Saudi Aramco chooses builders of Jizan refinery

(Reuters) - Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil producer, said on Sunday it had chosen Asian and European contractors to build the Jizan oil refinery and terminal project in the southwest of the country.

The engineering, procurement and construction contracts are for a 400,000 barrel per day refinery on the Red Sea. Designed to support the growth of major industries in the undeveloped region bordering Yemen, the project is due to be completed in late 2016.

Companies to be awarded contracts include Saudi units of Britain's Petrofac Ltd and South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea's Hanwha Engineering and Construction Corp HANWHE.UL and SK Engineering & Construction Co SKEC.UL, Spain's Tecnicas Reunidas, and Japan's JGC Corp and Hitachi Plant Technologies Ltd.

Saudi Aramco did not reveal the financial size of the contracts, which will be signed next month, but the entire Jizan project is believed to be worth billions of dollars.

The refinery will process Arabian Heavy and Arabian Medium crude oil to produce gasoline, ultra-low sulphur diesel, benzene and paraxylene.

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco was estimated to be the world's most valuable company.
MRC

(chemicals-technology) -- JX Nippon Oil and Energy (JX), Sanyo Chemical Industries (SCI) and SCG Chemicals have signed an agreement to jointly conduct the commercial feasibility study of a new Ethylidene Norbornene (ENB) plant in Thailand.

"The proposed plant, which will be built in Rayong province, will produce 20,000 tons each year (tpy) of ENB."
ENB (Ethylidene Norbornene) is an important component in the production of a heat and weather-resistant synthetic rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), which is used in the automotive industries.

The proposed plant, which will be built in Rayong province, will produce 20,000 tons each year (tpy) of ENB.
The ENB facility is expected to help the three companies meet the growing demand for ENB, mainly in Asia, following the growth of car industries on the continent.

The three companies will go ahead with the feasibility study for one year and form a joint venture to construct the ENB plant, which is scheduled to go on-stream in 2016.

Since 1977 JX and SCI have developed the ENB business and become leading producers, with production capacity of 60,000tpy in Japan and US. JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation engages in the refining and sale of petrochemical products in Japan. It provides various lubricants and also offers petrochemicals comprising olefines, aromatics, and specialty and performance chemicals.
MRC

(chemicals-technology) -- Solvay has increased the production capacity of SOLEF polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) at its Tavaux plant, in France, by 50% with the launch of new production capacity.

"The Belgian chemical company has spent EUR26m to augment the production capacity of PVDF at the facility."
The Belgian chemical company has spent EUR26m to augment the production capacity of PVDF at the facility.

Solvay Global Business Unit Specialty Polymers general manager Augusto Di Donfrancesco said the global demand for PVDF has grown markedly in the last five years.

"Our SOLEF PVDF, with its impressive competitive edge resulting from its product quality and consistency, is clearly benefiting from such a significant market demand," Donfrancesco added.

SOLEF PVDF is used in oil and gas extraction, lithium-ion and lithium-metal-polymer (LMP) batteries and semiconductor manufacturing, according to the company.

As MRC wrote earlier, Solvay and Russian petrochemical company Sibur have signed an agreement to establish Ruspav, a 50/50 joint venture for the production of surfactants and oilfield process chemicals in Dzerzhinsk, Russia. Ruspav will be located near SIBUR's petrochemicals operations, 400km east of Moscow, and is expected to be operational in 2015.
MRC

(plastemart) -- The Munich-based chemical group, Wacker Chemie AG, is building a new plant with an annual capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes at its site in Ulsan, South Korea. The new facility is aimed to produce vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (EVA) dispersions for applications in the paints and coatings, construction, nonwoven, paper and carpet industries.

The plant has a budget of around EURO10 million and is expected to start up in January 2013.

Wacker already produces VAE dispersions of the Vinnapas brand in South Korea for the adhesives industry. This expansion will almost double company's Ulsan EVA dispersion capacity, making the enlarged production complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea. The company considers the expansion to be essential for reliably and enduringly meeting the market growth that industry experts anticipate in the region and thus strengthens its position as one of the world’s major suppliers of EVA dispersions.
MRC

(Graham Partners) -- Graham Partners has announce acquisition of Scandia Plastics, a US leading manufacturer of blow molded bottles, containers, and light industrial parts. The Company’s products are sold into a variety of end markets, including medical diagnostics, healthcare, household and industrial chemical, and general packaging.

Scandia joins an established alliance of Graham Partners holdings, which participate in industries as diverse as aerospace, medical products, packaging, water management, building products, electronics, and wireless communications devices, among others. Graham Partners seeks to invest not only capital into these businesses, but also to utilize its longstanding industry knowledge, resources, and contacts to improve operations and promote organic growth.

Graham Partners is a private investment firm focused on investing in businesses with advanced manufacturing know-how, innovative product development capabilities, and strong growth potential. Graham Partners adds value to its portfolio by leveraging its extensive operating resources, financial expertise and industrial heritage.
MRC