Bosch plans to acquire Tecsor in France

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bosch Packaging Technology, a leading supplier of process and packaging technology, plans to acquire the assets of Tecsor Machines et Systemes S.A.S., based in Meyreuil near Marseille, France, said German producer.

Agreements to this effect were signed on June 11, 2013. Tecsor develops and sells machinery for making and filling PET containers for liquid and paste-like foodstuffs. Set up in 2005, the company generated sales of roughly two million euros in 2012. Tecsor employs 14 associates. It has been agreed that the purchase price will not be disclosed. The planned acquisition is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

PET containers are used in the food and beverage industry – as milk bottles or yogurt cups, for example. Using a special blow-molding technology, a machine developed by Tecsor can make and fill between 6,000 and 32,000 bottles per hour.

"With Tecsor, we are further adding to our activities in the area of liquid foods," said Friedbert Klefenz, president of the Bosch Packaging Technology division. In October 2012, the packaging specialist took over Ampack in Konigsbrunn, Germany. Its portfolio includes filling machinery for cups and bottles. This machinery is mainly used to fill and package highly sensitive foodstuffs such as dairy products, baby food, and hospital food.

As MRC wrote before, Bosch, one of the world’s largest private industrial groups, produces injectors for compressed natural gas powered vehicles and flexible control units that enable both gasoline and CNG injection. The Stuttgart-based company believes one of the first new uses of compressed natural gas could be in heavy trucks that cross the US.

These tend to use established freight corridors, which would therefore enable the relatively easy development of natural gas fuelling infrastructure.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) – Saudi Aramco Total Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (Satorp) expects its new refinery at Jubail Industrial City to be fully operational in December 2013, said Saudigazette.

Saudi Aramco and France's Total are building the SR52.5 billion Jubail facility as part of a push by the world's top oil exporter to almost double its refining capacity.

"Overall engineering, procurement and construction work at the refinery is 68 percent complete," Fawwaz Nawwab, CEO of Satorp, told reporters in Riyadh.

Nawwab said that although the refinery was designed to process 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), Saudi Aramco had committed to supply it with up to 440,000 bpd.

Jubail will refine Saudi heavy crude into a range of fuels - from gasoline to petroleum coke - for domestic consumption and export.

The joint venture is set to issue up to SR3.75 billion (USD1 billion) in Islamic bonds to help pay for it.

As MRC wrote earlier, Aramco and Total have already started testing their new refinery at Jubail, raising the prospect of full operation of the USD14 bln facility ahead of a scheduled start-up in Q3-2013.

Saudi Aramco Total Refinery and Petrochemicals Company (SATORP) has fired up the boilers at the plant, and hopes to bring the first of two crude distillation units (CDU) online before year-end.

The refinery would produce around 190,000 bpd of diesel, around 90,000 bpd of gasoline and 50,000 bpd of kerosene as well as petrochemicals.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Fushun Petrochemical, a subsidiary of PetroChina, is likely to restart its polyethylene (PE) units after a maintenance turnaround, according to Apic-Online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the units are likely to restart on June 20, 2013. They were taken off-stream on May 15, 2013.

Located in Liaoning, China, the PE facilities comprise a high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant with a production capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year and a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant with a production capacity of 450,000 tonnes per year.

As MRC wrote previously, in mid-June 2013, Fushun Petrochemical restarted its polypropylene (PP) plant with the capacity of 300,000 tonnes per year following a maintenance turnaround. Located in Liaoning facility was shut on May 15, 2013.

PetroChina Company Limited is a Chinese oil company and is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is China's biggest oil producer and the most profitable company in Asia.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Discussions are underway at Taiwan's Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co’s board mulling set up of an integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Pengerang in the state of Johor in Malaysia, reported Plastemart.

This project is being planned to rival state-owned Petronas' Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID project). Kuokuang, partly owned by Taiwan's state-owned CPC, has submitted a comprehensive environmental impact assessment report for the project to Malaysia's Department of Environment at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment late last month.

To be named KPTC Malaysia Integrated Refinery and Petrochemical Development (KPTC-MIRPD), the project will include a 150,000 bpd refinery and is expected to begin development by next year, with startup scheduled for early 2018.

As MRC wrote earlier, Petronas, Malaysia's state energy company, had signed an agreement with Eni-controlled Versalis to jointly own, develop, construct and operate elastomer plants within Petronas' proposed refinery and petrochemical integrated development (RAPID) complex in Pengerang, Johor. The proposed joint venture will produce and market synthetic rubbers using Versalis' technology license and technical know-how.

The complex will consist of a crude distillation unit, naphtha cracker and aromatics unit and run Saudi Arabian crude. It will also produce ethylene, propylene and other petrochemicals.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) has secured a QR1.1 bln (USD302 mln) facility from Barwa Bank to help fund its expansion plans, as per Plastemart.

QAPCO said that it is planning a "significant unprecedented expansion" in terms of volume and size of its business and production over the coming years.

"In light of upcoming expansion plans within the petrochemical industry in Qatar over the coming years, QAPCO is committed to expand its activities and production in a planed, optimised and secured way," the company said in a statement.

"Therefore QAPCO preferred to have the option to secure more liquidity on demand, when required, instead of utilising the accumulated operational profit surpluses yielded throughout the years," it added.

As MRC reported previously, in late 2012, QAPCO inaugurated the third LDPE plant at Mesaieed Industrial City. The new facility will produce prime high pressure grade LDPE than existing QAPCO facilities, thus positioning the company as a global leader in LDPE production.

Earlier last year, the company confirmed that the planned USD 5.5 bln Ras Laffan mega petrochemical complex project was on schedule in accordance with the original timetable and scope. The complex, which will be built at an estimated investment cost of QAR20.1 bln (US5.5 bln) includes a world scale steam cracker, with the feedstock coming from natural gas projects located in the north of Qatar. The project will be carried out on a lump sum turnkey basis and is scheduled for completion in 2018.

Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) is a Qatar-based company established in 1974 and is a joint venture between Industries Qatar (80%) and Total Petrochemicals (20%). The company is currently one of the largest producers of low density polyethylene (LDPE) in the region. In addition to LDPE, QAPCO also produces linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ethylene, and sulfur, which it sells to over 4500 industry customers in 145 countries through its extensive global marketing network.
MRC