BASF starts operations at new oxidised PE waxes plant in Germany

(basf) -- A new plant for the manufacture of oxidized polyethylene waxes went into operation at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The plant manufactures high quality oxidized waxes according to BASF's own process. The new plant will improve the availability on oxidized polyethylene waxes now and in the future, for instance in plastics processing.

The new plant fits perfectly into the integrated supply network for raw materials and energy at BASF's Ludwigshafen site. The low-density polyethylene wax that forms the basis of the oxidized waxes comes directly from the site's own polymerization plants. ⌠As well as extending the capacity, we have also invested in modernizing the existing plant for polyethylene waxes, said Dr. Stefan Beckmann, Senior Vice President Home Care & Formulation Technologies Europe. ⌠Demand for high-quality waxes and oxidized waxes is growing world-wide due to the increased production and processing of plastics, said Dr. Beckmann. ⌠We will be able to satisfy this increasing demand when the new oxidation plant for waxes in Ludwigshafen goes into operation.

BASF supplies its high-quality waxes world-wide to markets with specialized demands. Waxes in the form of powder, fine powder, granules and pastilles are marketed under the Luwax brand, and liquid emulsions are available under the Poligen trademark.

MRC

(downstreamtoday) -- Three large petrochemical centres are planned to be formed on the basis of natural gas, which is produced in the Arctic zone of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, Academician Alexei Kontorovich said.

In his words, the Petroleum Geology and Geophysics Institute of the Siberian Branch (Russian Academy of Sciences) completed the analysis of the oil-and-gas bearing capacity of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area and the Kara Sea area. Under the research, the above-mentioned territories have got colossal reserves of wet gas, which may be widely used in the domestic petrochemical industry.

"This may become a new material and new technology for our petrochemical industry," Kontorovich said. "This sort of natural gas, wet gas, has a complicated composition of hydrocarbons. It is a promising raw material for the petrochemical sector."

"Russia's petroleum chemistry, like European, always has been focused on the processing of gasoline fractions. At the same time, the United State and Canada mainly refine wet gases, which is more profitable," the academician explained.
MRC

(hydrocarbonprocessing) -- Fluor was awarded a contract by Petronas to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in Malaysia. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the first quarter of 2012. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Fluor was awarded a contract by Petronas to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in Malaysia.

The new terminal will supply gas to an adjacent 300-megawatt combined cycle power plant in the town of Lahad Datu, Sabah. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the first quarter of 2012.

Fluor said it will be utilizing local subcontractors and suppliers for various facets of the project.This contract further consolidates Fluor's position in Malaysia where the company is performing other projects in the oil refining sector and in the LNG regasification business and where significant project growth opportunities are expected in the near term.

Fluor was previously part of a joint venture that provided Petronas with preliminary engineering services for a new LNG liquefaction plant at the existing facility in Bintulu, Malaysia.
MRC

(plasticsinfomart) -- Global monomer markets ended March on a firm note amidst steady to slightly firmer spot prices on a global scale. Spot propylene and ethylene prices increased in Asia and the US in the last week of March.

In Europe, however, spot ethylene and propylene prices were stable to softer in contrast to higher contract settlements. As for styrene, global spot markets followed a stable to slightly firmer trend over the past week, but the most recent increases failed to move prices back above their early March levels.

The bullish trend was mainly attributed to concerns regarding restricted availability. Technical issues at several regional crackers resulted in shutdowns or lower operating rates in South Korea and Japan.

MRC

(nctww) -- Canada's NOVA Chemicals is studying the possibility of building two polyethylene (PE) plants and expanding ethylene capacity, a company executive said on Tuesday.

The studies are part of the company's ⌠NOVA 2020 growth strategy, said president of olefins and feedstock Grant Thompson on the sidelines of the International Petrochemical Conference (IPC) in San Antonio.
NOVA has taken several actions to secure additional ethane feedstock supply for its crackers in Corunna, Ontario, and Joffre, Alberta.

The new feedstock supplies would help the Joffre crackers reach capacity production rates, Thompson said, which in turn could feed a new derivatives plant.

⌠It is common knowledge that we haven't been running our Joffre facility at capacity because of the feedstock situation in Alberta, Thompson said. ⌠We have done a number of things to resolve that beginning in 2014.
NOVA has 2.8m tonnes/year of ethylene capacity at its Joffre complex.
MRC