisation in the US due to BP's location advantage in accessing WTI-priced crude grades, the company said.


MRC

(PressReleaseFinder) -- IMCD Deutschland announces a distribution of a new product by Emery, Loxiol Quickclean. This is a purging compound suitable to purge thermoplastics converting equipment from remaining polymer/colour and deposits which build up during the running period. It is a sophisticated well developed product which will save time and effort in many purging operations. The deal includes Germany, Austria and UK.

Loxiol Quickclean 350 will reduce cleaning time and effort significantly and can be used for interims purging creating a minimum loss of production capacity and a minimum amount of scrap. The amount of waste after the purging process is low in many cases and it can be sold to a recycler or even re-used depending on the process and polymer used.

Malaysia based, Emery Oleochemicals is one of the world's largest oleochemicals producer with a worldwide distribution. With its global presence on 3 continents and over 160 years of experience and expertise, Emery Oleochemicals provide high performance system solutions for improving productivity, and the environmental compatibility of complex manufacturing processes in the plastics industry, oil and gas exploration and other specific industrial applications.

MRC

(Plastics Today) -- Extrusion equipment supplier Ghioldi set up and ran polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic on a blown-film line at the recent Plastimagen event, looking to capitalize on the local market's interest in biodegradable bags, spurred in part by an on again off again plastic bag ban. "We see a lot of interest in Mexico," explained Filippo Ghioldi. "No one really knows what biodegradable, oxodegradable, etc. films are so we wanted to have a machine running at the show."

The Ghioldi line processed a Novamont Mater Bi PLA resin in a single-layer blown-film set up. The 65-mm extruder had a machine output of 110 kg/hr through a 200-mm die, producing a 1.2m wide web, which was wound. The system had been sold into the local market and will be the first of its kind in Mexico, according to Ghioldi.

Ghioldi noted that his business has been a long-time collaborator with fellow Italian firm, Novamont, working to optimize that company's material for the extrusion process. Ghioldi has actually supplied several extrusion lines for Novamont's lab.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Gulf Advanced Cable Insulation Company has awarded the engineering design, procurement and construction contract for the Wire and Cable Polymers Compounding Plant to POSCO Engineering Company of South Korea. The new plant will produce the power cable insulation materials at Sipchem's site in Jubail Industrial City. This plant comes as part of Sipchem's Phase III expansion downstream program.

The Gulf Advanced Cable Insulation Company will be owned equally by Sipchem and Hanwha. The SAR 230 mln (US$61 mln) is expected to be operational in Q3-2013. The major feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the International Polymers Company, one of Sipchem affiliates.

MRC

(BASF) -- BASF has put a new plant into operation at the site in Ludwigshafen to manufacture the novel active ingredient Xemium, used for the control of fungal infections. With the plant, BASF is reacting to the worldwide increase in demand for crop protection products. The manufacturing process involved, for which a patent is pending, particularly focuses on resource conservation and will thus make a positive contribution to the environment. The new production plant means that 23 new full-time jobs will be created in Ludwigshafen.


⌠With this investment in the high double-digit million euros, we want to endorse our growth strategy in the field of crop protection­. At the same time, we have also committed ourselves to a decision to further expand the production capacity for active ingredients at the integrated site in Ludwigshafen, explaines Markus Heldt, Head of the Crop Protection Division.


The production plant has been designed such that other active ingredients besides Xemium can also be produced. ⌠The flexible plant design means that we are able to react better to fluctuating demand in different growing regions, said Harald Rang, Senior Vice President Operations Crop Protection.


The new active ingredient Xemium was developed by BASF to control fungal infections and excels by its high efficacy and outstanding distribution in plants. The fungicide, which belongs to the group of carboxamides, makes it possible to increase crop yields and at the same time to achieve an improvement in quality. In broad-based trials, together with independent research institutes of agricultural organisations, Xemium proved convincing in its ability to control diseases in all important arable crops, such as, grain, soybeans and maize. The new active ingredient has also displayed a strong protective effect in use with fruit and vegetable crops.


MRC