Albis Plastic expands partnership with Styrolution in Spain

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The company Albis Plastic, a worldwide specialist for the distribution and compounding of technical thermoplasts located in Hamburg, has broadened its portfolio of distribution brands for the Spanish market to include Terluran standard ABS from Styrolution, according to Styrolution's statement.

This reflects how both companies are consistently expanding their sales cooperation for standard thermoplasts in Europe.

"The cooperation with Styrolution is the expansion of a successful partnership that already exists in numerous European countries. With Styrolution, we now have a partner in Spain that, as the world's leading supplier of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymers has an excellent standing in the market", comments Susann Schrader, Director Business Line Standard Polymers at Albis Plastic.

The distribution agreement covers the injection moulding grades Terluran GP 22 and Terluran GP 35 as well as the extrusion type Terluran HI 10.

Until now, Albis has operated as a distribution partner for Styrolution not only in the sales markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH region), but also in large parts of northern, central and eastern Europe. The cooperation not only covers most of Western Europe, it also services the Balkan countries and growing markets in East Europe including Russia.

As MRC informed previously, Albis Plastic has expanded its PPS range thanks to the recently concluded distribution partnership with the Japanese TORAY Group, one of the world's leading PPS producers. As of now, their branched PPS compounds TORELINA A504X90 (PPS GF40) and TORELINA A310MX04 (PPS GF/MR65) are part of the ALBIS delivery program. Albis Plastic has expanded its PPS product range to meet the steadily rising global demand, which has a current growth rate of almost 8%. The automotive and electronics industries in particular have a high demand for TEDUR and TORELINA.

Albis Plastic, the Hamburg-based company, is one of the global operating companies in the distribution and compounding of technical thermoplastics. In addition to the product portfolio of well-known plastic manufacturers, Albis offers the plastic processing industry a diverse product range of high performance plastics, compound solutions and masterbatches.
MRC

Pertamina and PTT advance petrochemical complex plans

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PT Pertamina of Indonesia and Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical PCL (PTTGC) have signed a manufacturing joint venture-heads of agreement to pursue the final investment decision for a petrochemical complex in Indonesia slated for commercial operation by 2018, according to Pertamina's press release.

The agreement is aimed to further consider the agreed joint-venture principles and investment scope for the project as well as enable both parties to finalize project details by early 2014 prior to conducting the detailed bankable feasibility study and front-end engineering design, Pertamina said.

This latest agreement follows the completion of the extensive project preliminary feasibility study, which is a part of the partnership HOA signed in April.

The companies expect a final investment decision on the project in 2015, according to Pertamina.

Pertamina and PTTGC have targeted the project feasibility study refinement stage for conclusion by second-quarter 2014 to accelerate the implementation and achieve start-up of the complex by 2018.

Later this month, PTTGC and Pertamina will also enter into a marketing and trading joint venture to initially conduct both PTTGC’s and Pertamina’s polymer products marketing and distribution throughout Indonesia.

Pertamina first announced its intention to construct the USD5 billion complex in December 2012 as part of a plan by the state-owned company to increase its share of the Indonesian petrochemical market.

As MRC wrote earlier, this summer, Pertamina signed an agreement to purchase petrochemical products from PTT Global Chemical. The agreement serves as a pre-marketing strategy for Pertamina and PTT’s joint Indonesian petrochemical business. Under the agreement, PTT will deliver at least 5,000 tonnes of polyethylene and polypropylene products each month to Pertamina for sale in Indonesia.

Pertamina is an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation based in Jakarta. It was created in August 1968 by the merger of Pertamin (established 1961) and Permina (established 1957). Pertamina is the world's largest producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

PTT Global Chemical is a leading player in the petrochemical industry and owns several petrochemical facilities with a combined capacity of 8.45 million tonnes a year.
MRC

Sunoco reports pipeline spill

MOSCOW (MRC) -- US-based Sunoco Logistics has reported an oil spill on a pipeline in Carter County, Oklahoma, said Upstreamonline.

A report filed with the US National Response Centre stated that about 547 barrels of oil had been released from the below ground pipeline, however the cause of the spill was not yet known.

The report also stated that the spill had affected an unnamed creek in the area as well as the ground around the pipeline.

On October 5, 2012, Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. and Sunoco, Inc. successfully completed the merger of SUN into SAM Acquisition Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.

Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. headquartered in Philadelphia, is a master limited partnership that owns and operates a logistics business consisting of a geographically diverse portfolio of complementary crude oil & refined product pipeline, terminalling, and acquisition & marketing assets. SXL’s general partner is owned by Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.
MRC

Air Liquide plans new Turkey industrial gas plants

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Liquide, which is vying for the top spot in the industrial-gas market with Linde, plans to add more plants in Turkey as it seeks to outpace the country’s expected economic growth, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company, which sells gases such as oxygen and nitrogen to clients in food to the steel industry, may consider building another plant in Iskenderun, on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, said Jerome Christin, general manager for Turkey, in an interview in Istanbul.

Such a project would take place after a USD93 million expansion at Air Liquide’s Aliaga plant, on the Aegean coast in western Turkey, is completed in 2015.

The company, operating in about 80 countries, is cutting jobs in France, Germany and Italy, and CEO Benoit Potier is poised to announce a strategy this month to deal with Europe’s economic woes, growing industrial capacity in emerging markets, cheaper United States gas, and rising demand for health-care services and electronic goods such as tablets. Turkey is budgeting for gross domestic product growth of 4 % for 2014 and 5 % for 2015 and 2016.

"Turkey is such a strategic country in the world because of its size and growth potential," Christin said. "Therefore there is a big room for growth as the trend in Turkish industrial companies is to outsource industrial gases." Air Liquide aims growth at around 10 % in Turkey, he said.

As MRC wrote before, Air Liquide signed an agreement with Russian producer RusVinyl to supply oxygen, nitrogen and compressed dry air to its new polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in Kstovo, Russia. Air Liquide would invest, build and operate a new air separation unit with a capacity of more than 350 tonnes/day of oxygen in Kstovo, in the region of Nizhegorodskaya oblast.

L'Air Liquide S.A., or Air Liquide, is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers.
MRC

Oman Oil Company successfully concluded acquisition of Oxea

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oman Oil Company (OOC), a commercial company wholly owned by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, has successfully concluded the acquisition of Oxea which was announced in October, said the Wall Street Journal.

The purchase price was not disclosed. Oxea is one of the largest global manufacturers of Oxo chemicals. With the acquisition, OOC aims to become a vertically integrated global chemical leader in the downstream industry.

"Oxea is an impressive company with a strong track record, highly diversified product portfolio and strong customer base. With its international presence in Europe and North America, leading technology, efficient platform and longstanding experience in the Oxo segment, Oxea will support our further expansion into the chemical sector," said H.E. Nasser bin Khamis Al Jashmi, Chairman of Oman Oil Company.

Philippe de Fitte, Vice President Downstream Strategic Business Unit of OOC, added: "There is a unique opportunity to build an integrated chemical platform in Oman from our current investment base. We see our acquisition of Oxea as the corner stone for this platform by bringing its technology and expertise to Oman and connecting it to feedstock from our investments in Duqm. This will also contribute to Oxea's expansion strategy, especially in the Asian growth markets while Oman Oil Company benefits from Oxea's reach into European and North American markets."

Martina Floel, spokeswoman for the executive board at Oxea on behalf of the management board, said: "Oxea is the number one Oxo merchant and holds a leading position as a manufacturer for Oxo products and derivatives. Since its foundation in 2007 we have successfully diversified the company's activities into derivatives and invested in expanding capacity and our presence in both mature and emerging markets. We look forward to working together with OOC which will provide additional access to growth markets in Asia and the Middle East."

Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. (OOC) is a commercial company wholly owned by the Government established in 1996 to pursue investment opportunities in the wider energy sector both inside and outside Oman. The Company plays an important role in the Sultanate's efforts to diversify the economy and to promote domestic and foreign investments as well as fostering and building human capital.

Oxea is a global manufacturer of Oxo intermediates and Oxo derivatives, such as alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, specialty esters, and amines. These products are used for the production of high-quality coatings, lubricants, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, flavorings and fragrances, printing inks and plastics. In 2012, Oxea generated revenue of about EUR 1.5 billion with its 1,406 employees in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

MRC