Salavatnefteorgsyntez plans new catalytic cracking complex

SALAVAT (Salavatnefteorgsyntez) -- On the grounds of basic facility for catalytic cracking (FCC) based on microspheric catalyst project approved earlier, further projecting continued. Сompletion of construction and launch of the unit are planned for 2014.

Basic FCC project was made together with Shell (FCC project) and Axens (equipment installation).

Today, Company's specialists have selected a developer to prepare documentation of the ⌠Project stage, prepared and started drafting agreement to implement other stages of the facility installation. Proposal from the leading European company to prepare hydrofining installation documentation is expected soon.



MRC

Petron acquires 40% stake in Petrochemical Asia

(plastemart) -- Oil refiner Petron Corp. has acquired 40% stake in Petrochemical Asia (HK) Ltd. (PAHL), with an option to raise its interest to 51%. PAHL is the parent firm of Philippine Polypropylene Inc. (PPI) which operates a polypropylene (PP) plant in Bataan. Nameplate capacity at the PP plant is 160,000 tpa of polypropylene, that can be expanded to 225,000 tons. Feedstock will be provided by Petron's refinery with capacity to produce 140,000 tpa of propylene.

MRC

Sabic presented two new HDPE grades

SITTARD (SABIC) -- SABIC's two new High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) grades for Industrial Container applications - SABIC HDPE ICP4907S and SABIC HDPE ICP5602 - are commercially available for the global market from now on. Both grades meet the latest market challenges offering an optimal balance of properties, improved processing behavior and the potential to reduce system costs. The structure of the two SABIC grades open up new opportunities for noticeably energy and material savings and cycle time reductions - which support converters to improve their cost-efficiency as well as their sustainability performance.

MRCMRC Reference

Sabic. The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PE - 0.2%;
PP - 0.4%;
PS - 0.2%.

Annual sales growth in Russia over the last 5 years:
PE - 33%;
PP - 62%.

Styron introduces new impact polystyrene line

(Styron) -- Styron announced today the commercial availability of its transparent grade for food packaging converters in Europe. STYRON C-TECH Polystyrene is the new transparent High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), an extension of the well-known STYRON A-TECH family of polystyrene products.

STYRON C-TECH Polystyrene can be used in all types of rigid food packaging applications with great aesthetics and excellent organoleptics against traditional transparent blends. In particular STYRON C-TECH Polystyrene has also been successfully introduced into the bakery and delicatessen market through BOPS (bi-oriented polystyrene) sheet extrusion.

MRC

Formosa to determine naphta cracker launch deadline next week

(plastemart) -- After gauging damage caused by a fire at its 700,000 tpa naphtha cracker, Formosa Petrochemical Corp will determine the duration of the shutdown by next week. A very small fire inside the pipe is making it unfeasible for the company to fully assess the damages or the duration of the shutdown. The site is estimated to shut for 2-3 months as the base of the distillation tower, wires, cables and a pyrolysis gasoline unit were damaged.

MRCMRC Reference Formosa

The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PVC-S - 3.0%;

PP - 0.4%.

Annual growth sales in Russia :
PVC - 79 % (over the last year) ;

PP - 272 % (over the last 3 years).

Supply by processing technologies:
profile extrusion

film extrusion