Formosa to shut Mailiao EDC & VCM plant for maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Plastics corporation (FPC) is likely to shut its ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plant in Mailiao, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the company has schedule to take the plant off-line for maintenance in mid-June 2018. The plant is expected to remian off-line for around one month.

Located at Mailiao, Taiwan, the EDC plant has a production capacity of 1.65 million mt/year and VCM plant has a production capacity of 800,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, on 19 March, 2018, Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPCC) undertook an emergency shutdown at its No. 1 cracker in Mailiao owing to technical issues. The plant remained off-line for around one day. Located at Mailiao in Taiwan, the No. 1 cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 700,000 mt/year, propylene production capacity of 350,000 mt/year and butadiene production capacity of 109,000 mt/year.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A. Schulman has announced that during a special stockholder meeting its stockholders approved the merger agreement, under which LyondellBasell Industries will acquire all of the outstanding shares of A. Schulman common stock, as per CNBC.

A. Schulman stockholders also approved the non-binding advisory proposal regarding executive compensation related to the merger.

"A. Schulman shareholders have solidly affirmed the value that the Company’s merger with LyondellBasell represents. This outcome serves the best interests of all our stakeholders including our customers, suppliers, employees and the communities in which we operate," stated Joseph M. Gingo, chairman, president and chief executive officer of A. Schulman.

Upon completion of the merger, A. Schulman stockholders will be entitled to receive USD42.00 in cash and one contingent value right for each share of A. Schulman’s common stock.

The closing of the merger remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approvals from competition agencies in each of the European Union and Russia as well as CFIUS approval. A. Schulman and LyondellBasell continue to target closing the transaction in the third calendar quarter of 2018; however, there can be no assurance regarding timing of completion of regulatory approvals, which could delay timing of the closing.

As MRC informed previously, in the second half of May 2018, LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, announced that it has received unconditional clearance from the Chinese State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) for its pending acquisition of A. Schulman.

A. Schulman, Inc. is a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds, composites and resins headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Since 1928, the company has been providing innovative solutions to meet its customers' demanding requirements. The company's customers span a wide range of markets such as packaging, mobility, building & construction, electronics & electrical, agriculture, personal care & hygiene, sports, leisure & home, custom services and others. The company employs approximately 5,200 people and has 54 manufacturing facilities globally. A. Schulman reported net sales of approximately USD2.5 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies and a member of the S&P 500. LyondellBasell manufactures products at 55 sites in 17 countries. LyondellBasell is also a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. The more than 250 polyolefin process licenses granted by LyondellBasell are twice that of any other polyolefin technology licensor.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - SNC-Lavalin announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Project Development & Management International LLC (PDMI) in Oman, to design and deliver a greenfield chlor-akali PVC plant 150km southeast of the Omani capital Muscat, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

SNC-Lavalin will support the project long-term, from concept development to commissioning, carrying out the initial engineering, master planning, process technology evaluation and selection to support project financial investment decision approvals. The subsequent Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract is expected in Q1 2019, where SNC-Lavalin will execute the complete design and delivery, working alongside Omani contractors to maximize in-country value. SNC-Lavalin will also support the operations and maintenance of the plant.

The project capital cost is expected to be in the range of CAD1.9 billion (USD1.5 billion) and will produce around a quarter of a million tons per annum of PVC destined for Asia, and around 140,000 tons per annum of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) that will support local industries. SNC-Lavalin has extensive experience in delivering downstream oil and gas infrastructure around the world, with expertise in greenfield and brownfield petrochemical and refining facilities, and has worked with some clients for over 50 years.

"This contract is a major strategic win for us, helping to grow our business in the region and demonstrate our world-leading credentials in providing end to end solutions for large EPC projects,” said Christian Brown, President, Oil & Gas, SNC-Lavalin. “Oman is an important market for SNC-Lavalin where we have a long history of safely delivering complex major projects. We are pleased to be able to apply our international experience to such a significant project in the region while working hard to increase in-country value and help develop Oman’s resources."

In 2017, SNC-Lavalin was awarded a long-term framework contract from Petroleum Development Oman for the commissioning and start-up support services manager for its upstream assets in Oman. As part of this contract, SNC-Lavalin has set-up a dedicated training academy in Muscat to train and develop multidisciplinary graduate engineers in the specialist field of commissioning.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- U.S. oil refiner Phillips 66 said on Wednesday it planned to spend up to USD1.5 billion on the expansion of its natural gas liquids project in Sweeny, Texas, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The expansion includes the construction of two natural gas liquids fractionators, with a capacity of 150,000 barrel per day (bpd) each, the company said.

DCP Midstream LP said it had an option to buy up to a 30 percent stake in the fractionators. The option would be exercisable once the project is completed and has a capital investment of about USD400 million.

The project, which is set to begin commercial operations in late 2020, will increase Sweeny hub's natural gas liquids refining capacity to 400,000 bpd.

As per MRC, Phillips 66 remains open to developing another ethane cracker for its Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem) joint venture.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Venezuela is considering refining foreign crude for the first time to produce fuels like gasoline or diesel, according to internal planning documents seen by Reuters, in the latest sign of the country's strain to meet obligations to customers despite having the world's largest crude reserves.

State-run PDVSA has drawn up a plan to process up to 57,000 barrels per day (bpd) of foreign crude in June at the country's largest refinery to fulfill export contracts and reduce purchases of fuels for domestic use, the documents showed.

As MRC informed earlier, Portugal is investigating alleged appropriation of funds belonging to Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA that were channeled through now-defunct Portuguese bank Banco Espirito Santo between 2009 and 2014.
MRC