A. Schulman acquires American producers Prime Colorants

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A. Schulman, Inc. has purchased Prime Colorants Incorporated, a significant manufacturer of custom colors and additive concentrates in Franklin, Tennessee, for approximately USD15.1 million, reported the company on its site.

"This latest acquisition is part of our ongoing strategy to grow our custom color capabilities in the United States, as well as further transform our US operations from commodity products to a business focused on niche products and services. Color remains an area of opportunity for us in the United States, and the acquisition of Prime will enable us to serve customers better by offering color expertise in an area of the country where we were not previously located," said Joseph M. Gingo, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, A. Schulman.

Additionally, this added capacity will complement the company's recent acquisition of the Perrite Group which brought A. Schulman additional color capabilities in Malaysia, as well as its acquisition of Network Polymers which added to the company's niche business in the United States, he added.

As MRC informed earlier, in September, 2013, A. Schulman, Inc. purchased the Perrite Group, a thermoplastics manufacturing business with operations in Malaysia, the United Kingdom and France, for approximately USD52 million. The acquisition is expected to increase revenues in A. Schulman's Asia Pacific (APAC) segment by 35% and will double the size of the company's existing Engineered Plastics business in the region. It is expected to deliver approximately USD2 million to USD3 million in annual synergies, including initial savings in procurement followed by more significant savings in the area of operational efficiencies.

For 38 years, Prime has provided pelletized color concentrates and dry powder color expertise to customers in the automotive and building and construction markets. Prime also provides an entry point for A. Schulman in the liquid color market. The company expects revenues in calendar 2013 to be approximately USD12 million.

A. Schulman is a global plastics supplier, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, and a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins, which are used as raw materials in a variety of markets. A. Schulman has 33 manufacturing facilities globally. It reported net sales of USD2.2 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011.
MRC

Styron announces price increases for polystyrene and copolymers in Europe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Styron Europe GmbH and its affiliate companies in Europe announced today price increases for all polystyrene (PS) and copolymer grades, reported the company on its site.

Effective immediately, or as existing contract terms allow, the January contract and spot prices for the products listed below will increase as follows:

STYRON general purpose polystyrene grades (GPPS), STYRON and STYRON A-TECH high impact polystyrene grades (HIPS) by EUR50/tonne; MAGNUM ABS resins and TYRIL SAN resins by EUR50/tonne.

As MRC reported earlier, Styron Europe increased prices for all PS, copolymer and expandable polystyrene (EPS) grades in December by EUR20-30/tonne.

Styron is a leading global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber, dedicated to collaborating with customers to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions. Styron’s technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Styron had approximately USD 5.5 billion in revenue in 2012, with 20 manufacturing sites around the world, and 2100 employees.

MRC

European polyethylene rose by EUR15/tonne for CIS countries

Moscow (MRC) - European producers have announced price increase of polyethylene (PE) for January delivery for the CIS markets of EUR15/tonne, following the same price rise of ethylene, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

European contract price of ethylene for January was agreed up EUR15/tonne from the level of December. As a result, many European producers have announced proportionally price increase for PE for CIS markets. At the same time, some producers have kept their price offers for January shipment at the level of December.

Deals for January low density polyethylene (LDPE) are discussed in the range EUR1,290-1,375/tonne FCA. Price offer for high density polyethylene (HDPE) were heard in the range of EUR1,180-1,255/tonne FCA.
MRC

Lukoil acquires loan for Bulgarian refinery upgrade

MOSCOW (MRC) -- OAO Lukoil subsidiary Lukoil Neftochim Burgas AD has secured a €420 million line of credit from five international banks to finance the modernization of its Burgas, Bulgaria, refinery along the Black Sea, said SACE in its press release.

In addition to Italian export credit agency Instituto per i Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero (SACE), which will cover 95% of the 10-year loan - banks providing the credit line include Societe Generale, ING Bank, BNP Paribas, and UniCredit SPA, according to SACE.

The Burgas modernization project is being executed under a lump-sum turnkey contract for the engineering, procurement, and construction of Phase 1 of a heavy residue hydrocracking complex to be built at the refinery that Lukoil let to Technip in January 2012, says SACE.

The contract, worth more than EUR900 million, covers the detail engineering, procurement of equipment and material, construction, precommissioning, and commissioning of a 2.5 million-tonne/year vacuum residue hydrocracker based on Axens H-Oil process, Technip said in a Jan. 25, 2012, release.

Implementation of the project will allow the refinery to increase output of Euro 5 diesel fuel by 1.2 million tpy as well as to cease production of high-sulfur fuel oil, Lukoil said in a separate Jan. 25, 2012, release. The key element of the new complex, which is slated for commissioning in January 2015, is a tar hydrocracker with a planned capacity of 2.5 million tpy, according to Lukoil.

MRC

India lifts anti-dumping duty on PP import from Oman

MOSCOW (MRC) -- India has lifted the 6.5% anti-dumping duty imposed on import of polypropylene (PP) from Oman in November 2010, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate, JS Mukul told reporters in Muscat, reports Fibre2fashion.

The decision of the Government of India would give relief to the state-run Oman Polypropylene Company, as India is a major market for Oman’s PP.

The latest decision is in accordance with the very strong economic and trade relations between India and Oman, and it would lead to a further growth in bilateral trade, particularly in non-oil exports from Oman to India, Mr. Mukul said.

From April to October 2013, bilateral trade between India and Oman was around USD3.65 billion, and it may cross the USD5 billion-mark for the ongoing Indian financial year 2013-14, he informed.

During the seven-month period, Omani exports to India rose by 91% year-on-year to around USD2 billion.

India’s major export items to Oman include textiles.

Oman Polypropylene is an Omani based world-class petrochemical company based in Sohar, Sultanate of Oman. It is one of the leading manufactures of polypropylene in the Middle East. Oman Polypropylene produces homo-polymer and impact and random copolymer with a capacity of 340,000 MT /Year.
MRC