ExxonMobil in talks with Turkey over shale gas exploration

MOSCOW (MRC) -- US oil firm ExxonMobil is in talks with state-run Turkish Petroleum Corporation over a venture to explore for shale gas in the country's southeast and northwest regions, reported Reuters with reference to a Turkish energy official's statement.

Exxon held talks with TPAO in 2012 to over a partnership in shale, but the negotiations were inconclusive. Turkish officials say talks have since advanced and are likely to result in an agreement.

"ExxonMobil is coming to Turkey to partner up with TPAO," Selami Incedalci, the head of the energy ministry's General Directorate of Petroleum Affairs, said late on Sunday.

He said ExxonMobil was interested in onshore opportunities in the southeast and Thrace, in northwestern Turkey.

Turkey wants to reduce its annual energy bill of around $60 billion and is developing domestic resources including nuclear, coal, solar and wind energy.

Investors from the United States, Europe and Canada are also interested in Turkey's shale gas and oil, Incedalci said, adding that the Ministry was planning to hold talks with potential investors in October.

As MRC informed previously, Royal Dutch Shell is also drilling for shale gas in the region around the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, while Canadian firm TransAtlantic Petroleum is also active in the region.

Estimates of how big Turkey's shale gas reserves are vary wildly. One energy official said data from some international bodies suggested Turkey could have a massive 20 trillion cubic metres (cbm) of total reserves. Another industry expert said proven reserves so far stood at just 6-7 billion cbm.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- High-performance building products from The Lubrizol Corporation's CPVC team can effectively contribute to a more sustainable home-making the products a perfect fit for Green Home Builder (GBH) magazine's Affordable, Buildable, and Certifiable (ABC) Green Home 2.0., said the company in its press release.

With the goal of constructing a home that meets the important qualities of "Affordable, Buildable, and Certifiable," the ABC Green Home 2.0 is the second project of its kind, a state-of-the-art, single-family home that shows how to tackle concerns over operational and energy costs. Showcasing high-performance building products from top to bottom, the ABC Green Home 2.0 will be certified by the Ecological Development Foundation as a Zero Net Energy Home, as well as LEED Platinum certified at its completion. Outfitted with FlowGuard Gold Pipe & Fittings and FlowGuard Bendable Multilayer Piping for plumbing and water distribution, as well as BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems for fire protection, Lubrizol CPVC is an important part of bringing the ABC 2.0 home to life.

"Lubrizol CPVC is dedicated to offering cost-effective, sustainable solutions for building and construction applications," said Domenic DeCaria, the Americas market segment manager for plumbing. "FlowGuard Gold and BlazeMaster systems offer advantages over comparable metallic systems for plumbing and fire sprinkler projects. The Lubrizol CPVC family of products offers improved energy efficiency as well as durability and long-lasting performance. These benefits contribute to the certification of the ABC Green Home 2.0."

For BlazeMaster Pipe & Fittings, Lubrizol CPVC completed an ISO-compliant, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), in which it outperformed comparable steel systems in 12 of 13 environmental impact categories-most notably, it was found that BlazeMaster pipe and fittings have half the climate change impact of steel. Additionally, due to the larger internal diameter of the CPVC pipe, BlazeMaster pipe and fittings yields greater flow rates and hydraulic capabilities for a more efficient sprinkler design. Moreover, BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems use less water than a fire department response for a lower overall environmental impact.

As MRC wrote before, Lubrizol Corporation announces the groundbreaking for a new TempRite chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) compounding plant in Dahej, India. Construction of this plant is an integral component of the company's previously announced USD400 million global expansion of its resin and compounding manufacturing capacity.

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that apart from its production develops and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol"s advanced polymer technology delivers exceptional performance for the plumbing, fire sprinkler, industrial and other building and construction related applications. Lubrizol is providing innovative solutions for its customers high-performance application needs and remains committed to ongoing investment in its CPVC capabilities that support future growth.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel is investing more than EUR6.5 million in its Songjiang site near Shanghai to expand an existing research center by adding a dedicated facility for the company’s Performance Coatings businesses, as per the company's press release.

Once completed in June 2015, the new development and application center will add capability and capacity to serve growing demand throughout Asia for innovative solutions targeted at the packaging, coil, specialty finishes and powder coatings markets.

When fully operational, the new laboratory will be Performance Coatings’ second largest research and development base after Felling in the UK.

"Boosting our R&D capabilities in Asia means we can accelerate the development and formulation of new products tailor-made for the Asian market," said Conrad Keijzer, AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings. "The expanded R&D center will therefore play a crucial role in supporting our growth ambitions - for China in particular - and will provide us with a major innovation facility located close to our customers in the region."

RD&I Director for Performance Coatings, Klaas Kruithof, added that the new center will also drive efficiency by further consolidating the company’s R&D footprint. "Expanding the existing facility will enable ongoing research and development activities for powder coatings to be transferred from Ningbo," he explained. "It will also be capable of accommodating R&D activities for Decorative Paints and the company’s Surface Chemistry business."

Strategically positioned in the greater Shanghai area, the Songjiang site was recently expanded to create one of AkzoNobel’s biggest resin plants for performance coatings in the world. With operations spread across the country, AkzoNobel employs more than 7,400 people in China, including 500 in R&D. In 2013, the company generated revenues in China of €1.6 billion, the majority coming from local demand.

As MRC wrote before, AkzoNobel has completed the sale of its Primary Amides chemicals business to PMC Group effective December 31, 2013.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's imports of polycarbonate (PC) decreased 19,300 tonnes in January-May 2014, down 12% compared to the same period last year, according to MRC DataScope report.

Market players said the main reasons were the depreciation of the rouble and reduced purchasing capacities of consumers.
The banking system has reduced and complicated procedures of the short-and medium-term lending, which complicated traders' crediting and cut their purchases volumes.

At their turn, converters are increasingly insisting on a bigger deferred payment, exacerbating the sellers' difficult situation. Thus, in this situation importers are looking for diversification of their purchases and do not stick only to to European producers.
In particular, it concerns the extrusion sector, which is the most popular in the Russian market with 80% share from the total. Peak of the season traditionally was in May.

High domestic prices for European PC did not allow converters to fully satisfy their needs because of reduced working capital. This boosted demand for Kazanorgsintez PC, which is the only Russian producer of PC and also for Asian PC.

Saudi Kayan, managed by Sabic Innovative Plastics, sold 506 tonnes of extrusion PC in May in Russia. This product is not of such quality as Sabic's material, but its price is close to Kazanorgsintez's and Asian PC, making it attractive for Russian consumers.

MRC

МОSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsubishi Rayon Co. (MRC) and Mitsui & Co. have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake detailed feasibility studies for establishing a joint venture in the U.S. to build a methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer unit, said Apic-online.

The plant, for which a specific location has not yet been decided, is expected to have 250,000 t/y of MMA capacity based on the Alpha technology developed by MRC's Lucite International subsidiary.

MRC and Mitsui said they have also entered into a non-binding material terms of agreement with Dow Chemical. This agreement concerns "potential partial supply of feedstock from Dow to the joint venture through Mitsui" for the production of MMA and potential supply of a portion of the MMA from the joint venture to Dow.

The joint venture intends to secure access to ethylene from Dow's U.S. Gulf Coast production network. MMA production is expected to start at the end of 2018.

As MRC wrote before, Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) have announced the formation of a joint venture company, to build and operate two plants – one for Methyl Methacrylate (MMA), and the other for Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) – at one of SABIC’s manufacturing affiliates in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
MRC