Blast at petrochemical plant of Compagnie Petrochimique de Berre

(Plastemart) -- A blast has been reported at a petrochemical site in Fos-Lavera of Compagnie Petrochimique de Berre, a unit of U.S. group LyondellBasell. The aftermath of the explosion and an ensuing spill of oil products have now been brought under control, as per Reuters However, traffic at the nearby oil terminal has not been affected. A spokeswoman at LyondellBasell said a fire started in a trench on the site of Compagnie Petrochimique de Berre and that an investigation was being carried out to find out what caused the blast.

MRC

(Sabic) -- SABIC Innovative Plastics has won an award in Aviation Week's first annual Suppliers' Innovation Challenge competition, recognizing new and recent technology developments by tiered suppliers in the aerospace and defense industry. The company's lightweight, rigid Ultem polyetherimide (PEI) foam, used as the structural core in multi-layer systems for aviation interior components, won the Composites category. According to Aviation Week, winners ⌠represent the best-in-class, potential game-changing innovations. This achievement illustrates SABIC Innovative Plastics' strong focus on partnering with aviation industry OEMs to help them succeed by meeting tough safety, regulatory, sustainability and economic requirements.

MRC

(PRW) -- Lanxess is continuing the expansion of its Indian production site in Jhagadia, Gujarat state, where the company broke ground for a new compounding facility with an initial capacity of 20,000 metric tons per year.

The plant will start producing the high-tech plastics Durethan (polyamide) and Pocan (polybutylene terephthalate) at the beginning of 2012. The investment of more than ┬10m will create 60 jobs.

India is on course to become the third largest consumer market for high-tech plastics after the US and China, driven by the automotive industry that is set to grow by more than 6% a year.

Global automakers, as well as their suppliers, are already active in India or are investing in new plants in the subcontinent.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- As expected, beginning of the year started with PE price rise, on average, by 1.500 - 2.400 RUB/t, according to MRC analysts.


According to the forecast, in the first working week of January the Russian producers jacked up the price for PE. Main reasons are growing prices for oil and considerable growth of PE prices in the external market, particularly, in Europe. The European producers jacked the prices for polymer by EUR 80 - 130/mt depending on type, least of all the price was jacked for linear polyethylene.

The same situation is observed in the Russian market. On average, the prices for HDPE and LDPE from separate Russian producers rose by 1.500 - 2.400 RUB./t. It is expected that prices correction in the Russian PE market will continue next week and only by mid-week the prices will be finally fixed.

MRC

In 2009 import supplies of EPS fell more than by one third in comparison to 2008 and made 76 KT.

Last year the market started to restore the lost positions. Import supplies by the end of the year had grown by 20% and approached the level of 100 KT which was compared to the same index of 2008.

Launch of new EPS production in Perm with total capacity of 50 KTa will correct EPS import supplies to the Russian market this year though serious fall in import volumes is not expected.

MRC