Workers at BP refinery will not help with restart unless wage demands met

Workers at BP refinery will not help with restart unless wage demands met

Workers at bp's Rotterdam refinery, which is currently offline, will not help restart operations unless their wage demands are met, union leaders said on Monday, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company said on Saturday it expected to have the refinery back on line "early" this week after an unspecified technical problem. Union leader Jaap Bosma of the CNV union identified the problem that impacted the refinery as a loss of steam.

He said that workers would help fix the resulting problems, but they would not assist to resume refining operations unless a new Wednesday noon ultimatum is not met. "We will help resolve the problems until the facilities are ready to be restarted, and then we'll stop, that's our intention," he said.

BP could not immediately be reached for comment. Workers at the refinery began a "work to rule" action at noon on Nov. 14 after failure to agree on a new contract that has been under negotiation since April.

Workers are seeking a pay package representing a 9.5% increase, citing current Dutch inflation rates above 14%, while management has offered a package including a 5% increase and a one-off 4,000 euro (USD4,092.80) bonus.

We remind, BP refinery in Rotterdam processes about 400,000 barrels of oil annually and is an important supplier of diesel to Northern Europe. BP's final offer in talks over a new collective labor agreement under discussion since April had been for a 5% wage increase and one-off bonus of 4,000 euros (USD4,000).

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KBR JV selected to deliver first unmanned compression platform in Azerbaijan-Caspian region

KBR JV selected to deliver first unmanned compression platform in Azerbaijan-Caspian region

KBR announced that BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) Limited has awarded an optimization stage engineering services contract to SOCAR-KBR (SKLLC) for the Shah Deniz compression project in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea, said the company.

The project is in early pre-FID stage, said the company. SOCAR-KBR is a joint venture of Azerbaijan's state oil company, SOCAR, and KBR. The Shah Deniz compression platform project will be the first in the Caspian region to feature crewless operations, delivering unprecedented process optimization through cutting-edge, high-end technology.

Under the contract, SOCAR-KBR will support optimization and provide class-3 engineering services. Scope also includes engineering to enable integration of the new platform to the existing system and provide shore power to reduce the carbon footprint in support of BP's net-zero targets.

KBR recently completed the initial assessment for the flagship project using their proprietary KMIT (KBR Maintenance Information Tool) to provide detailed estimates of timing and resourcing of maintenance.

"We look forward to working with BP to achieve their goals of introducing novel, crewless operations to the region, while also lowering their carbon footprint, reducing operating costs, and eliminating personnel risks associated with such projects," said Jay Ibrahim, president of KBR's Sustainable Technology Solutions business. "KBR's technical innovation is paving the way for clients to more easily navigate their energy transition journey toward net zero."

We remind, KBR, Inc. (Houston) announced that it has won a contract from GS Caltex (Seoul, South Korea)for its planned plastics circularity project in South Korea. Based on KBR and Mura’s Hydro-PRT process, the 50,000-ton/yr unit will convert waste plastics into raw materials for conversion into new plastics, achieving total circularity.

KBR is a leader in energy transition and has extensive experience supporting sustainable energy projects across the globe.

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Arkema joins SEMI semiconductor climate consortium

Arkema joins SEMI semiconductor climate consortium

The SCC is the first global, ecosystem-wide effort to accelerate the semiconductor ecosystem’s response to the challenge of climate change by facilitating member’s responses to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, said the company.

As one of over 60 founding members, Arkema will work alongside other SCC members toward the following objectives: collaboration – align on common approaches, technology innovations and communications channels to continuously reduce GHG emissions. Transparency – publicly report progress and Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions annually. Ambition – set near- and long-term decarbonization targets with the aim of reaching Net Zero emissions by 2050.

Arkema is committed to aligning ourselves with the trajectory of limiting global warming to 1.5°C as outlined in the Paris Agreement. The company’s ambitious climate plan translates into a target, based on an SBT (Science Based Target) approach, to reduce scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and scope 3 emissions by 46% by 2030 relative to 2019.

Arkema’s Foranext® etch gas plays an important role in the fabrication of semiconductor devices such as microchips. Arkema is a leader in manufacturing low Global Warming Potential (GWP) gases including those for semiconductor applications. Foranext® fluorogases are used to selectively remove material through plasma etching, passivation and chamber cleaning. Foranext® products allow for the miniaturization of critical features found in memory circuits, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and more, which give increased functionality to electronic devices.

In the coming months, the SCC governing members will be elected and working groups will be created based on the four workstreams of the consortium: climate impact, reporting protocols, clean technology and outreach.

The SCC is headed by SEMI, a global industry association that unites the entire electronics manufacturing and design supply chain. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections with over 2,500 member companies and will expand global collective action across the value chain through the SCC.

We remind, Arkema’s Virtucycle® program places the advanced materials designer at the center of a virtuous cycle to source, recycle, and recertify advanced polymers. In addition to being the specialty recycler, Arkema plays the role of matchmaker among its customers while playing an optional key role in eco-designing the finished product produced from the recycled material.
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Chandra Asri and Borouge explore circular economy-based polyolefin waste business potential

Chandra Asri and Borouge explore circular economy-based polyolefin waste business potential

Chandra Asri announced their collaboration with Borouge, a petrochemical company from the United Arab Emirates, at the B20 (Business 20) event in Nusa Dua, Bali, said the company.

The commitment agreed by both of petrochemical companies were based on a joint circular economy initiative which cover the management of polyolefin waste and recycling facilities to produce new products; as well as opportunities in co-marketing and market development initiatives, including developing non-metallic applications in certain market segments in oil and gas amalgamation, automotive, construction, and else, to promote the use of polyolefins.

The announcement of the commitment was attended by President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi, Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono and Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto and CEO of Masdar Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi.

We remind, PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk (Chandra Asri), Indonesia's largest integrated petrochemical company, launched Asrene C6 Metallocene LLDPE to make films with higher tenacity and sealing strength such as multi-layer printed packaging and heavy-duty. This packaging is usually used for applications such as cooking oil standing pouch, stretch film (plastic wrap), and rice bags. Using Metallocene in the production process resulting packaging product leak-proof, tear-resistant and shatterproof. This product has also obtained approval from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) and Halal certificates from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and therefore it is safe and quality guaranteed.
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LyondellBasell announces quarterly dividend

LyondellBasell announces quarterly dividend

LyondellBasell announced it has declared a dividend of $1.19 per share, to be paid December 5, 2022, to shareholders of record on November 28, 2022, with an ex-dividend date of November 25, 2022, said the company.

LyondellBasell announced it has made a decision to move forward with engineering to build an advanced recycling plant at its Wesseling, Germany. Using LyondellBasell's proprietary MoReTec technology, this commercial scale advanced recycling plant would convert pre-treated plastic waste into feedstock for new plastic production. The final investment decision is targeted for the end of 2023.

We remind, Lyondell Basell Industries is evaluating expansion of propylene production capacity at its Channelview Complex near Houston. The potential expansion would involve building a new propylene facility using LyondellBasell's existing technology to convert ethylene into propylene for use in the production of polypropylene and propylene oxide. The related product lines are used to make everyday items such as flexible foam for mattresses, cosmetic packaging, electrical covering for 5G network infrastructure, plastic wrap for food packaging, medical syringes, vehicle bumpers, furniture upholstery and pipe for home plumbing, to name a few.

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