MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has announced it has ended discussions with Odebrecht S.A. concerning the potential acquisition of Braskem, as per the company's press release.
Odebrecht S.A. is the controlling shareholder of Sao Paulo-based Braskem.
"The combination of LyondellBasell and Braskem is compelling because of the companies' complementary strengths, product portfolios and operational footprints. However, after careful consideration, we jointly decided not to pursue the transaction. We want to thank the teams at Odebrecht and Braskem for their cooperation during the entire process," said LyondellBasell CEO Bob Patel.
"We remain focused on advancing our disciplined, value-driven growth strategy. In addition, we intend to expedite our share repurchase program, which currently allows for the repurchase of up to 37 million of our outstanding shares. Our strong cash flows, ample liquidity, and healthy balance sheet allow us to deliver a growing, top-quartile dividend, advance organic growth, and maintain optionality for M&A opportunities while executing these significant opportunistic share repurchases," said Patel.
As MRC wrote previously, in August 2016, LyondellBasell made the final investment decision to build a high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant on the US Gulf Coast. The plant will have an annual capacity of 1.1 billion pounds (500,000 metric tons) and will be the first commercial plant to employ LyondellBasell's new proprietary Hyperzone PE technology. The start-up of the new plant is scheduled for 2019.
LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
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