Wacker opens new laboratory for adhesives and sealants in the Moscow Technical Center

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker, the Munich-based chemical group, is strengthening its presence in Russia by expanding the service portfolio offered by its technical center in Moscow, as per the company's press release.

Wacker is integrating a new dedicated laboratory for adhesives and sealants based on silane-terminated polyethers (hybrid polymers) used mostly in the construction industry. Furthermore, the center’s existing laboratories for dry-mix-mortar, paints, coatings and construction-silicones applications has been accredited by the Russian Federal Service for Accreditation as an official test lab: Wacker can thus provide an independent test protocol as a basis for officially recognized quality certificates. Thanks to this expansion and accreditation, Wacker is able to meet the needs of its local customers, who are increasingly demanding high-quality silicone and polymer products.
Highly specific tests can be performed in the new laboratory in Moscow. The image shows lab assistant Ekaterina Aleksandrova using a planetary mixer to produce a low-modulus sealant with silane-modified polyether as a binder.

Being extremely versatile, modern sealants and adhesives are used in an increasingly broad range of applications - from the construction industry through to transportation and energy. The Moscow technical center’s new laboratory helps Wacker support the enhancement of these applications. "The market for sealants and adhesives in Russia has huge potential, which was the main factor behind our decision to open the new facility. For us, the most important reason is to provide customers with technical support as fast as possible while keeping local market needs in mind," said Dr. Alexander Serov, Managing Director of Wacker Russia, during the opening ceremony.

Wacker’s new lab facility offers the possibility of testing and developing sophisticated formulations based on local fillers and additives. Modern planetary and asymmetric centrifugal mixers make it possible to prepare adhesives and sealants of varying viscosity and thixotropy and to use a rheometer to characterize them. Thanks to the state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, it is also possible to determine the products’ tensile strength, adhesion, shear strength and shore hardness. What’s more, the Moscow technical center has a climate room for testing samples under standard conditions to provide repeatable results. All tests for liquid and cured adhesives and sealants can now be conducted in accordance with international standards. The new lab enables WACKER to identify and respond to regional trends and developments at an early stage, offering its customers tailor-made local solutions.

The opening of the new facility is complemented by the fact that the Moscow technical center’s existing dry-mix-mortar, paints, coatings and construction-silicones laboratories have been accredited by the Russian Federal Service for Accreditation as official test labs in accordance with GOST ISO/MEK 17025 . This means that WACKER will be able to issue a Russian state-approved protocol on the results of product tests, which will allow customers to apply for quality certificates for their products. These certificates for tile adhesives, paints and coatings, self-levelling compounds or renders are increasingly required in both public and private construction projects. "This accreditation enables us to add value for our customers. It provides them with independent test results that prove the quality of products modified with VINNAPAS and SILRES," said Alexander Serov. WACKER is thus making an important contribution to the distribution and advancement of modern, high-quality building materials.

As MRC informed previously, Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its existing production plants for dispersions and dispersible polymer powders in South Korea. The Group is building a new spray dryer for dispersible polymer powders at its Ulsan site, which will have a total capacity of 80,000 metric tons per year. The Munich-based chemicals company is also constructing an additional reactor for dispersions based on EVA, which are needed as the raw material for the spray dryer to produce dispersible polymer powders.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC

Chinese producers traditionally have been the key foreign PVC suppliers for the past several years. Imports of acetylene Chinese resin slumped in February to 800 tonnes from 2,400 tonnes a month earlier due to higher export prices. Overall imports of resin from China were 3,200 tonnes in the first two months of 2018, compared to 2,700 tonnes a year earlier.

A major decrease in demand for PVC from the domestic market in winter months forced Russian producers to export material more actively this year. About 17,000 tonnes were shipped to foreign markets last month (excluding deliveries to the countries of the Customs Union) versus 19,000 tonnes in January. 36,000 tonnes of SPVC were shipped for export in January-February 2018, compared to 21,500 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (Market Report) -- The period of long price cuts in the Russian low density polyethylene (LDPE) market is over. The price situation has radically changed in the market since mid-March, prices began to rise gradually, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

LDPE prices went down in the Russian market since last September under the pressure of weak demand and excessive supply of polymer. Prices for some grades had reached their minimum by February and even fell below prices of its export counterpart to be shipped to several markets. The situation has begun to change gradually to the opposite direction in the LDPE market since March, the downward price trend gave way to growth.

The spring increase in LDPE prices is traditional in the Russian market and is caused by seasonally stronger demand and scheduled shutdown for maintenance at Kazanorgsintez, one of the largest producers. This year does not seem to be an exception. The Kazan producer intends to shut down its production capacities for almost a one-month turnaround on 13 April.

Higher delivery costs also might affect LDPE prices for the end user in the near future. The traditional spring restrictions on road freight transportation will come into force for movement on regional roads in some regions from late March. Such restrictions led to a 50% increase in delivery costs in some regions a year earlier.

There was no deficit of LDPE in the market, but market participants said there were temporary restrictions on shipments by some producers. Besides, some companies began to prepare for a "season of high demand". And if demand for LDPE was very weak in the first two weeks of March, then a serious recovery has been registered in the market since the middle of the week.

There was also information in the market about some producers' plans to significantly increase their prices next week. Some market participants do not rule out a price rise of up to Rb5,000/tonne.

LDPE prices reached their bottom in the market in late February, and prices of 108 grade polyethylene (PE) were at Rb75,000/tonne, CPT Moscow, including VAT. Prices of this PE grade went up to Rb77,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT, or higher as of mid-March.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP published the second edition of the BP Technology Outlook. The report explores five areas where BP believes technology can play a game-changing role: Energy efficiency; digital; renewable power; energy storage; and decarbonized gas, Hydrocarbonprocessing.

In order to meet demand, the energy industry uses technology to find, produce and convert primary energy resources including oil, natural gas, coal, uranium for nuclear power, biomass, solar and wind.

From the earliest oil wells to the latest wind turbines, technology developments have driven advances in the way that energy is discovered and produced – and many more developments are anticipated in the decades ahead.

Around 55 trillion barrels of oil and gas (measured in trillions of barrels of oil equivalent or Tboe) have been discovered around the world. Of these, we estimate that around one-tenth, or 4.9 Tboe, could be recovered using today’s technology. By applying evolving technology through to 2050, these recoverable volumes could be increased by more than one-third to around 7.3 Tboe. This volume is more than enough to meet the world’s projected demand to 2050 – estimated at 1.8 to 2.5 Tboe. However, exploration and technology development remains important in this sector to provide resource options that are more economical or have lower environmental footprints than some of the discovered resources. Oil and gas production from a reservoir declines naturally over its lifetime and our analysis supports the International Energy Agency’s estimate that investment of around $600 billion per year industry-wide could still be needed to produce sufficient oil and gas to satisfy demand – a figure which allows for impacts to oil and gas production from announced policies and pledges toward achieving the Paris Agreement.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Claudio Descalzi, Eni’s CEO, presented the company’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan to the financial community, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Following a successful transformation, Eni is stronger, more integrated and positioned well for further growth in the upstream sector. The mid-downstream businesses have been restructured to leave them more financially solid and therefore able to create value even in the presence of low price scenarios. The 2018-21 plan represents the natural evolution of the strategy implemented in previous years and is designed to increase the value of all businesses. On this basis, Eni intends to increase the 2018 dividend to EUR0.83 per share, fully paid in cash. The distribution policy will be progressive and based on underlying earnings and free cash flow growth.

In Refining Eni aims to achieve strong growth in the Plan period with an EBIT of EUR900 million in 2021 and a cumulative free cash flow in 2018-21 of more than EUR2 billion.

To do this, Eni will undertake the following actions:
• Supply and asset optimization in refining activity;
• Restart of the Sannazzaro EST plant by the end of 2018;
• An increase of the "green" refining capacity: the bio-refinery in Gela will be operational by the end of 2018 and the second phase of development of Venice completed by 2021;
• Consolidate leading marketing position in Italy, leveraging new sustainable mobility initiatives.
Gas and Power will grow thanks to the following actions:
• Accelerated development of the LNG portfolio, which will reach 12 million tons per year of contracted volumes in 2021, and 14 million by 2025, also through the enhancement of the equity component, increasing from 30% in 2017 to 70% in 2021;
• Enhancement of the gas portfolio in Europe;
• Growth in the retail sector in Europe, which provides for around 11 million customers in 2021, an increase of 25% compared to 2017. Targeting an additional 11 million customers by 2021.
These actions will allow the business to remain structurally positive in the future, achieving EBIT of 800 million in 2021, of which 60% referred to retail and up over the 300 million of 2018. Free cash flow cumulative of 2018-21 of 2,4 billion euros.
MRC