Qapco to proceed with petrochemical complex project in Ras Laffa

(plastemart) -- Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) has confirmed that the planned USD 5.5 bln Ras Laffan Mega Petrochemical Complex Project is on schedule in accordance with the original timetable and scope, and that no changes to either are currently under consideration.

Dr. Mohammed Yousef Al-Mulla, Qapco Vice Chairman and CEO, said "We are proceeding with the project as per the announced scope, size, and shareholding pattern, and hopefully our facility will be commissioned on the scheduled date. No changes on the ownership of the project have taken place; Total Exploration and Production is our partner in Qapco ownership, and will have a stake of Qapco share from the project, as per our Joint Venture agreement."

The complex, which will be built at an estimated investment cost of QAR20.1 bln (US5.5 bln) includes a world scale steam cracker, with the feedstock coming from natural gas projects located in the north of Qatar. The project will be carried out on a lump sum turnkey basis and is scheduled for completion in 2018.
MRC

(Reuters) -- Japan's Mitsui Chemicals Inc said it expects to restart its 500,000 tpa Osaka naphtha cracker around July 31 following planned maintenance, delayed slightly from its initial plan of July 26, as per Reuters.

The cracker was shut on Tuesday for scheduled maintenance.

Mitsui Chemicals is a leading manufacturer and supplier of value added specialty chemicals, plastics and materials for the automotive, healthcare, packaging, agricultural, building, and semiconductor and electronics markets.
MRC

(plastemart) -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. was awarded a design contract from Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company, an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), to develop a process design package (PDP) and front end engineering design (FEED) package for the build of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) plant in the Industrial City of Jubail in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Officials did not disclose the value of the contract that will be executed from Jacobs' Winnersh, UK and Al-Khobar offices.

UHMWPE is used in many industrial applications including batteries and industrial fibers. This plant is to have a production capacity of 35,000 tpa year using ethylene sourced from Kayan's existing olefins plant and is of significant strategic importance as Sabic is to use its own technology.

Jacobs Group Vice President Bob Irvin stated, "We are delighted to have been awarded this high profile project, which we take to be both a statement of our Client's confidence in our ability to deliver strategic projects of this nature and the commencement of what we hope will be a significant and long-term relationship with Sabic that will drive mutual benefits to our businesses and build upon our presence and future capability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
MRC

(hydrocarbonprocessing) -- A combination of rising corn prices in the face of a Midwest drought and lower demand for gasoline has caused Valero Energy to shut down two of its 10 ethanol plants, company spokesman Bill Day said Thursday.

Valero temporarily suspended production last week at its Albion, Neb., ethanol plant, while its Linden, Ind., facility shut down production on Tuesday.

Each plant has the capacity to produce 120 million gal/year of ethanol.

A total of 120 employees work at the two plants. All of them will remain on the payroll and at their jobs during the shutdown, the company said.

"We expect market conditions to improve to the point that we can restart production at the plants before the fall harvest," the company said.
MRC

(tc-plastics) -- Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) has resumed production at 54 out of the complex's 66 units at its petrochemical complex in Yunlin County, shut adhoc by a power failure mid week. An investigation pinpointed the cause to be malfunctions of the double busbar circuit system at the petrochemical complex's public utility area.

FPG is in the process of completing safety inspections on these sites where the power failure occurred as Tropical Storm Talim approached Taiwan. All affected units are expected to come back online later in the day after these inspections.

The complex houses an oil refinery with capacity to produce 25 mln tpa of crude oil and three naphtha crackers with a combined capacity to produce 2.94 mln tpa of ethylene. The complex also comprises other petrochemical plants, heavy machinery plants, a co-generation power plant and the Mailiao Industrial Harbor.
MRC