UOP to license TPC Group process technology for on-purpose butadiene

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PC Group and Honeywell's UOP have entered into an agreement for UOP to be the exclusive licensor of the proprietary TPC Group OXO-D technology used to produce on-purpose butadiene, a key ingredient for making synthetic rubber, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The two companies will immediately begin working together to license TPC Group's proprietary OXO-D technology, which has been successfully operated for more than 40 years, commercially converting butene to butadiene for the production of synthetic rubber. The current OXO-D technology is the basis for TPC's current on-purpose butadiene project in commercial development now.

The two companies will jointly develop further enhancements to OXO-D, the most efficient and low-cost method to make on-purpose butadiene, leveraging UOP's expertise in licensing and technology.

"We believe our OXO-D technology is the most efficient, competitive and commercially proven technology in the world for the on-purpose production of butadiene," said Mike White, senior vice president of operations and technology. "We look forward to working jointly with UOP to continue to advance our leading on-purpose butadiene technology through UOP's depth of knowledge and experience as a licensor within our industry."

The technology effort is focused on the direct conversion of butene, a byproduct of refining processes, into butadiene, a key ingredient in the production of synthetic rubber used in tire and other applications.

"Changes in refining and petrochemical production in recent years have caused butadiene production to not keep pace with rising demand. This 'butadiene gap' can be closed with new technologies to produce on-purpose butadiene," said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP's process technology and equipment business. "TPC helped found the modern on-purpose butadiene industry with its patented technology, and we look forward to commercializing new technology with them."

As MRC wrote before, UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced the launch of a new membrane element that more efficiently removes contaminants from natural gas and reduces the amount of valuable methane and natural gas liquids (NGLs) lost during the contaminant removal process.

Butadiene has been traditionally produced as a byproduct of the naphtha cracking processes. But in recent years, refiners have moved to using lighter feedstocks to make ethylene and propylene, key building blocks for plastics, causing less byproduct butadiene to be produced. At the same time, supply of butene, also a byproduct of refining processes, remains comparatively plentiful.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay Specialty Polymers has introduced a new family of Kalix high-performance polyamides (HPPAs) for structural components used in mobile healthcare (mHealth) electronic devices, said the producer in its press release.

The new products, which include the Kalix HPPA 5000 halogen-free series and bio-based Kalix® HPPAs, deliver exceptional strength, stiffness, and significantly improved chemical resistance versus traditional polycarbonate (PC) or PC/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) materials typically used for covers and housings for mHealth electronic devices. Solvay made the announcement at the 2014 Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) Eastexhibition June 10-12 in New York City.

The new Kalix HPPAs – first launched for smart mobile electronicsat K 2013 in Germany last October – are a unique offering targeted for frames and covers for healthcare displays, terminals, and modules along with chassis, housings, and bezels for mHealth devices.

Solvay has also introduced a new portfolio of bio-based HPPAs for healthcare OEMs wanting to incorporate renewable, bio-based polymers for mHealth devices. This includes the Kalix HPPA 3000 series, the first bio-based amorphous PPA, and the Kalix 2000 series, a family of bio-sourced PPA grades that provide outstanding impact resistance. According to Gallahue-Worl, the company’s expanded portfolio of bio-based PAs is driven by environmentally-conscious medical manufacturers who are continually striving for more sustainable alternatives.

As MRC wrote before, Solvay has completed the divestment of its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compound business Benvic Europe to U.S. investment company OpenGate Capital, enhancing the resilience of the Group’s portfolio.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has opened its laboratory and production facility in North Dakota, putting it in pole position to serve oil and gas customers in the Bakken Shale Formation and expand its extensive tailored formulations that facilitate extraction, said the producer in its press release.

With this new facility in Killdeer, Solvay’s Global Business Unit Novecare is among the first specialty chemical players to serve oilfield services companies in North America’s second largest reserve of tight oil and shale gas. Novecare’s eighth laboratory and production unit is at the heart of the Bakken area, giving it key access to customers.

Solvay Novecare develops tailor-made, bio-based specialty formulations that help oilfield services operators manage and reduce water consumption, optimize stimulation operations and improve well yields. The business unit, which last year acquired Chemlogics, develops and produces these formulations at plant and laboratory facilities near its customers in the field. Each formulation is designed to fulfill their distinct needs, depending on the unique geological conditions of the shale formations.

As MRC wrote before, Solvay has completed the divestment of its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compound business Benvic Europe to U.S. investment company OpenGate Capital, enhancing the resilience of the Group’s portfolio.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC has passed the milestone of having more than 10,000 patents either issued or pending approval, making it the largest owner of intellectual property in the Middle East, said the producer in its press release.

SABIC has also significantly increased the rate at which it obtains patents with 2013 seeing a record 373 patent applications filed by the company, a rise of over 300% from the figure in 2010. 2014 could see a further increase with 159 new patent applications applied for in just the first three months of the year.

On average, SABIC files a new patent application every 18 hours, each based on the work of approximately four researchers. This represents greater efficiency than any other top ten company in the chemical industry.

"Intellectual property is an important tool to help SABIC achieve its business goals,” said Ernesto Occhiello, SABIC Executive Vice President, Technology and Innovation. “Our 10,400 global patent dockets are a reflection of our emphasis on innovation to support our growth," Occhiello said, pointing out that SABIC also has over 550 active disclosures under review.

John Abokhair, SABIC Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, said "Our patent estate is used as one of several indicators to measure our return on investment in our research and development effort. We apply a ‘value-add’ analysis to make sure that our IP estate is used as a tool to help push our business forward. Our teams work closely with our technology and business leaders to maximize the value we gain from our innovation through strategic intellectual property protection."

As MRC wrote before, SABIC, Kringlan Composites and other industry partners are working to further advance the development of the world’s first thermoplastic composite wheel. This ground breaking innovation leverages SABIC’s proprietary ULTEM resin and Kringlan’s proprietary three-dimensional composite design capabilities to create a material solution that can be used to replace traditional materials, such as metal and aluminum alloy, helping reduce weight and emissions and potentially save manufacturing costs across industries from aerospace to automotive, and consumer goods.

SABIC is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia. It is the largest company in the Middle East.
SABIC is currently the second largest global ethylene glycol producer and is expected to become number one after the introduction of these new projects. SABIC is the third largest polyethylene manufacturer, the fourth largest polyolefins manufacturer and the fourth largest polypropylene manufacturer. It is also the world's largest producer of mono-ethylene glycol, MTBE, granular urea, polyphenylene and polyether imide.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lukoil Overseas has said it is ready to begin recovering costs and getting paid for production at its West Qurna-2 project in Iraq, said Upstreamonline.

The Russian operator informed the Iraqi Ministry of Oil that it has "fulfilled its contractual obligations for first commercial production" at the major project on Wednesday. Lukoil said it had "successfully maintained an average daily production of at least 120,000 barrels for 90 days", meaning it has passed the threshold to begin recovering costs and receiving remuneration.

Daily production is currently at 200,000 bpd, it added. Lukoil brought the field on stream at 120,000 bpd in late March after a series of delays. The Russian operator is looking to hit 400,000 bpd by the end of this year and has already set its sights on a start of exports by around the start of August.

In August, Lukoil plans to complete work on the central processing facility for the field, which will include nine trains, each capable of handling as much as 50,000 bpd. That ramp-up will eventually include a natural gas processing plant, and Lukoil’s goal is to boost production to a maximum of 550,000 bpd from its Mishrif ­activities.

Earlier this month Lukoil penned a new agreement to allow investors to get a faster return on costs for the construction project at West Qurna-2. The agreement has been changed to include the construction of the Tuba-Fao pipeline and will allow for change in the procedure for project investors to recover costs.

The Tuba-Fao project will see the construction of two pipelines between the Tuba tank farm and the Fao tank farm, the main export hub in Iraq on the Persian Gulf coast. Pre-front end engineering design studies have already been carried out for the Tuba-Fao project which detailed a direct connection of the pipeline to single-point mooring facilities and an upgrade of the pumping systems.

West Qurna 2 is expected to provide a backbone of production for Iraq’s aspirations to boost its oil exports to 3.4 million bpd this year. Lukoil holds 75% of the field and operatorship, while Iraq’s state-controlled North Oil Company holds the remaining 25%.

Ultimately, Lukoil believes it can produce 1.2 million bpd from West Qurna with its next project after Mishrif — known as Yamama — expected to add another 650,000 bpd.Lukoil will complete front end engineering and design for Yamama in the middle of next year and hopes to begin construction by the end of 2015.

As MRC informed before, Lukoil is set to drill deep for unconventional gas in Saudi Arabia's challenging "Empty Quarter" desert region early next year after a decade-long hunt for conventional deposits that has proved futile. Lukoil Overseas official said the joint venture will drill the first well in the first quarter of 2015 and the second during the last six months.

Lukoil is one of the world's biggest vertically integrated companies for production of crude oil & gas, and their refining into petroleum products and petrochemicals. The company is a leader on Russian and international markets in its core business, which accounts for over 20% of Russian oil production and 18% of the total Russian oil refining. Lukoil also controls two of the largest petrochemical plants in Russia and Ukraine: Stavrolen and Karpatneftekhim.
MRC