Air Liquide signs long-term supply agreement with GCGV and will build new Air Separation Unit

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Liquide has signed a long-term agreement with Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV), a 50/50 joint venture between ExxonMobil and SABIC, to supply oxygen and nitrogen from its industrial gas pipeline network to GCGV’s planned ethane cracker facility located near Corpus Christi, in Texas, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

To support the new agreement and additional volumes, Air Liquide plans to invest nearly 140 million USD to build a new world-scale Air Separation Unit in Bay City, Texas, and related infrastructure investments.

Air Liquide will supply 2,000 tons per day of oxygen and 900 tons per day of nitrogen to GCGV’s planned 1.8 million tons per year ethane cracker facility. Air Liquide will also add nearly eight miles of pipeline to connect GCGV to its Gulf Coast Pipeline System, strengthening Air Liquide’s extensive capabilities throughout the Gulf Coast region of the US, and its position in the growing industrial basin of Corpus Christi, where it has been present since the mid-1930’s.

In addition to delivering full requirements for oxygen and nitrogen to GCGV’s new petrochemical plant, the production capacity from the Bay City ASU, and its connection to Air Liquide’s expansive pipeline network along the Gulf Coast, will enable Air Liquide to retire older, less efficient assets. By modernizing its asset fleet, Air Liquide provides enhanced competitiveness to its customers over the long term and reduces the carbon intensity of its operations, hence contributing to achieving its 2025 Climate Objectives.

With Air Liquide’s ability to provide large volumes of oxygen and nitrogen via its integrated production and supply network, customers can benefit from a safe, flexible and reliable supply to meet their growing demands.

"Air Liquide is proud to be part of this word-class project and to collaborate with industry leaders like ExxonMobil and SABIC. This long-term agreement and investment in the new Bay City, Texas ASU, further demonstrates Air Liquide’s strong position and extensive capabilities in the Gulf Coast region of the US and its commitment to providing customers with sustainable, high quality solutions to meet their growing needs safely, reliably and with excellence," Michael Graff, Air Liquide Group Executive Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee said.

As MRC informed before, in April 2018, Air Liquide signed a new long-term agreement with LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies, to supply oxygen to LyondellBasell’s new large-scale petrochemical plant which will be constructed in Channelview, Texas.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Global EPC and turnkey management company Nuberg EPC has been selected by SCE Chemicals, Morocco as the EPC lump sum contractor to establish a new Chlor-Alkali plant, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will produce caustic soda, hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite chlorine.

The new production line will be established at Jorf Lasfar Parc Industrial Medz in El-Jadida, Morocco and is due for completion in late 2020. The project was penned down at SCE Chemicals office in Casablanca, Morocco, where Mr. AK Tyagi, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Nuberg, Mr. Moutawakkil Abdelkebir, General Manager, SCE and dignitaries from both companies were present.

SCE is an industrial company operating in the fields of chemistry and agriculture. It holds considerable resources for producing and marketing its products such as sulfonic acid, sodium silicate, SLES, Aluminium sulfate and others. The specialized areas of SCE are the detergent and cosmetics, the water treatment and the timber industry. Chlorine and caustic soda are important raw materials for pharmaceutical products.

"We are honored that Nuberg EPC is to deliver its first chlor-alkali plant in Morocco. SCE Chemicals has entrusted us with the opportunity to play a key role in helping them to build the plant," comments Nuberg Engineering CMD, Mr. AK Tyagi. Nuberg EPC has a proven track record of global experience in setting up more than 20 chlor alkali plants around the world including Egypt, Sweden, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and now adding Morocco in the list. "The essential capabilities and project management competencies make Nuberg EPC deliver best-in-class technology along with a complete world-class turnkey solution," continues Mr. AK Tyagi.

Mr. Moutawakkil Abdelkebir, General Manager, SCE Chemicals said, "We are happy to announce our association with the specialized chlor-alkali EPC & LSTK company, Nuberg EPC, for our chlor-alkali project". Chlorine derivatives produced from the plant will be used for disinfection and water treatment industrial processes.

The plant will have the most advanced bipolar membrane cell technology licensed from UK based Inovyn.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The global chemical company Oxea has decided to further expand its production capacities for TCD Alcohol to meet market demand. Following a successful initial feasibility study, said the company,

the Board of Directors approved the capacity increase investment for TCD Alcohol in Oberhausen, Germany. Basic engineering is about to begin, and Oxea expects the additional capacity to be available by the second half of 2021. TCD Alcohol finds uses in optoelectronics, packaging, automotive applications, as well as in specialty adhesives and surface coating systems.

“Oxea has initiated this capacity increase project for this important, highly functional molecule as a commitment to our customers. We feel responsible for supplying the market by increasing product availability and strengthening supply reliability. Once the project has been completed in 2021, we expect to cover the anticipated demand of the global TCD Alcohol market for the upcoming years,” said Jorge Moshe Castro Roldan, Global Business Director Specialty Polyols, Higher Aldehydes & Amines at Oxea.

“With the strategic investment into the new TCD Alcohol capacity expansion project Oxea continues on its successful growth path and further strengthens its global leadership position,” commented Markus Hoschke, Executive Vice President Global Marketing & Sales at Oxea.

Oxea is a global manufacturer of oxo intermediates and oxo derivatives, such as alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, specialty esters, and amines. These products are used for the production of high-quality coatings, lubricants, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, flavorings and fragrances, printing inks and plastics. Oxea employs more than 1,400 people worldwide. Oxea is part of the Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. (OOC), a commercial company wholly owned by the Government of Oman. Established in 1996, it pursues investment opportunities in the wider energy sector both inside and outside Oman. OOC plays an important role in the Sultanate's efforts to diversify the economy and to promote domestic and foreign investments.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Trelleborg, through its Trelleborg Industrial Solutions business area, has signed an agreement and finalised the acquisition of the engineering group Signum Technology, said Britishplastics.

The group delivers safety critical solutions for flow control for the oil, gas, and petrochemicals industries, such as marine breakaway couplings and LNG transfer systems.

The acquisition complements and extends Trelleborg’s product portfolio and strengthens Trelleborg as a system provider, primarily to the fast-growing LNG transfer market segment.

Jean-Paul Mindermann, President if the Trelleborg Industrial Solutions business area, said: “We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of Signum. Combined, we are creating a very attractive offering of integrated packages and safety critical systems for both LNG ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore transfer in demanding industries.”

“Signum has a reputation for quality and innovation, very much like Trelleborg. This acquisition will also further strengthen our geographic coverage, notably in the aftermarket and service business, hence a really good fit for us in many aspects.”

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- With US sanctions blocking Venezuela from selling oil to the United States, state-owned energy firm PDVSA has turned to several little-known buyers that include a tiny Turkish company with no refineries but ties to President Nicolas Maduro’s government, reported Reuters with reference to internal documents and a PDVSA source.

Until recently, some of the world’s largest petroleum and refining firms, including US companies Chevron and Valero Energy, lined up to take Venezuelan oil cargoes and PDVSA had a rigorous vetting process to ensure potential buyers had the capacity to pay.

But US sanctions imposed in January in an effort to oust Maduro have driven away many of those customers. PDVSA’s exports have slumped by more than a fifth since sanctions were imposed, according to company records and Refinitiv Eikon data. Its biggest buyers today are Chinese and Indian companies.

Three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that directors at a March 14 meeting of PDVSA’s board temporarily waived some requirements for new customers or suppliers, including that of having at least two years’ experience in the oil industry.

Neither PDVSA nor Venezuela’s oil ministry responded to requests for comment for this story.

In the wake of the changes, a Turkish company called Grupo Iveex Insaat started buying Venezuelan oil in April, according to documents related to PDVSA loading plans and internal reports on exports and imports for the first half of the year reviewed by Reuters.

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce records show that Iveex Insaat was formed less than a year ago with capital of just 10,000 lira (USD1,775) and listed “residential construction” as its main activity.

It was one of only five firms that loaded tankers to take Venezuela’s upgraded crude - among its most valuable oil - from April through June, the documents showed. Iveex loaded four cargoes of Venezuelan crude and products in April - equivalent to just under 8 percent of Venezuela’s oil exports - and nothing in May or June, according to PDVSA documents.

Turkish corporate records show Iveex Insaat is owned by Miguel Silva, a Venezuelan businessman who heads the Caracas-based Venezuelan Exporters’ Chamber and also served as a housing ministry commissioner in Maduro’s administration.

Reuters was unable to determine the terms under which Iveex Insaat is receiving Venezuelan oil and was unable to confirm who would ultimately buy and refine the crude, as the company has no refineries.

Neither Iveex Insaat nor Silva responded to requests for comment.

The PDVSA source, a shipping broker and a maritime inspector - all of whom declined to be named - told Reuters that Iveex had agreed to deliver refined products to Venezuela in exchange for receiving crude. With its refinery network crippled by maintenance issues, the OPEC nation has struggled with severe fuel shortages in recent months.

The two other companies that only began chartering tankers to take PDVSA’s oil after sanctions hit are Panama-registered Melaj Offshore Corp and Sahara Energy, a unit of Nigeria-based Sahara Group. The two loaded PDVSA oil cargoes shortly after the sanctions were announced, internal company documents show.

Sahara Energy did not respond to emails and calls to request comment. Reuters was unable to find contact details for Melaj.
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