Poland's ORLEN has signed the agreement with Lekkerland Deutschland

(orlen) -- Poland's PKN ORLEN signed an agreement with Lekkerland Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Europaallee 57, 50226 Frechen, Germany (⌠Lekkerland Deutschland). On the base of the agreement Lekkerland Deutschland will be delivering to gas stations of ORLEN Deutschland goods and services from the non-fuel categories in the period of 1 February 2012 until 31 January 2015.

Estimated net value of the agreement in the whole contractual period amounts to EUR 657 million, i.e. PLN 2 747 m based on EUR/PLN average exchange rate as of 7 February 2012, stated by the National Bank of Poland.

In accordance with the ⌠Regulation of the Minister of Finance dated 19 February 2009 on current and periodic information to be published by issuers of securities and on the conditions under which such information may be recognized as being equivalent to information required by the regulations of law of a state which is not a member state the abovementioned agreement constitutes a ⌠significant agreement due to the fact that its value exceeds 10% of PKN ORLEN's equity.

MRC

Shaw awarded contract to revamp RFCC unit in Thailand

(process-worldwide) --The Shaw Group announced it has been awarded a contract to provide the technology license and process design package for the revamp of a residue fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit for Star Petroleum Refining Company in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. The design will upgrade the 40,800 barrels per day RFCC unit by incorporating the latest advances in reactor system technology.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana/USA - ⌠Shaw was the original licensor of this RFCC unit, which first started-up in 1996, said James Glass, president of Shaw's Energy & Chemicals Group. ⌠We are now upgrading the unit to incorporate the latest technology features and improve performance and profitability.

Shaw jointly developed the proprietary RFCCU technology through an alliance with Axens and Total that began in the early 1990s. To date, Shaw and Axens have licensed 51 grassroots units and performed more than 200 revamp projects. The undisclosed value of the contract was included in Shaw's Energy & Chemicals segment's backlog of unfilled orders in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012.

MRC

ExxonMobil affiliate to expand halobutyl rubber capacity at JBC Kashima plant

(plastech) -- ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha (EMYK) announced that Japan Butyl Co. Ltd. (JBC) will expand the capacity of its halobutyl rubber manufacturing plant at Kashima to 80,000 tons per year. The expansion is planned to be completed in 2012.

⌠Demand for halobutyl rubber is expected to grow at about six percent per year, mainly in the Asia Pacific region, said John Lyon, vice president, butyl polymers, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. ⌠The expansion by our affiliate's joint venture at Kashima will add 10,000 tons per year of capacity in the region. This aligns with ExxonMobil Chemical's long-term commitment to meet industry demand.
This is the second capacity expansion in five years at the Kashima halobutyl rubber plant.

The JBC butyl polymers manufacturing plant at Kawasaki also completed a major expansion in 2010 to bring its total capacity to 98,000 tons per year. That expansion incorporated ExxonMobil proprietary technology that enables significant energy savings.

Lyon adds, ⌠Auto production is growing at a rapid pace in Asia, especially in China. This has led to increased tire sales for new cars and trucks as well as the sale of replacement tires as these vehicles age. Halobutyl rubber holds air in tubeless radial tires for both passenger cars and heavy duty trucks.
ExxonMobil Chemical has more than doubled its global halobutyl rubber capacity since 1995. The company is a world leader in synthetic rubber technology, products and customer support.

Japan Butyl Co., Ltd., a butyl rubber manufacturing company, is a joint venture of ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha and JSR Corporation. The company serves as a supply base for butyl rubber primarily in Asia. ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha holds a 50 percent stake in Japan Butyl Co., Ltd.
mrcpast.com

Bayer CO2 project is among best ideas for the future

(plastech) -- A Bayer project for using the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as a component for plastics is among Germany's most promising ideas for the future.

The ⌠Dream Production research initiative is one of the award winners in this year's ⌠365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas competition. A pilot plant at Bayer's Leverkusen site is one of the ⌠Selected Landmarks 2012. The CO2 supplied by the power generation industry is to be used for the production of high-quality foams, replacing a portion of the petroleum usually used as a raw material.


Each year this competition under the patronage of the German President honors 365 ideas and projects that make a sustainable contribution to Germany's future viability. It has been held each year since 2006 and is sponsored in part by the ⌠Germany - Land of Ideas initiative. The winners chosen by a panel representing science, industry, politics and the media are considered ⌠indicators of Germany's strong culture of innovation and a reflection of important future trends.

This year there were more than 2,000 applications for the award, which is presented in six categories. Dream Production won in the category Science.

The pilot plant at Chempark Leverkusen has been using CO2 from an RWE lignite-fired power plant in Niederau?em outside of Cologne to produce a chemical used for the production of the high-grade plastic polyurethane. Industrial production of the CO2-based precursor is scheduled to begin in 2015. Polyurethane is used in many areas of our daily lives, including for mattresses, furniture, automotive components and to insulate buildings and refrigerators.
MRC

New phenolic resin production site to open in Nanjing

(siigroup) -- SI Group (Schenectady, NY) announces that it will invest USD30 million to build an additional phenolic resin manufacturing site in the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park, NCIP. The new site will have an initial capacity of 30,000 mt/year and the potential for expansion to reach 70,000 mt/year.

The facility is set to commence operation in May 2013, and will produce phenolic resins in lump, pastille, liquid, and powder forms to serve the rubber, abrasive, friction, impregnation, and refractory markets. This particular location was selected taking into account SI Group customer needs and business processes. Nanjing Chemical Industry Park provides world class infrastructure, a skilled workforce, outstanding logistics and access to raw materials.

Recently the company announced the opening of a state of the art modern rubber and industrial phenolic resin application laboratory at its Songjiang plant. The overall investments in this modern lab total an approximate USD1,5 million.

The facility stands as the global standard for research and development of resin products and further enhances SI Group's position as an industry technology and innovation leader. Also at its Songjiang location, SI Group invested USD3 million for a cutting-edge waste water treatment plant. The construction of the new resin facility in Nanjing and the company's plan to further expand resin production capacity in 2012 are in step with SI Group's accelerating growth strategy for the China market.

SI Group is a family-owned company founded in 1906 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York. A leading global developer and manufacturer of phenolic resins, alkylphenolic resins, alkylated phenols and other chemical intermediates, SI Group operates 20 facilities in 12 countries around the world.

MRC