Saipem awarded onshore USD850 MM E&C contract for Kuwait pipeline, refinery project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saipem has been awarded a new contract in the onshore E&C sector worth approximately USD850 MM. Activities involve engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning for the "Feed Pipelines for New Refinery Project (NRP)" in relation to the development of the new Al Zour refinery located in the south of Kuwait.

The scope of work comprises the construction of a system of pipelines of various diameter, approximately 450 km in length, for the transportation of crude oil and gas from various KOC South Tank Farm manifolds to the new Al Zour refinery. The project also includes the realization of a network for the transportation of the refined products to the storage areas present in the refinery of Mina Al Ahmadi. These products will also be used to feed the Northern Power Station owned by the Ministerial body for water and electricity.

As MRC informed before, last year, Saipem, the Italian oil services group, filed a EUR759m claim against Gazprom following the cancellation of the South Stream project to pipe Russian gas to Europe. For the Russian state gas group, the claim highlights the cost of its attempts to build a pipeline across the Black Sea, which have twice been scuppered by political disputes in little over a year.

Saipem S.p.A. (Societa Anonima Italiana Perforazioni E Montaggi) is an Italian oil and gas industry contractor. It is a subsidiary of Italian energy company Eni, which owns approximately 30% of Saipem's shares. Saipem has been contracted for designing and constructing several pipelines, including Blue Stream, Greenstream, Nord Stream and South Stream.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Lubrizol Corporation's Engineered Polymers business has announced the launch of the new Pearlbond 1160L thermoplastic polyurethane grade for adhesive powders, webs and films. The product complements the company's current high-crystalline offering for adhesive films and PVC co-extrusion, as per GV.

Pearlbond 1160L is toluene-free and can be converted into thermobonding films, webs and powder. According to Lubrizol, the product is a lightweight and environmentally friendly alternative to competing materials. With the addition of Pearlbond 1160L, the company now offers the choice of two solutions for adhesive formulators: high-melt strength Pearlbond 1160 and the new Pearlbond 1160L, which is said to have a superior crystallisation speed and higher wettability.

"Lubrizol offers a world-class portfolio of solvent-free polymers for hot melt adhesives. Pearlbond 1160L provides a gel-free, high-performing alternative that can be easily processed and offers new possibilities for stitch-free bonding and waterproofing adhesives in a variety of applications," said Jesus Santamaria, EMEAI business director for Estane Engineered Polymers.

As MRC informed before, in February 2016, Lubrizol Corporation announced the commencement of its USD50 million chlorinated polyvinyl chloride ( CPVC) compounding plant in Dahej. This was the company's first CPVC compounding plant in the country, and it claimed that it is the first such in India by any global major. The plant has a capacity to produce nearly 55,000 tonnes of compounds annually. The company invested over USD50 million (Rs325 crore) on this facility.

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that apart from its production develops and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol is providing innovative solutions for its customers high-performance application needs and remains committed to ongoing investment in its CPVC capabilities that support future growth. With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,000 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2013 were USD6.4 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) has signed two head of agreements (HoAs), to jointly perform engineering study for potential development of Propylene Oxide (PO) 200 KTA with Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) and to jointly perform engineering study for potential development of Polyether Polyols (Polyols) 130 KTA with Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) and Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. (SCI), reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This complex will be located in Hemaraj Eastern Industrial Estate (HEIE), Rayong in Thailand and total investment is approximately USD1 B.

Through this joint study, PTTGC will secure a reliable and stable supply of feedstock - propylene for PO production and ethylene oxide for polyols production - while SCI will provide its technology know-how and research and development for polyols to fulfill customer’s requirement.

TTC will support the project with its logistics and order management expertise with strong market and sale network around the world, especially in the Asia Pacific and India for both PO and polyols.

After the completion of a prelim joint feasibility study began in early of 2015, when PTTGC, TTC and SCI signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the effort, the project has moved to the early phase of engineering study to perform front end engineering design and verify the viability of the project before Final Investment Decision (FID), which’s targeted next year, for going to the phase of execution with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC).

Polyols is key raw material for manufacturing of high-quality Polyurethane foams, added benefits of consuming less energy and process materials, as well as generating less waste, in automotive, furniture, band bedding, construction, electronic and electrical industries.

As MRC informed before, PTT is on track to start commercial operations at its new 400,000 mt/year metallocene C6 linear low density polyethylene (MLLDPE) plant at Map Ta Phut, Thailand, in the first quarter of 2018. PTT will start up the plant by the end of this year.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Stepan Company, through a subsidiary in Mexico, has announced that it has reached an agreement with BASF Mexicana, S.A. DE C.V. to acquire its surfactant production facility in Ecatepec, Mexico, and a portion of its associated surfactants business, reported GV.

The facility is located close to Mexico City and has over 50,000 t/y of capacity, 11,519 m2 (124,000 square feet) of warehouse space, a large laboratory and office space. The definitive agreement is subject to closing conditions and the satisfaction of certain other requirements. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"The acquisition supports the company's growth strategy in Latin America. We believe this acquisition significantly enhances Stepan's market position and supply capabilities for surfactants in Mexico and positions us to grow in both the consumer and functional markets for surfactants," said F. Quinn Stepan Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Stepan Company.

Stepan with headquarters in Northfield, IL, USA, is a manufacturer of speciality and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. The company is also a producer of surfactants, which are key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds. Furthermore, the company is a supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market and CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers) industries.

As MRC wrote previously, within the next five years, BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) plans to invest globally more than EUR200 million in its plastic additives business, approximately half of which in Asia, focusing on capacity expansions and operational excellence.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
MRC

July imports of homopolymer PP into the country grew to 7,200 tonnes, compared with 5,200 tonnes in June. Local companies increased their shipments of homopolymer PP raffia grade from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Overall imports of this PP grade reached 33,300 tonnes in the first seven months of 2017, compared to 45,300 a year earlier.

July imports of PP block copolymers in Russia increased to about 3,200 tonnes against 3,500 tonnes in June. Local companies reduced purchasing of PP block copolymers for non-pressure pipes extrusion.
Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia reached 23,600 tonnes in January-July 2017, compared to 18,000 tonnes a year earlier. Last month's imports of PP random copolymers were about 2,700 tonnes, which was virtually equal to the June figure. Total imports of PP random copolymers in Russia were 16,300 tonnes in January - July 2017, compared with 18,100 tonnes year on year.

Imports of other propylene polymers for the reported period increased to about 19,400 tonnes compared with 15,300 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.


MRC