US leads globally in planned ethylene capacity additions by 2022, says GlobalData

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Analysis of global planned ethylene capacity shows that the US has the highest planned ethylene capacity additions with 10 Mmtpy during 2018 to 2022, followed by China and Iran with 8 Mmtpy and 6 Mmtpy, respectively, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Presently, the US accounts for 33 percent of total global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. The country has eight planned ethylene plants. Among these, Formosa Plastics Corporation Point Comfort Ethylene Plant 3 and Exxon Mobil Corporation Baytown Ethylene Plant 2 have the highest capacity with 2.3 Mmtpy each.

China has 27 percent share in the global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. China has 18 planned ethylene plants. The top three planned plants in terms of capacity are Zhejiang Petrochemical Daishan Ethylene Plant 1 with a capacity of 1.4 Mmtpy, followed by Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company Ningbo Ethylene Plant 2 and Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Quanzhou Ethylene Plant with capacities of 1.3 mtpa and 1.0 Mmtpy, respectively.

Iran is expected to contribute about 19 percent to the total global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. The country has nine planned ethylene plants. Sepid Mehr Chabahar Ethylene Plant leads with a capacity of 1.1 Mmtpy. Gachsaran Petrochemical Company Gachsaran Ethylene Plant, Bushehr Petrochemical Company Assaluyeh Ethylene Plant and Firouzabad Petrochemical Company Firouzabad Ethylene Plant are jointly in second, each with a capacity of 1.0 Mmtpy.

Russia has 7 percent share in the global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. Russia has only two planned plants, ZapSibNeftekhim Tobolsk Ethylene Plant and Novy Urengoy Gas-chemical Novy Urengoy Ethylene Plant, with capacities of 1.5 Mmtpy and 0.4 Mmtpy, respectively.

Malaysia, Vietnam, Oman, and Venezuela are jointly in fifth, each with a capacity of 1 Mmtpy, contributing around 3 percent of the total global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022.
MRC

Saipem awarded a new Onshore E&C contract in Oman

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saipem has been awarded a new contract in the onshore E&C sector worth approximately USD 750 million. Work involves engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning under Package 3 "Offsite Facilities" in the framework of the development of the Duqm Refinery situated near the coast in the north east of Oman, as per the company's press release.

The contract was awarded by Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company L.L.C, a Joint Venture between the Oman Oil Company (OOC), the national oil company, and Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI). Once completed, the refinery will have a capacity of around 230 Mbpd.

Stefano Cao, Saipem CEO, commented: "We welcome with particular satisfaction the awarding of this new contract which signals the relaunch of our activities in Oman, a country in which Saipem has operated successfully in the past".

As MRC informed before, in June 2016, Saudi Arabia's PetroRabigh awarded a construction contract for its II expansion project to Italian oil service group Saipem. PetroRabigh, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Japan's Sumitomo Chemical, said the total cost of the 30-month contract to expand its petrochemicals complex was 782 million Saudi riyals (USD208.5 million). The contract includes a plant to process and recover vanadium and a unit to dispose of caustic soda. The contract also includes some other facilities to handle and store chemicals.

Saipem is one of the world leaders in drilling services, as well as in the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of pipelines and complex projects, onshore and offshore, in the oil & gas market. The company has distinctive competences in operations in harsh environments, remote areas and deepwater. Saipem provides a full range of services with "EPC" and "EPCI" contracts (on a "turn-key" basis) and has distinctive capabilities and unique assets with a high technological content.
MRC

KBR to build new polycarbonate plant for Cangzhou Dahua

MOSCOW (MRC) -- KBR, Inc. announced today it has been awarded both a license and engineering (LBED) and a proprietary equipment supply contract by Cangzhou Dahua New Materials Co., Ltd.(CDNM) to build a new polycarbonate plant in Cangzhou City, China, as per KBR.

Under the terms of the two contracts, KBR will provide its proprietary PCMAXTM technology, basic engineering design package and proprietary equipment supply for a 100,000 metric tonnes per annum single train plant in Cangzhou. CDNM intends to expand annual production at a later stage to 200,000 metric tonnes.

The plant will utilize KBR's phosgene-based interfacial polycarbonate PCMAXTM technology. KBR's unique PCMAXTM technology offers a wide range of high quality product grades with minimal capital investment.

"KBR has been our most trustworthy partner for decades," said Xie Huasheng, Chairman of CDNM. "The polycarbonate market in China is booming, and we believe that by choosing KBR's advanced technology, we can achieve the best quality of products and place ourselves in the leading position in this new market."

"We are extremely pleased and honored to be CDNM's strategic partner," said John Derbyshire, President, KBR Technology and Consulting. "China is one of our most important markets and KBR is excited to be a part of this significant project."

KBR globally licenses and designs polycabonate synthesis and compounding plants as well as complementary phenolic technologies, including phenol/acetone, and bisphenol-A (BPA) . KBR's integrated phenolics offering provides advantages in raw materials, utilities, OPEX and maintenance costs.

Revenue associated with this project was booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR's Technology and Consulting Business Segment in the fourth quarter of 2017.
MRC

PTTGC starts maintenance at HDPE plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) has undertaken a planned shutdown at its high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Thailand informed that the company has commenced turnaround at the plant on February 15, 2018. The plant is expected to remain under maintenance until end-February 2018.

Located at Map Ta Phut in Thailand, the HDPE plant has a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, PTT is on track to start commercial operations at its new 400,000 mt/year metallocene C6 linear low density polyethylene (MLLDPE) plant at Map Ta Phut, Thailand, in the first quarter of 2018. PTT started up the plant by the end of last year.

Before the start-up of the new plant, PTT had a total capacity of 800,000 mt/year of HDPE, 300,000 mt/year of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and 400,000 mt/year of LLDPE at the same site.

PTT Global Chemical is a leading player in the petrochemical industry and owns several petrochemical facilities with a combined capacity of 8.45 million tonnes a year.
MRC

Schur Flexibles Group acquires manufacturers of premium packaging

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Schur Flexibles Group, Baden/Austria, continues to grow and acquires from the Clondalkin Group, Utrecht, Netherlands, the following producers of premium packaging: Cats-Hansel with the two sites Cats Flexibles Packaging B.V., Rotterdam/Netherlands and Hansel Flexible Packaging GmbH, Freital/Germany, as well as Nimax B.V., Elst/Netherlands, said the company.

Through this Schur Flexibles strengthens its position in the sector of premium packaging for the confectionary and tea market. The three locations with about 135 employees generate a sales volume of over 30 million euros (2017). With these acquisitions, turnover is likely to grow to over 400 million euros in 2018. In the segment wax, paper and film packaging for confectionery alone, Schur Flexibles thus achieves a turnover of over 80 million euros and is among the largest providers in Europe in this sector. "These companies fit perfectly into our growth strategy. In parallel, we are investing in our plant network to build up our highly specialised production locations further and thus creating additional added value for our customers," says Michael Schernthaner, Managing Director of the Schur Flexibles Group.

The intended transaction is subject to internal and external approvals including the approval by the relevant competition authorities.


MRC