French court rejects bids for Petroplus refinery, jobs at risk

(Reuters) -- A French court has rejected two bids to take over the Petit-Couronne oil refinery, the oldest in France, sending it into liquidation unless a new offer is submitted by November 5. The refinery was operated by insolvent oil company Petroplus.

French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who has been actively trying to rescue the plant, said in a statement the government would continue efforts to find a buyer.

The commercial court in Rouen rejected two bids, including one from Dubai-based NetOil, the unlisted group of Middle Eastern businessman Roger Tamraz, and from Hong Kong-based Alanfandi Petroleum Group. The NetOil bid was regarded by the refinery's trade unions as the most likely to succeed.

Petroplus Holdings AG is Europe's largest independent oil refiner by capacity. Petroplus ran out of cash in late January after struggling for months with weak demand due to the economic slowdown in Europe and overcapacity amid tighter credit conditions, high crude prices and competition from Asia and the Middle East.

The French government, which wanted to keep the refinery in operation in a bid to protect jobs, brokered an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell, which committed to buy refined products from the plant for six months.

Independent refiners made offers to take over the refinery, but the court rejected these bids, the spokeswoman said, declining to provide further details.
MRC

CB&I licenses technology to China group for new polypropylene project

(hydracarbonprocessing) -- The new plant will use the Novolen advanced gas-phase polymerization technology for the production of the full scope of polypropylene homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers. The 200,000 tpy polypropylene project is expected to start up operations in 2014.

CB&I on Tuesday was awarded a contract by Huating Coal Group for the license, basic engineering and related services for a polypropylene plant at the Huating industrial development area in China.

The plant will use the Novolen advanced gas-phase polymerization technology for the production of the full scope of polypropylene homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers.

The plant will be part of an integrated 600,000 tpy coal-to-methanol project, which started production at the end of 2010.

The 200,000 tpy polypropylene plant is expected to start up in 2014.
MRC

Styrolution defines clear brand strategy

(apic-online) -- Styrolution Europe has restructured and reclassified its styrenics product ranges in order to optimize its portfolio, the company said in a statement Tuesday. The changes will take effect from January 1, 2013.

Styrolution's new portfolio will be grouped into Standard and Specialty product lines and brand names will be harmonized to clarify product and service package offerings.

The Styrolution Specialty product range will consist of clear and opaque copolymers and specialty acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene grades. Styrolution Standard products will consist of products like styrene monomer, polystyrene and standard ABS, typically robust and highly versatile workhorse grades, the company said.

In addition, Styrolution will harmonize brand names for selected product lines.

All polystyrene products are now marketed under the new brand name Styrolution PS, replacing the former Polystyrol and Empera brands. All Standard ABS products will be marketed under the brand name Terluran.

All Specialty ABS products will be marketed under the brand name Novodur, replacing the former Terluran and Lustran specialty brands. All SAN products, will be marketed under the brand name Luran, replacing the former Lustran SAN brands, and the ABS and polyamide-based thermoplastic polymer blends, Terblend N and Triax, will be consolidated and marketed under the brand name Terblend N.

Branding for the remaining specialty copolymers and blends will remain unchanged. There will also be no changes to the product grade nomenclature, with the exception of PS in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Mexico.

MRC

Exports of Italian machinery for plastics processing grew by 11% in H1 2012

(plasticsinfomart) -- According to statistics provided by the Italian association Assocomaplast, the import and export have grown in the machinery sector for plastics and rubbers processing in H1 2012.

Imports grew by 6%, however, the dynamics had decreased compared to the previous periods. This was a direct result of the sustained weakening of the domestic market.

A more significant increase of 11% was observed in exports. After a relative decline in the beginning of 2012, sales to the foreign markets regained pace, especially in Q2, reaching 1.23 billion euros. This had a positive impact on the trade balance, which amounted to over 900 million euros.

Exports of extruders, which account for 12% out of the overall amount of machinery, continues to grow. The growth in the first half of 2012 made 20%. About half of the extrusion machinery was sold to European countries. Exports of machinery for blow moulding increased by 16%, those for moulds - by 28%. Conversely, exports of machinery for injection moulding decreased by 14%, which was mainly due to a sharp drop in sales in Europe, especially in Russia.

The five countries-leaders to buy the Italian machinery for polymers and rubbers processing are, as follows: Germany (14.7% out of the total exports), France (6.3%), Russia (5.5%), USA (5.5%), China (5.1%).
MRC

Ethylene-Polyethylene plant restarts PE and ethylene production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On Tuesday, 16 October, Azerbaidjani LDPE producer "Ethylene-Polyethylene" of SOCAR's Azerkimya Production Association started production after a long-term turnaround, report MRC analysts.

As MRC reported earlier, the plant was shut on 1 August for a 30-day's maintenance. Initially the production was planned to be restarted in early September. However, the producer delayed the resuption of production several times due to technical issues.

Along with the resumption of production, the company voiced its export offers for October PE shipments.
MRC