Synthomer launches new Revacryl UltraGreen 1647 for high performance wall paints

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Synthomer takes pride in unveiling the new Revacryl UltraGreen 1647, an innovative, styrene acrylic binder for interior wall paints, as per the company's press release.

With its outstanding wet scrub resistance and pigment loading, it paves the way for wall paints fulfilling EN13300 class 1 wet scrub resistance and hiding power, as well as meeting the strict requirements of ecolabels like RAL UZ 102.

The polymer is designed to have high compatibility with silicate and is stable under high pH condition, making it suitable for silicate paint formulation. Synthomer binders are the basis for many premium coatings applications, for both decorative and protective use. Please contact and talk to one of our technical experts about how our polymer binders can help to elevate the performance of your products.

Synthomer is one of the world’s leading suppliers of emulsions polymers, styrene-butadiene and acrylonitrile-butadiene latexes and specialty polymers. It develops and markets polymers used in a wide range of industries to create and enhance everyday consumer products. Synthomer holds leading positions in their chosen markets and have a proven record to generate added value to its customers through in-depth application know-how and strong R&D support.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russian oil and gas firm Gazprom Neft has agreed to expand cooperation with technology giant IBM in developing new technologies in onshore oil production, as per Compello.

The parties are looking to collaborate on the methodology for the launch of a digital laboratory by the Russian company among other initiatives.

Earlier, this month, Gazprom Neft had signed a collaboration agreement with the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology to establish the digital laboratory to conduct research in the field of modeling of multiphase systems in the oil and gas industry.

Gazprom Neft said that new technologies will be evaluated to boost the efficiency of geological exploration and production of onshore oil reserves. The technologies would involve software created based on artificial intelligence, Big Data, predictive analytics and industrial IoT among others.

The expanded cooperation that covers onshore production is within the framework of an agreement made on strategic cooperation in the field of digital technologies between Gazprom Neft and IBM during this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Gazprom Neft first deputy general director Vadim Yakovlev said: “Together with IBM we will expand the accumulated experience of implementing breakthrough developments in the field of geology and drilling.

“The use of artificial intelligence in the analysis of large data has proved the possibility of increasing the economic efficiency of our projects through making timely and optimal decisions.”

So far, Gazprom Neft and IBM personnel had come up with a joint program for digitally managing oil production processes for onshore fields.

According to the Russian firm, various projects are in progress in the field of automated analysis of the geo-information system with the objective of assessing geology and predicting complications in drilling operations.

Gazprom Neft is also developing a partnership with IBM within the Gazprom Neft Project Management Center. The management center is designed to maximize the accuracy of forecasting results and cut down the time of important onshore oil production projects, said Gazprom Neft.

IBM Russia and the CIS country general manager Andrey Filatov said: "Surveys conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value among the top managers in the oil and gas industry show that the digital transformation is becoming a key driver in making the businesses more efficient.

"It allows the companies to remain leaders even in such competitive industries. IBM’s joint projects with Gazprom Neft are a clear demonstration of such approach."
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- European refiners are winding down oil purchases from Iran, closing the door on a fifth of the OPEC member's crude exports after the United States imposed sanctions on Tehran, reported Reuers with reference to company and trading sources.

The drop in crude purchases from the Islamic republic could complicate efforts by European governments to salvage the Iranian nuclear deal disavowed by US President Donald Trump last month.

Although European governments have not followed Washington by creating new sanctions, banks, insurers and shippers are gradually severing ties with Iran under pressure from the US restrictions, making trade with Tehran complicated and risky.

Trump on May 4 announced his decision to quit the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. The restrictions on Iran's oil sector take effect after a 180-day "wind-down period" ending on Nov. 4.

Ministers from Germany, France and Britain have urged US officials to shield European companies from the sanctions, but refiners are not taking any chances.

"We cannot defy the United States," said a senior source at Italy's Saras, which operates the 300,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) Sarroch refinery in Sardinia.

Saras is determining how best to halt its purchasing of Iranian oil within the permitted 180 days, the source said, adding: "It is not clear yet what the U.S. administration can do but in practice we can get into trouble."

Refiners including France's Total, Italy's Eni and Saras, Spain's Repsol and Cepsa as well as Greece's Hellenic Petroleum are preparing to halt purchases of Iranian oil once sanctions bite, the sources said.

These refiners account for most of Europe's purchases of Iranian crude, which represent around a fifth of the country's oil exports.

Iran's crude sales to foreign buyers averaged around 2.5 million bpd in recent months, according to data collected by Reuters and EU statistics office Eurostat. The bulk of the exports go to Asia.

The companies, most of which have long-term contracts with Iran's national oil company, will continue to purchase cargoes until the sanctions take effect, the sources said.

Total, Europe's largest refiner, does not intend to request a waiver to continue crude oil trading with Iran after Nov. 4, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. That effectively means it will be unable to keep purchasing crude.

Eni said it had an oil supply contract outstanding for the purchase of 2 million barrels per month, expiring at the end of the year.

Repsol and Hellenic Petroleum declined to comment.

"Our trading activity (remains) business as usual ... We continue to strictly conform with European Union and international laws and regulations," a Cepsa spokesman said.

Iranian crude can be substituted by Russian Ural grades, whose prices have risen following the US announcement, as well as crude from Saudi Arabia, trading sources said.

Some of the refiners, including Cepsa, are considering whether to request a waiver from US authorities to continue buying beyond the November deadline in order to complete their term agreements.

"With a longer-term contract in place, we're hoping to get a six-month waiver," an industry source close to Cepsa said. "From November, we don't know if any cuts will have to be partial or total."

Crude trade between Iran and Europe has risen sharply since the lifting of tough sanctions on Tehran in 2015.

But banks, shipping firms and insurance companies are now distancing themselves from the Islamic republic, leaving Europe's refiners few options but to stop oil purchases.

"It's a matter of finding a tanker and an insurer that will cover it. It's definitely not easy right now," a source at Repsol said.

Hellenic had to stop imports because the Swiss bank that it used was no longer processing payments to Iran, an industry source familiar with the situation said.

Asian buyers are also expected to reduce their purchases. India's Reliance Industries Ltd, owner of the world's biggest refining complex, plans to halt oil imports from Iran, two sources familiar with the matter said last week.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kazakhstan is set to rival Russian firms in the lucrative Central Asian fuel market once it finishes upgrading its oil refineries, reported Reuters with reference to officials in Astana and industry sources.

The government is considering halting light oil product imports from Russia and lifting a ban on such exports that was originally imposed to ensure reliable supplies on the domestic market, they said.

Astana has been looking at selling into other former Soviet republics and beyond - a market dominated by Russia - for some time. "Central Asia and Afghanistan are the key markets for Kazakhstan," Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said last year.

But now Kazakhstan - the region's second biggest crude oil producer after Russia - is achieving a surplus over its own gasoline and diesel needs, meaning it can start acting on the idea.

Kazakhstan is rapidly expanding production at its three large refineries. It has completed upgrading the Pavlodar plant, with work at Atyrau and Shymkent expected to be finished soon, the energy ministry said in response to Reuters questions.

The plants' combined annual oil products output will increase by eight percent to 15.3 million tonnes this year, while gasoline and diesel production will exceed Kazakhstan's domestic demand by 1.5 - 2.0 million tonnes per year, the energy ministry said.

Despite producing 1.74 million barrels of crude per day, Kazakhstan has long imported oil products from its former Soviet-era master Russia due to the past lack of refining capacity. These amount to around 1.7 million tonnes a year.

Its ambitions mark another step away from Moscow for Kazakhstan, where around 85 percent of the population are fluent Russian speakers, but which is planning to a switch to a Latin-based alphabet from Cyrillic.

Kazakhstan has already faced overproduction of gasoline this year, which has led to lower prices.

Aiming to remove the surplus, the government plans to ban imports of the popular A-92 grade of gasoline and secure a deal to supply neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, the energy ministry told Reuters in an email.

"The government wants to start active discussions of these issues in parliament in June," a source close to the government said.

According to the energy ministry estimates, imports of Russian A-92 gasoline reached 386,000 tonnes in January-April, surpassing the plan of 280,000 tonnes.

For the whole of 2018, Russia is set to supply 800,000 tonnes of gasoline, 520,000 tonnes of diesel and 300,000 tonnes of jet fuel to Kazakhstan as Moscow raises exports due to its own extensive refineries modernisation.

Kazakhstan, in its turn, may export 200,000-300,000 tonnes of gasoline this year, increasing to 500,000 tonnes in 2019, according to industry sources and Reuters calculations.

Combined annual imports of light oil products by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan stand at around 3.7 million tonnes. Kazakhstan's energy ministry declined to comment on the figures.

Russia's Rosneft, Gazprom Neft and privately-owned Forteinvest are the main players on the Central Asian fuel market. Spokespeople for all three companies declined to comment.

However, a source at Gazprom Neft, which has a network of gasoline stations in the region, said that the company may consider buying gasoline and diesel from Kazakhstan if it is more profitable than shipments from Russia.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bayer AG closed its USD63 billion acquisition of Monsanto Co., emerging from an arduous two-year antitrust review as the biggest seed and agricultural chemicals maker in the world, as per Bloomberg.

The deal’s closing is just the beginning of another tough task: knitting the two companies together. Integration should begin in about two months, once the sale of some of Bayer’s agriculture assets to BASF SE is complete. The combined unit will be based in Monheim, Germany, while the North American business and seeds division will be led from St. Louis.

The transaction, which will double the size of Bayer’s agriculture business, means “we will be even better placed to help the world’s farmers grow more healthy and affordable food in a sustainable manner,” Bayer Chairman Werner Baumann said in a statement on Thursday.

Bayer has sold off its plastics business and remade itself into a life-science company with half its sales from health and half from agriculture. The takeover also marks the third in a series of mega-deals in the industry, following Dow Chemical Co.’s merger with DuPont Co. and China National Chemical Corp.’s takeover of Syngenta AG.

To soothe regulators’ concerns about whether enough competitors would remain in the market, Bayer agreed to sell about 7.6 billion euros (USD9 billion) in assets to BASF. They include field seeds as well as Bayer’s vegetable-seeds business, some seed treatments and digital farming projects.
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