Fire breaks out at Exxons refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands

MOSCOW (MRC) — ExxonMobil Corp said on Monday a fire broke out at its refinery in Rotterdam but that there were no injuries and most of the facility remained operational, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The fire erupted in the powerformer unit of the complex and some flaring occurred to reduce pressure, Exxon said, adding it was cooperating with local emergency personnel.

The complex can process about 190,000 bpd and the rest of the refining units and a connected chemical plant were still online, Exxon said.

"We regret the incident and any inconvenience caused to the community," Exxon spokeswoman Ellen Ehmen said in an emailed statement.

The fire came the same day that a blaze broke out at a Royal Dutch Shell refinery in the Netherlands. That fire was quickly contained.

Exxon last year started a USD1 B, 3-yr expansion of the Rotterdam refinery to boost production of lubricants and other chemicals. According to a proposal for the expansion filed with Dutch authorities, hydrocracking capacity at the plant would increase by 40 percent to about 70,000 bpd.

Shares of ExxonMobil were unchanged on the New York Stock Exchange in after-hours trading after closing at USD76.38.
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Honeywells ControlEdge PLC first to be awarded critical certification by exida

MOSCOW (MRC) — Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) announced that its ControlEdge Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) has received ISASecure Embedded Device Security Assurance (EDSA) Level 2 certification by exida, the ISO 17065 accredited certification body who conducted the assessment, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The certification recognizes the integrity of both the PLC and its development lifecycle, and includes rigorous communication robustness testing as well as functional and software development security assessments.

ControlEdge PLC is the first PLC to be awarded the ISASecure Level 2 certification, which builds on the Level 1 capabilities by providing additional security features, such as the confidentiality and integrity of data at rest and in motion, detection of unauthorized changes and additional protection against Denial of Service attacks. The ISASecure-compliant controller has advanced features including a secure boot capability to prevent uploading of unauthorized software and a built-in firewall. PLC communication can also be secured using IPSec to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and unauthorized access.

The ISASecure program has been developed by the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) based upon the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards, with a goal to improve cyber security for industrial automation and control systems.

ControlEdge PLC is used in a variety of balance-of-plant control applications, such as water treatment, pump systems, and material handling.

Honeywell’s integrated Distributed Control System (DCS)/PLC approach provides a significant reduction in integration efforts and project costs. This is achieved through seamless integration of a DCS with PLC, Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), HART field device asset management, and HMI panel PC. In addition, ControlEdge PLC provides an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-ready open platform using OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) as a communication protocol.
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Indian Essar to pay USD1.18/share to minority shareholders

MOSCOW (MRC) -- India's Essar Group will payUSD1.18 apiece to the minority shareholders who tendered Essar Oil shares under a delisting offer ahead of the company's sale to a consortium led by Russian oil major Rosneft, the company said, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

India's Essar Group on Monday closed the USD12.9 B deal to sell 98.26% stake in Essar Oil to a consortium of Rosneft, trader Trafigura and Russian fund UCP.

The group will pay an additional 8.80 B rupees to minority shareholders, as under the deal shares are valued at 338.28 rupees apiece, it said in a statement.
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Evonik construction of a specialty copolyester plant in Witten is on schedule for start-up in early 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik Industries is building a new production plant for specialty copolyesters at its Witten site in Germany, said the company in its press release.

As binders for paints, specialty copolyesters are used in coil coatings and, increasingly, in food can coatings. The company is investing a mid-double-digit million euro sum in the plant, which will have annual production capacity of several thousand metric tons.

The project is on track to reach mechanical completion by end of November 2017. Following the successful Mechanical Completion the commissioning phase will be commenced and commercial operation is planned to start in Q1/2018.

Polyester based coatings are perceived as a good alternative to substitute the standard epoxy based coating systems to ensure a bisphenol a free food packaging. Evonik has early on anticipated this trend and decided at the end of 2015 to invest in additional capacity to be well prepared to accompany further growth in this market.

Evonik is one of the world’s leading suppliers of polyesters for pre coated metals and reactive hot melts. The company has production facilities at its sites in Marl, Witten and Shanghai. Polyesters from the DYNAPOL® brand serve as binders for paints. In addition to coil coatings, they are also increasingly used for food can coatings well as in flexible packaging. Polyesters from the DYNACOLL® brand are used in reactive hot melts applications.

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Eastman to expand copolyester capacity in Malaysia


MOSCOW (MRC) -- Eastman Chemical Company today announced a planned expansion of its copolyester site in Kuantan, Malaysia, said the company on its website.

The expansion is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2018 and will increase PETG capacity by approximately 20 percent. This investment supports the continued growth of copolyester products globally and provides flexibility across the company’s polymer asset base.

"This expansion positions Eastman to meet the increasing global demand we’re seeing for our copolyester materials," said Burt Capel, vice president and general manager of Eastman’s Specialty Plastics business. “This investment further solidifies Eastman’s commitment to the Asia Pacific region and to providing our customers around the world with the highest quality materials in the market."

Specialty Plastics is a part of Eastman’s Advanced Materials business segment. Eastman’s Kuantan, Malaysia site produces several copolyesters, including Eastman Spectar™ and Eastman Eastar™ copolyesters.

Eastman is a global advanced materials and specialty additives company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. As a globally diverse company, Eastman serves customers in more than 100 countries and had 2016 revenues of approximately USD9.0 billion. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA and employs approximately 14,000 people around the world.
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