Small fire at Petro Rabigh PE plant

(Arabian Oil Land Gas) -- Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) informed about small fire at one of the company's polyethylene units at its complex located in Rabigh, on the west coast of the Kingdom.

The company said in statement published on the Saudi Stock exchange Tadawul, that the fire sparked on Saturday afternoon at one of the compressors of the polyethylene unit number one, and was controlled immediately.

Petro Rabigh produces 900,000 t/y of polyethylene, including 300,000 t/y of HDPE and 600,000 t/y of LLDPE.

The company is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco (37.5%) and Sumitomo Chemical (37.5%), 25% of the company is listed in the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).


MRC

PolyPrime is adding 4th twin-screw line

(Plastics News) -- Thermoplastic elastomer producer and compounder PolyPrime Inc. will install its fourth twin-screw compounding line.

The Grand Prairie, Texas-based firm needs the additional capacity and staff to handle increased demand for its products line, President Hamid Tavakoli said. PolyPrime generates most of its sales from thermoplastic vulcanizates, but also makes compounds based on styrenic block copolymers and thermoplastic olefins.


PolyPrime founded in late 2008 originally wanted to steer clear of the automotive sector, which has been challenged in recent years. Outside of automotive, PolyPrime now does a good deal of work in construction products, tubing and seals and gaskets.

PolyPrime now operates about 25 million pounds of annual capacity for both resins and compounds at a 30,000-square-foot facility that includes 10,000 square feet of warehousing space. For 2010, PolyPrime expects to post sales of $3 million, with Tavakoli saying that amount could double next year.


MRC

Bayer MaterialScience develops film technologies for printed polymer electronics

(China Plastic & Rubber Journal) -- Bayer MaterialScience, one of the world's leading polymer and chemical company, has developed extensive technology know-how and a wide range of materials for customers who print polycarbonate films with electronic functions and process these into 3D electronic components using the film injection molding process.

Films can be printed in a limited space with several electronic functions such as wiring diagrams, actuators, sensors and antennae, which previously had to be applied as separate components. Integrating these functions therefore cuts the number of parts required and the amount of logistical and assembly work. This results in compact, ready-to-install electronic modules.

"This printed polymer electronics technology is seen as a next-generation technology for delivering cost-effective production of highly integrated, complex molded electronic components," explains Dirk Pophusen, head of business development for functional films in the Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America region at Bayer MaterialScience.


According to forecasts by British market research company IDTechEx, the global market for polymer electronics is set to grow to almost US$100 billion by 2020 and reach US$250 billion just five years later.

MRC

French refineries struggle to operate as strike continues

LONDON (ICIS) -- French unions continued to strike on Monday, forcing the country's refineries to shut production altogether or operate at minimum levels as the government sought to reassure the public that there was no threat of an imminent fuel shortage.

French oil major Total confirmed that it's operating refineries in Donges, La Mede, Grandpuits, Feyzin and have all now completely stopped output after striking workers and crude supply issues, caused by protests at the Fos-Lavera oil port, forced the group to begin production shutdowns last week.

ExxonMobil's merged refinery at Port Jerome-Gravenchon and its plant at Fos-sur-Mer were also still both on strike, company spokesperson Catherine Brun confirmed. Product supplies from ExxonMobil's refinery at Fos-sur-Mer continued to be blocked and the facility was still running at minimum throughput levels, Brun added.

LyondellBasell's refinery at Berre L'Etang and Petroplus's refineries at Petit Couronne and Reichstett were also forced to begin a production shutdown last week due to crude supply issues and strike action taken by workers, which had prevented the plants operating within required safety standards.

INEOS was also progressively turning down production at its Lavera plant to stand-by mode after being affected by the current industrial action as raw material feedstocks ran low.


The strikes were also now beginning to affect downstream users, with a variety of chemical producers feeling the effects of a lack of refined feedstock. Some producers have already begun to cut down chemical production or declare force majeure on products as availability of supplies diminished.


On 13 October, the International Energy Agency's (IEA) monthly oil report said that major strike action in France could result in a shortage of European gasoil supplies and higher spot prices.

MRC

Samsung Engineering and Linde awarded construction deal for Saudi-based acrylic acid complex

(Plastemart) -- A consortium of South Korea's Samsung Engineering Company and Germany's Linde has been awarded an EPC contract for an acrylic acid complex in Saudi Arabia. The complex is to be built at an estimated cost US$1.1 bln.


75% of the complex is owned by Tasnee Sahara Olefins Co - a joint-venture of Tasnee and Sahara Petrochemicals Company, and 25% belongs to US-based Rohm and Haas. Rohm and Haas will provide the technology for the complex and will market its annual production 230,000 tons of acrylic acid and derivatives.

Feedstock propylene will be provided by Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene Co. Production is expected to commence by Q1-2013.


MRC