Shell-CNOOC JV to assume ownership of new petrochemical complex

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shell Nanhai B.V. (Shell) and China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s (CNOOC) 50:50 JV has officially assumed ownership of CNOOC’s ongoing project to build an ethylene cracker and several derivatives units, after receiving all the necessary government approvals, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Following a final investment decision in March 2016, the project will now be owned and operated by the existing joint venture, CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (CSPC).

The facilities being built next to CSPC’s existing petrochemical complex in Huizhou, Guangdong Province will increase ethylene production capacity by 1.2 MMtpy. Around 70% of the construction work is now complete and the new facilities are expected to start up around 4Q next year. The expansion project will also include the largest styrene monomer and propylene oxide (SMPO) plant in China.

Shell will apply its proprietary OMEGA, SMPO and polyols technologies to produce 150 Mtpy of ethylene oxide, 480 Mtpy of ethylene glycol, 630 Mtpy of styrene monomer, 300 Mtpy of propylene oxide, and 600 Mtpy of high quality polyols. This more than doubles the volumes and range of CSPC’s high quality products to around 6 MMtpy. It will be the first time that Shell’s industry-leading OMEGA and advanced polyols technologies are applied in China.

The CSPC site, which has a strong track record of reliable and safe operations, currently converts a variety of liquid feedstocks into olefins and derivative products. These are used in a wide range of consumer goods, including computers, plastic bottles, cars, furniture, washing liquids and personal care products.

As MRC informed earlier, Royal Dutch Shell has signed a preliminary memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran’s National Petrochemical Co. (NPC) for cooperation in the petrochemical industry.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC

Saudi crude will continue to be supplied to PKN ORLEN refineries

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PKN ORLEN will continue to work with Saudi Aramco as a supplier of crude oil to its refineries in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The contract has been extended for another year, until December 31, 2017.

The contract, concluded in May, 2016, provides for an option of automatic renewal for subsequent years if both parties are willing to continue cooperation. The monthly volume to be supplied is approximately 200 Mt. The oil may be processed by PKN ORLEN’s refineries in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania.

"Cooperation with Saudi Aramco has been most satisfactory for us. The Saudi crude has become part of the key feedstock for our refineries,” said Wojciech Jasinski, President of the PKN ORLEN Management Board. "Moreover, we can see the positive effects of the consistently pursued strategy for diversification of supplies to our refineries, of which the contract with Saudi Aramco is an essential component," added CEO of PKN ORLEN.

Ensuring stable oil supplies to the refineries is one of PKN ORLEN’s top priorities. Therefore, long-term supply contracts are a vital element of our procurement strategy. At the same time, considering the opportunities offered by the crude oil market, PKN ORLEN does not rule out the possibility of purchasing oil from other sources under spot contracts.

Saudi Aramco is an integrated oil and chemicals company, a global leader in hydrocarbon production, refining processes and distribution, as well as one of the largest global oil exporters. It manages proven reserves of crude oil and condensate estimated at 261.1bn barrels, and produces 9.54 million bbl daily. Headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the company employs over 61,000 staff in 77 countries.

PKN Orlen is a major Polish oil refiner and petrol retailer. The company is a significant European publicly traded firm with major operations in Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, and the Baltic States. It currently (2015) ranks 353, with a revenue of over USD33.8 billion.
MRC

Veolia Water Technologies evaporation technology and softening process chosen for Dow facility in California

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Dow Chemical Company has awarded Veolia Water Technologies a contract for a total overhaul of the process water treatment plant at Dow’s Pittsburg Operations facility in California, said Veolia Water on its site.

The technologies chosen were Veolia’s proprietary Multiflo for softening and HPD MVR Evaporators. Dow has been investigating the replacement of an existing process water treatment system at its Pittsburg facility as the current system has come to the end of its life cycle.

The first stage of this new Veolia system is the Multiflo process. This is a high rate chemical softening technology which features a modular multi-stage softening design that reduces installation costs. It is also more resistant to process upsets than a conventional reactor or clarifier system.

The feed to the process water treatment system exhibits seasonal variations in flow and composition. The plant has existing tankage to provide buffer capacity to moderate variations in softener feed flow. In or der to accommodate the specified flow variation, two HPD Evaporators were proposed, each with the capacity to accommodate 50% of the maximum design flow rate. These two evaporators used after the softening process use a mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) configuration.

These HPD MVR Evaporators enable a high quality recovered water stream to be produced and utilized as makeup water for the upstream processing facility on site. This is especially important to Dow due to location of the plant.

Veolia Water Technologies, Inc. CEO, Klaus Andersen, explained, "California’s water scarcity means water restrictions are quite common for many industrial operations. The solution that Veolia put forth will reduce the overall amount of water used by the facility a d thus reduce its environmental imp act. Long term, it will also be more economical for Dow."

As MRC informed earlier, Dow Chemical Co, whose merger with DuPont is now likely to close early next year rather than end-2016, reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit as it benefited from its focus on consumer markets such as automotive and electronics.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber. In 2014, Dow had annual sales of more than USD58 billion and employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide.
MRC

Global polymer nanocomposites market to register revenue growth of 10.9% from 2016 to 2022

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The global polymer nanocomposites market will reach USD11,549 mln, in terms of revenue and 6,014 kilo tons corresponding volume by 2022, registering revenue growth of 10.9% during 2016-2022, as per Plastemart with reference to Research and Markets.

North America held one-third share in the world polymer nanocomposites market in 2015, and is expected to maintain its lead during the forecast period. The dispersion of nanofillers in polymer matrices are known to enhance the physical, mechanical, and barriers properties of the material. These enhanced properties make them more beneficial for use in industrial sectors such as construction, packaging, electrical & electronics among several others.

Increasing use of polymer nanocomposites in the automotive as well as packaging industry and the stringent government regulations for automotive emissions in several countries such as the U.S., Germany, India, and China is invariably supporting the growth of global polymer nanocomposites market. On the contrary, high cost of processing is dampening the market growth. The growing consumption of graphene and related materials would drive the future growth of the market.

As MRC informed before, the market for polymer nanocomposites in terms of value is expected to cross USD5100 mln by 2020, growing at a significant CAGR from 2014 to 2019, as per MarketsandMarkets. The demand of light weight automotive parts has given an edge to polymer nanocomposites due to its high strength and light weight properties. The use of polymer nanocomposites enabled automotive parts reduction in light weight vehicles, improved engine efficiency, reduction in CO2 emissions and superior performance. The automotive industry can benefit from polymer nanocomposites in several applications such as powertrain, suspension and breaking systems, exhaust systems and catalytic converters, lubrication, tires and body parts.
MRC

Fluor awarded Sasol oxygen train project in Secunda, South Africa

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Fluor Corporation has been awarded a contract by Sasol Group Technology, a division of Sasol South Africa Ltd., for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the Additional Oxygen Capacity Train 17 outside battery limits project at its Secunda plant in South Africa, said Engineeringnews.

Fluor will book the undisclosed contract value in 3Q of 2016. The Additional Oxygen Capacity Train 17 project comprises the construction and commissioning of the world’s largest air separation unit at the Secunda Synfuels Operations site.

Fluor will provide engineering, procurement and construction of the outside battery limits facilities for this project including the integration of Train 17’s product streams with other live operations. These include high pressure oxygen, high pressure and low pressure nitrogen as well as dry air. Also included in the scope is the supply of electricity with associated infrastructure and utilities upgrades to the air separation unit.

Fluor’s relationship with Sasol dates back to the award of the first project in Sasolburg in the early 1960s. In 1975, Fluor was named the managing contractor by Sasol to provide EPC services for Sasol II, and later for Sasol III, the Secunda oil-from-coal complexes, and has since supported various other Sasol projects globally. In 2013, Fluor Corp secured the front-end engineering and design work for a chemicals plant in Louisiana being built by South Africa's Sasol Ltd aimed at putting cheap U.S. natural gas liquids to use.

Sasol Limited is an integrated energy and chemical company that began in Sasolburg, South Africa in 1950. It develops and commercialises technologies and builds and operates world-scale facilities to produce a range of product streams including liquid fuels, chemicals.
MRC