Yeosu HDPE units to be shut by LG Chem

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LG Chem is in plans to take a No.1 & No. 2 high density polyethylene (HDPE) units off-stream for a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in South Korea informed that the company has schedule to start turnaround at the units in end-October 2018. The planned shutdow is expected to remain in force until end-November 2018.

Located at Yeosu in South Korea, the No. 1 & 2 HDPE units have a production capacity of 200,000 mt/year each.

As MRC informed before, Seoul's LG Chem is planning to spend USD2.4-billion to expand its naphtha cracking center (NCC) and polyolefin (PO) plant in Yeosu, South Korea. The project, which will expand the NCC and PO facility by 800,000 t/y each, is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021.

LG Chem Ltd., often referred to as LG Chemical, is the largest Korean chemical company and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. According to ICIS report, it is 15th biggest chemical company in the world in 2011. It has eight domestic factories and global network of 29 business locations in 15 countries. LG Chem is a manufacturer, supplier, and exporter of petrochemical goods, IT&E Materials and Energy Solutions.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kraiburg TPE’s trade fair appearance at Fakuma 2018 will focus, among other things, on a new, innovative technology for thermoplastic elastomer hybrids featuring an application-specific combination and a modifiability that are superior to the options provided by classic thermoplastic vulcanizates, as per the company's press release.

Materials made by mixing thermoplastics and crosslinked elastomers are mainly known as EPDM/PP blends. Although they combine application properties of elastomers with thermoplastic processability, they are limited when high performance is required such as contact with other media at high temperatures. This contrasts with an increased demand for materials that are suited for thermoplastic processing and, in particular, offer superior heat and chemical resistance. Kraiburg TPE classifies these materials as thermoplastic elastomer hybrids (TEH) to differentiate them from known TPV blends such as EPDM/PP.

Kraiburg TPE has developed and tested a trendsetting TEH manufacturing technology. The resulting application-engineered TEH materials are not only a response to the current and emerging challenges the company faces in the market, but they are also a new performance class for thermoplastic processors.

"Our TEH manufacturing technology enables us to combine different mixtures of various elastomers and thermoplastics with respective crosslinked systems to form materials with unprecedented properties. Due to their performance, the new materials can be regarded as an alternative to corresponding rubber compounds.

Their properties include high media and temperature resistances, which are adjusted to the requirements of each application,” explains Dr. Frieder Vielsack, Head of Advance Development at KRAIBURG TPE. And he adds: "This technology gives us the flexibility to tailor the material’s property profile to the requirements of specific applications".

The resulting compounds can not only be used as an alternative to common crosslinked rubber solutions that is economically convincing and processable like thermoplastics, but they also offer appealing options for multi-component applications when bonded with technical plastics such as polyamides and thermoplastic polyesters. They can be processed with common injection molding machines and extrusion lines, do not require any finishing and are completely recyclable. Black and natural are the standard colors.

The performance properties of these TEH materials include hardness from 55 to 80 Shore A, permanent operating temperatures of up to 150 C (302 F) and chemical stability against materials such as oils, lubricants, fuels and coolants. Thus they are particularly suitable for use in the environment of combustion engines, in heat management of drives and batteries for electric vehicles, as well as in lubrication and cooling systems of machines, process technology and buildings. Direct applications include seals and gaskets, plugs and connectors, lids and covers.

"The new TEH compounds that are matched to individual applications benefit from our proven materials know-how, solid market expertise and the way in which we are resolutely oriented toward our customers," adds Franz Hinterecker, CEO at Kraiburg TPE. "The versatility and performance of the innovative technology confirm our commitment as a supplier of ‘custom-engineered TPEs and more‘."

As MRC reported earlier, in December 2017, Kraiburg TPE presented a new series of thermoplastic elastomers from its Thermolast K family that was specially developed for excellent adhesion and UV resistance in two-component applications with ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM). The new compounds are intended for automotive applications such as EPDM window trim and sealing profiles with moulded TPE corner joints and end elements.

Kraiburg Rubber (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. was established in 2005 and is part of the Waldkraiburg-based German company Kraiburg Holding GmbH & Co. KG. The company produces a wide range of standard rubber compounds (based on NR, EPDM, CR, AEM, SBR, FKM, etc.) for automotive, building and construction applications, and other industrial markets as well as highly customised products for all kinds of industries at its Suzhou site. The compounds are produced on highly automated and fully process-controlled mixing lines, based on state-of-the-art technology. The company has 130 employees.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art lubricants oil blending plant, strategically located in the Kaluga region of the Russian Federation, as per the company's press release.

The grand opening ceremony took place today, October 15th, in the presence of Anatoly Artamonov, Governor of the Kaluga Region, and Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of Total.

This blending and production plant will allow Total to localize the production of its top-tier lubricants for the Russian market. With an investment equivalent to USD50 million, this facility has been designed to produce initially 40,000 tons of automotive and industrial lubricants per year, with a scale-up option to bring this capacity up to 70,000 tons per year.

The plant is equipped with a fully automated blending system and ultramodern filling lines. Covering an area of 7 hectares of the Vorsino industrial park in the Kaluga Region, this facility opens less than two years after the start of construction. Its operations are creating 50 new working positions onsite.

"As illustrated by our commitment to major LNG projects in the Arctic, Russia has become a key country for Total. In addition to our upstream activities, Russia is also one of the highest priority development markets for our Marketing & Services and downstream products, especially lubricants" underlined Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of Total. " With this production & blending facility opening in Kaluga today, we are showing our strong dedication to our Russian customers. This new plant will strengthen our position in the Russian and Central Asian markets. It is fully in line with our strategy to grow profitability in developing markets and contribute strongly to the Group’s financial performance."

"The opening of Total factory once again confirms the economic and investment attractiveness of the Kaluga region for international partners.” commented Anatoly Artamonov, Governor of the Kaluga region. “We aspire to provide the best conditions for companies which understand the importance of production localization in Russia, develop the import substitution policy and take care about the environment by creating ecologically safe production plants. The Government of the region is ready to support them in such important and long-term projects".

This new plant will produce the entire range of Total and Elf lubricants products including: "Total Quartz" for passenger cars, "Total Rubia" for commercial vehicles, a full range of industrial oils, the "Fuel Economy" lubricants line, which allows both commercial and passenger vehicles as well as off-road vehicles to significantly reduce their fuel consumption.

In addition to the Russian market, Total Vostok also plans to ship products to a number of countries in Central Asia and to Belarus. With the start of this local production, consumer companies in the region will benefit from several advantages: a reduced dependence on imports, a significant decrease in both production and delivery times and an optimization of logistics and storage costs for the final products.

As MRC wrote before, in December 2017, Total inaugurated the new units at its Antwerp integrated refining & petrochemicals platform, which have progressively started up in the previous few months.

Total Vostok , subsidiary of the Marketing & Services Division of Total, is supplying automotive lubricants of Total and Elf brands, a wide range of industrial lubricants, as well as special fluids, fuel additives and special fuels to the Russian market. In addition to the extensive distribution network, stretching from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, Total Vostok has branches in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and Kazan.

Total Lubricants is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of engine oils and lubricants. It has 35 production plants worldwide and more than 5,800 employees in more than 100 countries. Total Lubrifiants offers innovative, efficient and environmentally responsible products and services developed by more than 130 researchers at its R&D center. Total Lubricants is a partner of choice for the automotive, industrial and marine markets.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Chevron Corp reported unplanned flaring at its 269,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in El Segundo, California, according to a filing with state pollution regulators, asp er Reuters.

The filing with the South Coast Air Quality Management District listed event start date as Oct. 13, 7:26 a.m.(local time) and event end date as Oct. 13, 3:00 p.m.(local time).

A refinery uses its safety flare when hydrocarbons cannot be processed normally due to a malfunction or planned work.

As MRC informed earlier, in July 2016, USD36.8bn expansion of the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan, the largest investment by private sector oil companies this decade, was given the go-ahead by Chevron of the US, bucking the trend of delays and cancellations resulting from the slump in crude prices since mid-2014.

Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. One of the successor companies of Standard Oil, it is headquartered in San Ramon, California, and active in more than 180 countries. Chevron is engaged in every aspect of the oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy industries, including hydrocarbon exploration and production; refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and power generation.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The global leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) service provider Wison Engineering Services Co. Ltd. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Wison Engineering Ltd. has signed an EPC contract, approximately USD150 million, with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) for a Utilities Park & Pilot Plants project, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Dr. Fahad AL-Sherehy, SABIC Vice President, Technology & Innovation, and ZOU Yu, President of Wison Engineering (Middle East) attended the signing ceremony and on behalf of both parties formally signed the contract.

The park and plants project is part of the ongoing SABIC Technology Center ("STC") expansion plan in Jubail, marking SABIC's biggest investment in innovation, globally. Once the expansion plan completed, the fully integrated complex will be the biggest of SABIC's 21 global technology and innovation centers spread across different regions.

Wison Engineering has successfully delivered seven EPC projects on schedule to SABIC since 2012. Earlier this year, Wison Engineering established the Middle East Operation Centre in Saudi Arabia, regarding the Middle East market as the most important market in its global strategic development.

At the signing ceremony, ZOU Yu said, "Wison Engineering deeply appreciates the trust and support SABIC has given to us throughout the years. We are also glad to get SABIC project again. Based on our rich successful experience of SABIC seven projects that Wison has delivered, we will continue working hard to achieve the successful delivery of the project with excellent management and project execution."

"The signing of the contract demonstrates the recognition of international clients for our capability to implement EPC projects in petrochemical sector and enhances Wison Engineering's reputation among the suppliers of project owners, laying a foundation for us to fight for projects with larger scales in the future. We will continue provide premier services to clients, strengthen the bond of trust with them and proactively respond to Saudi Government's vision for 2030 in order to create more values for local clients and drive social and economic development." ZHENG Shifeng, Senior Vice President of Wison Engineering, added.

In July 2017, Wison Engineering Services Co. Ltd. announced that its non-wholly owned affiliated company, Wison Engineering (China) Limited, has been awarded an engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction (EPFC) contract for one section of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) project in Texas by Formosa Plastics Corporation.
MRC