TotalEnergies does not produce kerosene for the Russian army

As a shareholder of Novatek, TotalEnergies asked the management of Novatek on August 25 for information on what happens of the gas condensates produced by the Termokarstovoye field in Russia, in order to shed the fullest light on the recent controversy initiated by French daily newspaper, Le Monde, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

TotalEnergies publishes the response given to TotalEnergies by Novatek: "All of the unstable condensate produced by our subsidiaries and joint ventures, including Terneftegas, comes into our Purovsky condensate processing plant. The Purovsky Plant also stabilizes condensate from other Russian producers, whose share in the plant's load does not exceed 20%.

The entirety of stable condensate produced at the Purovsky Plant from the feedstock coming from NOVATEK's subsidiaries and affiliates, including Terneftegas, is delivered to the Ust-Luga processing complex in the Leningrad Region. The range of products derived during processing at the Ust-Luga Complex includes jet fuel (Jet A-1) that is exclusively exported outside Russia, and it does not even have the certification to be sold inside the country.

Therefore, it is clear that the media publications and calls to investigate activities of TotalEnergies in our joint companies have absolutely no basis in fact." As a result, this confirms what TotalEnergies published on August 24 stating that “No, TotalEnergies does not produce jet fuel for the Russian army”.

TotalEnergies seeks to end this unfounded controversy which is damaging the reputation of the Company and has decided to take all appropriate legal action to put an end to it if necessary.

We remind, TotalEnergies signed today with Sonatrach, Occidental and Eni an extension of its Production Sharing Contract for a period of 25 years for onshore Blocks 404a and 208 in the Berkine basin, in Eastern Algeria. This contract, signed under the new Algerian Hydrocarbon Law published in 2019, will allow to develop additional liquids hydrocarbon resources, while reducing these fields carbon intensity through a dedicated carbon reduction program. The opportunity to develop and valorize associated gas resources will be studied by the partners, thus increasing export potential towards Europe.

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Arlon Graphics, LLC, a subsidiary of FLEXcon Holdings Trust, have partnered with Westlake Vinnolit to advance their sustainability contributions by expanding GreenVin® PVC resin to Arlon’s product portfolio, said the company.

Arlon is a global leader in the graphics films industry, and a key part of their strategy is a commitment to furthering sustainability and climate protection. Now, the company will utilize Vinnolit GreenVin® PVC resin, a component used in the production of graphic films for automotive and vehicle fleet wraps. GreenVin® PVC is manufactured with power from 100% renewable sources, based on high-quality renewable energy certificates (Guarantees of Origin / GOs), supporting climate protection and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Depending on the PVC type, the carbon-dioxide savings of GreenVin® PVC are about 25% compared to conventionally produced Vinnolit PVC. The respective carbon footprint for the entire Vinnolit product portfolio was calculated by Sustainable AG in accordance with the ISO 14067 standard. Review and certification are carried out by TUV Rheinland.

"Arlon’s selection of GreenVin® PVC is driven by our own commitment to provide `greener‘ solutions and by our customers’ demands for environmentally responsible products. We continue to explore innovative ways to incorporate sustainable materials into our offerings and to reduce our carbon footprint. GreenVin® allows us to do this all while maintaining the performance and quality our customers have come to expect from Arlon,” says Adam Bratter, Vice President of Global Product for Arlon.

"With GreenVin®, we are working to make the entire Westlake Vinnolit product portfolio more environmentally friendly and sustainable,” Dr. Karl-Martin Schellerer, Managing Director of Westlake Vinnolit, added. “Technical properties and highest product quality of our PVC grades remain unchanged. At the same time, we help environmentally conscious companies and thought leaders in their field reduce their own carbon footprint and that of their products."

We remind, PVC and caustic soda manufacturer Vinnolit, a Westlake company, will be renamed Westlake Vinnolit.
As part of its ongoing growth, the parent company Westlake is standardizing the brand identity of the entire Group.

Westlake Corporation is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and innovative products that enhance life every day. Headquartered in Houston, with operations in Asia, Europe, and North America, we provide the building blocks for vital solutions — from housing and construction, to packaging and healthcare, to automotive and consumer.
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Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country's largest fuel retailer, announced it will achieve Net Zero operational emissions by 2046 and invest over Rs 2 lakh crore to meet this target, said Indiatimes.

IOC Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya made the announcement today during the Company’s 63rd Annual General Meeting. The year 2046 coincides with India completing 99 years of independence and the celebration of its 100th Independence Day.

"As we embark on the net-zero journey in the right earnest, we already have a well-crafted blueprint in place. It adopts a multi-pronged approach to take us gradually towards the net zero destination. We have envisaged an investment of over Rs 2 lakh crore will be required to achieve the target by the year 2046," Vaidya said.

He added the company has been pursuing a green agenda to steer the country’s green energy transition and is already working on emission mitigation pathwayslike green hydrogen, biofuels, renewables, carbon offsetting through ecosystem restoration and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).

Currently, IndianOil's Green House Gas (GHG) emission, emanating majorly from the company’s refining operations, stands around 21.5 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) per annum.

We remind, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd, (CPCL), belonging to Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, said on August 23 its board of directors has approved the proposal for the formation of a joint venture company for implementing the refinery and petrochemical complex. The nine million tonne per annum (MTPA) refinery project at Cauvery Basin Refinery, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu, is being set up at an estimated investment of Rs 31,580 crore.
The investors include Chennai Petroleum Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation and other seed equity investors, namely Axis Bank, HDFC Life Insurance Company, ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company and SBI Life Insurance Company.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is an Indian state oil and gas corporation headquartered in New Delhi.
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Kumho Petrochemical has announced a major investment initiative which will see the South Korean group pumping KRW6,000 billion (EUR5.5 billion) into existing and new businesses over the next five years, said European-rubber-journal.

As part of the initiative, Kumho will invest KRW3,300 billion in its ‘core business areas’, which includes nitrile butadiene latex (NB latex) production and styrene solution butadiene rubber (SSBR) manufacturing.

The group aims to expand NB latex production, a key material for rubber gloves, in order to maintain its ‘top global position’, said the Seoul-based supplier in a recent statement.

“As the global hygiene concept is continuously strengthened, latex gloves are expected to become a representative medical and hygiene product along with masks,” Kumho said. The group said the investment will go towards filling a “gap in the technology and production capacity” of the material.

Furthermore, the initiative will involve investments within Kumho’s SSBR operations as it targets No.1 position in Asia. In addition to SSBR capabilities, Kumho said it would also invest in its ‘fine chemical products’ such as synthetic rubber antioxidants and vulcanisation accelerators.

“We are discussing detailed strategies to strengthen global competitiveness, and are devising strategies to maximise profitability,” it added. The Seoul company did not provide further details for the planned investments, but the announcement comes after a series of expansion projects introduced last year.

In June last year, Kumho unveiled an ‘aggressive EUR190-million investment’ in a new nitrile rubber latex plant at its Ulsan petrochemical complex.

Later in the year, the group announced that it is "more than doubling" its SSBR production capacity from 63 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) to 123ktpa by the end of 2022.

The Korean supplier is also considering a KRW2,700 billion investment in “future growth engines” such as carbon nanotubes, for secondary battery materials, and engineering plastics for electric vehicles. It also plans to respond to the rapidly changing industry trends by promoting digitalisation across its operations.
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INEOS Phenol has announced that it has agreed to acquire the entire asset base of Mitsui Phenols Singapore Ltd from Mitsui Chemicals, a leading Japanese chemicals manufacturer, for a total consideration of USD330 million, said the company.

The business has a turnover of USD750 million and produces over 1 million tonnes of product each year, including cumene (410 ktpa), phenol (310 ktpa), acetone (185 ktpa) alpha-methylstyrene (20 ktpa) and bisphenol A (150 ktpa).

The addition of the Jurong phenol and BPA assets provide a good fit with our existing asset portfolio and expertise of INEOS Phenol and presents significant integration opportunities with our manufacturing sites in Germany, Belgium and the United States.

Cumene is an essential raw material for the production of phenol, acetone, alpha-methyl styrene and BPA which are used in the production of polycarbonate, plastics, phenolic resins, synthetic fibres and solvents. These products are used in a diverse range of end markets, including the automotive, construction, electronics, healthcare, surgical and fibre industries.

“We are very pleased to acquire the Singapore Phenols business on Jurong Island, from Mitsui Chemicals. INEOS Phenol is today the leading phenol producer in the world, adding production and supply capabilities in a prime location in Asia has been a long-term business objective and will help us to further serve our global customer base. This acquisition presents an excellent opportunity to further improve the competitiveness of our business,” said Hans Casier, CEO INEOS Phenol. “These are good quality, well placed assets, complemented by a very experienced operations team and high safety, health and environmental standards."

“Entering the Asian market via this acquisition gives INEOS Phenol a unique capability to support our global customers’ plans for future growth whilst at the same time we look forward to developing new markets and customer relationships associated with bisphenol A which will be a new product for INEOS” said Gordon Adams, Business Director INEOS Phenol.

INEOS Phenol is the largest producer of phenol and acetone with operating assets in Germany, Belgium and USA all supported by a dedicated research and technology centre based in Germany. The business produces just under 1.9 million tonnes of phenol and around 1.2 million tonnes of acetone annually. Demand for phenol and acetone continues to grow worldwide. Through selective investments in new assets and new technology, the business intends to further develop its business and grow with its customers.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approval and is currently anticipated to complete in Q1 2023.

We remind, INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, has announced the introduction of an extension to its high-performance Novodur® line of specialty ABS products. The new Novodur E3TZ is an extrusion grade that is a suitable for a variety of applications including food trays, sanitary applications and suitcases.

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