BP proceeds with increase in PTA production capacity at the BP Zhuhai

(Your Petrochemical News) -- BP today confirmed that it is proceeding with its project for a major increase in purified terephthalic acid (PTA) production capacity at the BP Zhuhai Chemical Company Limited (BP Zhuhai) site in Guangdong Province, China, a JV between BP and Zhuhai Port Co., Ltd. and also announced that it is planning to build a new world-scale PTA plant at the same site.

The planned debottleneck at Zhuhai will increase capacity by more than 200,000 tonnes a year from its second unit (Z2), making the total PTA production capacity of the Zhuhai site some 1.7 million tonnes a year.

BP has completed engineering design work for the Z2 debottleneck and expects the expansion to be fully operational in 1Q2012.

A new third PTA plant in Zhuhai is under pre-engineering planning. With a capacity of 1,250,000 tonnes per year, it will be the first to employ BP's latest generation PTA technology and, subject to approval from its shareholders and relevant Chinese government agencies, is expected to come on stream earliest 2014 to meet PTA demand growth in China. This will make Zhuhai the largest PTA site in BP's global PTA system.

MRC

(Interfax) -- Fuel imports duties will be introduced only when Ukrainian oil refineries considerably improve the quality of the fuel they produce, First Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Vadym Kopylov said at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday. He said that the ministry had proposed that Ukrainian oil refineries draw up a program on their upgrading to produce high-quality petrol.

"The Economic Development and Trade Ministry has proposed that oil refinery think up and draft a program on the upgrade of refineries to produce the required amount of high-quality petrol for our cars. We're ready to draw up and send the document on the introduction of the duty at once," Kopylov said.

He added that if the program is drawn up, the government is ready to announce the introduction of duties on imports of petrol to stimulate the upgrade of Ukrainian oil refineries. "Today the refineries are mulling the proposal," Kopylov added.

MRC

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Marine Well Containment Company announced the completion and availability of an initial well containment response system that will provide rapid containment response capabilities in the event of a potential future underwater well control incident in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

The initial response system includes a subsea capping stack with the ability to shut in oil flow or to flow the oil via flexible pipes and risers to surface vessels. The system also includes subsea dispersant injection equipment, manifolds and, through mutual aid among members, capture vessels to provide surface processing and storage.

ExxonMobil, in partnership with Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell, continues to lead the development of additional system components to expand the initial system's capabilities, with completion of the expanded system set for 2012.

The interim system can operate in water depths up to 8,000 feet and has storage and processing capacity for up to 60,000 barrels per day of liquids. The capping stack has a maximum operating pressure of 15,000 pounds per square inch. The equipment is located on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

MRC

(Zawya) -- President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated eight major projects in Special Economic Petrochemical Zone. One of the projects is Amir Kabir Light Petrochemical Polyethylene worth $310 million with a production capacity of 300,000 tons a year.

The project was completed at a time when foreign companies such as Seimens of Germany stopped cooperation in the project under the pretext of the sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and EU.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- A majority of trends witnessed by the global plastics industry in the recent past are focused towards sustainability and green development. These trends are slowly but surely shifting their focus towards economic benefits as well. The recent past has witnessed growing investment in environmentally sustainable technologies, along with increased interest from polymer manufacturers in biodegradable polymers and biopolymers.

These trends have led INK Business Media to conceptualize a unique endeavor titled PlastAvenues Summit 2011' with a focus on Green & Sustainable Development of Plastics' to be held in Mumbai.

With green initiatives aiming at strengthening their foothold in the mainstream plastics industry, PlastAvenues Summit 2011 brings together the industry's movers and shakers from leading manufacturers, brand owners, end users, innovators and policy makers under one roof.

MRC