Showa Shell, Taiyo Oil, and GS Caltex to create world's largest p-xylene plant

(refinerynews) -- A three-way agreement was signed in Seoul for an expansion of para-xylene capacity at the Yeosu, Korea refining complex of GS Caltex (Seoul). The agreement was signed by Showa Shell Sekiyu (Tokyo), which operates Shell's oil products business in Japan; Taiyo Oil (Tokyo); and GS Caltex, a joint venture of GS Holdings (Seoul) and Chevron.

P-xylene capacity at the Yeosu site will be increased by 1 million m.t./year through the cooperation of the three companies, to 2.35 million m.t./year. Completion of the expansion is expected by the end of 2014, and it will make the Yeosu facility the world's largest p-xylene production plant at a single site, the companies say.


P-xylene is a basic feedstock for polyester, which is used to make fibers and polyethylene terephthalate bottles. The cooperation among the three refiners is expected to enhance the competitiveness of the p-xylene business, from feed sourcing and production to marketing. Demand for p-xylene is forecast to rise further in Asia, especially in China and India, the companies say.

MRC

CPC Corp shuts No 5 unit at a refinery after fire, ethylene and propylene production


(plastemart) -- CPC Corp has shut the No 5 unit at a refinery after a fire damaged a pipeline at a butadiene production facility.

No one was injured by the fire, the company said. CPC expects to resume output in a month. The fire has also affected production of ethylene and propylene at the No.5 unit.

MRC

Supply constraints push Asian ethylene and propylene markets up

(plastemart) -- Spot ethylene and propylene markets firmed up further over the past week in Asia. Overshadowing thin trading activity amidst short holidays in the region as well as lower naphtha values, supply constraints drove the bullish trend.

Supply was affected by ongoing production outages at regional crackers. More crackers are due to be brought offline for maintenance in the next couple of months. Spot ethylene gained over week , while the increase amount was even larger with respect to early March. The market was calm as Chinese players were on holiday for most of last week due to Qing Ming Festival that took place from April 1-3.

Overshadowing weak demand from downstream markets, restricted availability led spot ethylene offers to remain on their firm path for another week.
MRC

Tetra Pak made PE caps from sugarcane derivatives

(plasticsinfomart) -- In partnership with Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem, Tetra Pak's "green" polyethylene caps for liquid cartons are made from sugarcane derivatives.

Two popular milk brands are currently using Tetra Brik Aseptic packages using the "green" PE StreamCap 1000, increasing the company's environmental performance of its products.

The company is launching "green" alternatives for three additional caps: the DreamCap 26, the LightCap 30, and the Helicap 27. The "green" caps will be distinguished from the original caps by a leaf logo, embossed on the cap.

MRC

PPG to cut 2,000 jobs in Europe

(cen.acs) -- PPG Industries plans to cut 2,000 jobs, mostly in its European architectural coatings business. As a result, the firm will take a one-time USD208 million charge against earnings to account for the cuts and unspecified asset write-offs.

According to CEO Charles E. Bunch, the cost reductions "are needed to ensure that our cost structure is appropriate for business conditions and that all of our operations remain competitive globally."

As the cutbacks go into effect, the firm expects to save between USD40 million and USD50 million this year. When completed, the cost reductions will save the firm about USD140 million annually.

Coatings demand in Europe is "muted", Bunch explains, and it is expected to recover slowly in the aftermath of the European debt crisis. Elsewhere, demand for automotive, aerospace, and industrial coatings is strong, he said.

MRC