AkzoNobel planning further expansion of chloromethanes capacity

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel’s Specialty Chemicals business has entered the design phase of a further capacity expansion in Germany for the production of chloromethanes - a key ingredient in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and electronics, said the producer on its site.

Production was recently expanded when the company converted its mercury-based chlor-alkali plant in Frankfurt to modern membrane technology, which increased the availability of chlorine raw material.

"The next logical next step is to debottleneck the chloromethanes facilities to enable capacity to be increased even further," explains Jurgen Baune, AkzoNobel’s General Manager for Chlor-Alkali and Chloromethanes.

"Working together with our customers, we’re confident we can successfully accelerate growing our chloromethanes business by stretching the current asset base to the maximum. It aligns with our strategy to accommodate the growing demand of our key customers, while further increasing the integrity of our assets."

Commenting on the plans, Werner Fuhrmann, member of AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee responsible for Specialty Chemicals, adds: "Expanding our chloromethanes capacity will improve the productivity of our Frankfurt cluster while also providing important supply chain benefits for our customers to accompany their growth ambitions." He added that the expansion plans also highlight the company’s strategy of growing with its customers as a reliable supplier.

Chloromethanes are used as intermediates in the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, refrigerants, silicone polymers and fluoropolymers, and are important raw materials for the construction and automotive industries, water treatment, cookware and electronics.

AkzoNobel has leading positions in chloromethanes, holding number one market positions for most of its products and applications in Europe.

As MRC informed earlier, in December 2016, AkzoNobel finalized the acquisition of BASF’s global Industrial Coatings business, which supplies a range of products for industries including construction, domestic appliances, wind energy and commercial transport, strengthening its position as the global number one supplier in coil coatings.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced that its new Clariant Healthcare Packaging production facility in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India is now operational, as per the company's press release.

The new site is capable of producing Clariant’s line of Sorb-it, Tri-Sorb, 2-in-1 Can, and Getter Can sorbent canisters for the growing Indian and Asia-Pacific pharmaceutical packaging markets.

“The new site has been validated as scheduled, and we look forward to serving customers with Clariant desiccants directly from Cuddalore,” says Matthias Brommer, Head - Clariant Healthcare Packaging business line. "By manufacturing regionally, we will be able to provide improved supply and service to our significant customer base in India while further addressing important and emerging markets in Greater China, the rest of Asia and Australia."

The Cuddalore site is already certified ISO 9001, with ISO 14001, 18001, and 15378 certifications intended to be obtained by the end of the year, the latter of which will add Cuddalore to Clariant Healthcare Packaging’s network of GMP-certified production facilities. Cuddalore is equipped with an ISO Class 8 clean room, and products produced at the site meet the relevant US FDA, USP and EU standards for use in pharmaceutical applications.

"Clariant canisters are among the most widely used pharmaceutical desiccants by generic manufacturers in India," says Ketan Premani, Head - Healthcare Packaging India. "Thanks to the latest manufacturing equipment and product design, customers can expect the highest level of quality, and now with improved customer service."

Not only does the new Cuddalore site augment Clariant’s production capacity for desiccant canisters, it also adds to Clariant’s ability to meet BCP (Business Continuity Planning) requirements of global customers by producing identical products at multiple sites worldwide. Furthermore, Clariant continues to offer the Indian market a full range of controlled atmosphere packaging solutions from its global production sites, and it can help customers determine the ideal packaging configuration via its Stablus program.

As MRC wrote previously, in March 2017, Clariant was awarded a contract by Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology Co. Ltd. to develop a new propane dehydrogenation unit in cooperation with CB&I. The project includes the license and engineering design of the unit, which is to be built in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China.

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. Clariant India has local masterbatch production activities at Rania, Kalol and Nandesari (Gujarat) and Vashere (Maharashtra) sites in India.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DowDuPont Inc., formed by the combination of the largest U.S. chemical makers, reported preliminary third-quarter profit that beat analysts’ estimates as prices climbed and demand rose in most of its markets, as per Bloomberg.

Earnings excluding some items rose to 55 cents a share from 50 cents a year earlier, when calculated as if the companies were always merged, DowDuPont said in a statement Thursday. The company was expected to earn 41 cents a share, according to the average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Pro-forma sales climbed 7.6 percent to USD18.3 billion, beating the USD17.5 billion average estimate.

The Aug. 31 merger of Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. created the world’s largest chemical maker until the company executes its plan to split into three. Third-quarter results were driven by “robust consumer-led demand” and higher prices, the company said. The gains more than made up for higher costs, weak agricultural conditions in Brazil and the impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Hurricanes reduced earnings in the quarter by about USD250 million, the company said last month.

"Given that DowDuPont already recalibrated expectations for the hurricane impacts and headwinds in Brazil, the upside surprise is, in our view, more positive than it looks, and bodes well for Q4," Laurence Alexander, an analyst at Jefferies & Co. who recommends buying the shares, said in a note to investors.

The shares gained 1.6 percent to USD72.20 before the start of regular trading as of 8:34 a.m. in New York.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In October 2017, Marketing and Economic Operations Department under the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) exported 51,129 tonnes of diesel fuel, 9,527 tonnes of aircraft fuel, 3,321 tonnes of liquid pyrolysis resin, 2,439 tonnes of high-pressure polyethylene, and 2,134 tonnes of propylene, according to APA.

SOCAR totally exported 452,288 tonnes of diesel fuel, 43,110 tonnes of aircraft fuel, 236 tonnes of furnace oil, 50,306 tonnes of liquid pyrolysis resin, 58,704 tonnes of high-pressure polyethylene, and 31,384 tonnes of propylene in January-October 2017.

The world market price of ethyl gasoline was (1 ton) USD560.49, jet fuel - USD543.08, diesel - USD505.58, high-pressure polyethylene - USD1,235, butylene-butadiene fraction - USD652.86, liquid pyrolysis resin - USD560.49, propylene - EUR860.

As MRC informed before, in October 2015, State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) subsidiary Azerikimya Production Union (PU) has entered two units into operation at its ethylene and polyethylene (PE) plant in Sumgait, north of Baku.

SOCAR Polymer is a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). The entity was formed at the end of 2013 to run investments at the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, a production park which intends to become a chemical hub in central Asia.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal Dutch Shell reported a near 50 percent rise in quarterly profits, driven by strong refining, while solid cash generation underscored the oil and gas company has adapted well to a world of low oil prices, as per Reuters.

The Anglo-Dutch company sharply boosted its cash generation in recent quarters as the effects of cost cuts and asset sales kicked in following Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden’s preparations for “longer forever” oil prices following the 2014 downturn.

"Shell’s three businesses all made resilient contributions to this strong set of results," van Beurden said in a statement, referring to downstream operations, oil and gas.

Shell and most of its rivals are now able to generate profit even if oil prices return to about USD50 a barrel and are once again focusing on growing their businesses. Oil prices averaged USD52 a barrel in the quarter and are today above USD60 a barrel.

BP said this week it was able to balance its books so far this year at USD49 a barrel. In a sign of a renewed emphasis on growth, last week Shell won half the blocks awarded in Brazil’s deepwater oil auction, where rivals BP and Exxon Mobil Corp also acquired blocks in a historic opening to foreign operators.

Shell shares were little changed as of 0920 GMT.
MRC