Dow Argentina mulls ethylene sale amid fluctuating energy complex

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow Argentina may load a spot ethylene cargo of an undisclosed volume to an undetermined destination, said Plastemart.

"We have a surplus at the moment due to running at a good rate," the source said.

Dow applies most of its monomer to downstream derivatives, per market feedback. However, the source elaborates that the surplus is a result of the end of winter in Argentina as well as of government-imposed natural gas curtailments amid units that have been running at full rates.

Dow Argentina operates two ethane-fed steam crackers at its Bahia Blanca petrochemical complex, which has an ethylene production capacity estimated at 765,000 tpa.

Despite the company's length, global ethylene economics may hamper any potential trade, so the company may not load a cargo at all, the source said.

As MRC informed before, Dow Chemical began construction on 30, June 2014 its previously-announced world-scale ethylene production facility in Freeport, Texas. This represents a prominent milestone in the company delivering on its strategy to invest in a performance-based portfolio of technology-enabled businesses.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), and synthetic rubber. The company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 36 countries across the globe.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- JGC Corporation announced today that, in partnership with Bechtel and Samsung Engineering, it has received a Letter of Intent from PTTGC America to deliver front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for a new world-scale petrochemicals complex at Dilles Bottom, Ohio, U.S., said the company on its site.

The value of the contract was not disclosed. The project scope includes an ethane cracker with an annual capacity of 1.0 million tons per year, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit, an ethylene oxide ethylene glycol (EOEG) unit as well as the associated off-sites and utilities. JGC’s Houston office will be the lead execution center for the FEED.

The purpose of this project is to produce petrochemical products, such as ethylene, utilizing cheap shale gas produced in the U.S as feedstock. Through the project’s successful completion, PTTGC aims to meet the increasing demand for petrochemical products.

Selection for this contract reflects JGC’s proven technical capabilities and strong track record of delivering more than 40 successful cracker projects around the world, as well as the expertise of Bechtel and Samsung Engineering.

In 2011, JGC Group put into action its new 5-year medium term management plan, entitled "NEW HORIZON 2015." One important pillar of the plan is the strengthening and expansion of domestic and overseas subsidiaries, and the creation of strategic networks among subsidiaries to improve EPC project execution ability.

As numerous petrochemical projects utilizing shale gas are planned in North America, JGC, together with JGC America, will vigorously promote sales activities aimed at expanding its business opportunities in North America.

As MRC informed earlier, Petronas LNG awarded an engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract to JGC Corp. for the expansion of Petronas' liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia.

JGC Corporation, formerly Japan Gasoline Co., is a global engineering company headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. The company was founded on 25 October 1928. In 1976, it changed its original name from Japan Gasoline Co. to JGC Corp. JGC participates in the design and construction of large energy projects, such as Al Zour Refinery, Nigeria LNG, Pearl GTL, Ichthys LNG, Gorgon LNG, Tangguh LNG and Dolphin Gas Project.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation has announced the introduction of Celanese Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) to the Japanese market to meet the demanding product quality and materials specification needs of automotive customers in the country, reported the company on its site.

"We see tremendous growth potential for a PPS polymer solution, and we are excited to bring our technical knowledge, processing expertise and product offering to regional and global OEM customers who call Japan their home. Celanese PPS is a highly stable and durable polymer and is a primary reason why customers in the Japanese automotive industry, among others, specify parts made from this material," said Hajime Suzuki, Celanese managing director for Japan. "We see tremendous growth potential for a PPS polymer solution, and we are excited to bring our technical knowledge, processing expertise and product offering to regional and global OEM customers who call Japan their home."

Celanese will offer the following PPS grades in Japan:

- Celanese ICE PPS - ICE (Improved Crystallization Evolution) grades are part of the PPS semi-crystalline polymer family that features exceptionally high temperature performance up to 240 degrees Celsius (464 degrees Fahrenheit); outstanding resistance to fuels, oils and solvents; excellent hardness, stiffness and dimensional stability; and inherent flame-resistance. ICE grades use an innovative platform technology developed by Celanese material scientists to deliver material properties that are equivalent to or better than standard injection molding PPS grades - and at the same time, significantly improve the processing characteristics;

- Celanese Flex PPS - offers excellent thermal, chemical and permeation resistance, contains no plasticizers and can be tailored to meet customer requirements. Celanese Flex PPS is an exceptional material selection for under-hood automotive applications where flexible tubing requirements help engineers and designers meet the engine "packaging" requirements of today’s high performance turbo engines where space constraints test the limits of inferior engineered polymer materials.

As MRC wrote before, in June 2015, Jacobs Engineering Group was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract from Celanese Corp. for the construction of a vinyl acetate ethylene (EVA) emulsions production plant at Jurong Island, Singapore.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,500 employees worldwide and had 2014 net sales of USD6.8 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Jiutai Energy is likely to start production at its new coal-to-polyethylene plant, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company is likely to start commercial production at the plant in this month. The plant is expected to operate at normal rates from December 2015.

Located at Erdos, Inner Mongolia region in China, the new PE plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer, restarted its high density polyethylene/linear low density polyethylene (HDPE/LLDPE) plant in early June 2015, following maintenance turnaround. It was shut on April 10, 2015. Located in Dushanzi, China, the plant has a production capacity of 660,000 mt/year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Platform Specialty Products Corporation ("Platform") announced today that the shareholders of Alent plc ("Alent") approved Platform's previously-announced recommended offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Alent in a cash and stock transaction for approximately USD2.1 billion1 (the "Alent Acquisition"), said the company in its press release.

Earlier today, at a court meeting and general meeting, Alent's shareholders voted to approve, by the required majorities, the proposed scheme of arrangement under the U.K. Companies Act 2006 (the "Scheme") and certain other matters in connection with the implementation of the Alent Acquisition.

The Alent Acquisition remains subject to the sanction of the U.K. court and certain other closing conditions and approvals set forth in the Scheme, including, among others, regulatory approvals in certain foreign jurisdictions. As of today, Platform has received notice of the early termination of the antitrust waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and approval from the South Korean regulatory authorities. The Alent Acquisition is expected to close in late 2015 or early 2016. Following closing of the Alent Acquisition, Platform will remain a New York Stock Exchange listed company domiciled in the United States.

Alent is a leading global supplier of advanced surface treatment plating chemicals and electronics assembly materials. Its principal end-market is global electronics production which accounts for approximately three-quarters of net sales value with the automotive and industrial end-markets comprising the balance.

Platform is a global, diversified producer of high-technology specialty chemicals and provider of technical services. The business involves the formulation of a broad range of solutions-oriented specialty chemicals, which are sold into multiple industries, including agrochemical, animal health, electronics, graphic arts, plating, and offshore oil production and drilling.

MRC