ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing and BASF Corporation to decrease sulfur emissions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing LLC and BASF Corporation are conducting a full-scale commercial demonstration of a new gas treating solvent at Imperial Oil’s Sarnia Refinery, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The companies jointly developed the new amine-based solvent aimed at meeting stringent sulfur emissions standards with greater efficiency, further raising the bar for tail gas treating and acid gas removal processes.

The innovative technology improves the selective removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and minimizes the co-absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) from gas streams. The highly selective properties of the solvent allow refiners and gas processors to increase capacity and lower operating costs in existing equipment. For new treating facilities, the usage of the technology will reduce the size of the equipment and the initial capital investments.

When used in a tail gas treating unit in conjunction with a Claus sulfur recovery unit (SRU), the new technology has the capability to achieve greater than 99.99% overall sulfur recovery and very low emissions to cope with future requirements. Pilot plant testing has demonstrated superior performance characteristics over methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) formulations and even improvements over FLEXSORB SE/ SE Plus solvents.

"The new solvent technology will provide immediate benefits to ExxonMobil facilities and to our gas treating customers," said Dan Moore, President of ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing LLC. "This commercial demonstration is to tangibly show the new level of performance."

"Thoroughly tested at BASF’s dedicated pilot plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, the solvent showed improved H2S selectivity and lower energy consumption than other selective solvents," said Andreas Northemann, Vice President of BASF Gas Treatment.

As MRC wrote before, in October 2017, ExxonMobil Chemical Company announced that it had commenced production on the first of two new 650,000 tons-per-year high-performance polyethylene (PE) lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ZapSibNeftekhim has prepared its demineralised water unit for commissioning. It is a two-stage reverse osmosis and electric deionisation plant with a total capacity of 244 cu m per hour, as per the company's press release.

"A similar plant is in use at our operating production facility SIBUR Tobolsk," commented Andrey Kolyshnitsyn, Head of Commissioning at ZapSibNeftekhim’s Pyrolysis. “It is designed to treat and fully demineralise process water. In its turn, treated water will be used to feed pyrolysis and butadiene production facilities."

Demineralised water serves as boiler feedwater to generate steam in low and high pressure boilers, fill turbine condensers and other systems in pyrolysis furnaces, and wash feedstock for the methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) production. The technology was developed by EnviroChemie.
mrcplast.com

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) totalled 731,700 tonnes in January-September 2018, up by 2.5% year on year. At the same time, only two out of four Russian producers increased their output, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

September total HDPE production in Russia decreased to 79,200 tonnes, whereas this figure was 81,500 tonnes a month earlier. Shutdown for a scheduled maintenance at Russia's largest producer - Kazanorgsintez - was the main reason. Overall HDPE production reached 731,700 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018, compared to 713,600 tonnes a year earlier. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat and Stavrolen increased their output, whereas Nizhnekamskneftekhim reduced its production by almost twice in favour of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

The structure of polyethylene (PE) production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.

Kazanorgsintez's total HDPE output fell to 38,200 tonnes in September from 46,400 tonnes a month earlier, the Kazan plant shut down its production capacities for a turnaround on 25 September. The Kazan plant's overall HDPE production reached 395,600 tonnes in January-September 2018, which corresponded to the last year's figure.

Stavrolen produced about 25,000 tonnes last month versus 24,500 tonnes in August. The plant's overall HDPE output reached 222,400 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018, up by 8% year on year.

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat reduced its capacity utilisation in September, the plant produced 9,500 tonnes last month, compared to 10,500 tonnes a month earlier. The Bashkir plant's overall HDPE production reached 89,400 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018, up by 39% year on year. Such a high amount of the increase in the output was caused by the absence of a long scheduled maintenance this year.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced HDPE only in April-May and in late September during the stated period. Thus, the Nizhnekamsk producer manufactured only 24,200 tonnes over the incomplete three months of operations versus 46,300 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- McDermott International, Inc. announced it has been awarded a significant contract by LUKOIL NizhegorodNefteorgSyntez, a subsidiary of JSC LUKOIL, for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the Delayed Coker Unit for the Deep Conversion Complex planned to be built in Kstovo, Russia, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This award follows a 2016 award to Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), McDermott's joint venture with Chevron, for its delayed coking technology, and highlights the significance of pull through opportunities that McDermott's Lummus Technology business offers other parts of the organization. In October 2017, McDermott was awarded a detailed engineering, procurement and long lead supply award contract for the project.

"Our ability to provide integrated, end-to-end solutions, from our industry-leading refining technology to a highly efficient project delivery model, has been a deciding factor in securing this win," said Tareq Kawash, McDermott's Senior Vice President for Europe, Africa, Russia and Caspian. "This is also significant for McDermott because it is the company's first downstream EPC project in the Russian Federation."

The contract will be reflected in McDermott's third quarter 2018 backlog.

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, in February 2017, The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine gave permission for the purchase of a 75% stake in Lukoil Chemical B.V. (Netherlands), which owns 100% of LLC "Karpatneftekhim" (Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk region).

Lukoil is one of the leading vertically integrated oil company in Russia. The main activities of the company include operations for exploration and production of oil and gas, production and sale of petroleum products. Lukoil is the second largest private oil Company worldwide by proven hydrocarbon reserves. In Lukoil structure includes one of the largest Russian and Ukrainian petrochemical industries Stavrolen and Karpatneftekhim.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dutch paints and coatings maker Akzo Nobel reported weaker-than-expected revenues , said CNBC.

The company reported a net revenue of 2.33 billion euros (USD2.69 billion), missing Reuters expectations of 2.48 billion euros.

Meanwhile, Akzo Nobel's third-quarter core profit rose 8 percent to 243 million euros, underpinned by higher prices and costs savings.

"I'm encouraged by what we achieved, despite challenging market conditions, including higher raw material costs and adverse foreign currencies," Thierry Vanlancker, CEO of Akzo Nobel, said in a statement.

"Completing the sale of our Specialty Chemicals business was a key milestone in the long and proud history of AkzoNobel as we take the next step in our transformation," he added.

Earlier this year, Akzo Nobel sold its Specialty Chemicals division for 10 billion euros to Carlyle Group after it rejected an unwanted takeover offer from U.S. rival PPG Industries in 2017.

In September 2018, Akzo Nobel acquired Xylazel S.A., a 100% subsidiary of Pharma Mar S.A. With this acquisition AkzoNobel strengthens its business and becomes a leader in the decorative paints market in Spain. It also means the company is now the leader in the country's woodcare segment and has strengthened its position in metal care. The transaction marks the 45-year anniversary of AkzoNobel on the Spanish market.

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.
MRC