DKSH and Clariant entered into strategic partnership

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DKSH, a leading Swiss producer of chemicals, and Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, have entered into a strategic alliance by signing a distribution agreement, under which DKSH will supply Clariant's paints and coatings products to Asia, namely, India, the Philippines and Vietnam, according to DKSH press release.

Clariant’s paints and coatings segment supplies emulsifiers to the emulsion polymerization industry, state-of-the-art dispersing agents for pigment preparation manufacturers and other additives such as foam control agents, wetting agents, special solvents as well as special-effect additives for the paints and coatings industry.

Cori Diaz, Vice President Key Client Management, DKSH Performance Materials said that over 150 years of presence in the Asian market, the company accumulated a stable customer base and efficient distribution system, and plans to expand its distribution network by offering a range of Clariant's products.

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, DKSH and Wacker had signed an exclusive distribution agreement in mid-September, under which DKSH will market Wacker's products to Southeast Asia, China, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

DKSH Performance Materials Business Unit is a leading specialty chemicals distributor and provider of Market Expansion Services for performance materials, covering Europe, Americas, and the whole of Asia. The Business Unit sources, develops, markets, and distributes a wide range of specialty chemicals and food ingredients to business partners in the food and beverage, personal care and cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemical industries.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant's financial indices are increasing, despite the unfavorable economic situation in Europe, according to a company's press release.

The company's Q3 2012 sales rose 3% to CHF1.923 billion from CHF1.865 billion in Q3 2011. Cash flow from operations reached CHF181m from CHF216m in Q3 2011. EBITDA before exceptionals fell 7% to CHF201m from CHF216m in Q3 2011 due to lower volumes of investment. However, as MRC informed earlier, the company intends to increase the production capacity of the dehydrogenation catalysts in the U.S. and has already made major investments in the project, which is scheduled to start up in September 2013. The company has also strengthened its position in the Asian market by entering into strategic agreements with DKSH and Wacker. The company also showed good progress in portfolio management and the integration of Sud-Chemie.

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) -- Rosalkogolregulirovanije (RAR) at last took a long-waited decision for converters of PET packaging for beer. Vadim Zhivulin, Head of the Regulatory Impact Assessment of Economic Development, said that the demand to ban the use of PET packaging for beer has been excluded from the draft technical regulations on the safety of alcoholic beverages.

At the present, about 50% of Russian beer is bottled in PET bottles. The rest is packed in glass and cans. Share of the glass container makes about 34%. The remaining 18% falls on cans.

In case if this amendment was adopted, Russian market of PET could be cut by a third with devastating affects for the market.

Due to the unclear situation many projects for the expansion of major Russian brewers’ were under the question.

According to MRC analysts, the share of beer PET preforms in total consumption of granulates makes about 28%. About 33% of PET preforms fall on soft carbonated drinks. If the law was adopted, the market of PET would decline.

Cancellation of this amendment is positive news for all PET market participants. Export-oriented Belarusian and Ukrainian brewers also depended upon the decision of Rosalkogolregulirovanije. In order to defend the market, producers of PET, converters and brewers put a lot of effort. The decision applies to all members of the Customs Union.

MRC

(hydrocarbonprocessing) -- Oxea is in the final stages of completing a feasibility study on additional downstream plant expansion projects at its site in Bay City, Texas, the Germany-based oxo-chemicals producer said on Monday.

The announcement follows a recent project in which Bay City syngas production was successfully raised by 10%, the company said.

The study is examining various scenarios to boost the plant’s capacities, as well as the further optimization of Oxea’s product portfolio, according to company officials. It is scheduled to be completed during the fourth quarter 2012.

Oxea’s Bay City plant is a large world-scale facility for oxo chemicals such as oxo-alcohols, carboxylic acids and acetate esters, the company says.

Oxea (Oberhausen, Germany),is a global manufacturer of oxo-intermediates and oxo-derivatives, such as alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, specialty esters, and amines, phthalate-free plasticizers.

MRC

(apic-online) -- Located at Map Ta Phut in Thailand, the cracker has ethylene production capacity of 461,000 mt/year and propylene production capacity of 127,000 mt/year.

According to a source in Thailand, the cracker will be taken off-stream in mid-November 2012, owing to technical problems and will remain shut for around 24 days.

PTT Public Company Limited, PTT PCL, or simply PTT is a Thai state-owned oil and gas company. Formerly known as the Petroleum AuThority of Thailand, it owns extensive submarine gas pipelines in the Gulf of Thailand, a network of LPG terminals throughout the Kingdom, and is involved in electricity generation, petrochemical products, oil and gas exploration and production, and gasoline retailing businesses.
MRC