Sinochem Energy files for USD2B Hong Kong listing

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinochem Energy, a unit of China’s state-owned Sinochem Group, has filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) of about USD2 billion, as the group seeks to raise capital amid a shift to higher-value businesses, including petrochemicals production, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Sinochem Energy operates the group’s oil and petroleum products trading, refining, storage and logistics, as well as distribution and retail businesses, but not its struggling upstream business that includes overseas oil and gas production.

Reuters reported in April that the group had hired seven banks for the listing of its key oil assets that was expected to raise about USD2 billion.

The proposed float comes amid a push by Beijing to inject new life into bloated state-owned enterprises by encouraging private capital investment in such enterprises.

China Tower, the world’s largest telecoms tower operator, for example, is raising up to USD8.7 billion in its Hong Kong listing. The state-owned firm has secured USD1.4 billion from 10 cornerstone investors.

Beijing is also looking to create bigger, stronger state firms, and build globally competitive enterprises.

Sinochem Group is set to merge with state-owned ChemChina, which in 2016 agreed to buy Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta for USD43 billion.

The Sinochem-ChemChina deal will create the world’s biggest industrial chemicals firm worth around USD120 billion, to be led by Sinochem Chairman Frank Ning.

Sinochem Energy’s IPO plans have been pushed ahead by Ning, who joined its parent group in early 2016 from food group COFCO, where he was well known for aggressive restructuring and M&A.

Under his leadership, several Sinochem units have been given more leeway in their expansion plans and more support for tapping capital markets for fundraising.

Hit by low oil prices over the last few years, Beijing-based Sinochem Group has aimed to shift from exploration and production to value-added refining and retailing businesses.
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Venezuela-run Isla refinery in Curacao not operating

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Venezuelan-run 335,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Isla refinery in Curacao is down after an operational problem triggered a blackout, refinery spokesman Earl Balborda said, adding he expected "progress" to reactivate operations this week, reported Reuters.

Isla was only producing some 50,000 bpd before a problem at the unit that supplies the refinery with compressed air, water and power, Balborda added. The refinery has been working far below capacity due to insufficient deliveries of crude from Venezuela, where oil production has fallen.

Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA did not respond to a request for comment.

As MRC informed before, Curacao’s Isla refinery is considering offers from 15 companies interested in temporarily operating the 335,000-barrel-per-day facility to replace the current operator, Venezuela’s ailing PDVSA state oil company, the refinery and the Curacao government said in a joint statement in late July 2018.
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AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals to acquire leading South American organic peroxides maker

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals has finalized an agreement to acquire Brazilian firm Polinox, South America’s leading producer of ketone peroxides, essential in the manufacture of polymers, as per the company's press release.

The acquisition will expand the company’s footprint in South America, and establish it as one of the region’s leading producers of curing systems for polyester thermoset resins. The sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018.

"Our business is on a growth trajectory," said Johan Landfors, Executive Committee Member responsible for Polymer Chemistry. "Over the past three years, we have invested more than EUR180 million to better serve our customers, upgrade technologies, increase capacity, and reposition our global manufacturing footprint. The acquisition of Polinox presents a great opportunity to further strengthen our presence in the South American market."

The company will acquire Polinox’s brands and trademarks, which include Brasnox, Perbenzox and TecnoxSuper, as well as its customer list and production knowhow. AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals will invest to add capacity in its own site at Itupeva, Brazil and transfer manufacturing there after the expansion is completed.

"It is very gratifying to look back over the years and think about everything that we were able to accomplish here at Polinox," said Managing Director Roberto Pontifex. "AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals is highly respected in South America, and I am excited to know that Polinox will play a part in its growth ambitions."

Werner Fuhrmann, CEO of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, added: "This is an exciting opportunity to further expand our position in an important growth market. Making smart, strategic acquisitions is another key element of our strategy to invest to grow with our customers."

As MRC informed previously, in June 2018, AkzoNobel entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Fabryo Corporation S.R.L. (Fabryo), becoming the leader in the Romanian decorative paints market. The transaction includes two production facilities and six distribution centers for decorative paints, adhesives and mortars, including one of the largest decorative paints factories in the region, with capacity for further expansion.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
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MOL Group and APK form strategic partnership for plastic recycling

MOSCOW (MRC) -- MOL Group and APK AG signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Merseburg on 1 August, 2018. As a first step in the cooperation MOL will support the completion of APK’s Merseburg plant, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will serve as a pilot for the innovative solvent-based process, called Newcycling, which enables the recovery of high-quality materials from complex multi-layer packaging.

Ferenc Horvath, MOL Group’s EVP for Downstream commented: "In line with MOL 2030 strategy, we are taking steps to grow our petrochemicals business and enter knowledge-intensive industries together with strategic partners. We see a growing demand from our customers for recycled plastics and at the same time, we are also fully committed to the idea of circular economy and sustainability. We aspire to become leaders in recycling in Central and Eastern Europe and with today’s agreement we are marking the first milestone on this journey. MOL, as an established polymer player in CEE, together with an innovative partner as APK will work on further developing the Newcycling technology and bringing it to our core region where the need and the potential for plastic waste recycling is significant."

APK developed an innovative recycling technology named Newcycling that can be applied to a broad variety of mixed plastic types and process them into high-quality recyclates. The first Newcycling plant using APK’s core technology is currently being set-up at APK’s headquarter in Merseburg.

Klaus Wohnig, APK’s speaker of the management board pointed out: "In the last couple of years, APK developed - funded by its financial investors MIG Fonds and AT Newtec - its Newcycling technology considerably and is reaching market maturity now, which we have proven in joint projects with leading players in the packaging, FMCG and plastics industry. We are proud to enter now into a strategic partnership with MOL, a highly-reputed player in the polymer industry, in order to finalize our new plant in Merseburg and to enter jointly CEE, which we assess to be a very interesting market in future, since there is expected to be a strong trend from landfill and incineration towards recycling and a truly circular plastics economy. And with MOL’s strong roots in this region, we think MOL is the perfect partner to step into CEE."

One of the cornerstones of MOL Group 2030 strategy is to expand the company’s petrochemicals value chain. As such MOL Group plans to invest around USD 4.5 billion until the end of the next decade into petrochemical and chemical growth projects. As part of this growth strategy, MOL Group intends to build up its recycling capabilities, as plastic recycling is the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly option for a responsible management of plastic waste. Plastic packaging is one of the key strategic segments defined in MOL’s 2030 Enter Tomorrow Strategy and a sector where both partners recognize a growing demand for recycled materials.

As MRC reported earlier, in June 2018, MOL Group entered into a strategic partnership with INOVACAT, a Dutch technology innovator in the refining and petrochemical industries. The cooperation is expected to further upscale and commercializes INOVACAT’s breakthrough GASOLFINTM technology that converts naphtha into propylene, butylene and BTX (benzene, toluene, and xylene), while supporting MOL’s strategic objective to become a leading chemical company in Central Eastern Europe.
MRC

BASF completes acquisition of certain assets from Bayer

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has completed its acquisition of most of the businesses and assets from Bayer that the company was required to divest as part of its purchase of Monsanto, as per AgriPulse.

Included in the nearly USD9 billion purchase price is Bayer’s digital farming business and its global glufosinate-ammonium business.

"This strategic move adds excellent assets to our strong agricultural solutions portfolio and enhances our innovation potential,” said Dr. Martin Brudermuller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer of BASF SE. “Overall, it ensures an even more comprehensive and attractive offering to our customers."

In October, Bayer agreed to sell its global glufosinate-ammonium non-selective herbicide business, commercialized under the Liberty, Basta and Finale brands, as well as its seed businesses for key row crops in select markets, to BASF for about USD7 billion. In April, Bayer agreed to add its global vegetable seeds business and other assets, such as certain glyphosate-based herbicides in Europe that are predominantly used in industrial applications.

The addition of those assets boosted the overall price of the sale to nearly USD9 billion.

Paul Rea, senior vice president of BASF’s North American crop division, offered more detail on the purchases. "The scope now includes Bayer’s R&D platform for hybrid wheat and canola-quality juncea; a number of seed treatment products; and the complete digital farming platform Xarvio." The company said it expects the acquisition of Bayer’s vegetable seed business to be completed soon.

Scott Kay, BASF’s vice president-U.S. Crop, said today on a conference call with reporters that "by adding glufosinate to our broad herbicide portfolio, we can provide farmers with complementary crop protection and are able to develop new formulations and mixtures for better resistance management."

He added, "Our new seeds business in key field crops such as canola, cotton, soy and wheat, gives farmers more options in high-quality seeds."

As MRC wrote previously, in December 2016, AkzoNobel finalized the acquisition of BASF’s global Industrial Coatings business, which supplies a range of products for industries including construction, domestic appliances, wind energy and commercial transport, strengthening its position as the global number one supplier in coil coatings. The transaction included relevant technologies, patents and trademarks, as well as two manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Approximately 400 employees from BASF’s Industrial Coatings business join AkzoNobel, bringing expertise to innovate and serve an expanded customer base worldwide.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
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