Orpic prequalifies companies for Liwa Plastics EPC work

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) has prequalified 19 companies or consortia to work on four different engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) packages for its proposed USD3.6 bln Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) in Sohar, said Chemicals-Technology.

The companies have been finalised following prequalifying companies to offer tender for the project in January 2015. Scope of work under the EPC packages includes construction of steam cracker and polymer units, a natural gas liquids (NGL) extraction unit and an natural gas liquid (NGL) pipeline from Fahud to Sohar.

For the steam cracker unit, Orpic has selected joint venture (JV) CB&I Nederland, / Saipem / CTCI Corporation JV Daelim Industrial / Petrofac International Limited Hanwha E&C Corporation, JV Toyo Engineering Corporation / GS Engineering & Construction. Daelim Industrial JV GS Engineering & Construction / Mitsui JV Linde Engineering Dresden/ ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions JV Saipem / Sinopec Engineering (Group) Tecnimont, have been selected for polymer units.

For natural gas liquids extraction unit, Orpic has finalised Bechtel JV GS Engineering & Construction/ Mitsui Petrofac International Saipem JV SK Engineering & Construction / Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering. Bechtel Dodsal Engineering & Construction Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering Punj Lloyd Saipem have been finalised for the NGL Pipeline.

We remind that in late 2012 Orpic announced that its production of world class high quality polypropylene homopolymer at Sohar plant has crossed 1 million tonnes. This was a significant milestone for the polypropylene (PP) plant in Sohar, which began production in October 2006.

Orpic - Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company is Oman’s national refining and petrochemicals company providing 100% fuel to the nation. Jointly owned by the Government of Oman and Oman Oil Company, Orpic has four plants and a staff complement in excess of 1,600 people of which 70% of the workforce is represented by Omanis. Orpic is one of Oman`s largest companies and is one of the most rapidly growing businesses in the Middle East`s oil industry.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced the global availability of a new line of "animal-free" MEVOPUR standard masterbatches and compounds, as per the company's press release.

The development offers the makers of pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices a consistent and traceable supply of products that are compliant with global standards and support a wide range of product design, marketing, and manufacturing needs.

Manufactured to meet the needs of the medical and pharmaceutical market, these products are not only free of animal-derived ingredients but they are also free of phthalates and heavy-metal pigments. The new line of standard MEVOPUR color masterbatches includes 17 polyolefin (PP and PE) colors. "Standard" means that the color formulations - and standard regulatory declarations - have already been developed and some colors are available off-the-shelf for faster product development, faster approvals, and faster market introduction. The MEVOPUR brand is Clariant’s commitment to change-control and back-up-supply practices tailored to the needs of medical and pharmaceutical companies.

Three ISO 13485 certified production facilities located in the USA, Europe, and Asia - all dedicated to the pharmaceutical and medical device segment - ensure raw-material traceability and change control. Also, because product compliance depends on every ingredient, the raw materials for every MEVOPUR product are chemically characterized and batch tested versus a 'finger-print' to verify their consistency before they enter production.

As MRC informed previously, in July 2014, CB&I and Clariant announced that their new Ziegler-Natta (ZN) polypropylene catalyst plant in Louisville, Kentucky, is on schedule to begin production in 2015. The plant is part of a long-term strategic partnership between Clariant’s catalysts business and CB&I’s Lummus Novolen Technology business. Based at Clariant’s largest US production hub, the new facility will combine innovative catalysts jointly developed by both companies with high-capacity output.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Apax Partners agreed to buy a majority stake in Azelis from 3i Group Plc to help the European chemical-distribution company expand globally, said Bloomberg.

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter, London-based 3i said in a statement Wednesday. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Azelis generated 944 million euros (USD1.1 billion) in sales and 38 million euros in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in 2013, according to its website.

Apax Partners had been proactively targeting the specialty-chemical distribution industry and was keeping an eye on Azelis over the last couple of years, partner Frank Ehmer said in the statement. The buyout firm, also based in London, is entering the industry after Azelis competitor IMCD Group NV sold shares to the public last year and as rival Univar Inc. plans to follow suit.

"Azelis has undergone a significant transformation," Robert Van Goethem, a partner at 3i, said in the statement. "Despite the challenging European economic environment in recent years, the company has successfully expanded into new markets and in its core market segments."

Azelis, based in Antwerp, Belgium, would provide Apax with a foothold to expand globally as large chemical-distribution companies such as Brenntag AG swallow up smaller ones in fast-growing emerging markets.

Chief Executive Officer Hans-Joachim Mueller, a former executive at Clariant AG and BASF SE, is expanding Azelis into emerging markets such as Morocco and Indonesia, opening laboratories to offer clients from paintmakers to cosmetic companies more choice on formulations.

As MRC wrote before, Azelis announces a new distribution contract with Evonik, a leading specialty chemicals manufacturer. In addition to other European countries, Azelis can now also offer products in Evonik’s Crosslinkers business line to customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH) for coatings, inks and other applications.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sika AG reported a 28% increase in annual profit as the Swiss construction and industrial chemical maker continues fending off a hostile takeover bid from France's Saint-Gobain SA, said the producer in its press release.

Baar-based Sika said net profit for the 12 months to Dec. 31 rose to 441.2 mln Swiss francs (USD463.5 mln), from 344.7 mln francs in 2013. The figure beat analyst expectations of 414 mln francs.

Sales, which were previously announced on Jan. 13, rose 8.4% to 5.57 bn francs from 5.14 bn francs a year earlier.

For 2015, the company predicts sales growth of between six to eight percent at constant exchange rates and profitability to remain unchanged. Sika plans to increase its dividend by 26% to 72 francs per bearer share and by 26% to 12 francs per registered share.

Sika management is currently fighting Saint-Gobain's offer of 2.75 bn francs to buy a controlling stake in Sika, which makes chemical additives for concrete and noise-damping products for cars, from the Swiss company's founding Burkard family.

As MRC wrote before, Sika has entered into exclusive negotiations with Axson management and shareholders to acquire Axson Technologies, a leader in the field of epoxy and polyurethane polymer formulations for design, prototyping and tooling, structural adhesives, composite materials and encapsulation products for the automotive, nautical, renewable energy, sports & leisure and construction markets.

Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing and protecting in the building sector and the motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 90 countries around the world and manufactures in over 160 factories. Its more than 16,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 5.6 billion in 2014.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Henkel, a brand and technology leader, has awarded the Munich-based chemical company Wacker for its best beauty care innovation contribution in 2014, reported Wacker on its site.

Carsten Knobel, Henkel’s chief financial officer and member of the Executive Board, and Dr. Thomas Forster, corporate vice president R&D Beauty Care, presented the award at the 2015 American Cleaning Institute Annual Meeting, which was held in late January in Orlando, Florida (USA). Further supplier awards went to BASF, Stepan and Solvay.

Wacker received Henkel’s Best Innovation Contributor Beauty Care 2014 award for the development of a new silicone microemulsion for shampoos and hair-care products. Tests show that the emulsion makes both wet and dry hair significantly easier to comb.

In addition to Wacker, nominees for the Best Innovation Contributor Beauty Care Award were US silicone manufacturer Dow Corning and Croda, a UK based producer of oleochemicals and specialty products. Its novel silicone microemulsion for hair-care products made the Munich chemical company stand out above its competitors. "In 2014, WACKER clearly made the largest contribution to beauty care innovation"” said Forster at the award ceremony. The new silicone emulsion forms a protective film on the surface of the hair, which considerably improves the combing properties of damaged hair, continued the R&D head. "This allows us to develop new, innovative hair-care products. That is why we are presenting this year’s innovation award to the Munich-based WACKER Group."

The silicone microemulsion belongs to a new generation of film-forming, aminofunctional silicone emulsions developed especially for use in hair-care products. Silicone lends hair a soft, silky feel and makes both wet and dry hair easier to comb. In addition, silicone protects hair from fading and from heat damage caused by hair dryers. The microemulsion is suitable for use in formulations for shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, pump sprays, styling applications and products that prevent fading and heat damage.

As MRC informed earlier, Wacker aims to strengthen its commitment to sustainable business practices in the supply chain. To this end, the company now joined the "Together for Sustainability" (TfS) initiative. Established in 2011, the project is targeted on implementing a standardized global program for responsible procurement of goods and services in the chemical industry and improving the ecological and social standards of suppliers. After AkzoNobel, Arkema, BASF, Bayer, Clariant, DSM, Evonik Industries, Henkel, Lanxess, Merck and Solvay, Wacker is the twelfth company to become a TfS member.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
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