ECN-European Chemical News articles from January 2005

ECN-European Chemical News archives from January 2005

Chemistry: why bother?(Comment)
January 10, 2005... This is not the Christmas hangover speaking. It is a call to one and all to look for new ways of approaching the perennial problems of innovation and attracting new talent into a mature industry. News late last year that Dow Chemical had...

New CE for OPI.
January 10, 2005... Bill Ray, global business director for the synthetic rubber business of Dow Chemical, has become chief executive of Oman Petrochemicals Industries, the joint venture between the government of the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Oil Company and Dow...

Cognis Thai jv.(Joint ventures)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Cognis Thai, a subsidiary of the German speciality chemical firm is linking with Thai Olefins to form a 50:50 joint venture for the production of and marketing of fatty alcohol ethoxylates. The jv will operate under the name Thai Ethoxylate...

BASF appeals.
January 10, 2005... BASF will go to the European Court of First Instance on 12 January to argue against an earlier fine that was imposed by the European Commission on 21 November 2001 for its part in organising a vitamin cartel. The fourth chamber of the court...

SGL sells.(SGL CARBON Group)(Adcuram Industriekapital)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Germany's speciality materials group SGL Carbon has sold its surface protection business to Munich-based investment company Adcuram Industriekapital. Terms were not disclosed. Formerly part of SGL Carbon's corrosion protection division, the...

DuPont Dow elastamers is stretched to the limit.(JOINT VENTURE: SYNTHETIC RUBBER)
January 10, 2005... DuPont and Dow Chemical are to dissolve their almost-decade old 50:50 rubber joint venture DuPont Dew Elastomers on 30 June. The business has failed to live up to expectations, and has been implicated in price fixing. Dow plans to exercise...

Companies dig deep for tsunami.(TSUNAMI: INDUSTRY RESPONSE)
January 10, 2005... Businesses of all sizes within the chemical industry have offered cash, supplies and expertise to help with aid efforts in the regions affected by the horrific earthquake and tsunami which ripped through coastal areas around the Indian Ocean on...

Industry survives in Thailand.(TSUNAMI: ASIAN SITUATION)
January 10, 2005... Thailand's petrochemical industry will be minimally affected by the devastation caused by the earthquake and tidal waves in Southeast Asia, say analysts. Most of the Thai kingdom's petrochemical facilities are at Rayong in eastern...

Urea outage.(TSUNAMI: DAMAGE)(P.T. Pupuk Iskandar Muda)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Indonesian state-owned fertiliser producer PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda said its plant at Lhokseumawe in the Indonesian province of Aceh had suffered damage to its gas compressor when heavy flooding entered its buildings. There were no casualties....

ChlorAlp agrees.
January 10, 2005... French speciality chemicals company Rhodia has finalised the purchase of LaRoche's Pont-de-Claix, southern France-based chlor-alkali business ChlorAlp. Rhodia confirmed that it will pay a maximum of 12.5m [euro] in cash for the business....

EC sticks to Henkel.(European Commission )(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The European Commission has cleared Henkel's purchase of Sovereign Specialty Chemicals. It has decided that there is an overlap in industrial adhesives for bookbinding, laminating/flexible packaging (for instance for food items), bottle...

Poison pill.(Calgon Carbon securities management)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Over the Christmas break Calgon Carbon, a US-based water treatment company, increased its protection from predatory bids by lowering the threshold at which its poison pill is activated. Predators now have to acquire or start to acquire only 10%...

Yukos claims over $20bn.(US: LITIGATION)
January 10, 2005... Yukos is pursuing the Russian government in the US courts for damages of more than $20bn. This follows the 19 December auction of Yukos' shares in its main oil production unit, Yuganskneftegaz. Yukos said it would serve notice that the...

Holocaust fund validity upheld.(German supreme court rejects appeal)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Germany's supreme court, the Bundesverfassungsgericht, has rejected an appeal by four former labourers at IG Farben's Monowitz concentration camp to be able to claim damages from the company in liquidation. This was the first time that the...

Celanese European offer extended, US launch begins.(IPO: SQUEEZE OUT)
January 10, 2005... Celanese Corporation, the new US-based holding for the chemical group's worldwide activities, has filed its intention to sell 50m shares of common stock at a price of $19-21/share with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Separately,...

Lanxess flotation date set as cost cuts take effect.(BAYER: SPIN-OFF)
January 10, 2005... Bayer has set 31 January as the start of trading for its new chemicals spin-off, Lanxess, on the Frankfurt stock exchange. There are no plans for a US listing. Shareholders of Bayer AG will receive one Lanxess share for each ten Bayer...

Waste site blasts: evacuation.(US: FIRE)
January 10, 2005... About 2000 residents of El Dorado, Arkansas, US, were evacuated on 2 January after a fire and explosions at the town's Teris hazardous waste disposal facility. No one was injured in the blasts and all of the residents had returned to their...

Nuplex completes purchase.(AKZO NOBEL: COATING RESINS)
January 10, 2005... Akzo Nobel Coating Resins became Nuplex Industries on 31 December 2004. This follows the initial takeover announcement on 15 October 2004. The deal cost Nuplex about 110 million [euro] plus a further 7m [euro] of liabilities. John Hirst,...

Media reports slammed as control battle continues.(INDIA: RELIANCE)
January 10, 2005... The battle for control of Reliance Industries, India's largest privately held company with significant chemical interests, is hotting up as brothers Mukesh Ambani, chairman and Anil Ambani, vice chairman, manoeuvre for position. The latest...

Olefin market stays healthy.(CONTRACTS: OLEFINS)
January 10, 2005... Europe's olefins players went off to their Christmas break with the major Q1 contracts in the bag, giving a clear signal for the first quarter of the new year. Ethylene settled up 40 [euro]/tonne at 740 [euro]/ tonne, while propylene achieved a...

Benzene and styrene fall.(AROMATICS: PRICING)
January 10, 2005... Aromatics contracts have gone into freefall in January, with 22% knocked off the benzene contract and 18% off the styrene contract. While the benzene settlement was accepted by the market at the end of December, styrene contracts were left open...

Titanium dioxide performs well.(EUROPE: TITANIUM DIOXIDE)
January 10, 2005... The European titanium dioxide (Ti[O.sub.2]) market performed 'surprisingly well' during the fourth quarter of 2004. Demand is strong and the hard-fought price increases achieved through the latter stages of the year have been maintained. ...

BP to close plant.
January 10, 2005... BP has announced plans to close its linear alpha olefin (LAO) production facility in Pasadena, Texas, by the end of the year. Closing the site will reduce BP's global LAO capacity by 500 000 tonne/year. Nevertheless, the company will continue...

Air Products hike.
January 10, 2005... High raw material and energy costs have led Air Products Polymers to raise prices for its dispersion products. The hikes, from 15 January, will see Vinac increase by 50 [euro]/ tonne, Airflex by 70 [euro]/tonne, while Flexbond and Flexcryl will...

New plant in Jubail.
January 10, 2005... International Methanol Company, an affiliate of the Saudi International Petrochemical Company, has started commercial operation of its plant in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. Designed and built in a record 28 months, it will produce 1m...

Perstorp price rise.
January 10, 2005... Perstorp is raising the price of its polyols and oxo products. Trimethylolpropane and neopentyl glycol will increase by 150 [euro]/tonne in Europe. Pentaerythritol prices will also rise by 120 [euro]/tonne. Markets editor...

P&G refinery ready.
January 10, 2005... Procter & Gamble Chemicals has announced the startup of its glycerine refinery in Kuantan, Malaysia. Part of its FPG Oleochemicals joint venture with Felda Palm Industries, the unit will produce 35 000 tonne/year of glycerine. Markets...

Dow price hopes.
January 10, 2005... Dow Chemical hopes to increase European prices of glacial acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and methyl acrylate by 210 [euro]/tonne. Markets editor jane.gibson@rbi.co.uk

MTA threatens PTA profits.(TECHNOLOGY: POLYESTER)
January 10, 2005... Opportunities arising from new technology and cheaper alternative feedstocks 'may change the landscape' of the global polyester industry, suggest analysts. According to a recently published report by consultancy Nexant ChemSystems, the...

Production rates up on 2003.(CHLOR-ALKALI: OUTPUT)(Euro Chlor)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Chlorine production in western Europe totalled 820 405 tonne in November, a 5.5% increase compared with the same period last year. The latest figures from chlor-alkali producers' association Euro Chlor show that daily production figures were up...

Spolchemie plant 'world's best'.(CZECH REPUBLIC: EPOXY RESIN)
January 10, 2005... Spolchemie's 70 000 tonne/ year epoxy resin plant at Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic, has been started up successfully, producing 30 000 tonne of solid material and 30 000 tonne of liquid, with the remaining 10 000 tonne consisting of...

Naphtha recovers following slump: Naphtha and Brent stabilise after the slump caused by forecasts of mild US weather, while Styrene prices have been climbing on the back of benzene which rose to $880-910/tonne on Wednesday.(Market trends)
January 10, 2005... Naphtha prices gained a few cents on the back of crude oil, climbing to around $370-373/tonne. However, there had been losses earlier in the week for both naphtha and Brent as they reacted to the slump in WTI pricing following forecasts of mild...

Bulk chemical prices.(Market trends)(Illustration)
January 10, 2005... [GRAPHICS OMITTED] EUROPEAN Q4 2003-Q1 2005 QUARTERLY AND MONTHLY CONTRACTS, [euro]/TONNE Ethylene Propylene Butadiene Q4 2003 512 425 520 Q1 2004 580 ...

Prices look set to remain buoyant: as producers push to maintain margins during the coming month, prices continue to increase across the market--with the exception of polystyrene, which could drop by over 150 [euro]/tonne.(Plastics monitor)
January 10, 2005... European commodity plastics producers will push ahead with price hikes in January in an attempt to retain their margins following the increases in quarter one (Q1) monomer feedstock prices. Q1 ethylene contracts in Europe have been fixed at...

Formaldehyde: fast growth in China will lead demand but the emergence of new capacity will pressurise older plants in Europe and North America.(Product profile)
January 10, 2005... Uses Formaldehyde's major use, accounting for 50-60% of total demand, is in resins and adhesives for plywood and particle board. It is also used in chemical synthesis and to make polyacetal resins, methyl diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and...

Shipping unaffected as most ports reopen.(INDIAN OCEAN: TSUNAMI)
January 10, 2005... Chemical ship owners have apparently continued to ply their trade as normal following the disaster sparked by last month's earthquake off Indonesia's Aceh coast. Several of the region's ports were damaged by the tsunamis that followed in...

Rotterdam reveals new ceo.(NETHERLANDS: APPOINTMENT)
January 10, 2005... THE new ceo of the Port Rotterdam has been named as Hans Smits. Smits was previously acting general director of the port and is already a member of the supervisory board of directors. Smits' appointment comes after the resignation in...

Hombracht is back.(TANK STORAGE: APPOINTMENT)(Neils J Avon Hombracht as chief executive officer of tank storage operator LBC Holdings LLC)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Neils J Avon Hombracht has become ceo of tank storage operator LBC Holdings LLC and president and chairman of LBC SA, the operating entity of the LBC Group. He replaces outgoing ceo Philippe Marche. Von Hombracht has 25 years of experience...

Correction.(Logistics & Distribution)(Correction Notice)
January 10, 2005... Contrary to the story reported on p18 of 29 November 2004 issue of ECN, Univar's Marieholmsgaten office will not close, although customer service activities will transfer to its office in southern Sweden from Q1 this year. Contact...

Bhopal revisited--Carbide replies: ECN's editorial comment in December on the twentieth anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy in India elicited several comments. Here we publish a letter from Dow Chemical, the current owner of Union Carbide, giving its considered reply to the editorial.(Letter to the Editor)(Editorial)
January 10, 2005... Dear Sir, In the past 20 years, much has been written, but more has been forgotten, about the Bhopal tragedy. ECN's recent editorial about the accident failed to consider several important facts which, when taken together, provide a...

New year's growth revelations warm: growth in the European chemicals industry looks set to rise slightly this year, from 2.4% in 2004 to 2.6%. There are uncertainties around another increase in oil prices, but the slow but steady recovery is expected to continue. John Baker analyses the trends.(World outlook: overview)(Industry Overview)(Cover Story)
January 10, 2005... After a strong performance in 2004, during which early GDP growth estimates were revised upwards in the latter months of the year to 2.5%, the European Union is expect' ed to see a slight dip in growth in 2005 to 2.3% as a result of the sharp...

How well will we survive 2005? Europe's chemical players begin the year in cautiously optimistic manner, but must rise to the challenges of high oil prices, the strong euro, legislation and overseas competition.(World outlook: board review)
January 10, 2005... Europe's chemical companies ended last year in a more positive frame of mind than has been the case for several years. But high oil and gas prices, the strength of the euro and low economic growth in Europe are just three of the issues...

What lies ahead? Last year saw the chemical industry's fortunes improve. ECN assesses what 2005 has in store for the agrochemicals, petrochemicals, chlor-alkali and biotechnology sectors.(World outlook: consultants' view)
January 10, 2005... Agrochemicals CATH O'DRISCOLL Interest in the world's best-selling agrochemical pesticide, the weedkiller glyphosate, shows no sign of abating. In 2002, sales for agrochemical uses were around $3bn (plus $1.7bn for non-crop...

The stakes are high: ECN and Chemical Market Reporter have partnered with Accenture to ask European and North American readers about their views on doing business in China. Tommy Mann and Allan Ziirsen look at the results.(World outlook: China)
January 10, 2005... Most business people have mixed feelings about China. Some venture forth with cautious optimism while others take a wait-and-see approach. Meanwhile, the reality is that China has been remarkably successful at opening its markets to the rest of...

Reaching out: with a brand new EU environment minister for the new year, Reach legislation and its implications for chemicals producers is under the spotlight once again. Muriel Cozier looks at the story so far.(World outlook: reach)
January 10, 2005... If anyone was of the opinion that the chemical industry was boring, then surely the energy, passion and debate surrounding Europe's proposed Reach legislation should have changed their minds. During 2004 anti- and pro-Reach lobbies both inside...

Trading scheme kicks off.(EUROPE: EMISSIONS)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The European Union's emissions trading scheme became operative on 1 January 2005, amid criticisms that many of the EU countries have not set strict enough allocations in the first phase, which runs until the end of 2007. The UK recently revised...

Council backs prioritisation.(chemical industry products evaluation proposal by European Commission)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The final EU Environment Council meeting of 2004 debated the European Commission's Reach proposals and the establishment of a European chemicals agency. The meeting agreed that it is very important to examine further options on priority setting...

GM and non-GM co-existence.(EUROPE: GM)(Genetically modified)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Successful coexistence of GM and non-GM maize crops can be achieved by applying a few simple measures, says a recent report. Genetically modified maize--pollen movement and crop coexistence suggests that all that is needed for GM and non-GM...

Climate agreement.(climate change agreement of Argentina)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Agreement has been reached in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the 189 countries attending the conference on climate change. The agreement, which covers future discussions for climate change policies beyond 2012, includes support for a programme for...

Free image guide.(Yorkshire Forward has published a free guide to help chemical companies)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Yorkshire Forward has published a free guide to help chemical companies in the region improve their public image. Chemicals and the Community gives practical examples of how chemical companies can work with local residents, schools, the media...

Cd phase-out.(cadmium not to be used in batteries)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The decision at the end of last year by the European Union's environment ministers to phase out cadmium in certain batteries for mobile phones, toys and camcorders has been welcomed by Greenpeace and the European Environment Bureau (EEB). At...

Swiss generics.
January 10, 2005... Basel, Switzerland-based fine chemicals trader and distributor Schweizerhall has acquired an 80% stake in Cimex, also of Switzerland, for around SF100m (65m [euro]/ $88m). The move allows Schweizerhall to access the fast-growing European market...

Consultancy deal.
January 10, 2005... Excelsyn has signed an agreement with access2growth, both based in the northeast of the UK, in a move that will see the merging of the latter's activities in the pharma and speciality chemicals sectors into Excelsyn's management consulting...

Roche aids BioTie.
January 10, 2005... Roche and BioTie, of Finland, are to collaborate to develop BioTie's small molecule vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) programme, targeting inflammatory diseases. Roche will contribute its expertise to BioTie's development of VAP-1 small...

CRA report is optimistic.(Charles River Associates)(product introduction in pharma sector)
January 10, 2005... The decline in the number new drugs approved in the EU and US between 1999 and 2003 does not represent a continuing trend, according to a recent report by Charles River Associates (CRA), commissioned by the Enterprise Directorate of the...

US companies face greater risk.(US: PATENT EXPIRATION)
January 10, 2005... US drug companies face a greater risk from impending patent expiration than their European and Japanese counterparts, concludes a recent report from Moody's Investors Services. This difference, it says, explains why it is giving a negative...

Propane proposal paves cheaper, greener way.(ROHM AND HAAS: ACRYLIC ACID)
January 10, 2005... Rohm and Haas, with support from Engelhard, has been awarded a $5.2m grant by the US Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program to develop a process to allow acrylic acid to be produced from propane instead of propylene. Rohm...

Research key to sustainability.(science and technology policy online consultation report)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... An online consultation by the European Commission's DG Research on the future for science and technology policy in the European Union has shown strong agreement for strengthening research support across the EU. Respondents believe support...

Honeywell buys.
January 10, 2005... Honeywell has completed the acquisition of Aspen Technology's intellectual property related to the Hysys modelling software and its operator training simulation business. Honeywell said the acquisition extended the capabilities of its Experion...

Clariant in China.
January 10, 2005... Clariant has opened a Technical Service Centre located at the Caojing High Tech Park in Shanghai, China. The centre comprises an automotive centre, a textile centre, leather testing laboratory and related service installations. Technology...

Cleaner water.
January 10, 2005... Lanxess and Severn Trent Services, a water and waste water technology service provider, have developed a process for removing arsenic and other heavy metals from industrial waste water. The adsorption system is based on a fixed bed made from...

PET, PTA and PX evaluations under way.(SOUTH AMERICA: INVESTMENT)
January 10, 2005... Italian group Mossi & Ghisolfi (M&G) is currently considering building an integrated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) complex in Pernambuco state, northeast Brazil, in collaboration with Brazil's state-owned Petrobras. With a capacity of...

BASF in $30m Asian build.(CHINA: POLYISOCYANATE)
January 10, 2005... BASF will invest around $30m in an 8000 tonne/year polyisocyanate plant in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing, China. Construction is expected to start mid-2005, and the facility is scheduled to come onstream at the end of 2006....

Dynea plans resins plant.(VIETNAM: FORMALDEHYDE RESINS)
January 10, 2005... Dynea International has approved plans to build a 70 000 tonne/year formaldehyde resins plant in Vietnam. The $2-3m unit, planned for the Go Dau Industrial Zone in the Long Thanh District of the Dong Nai Province, is scheduled to commence...

BOC to build ASU for Pemex.(MEXICO: NITROGEN)
January 10, 2005... BOC has won a long-term contract to increase nitrogen supplies by 25% at Mexico's Campeche-based oil production complex, which is owned by the exploration and production arm of Mexico's national oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). BOC...

Basell signs licence deals in Iran/India.(TECHNOLOGY: POLYOLEFINS)
January 10, 2005... Basell has signed licence agreements for its Hostalen technology in Iran and its Spheripol technology in India, taking its total to 13 licences in 2004. Iran's National Petrochemical Company will deploy the Hostalen technology on a 300 000...

UHP ammonia distillation unit first for Korea.(ASIA: AIR PRODUCT)
January 10, 2005... Air Products is planning to construct an ultra-high purity (UHP) ammonia distillation plant in Ulsan, Korea. The plant will be operated by Air Products' subsidiary Korea Industrial Gases and will serve the Asian market. This is Air...

Jv targets personal market.(THAILAND: FATTY ALCOHOL ETHOXYLATES)
January 10, 2005... Cognis Thai and Thai Olefins have formed a 50:50 joint venture (jv) to produce and market fatty alcohol ethoxylates. A $20m plant will be built on the Rayong industrial estate, south-east Bangkok, by October 2006. The jv will primarily...

Technology to boost Deer Park.(Solvay Chemicals production management)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Solvay Chemicals will raise the capacity of its Deer Park hydrogen peroxide plant in Texas, US, by 60% through high-productivity technology. Solvay's award-winning technology will boost capacity up to 118 000 tonne/year, with a minimal...

NPC methanol talks collapse.(IRAN: JOINT VENTURE)
January 10, 2005... Iran's National Petrochemical Co (NPC) has failed to form a joint venture with China's Zhuhai Zhenrong for its No 4 methanol project being built in Assaluyeh, Iran. Although negotiations over the 1.65m tonne/year project have been ongoing,...

PVC output elevated.(Poly Vinyl Chloride)(Vinnolit PVC production increment)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Vinnolit is investing 30m [euro] in expanding PVC and precursor production at Knapsack and Burghausen, Germany. Vinnolit said the expansion, due on-stream in late 2006 or early 2007, is in response to a 'dynamic market growth' for...

Foster in UAE deal.
January 10, 2005... Foster Wheeler has been awarded a front-end engineering and design contract by ENOC Processing to upgrade its condensate refinery located in the Jebel All Free Zone, Dubai, UAE. The installation of a 70 000 bbl/day hydrotreater, a continuous...

Fluor selection.
January 10, 2005... The Kuwait National Petroleum Company has selected Fluor to provide front-end engineering and design services for a multibillion dollar 450 000 bbl/day refinery in Shuaiba, Kuwait. When completed in 2009, the low-sulphur fuel will be used as...

LNG expansion.
January 10, 2005... Dominion Cove Point LNG has awarded CB&I a lump-sum turnkey contract to expand a liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Lusby, Maryland, US. The terminal, originally built by CB&I, will be one of CB&I's largest in the US. The scope of work...

Air Liquide secures.
January 10, 2005... Yunnan Tianan Chemical has awarded Air Liquide a 30m [euro] contract for an air separation unit in Anying City, Yunnan Province, China. When completed in 2006, it will produce 50 000[m.sup.3]/h of oxygen and 131 000[m.sup.3]/h of nitrogen for...

New projects summary.
January 10, 2005... REPORTED IN ECN 6 AND 20 DECEMBER 2004 Company Product Capacity Process Akzo Nobel Stenungsund, ethylene amines (x) -- Sweden Arkema Mont, France functional ...

Risk need to be communicated.(public access to chemical risk assessment information )
January 17, 2005... Unless you are a toxicologist, you are unlikely to have read a risk-assessment dossier. Such publications are not for the faint-hearted, although they may be helpful to insomniacs. A brief introduction giving an indication of the risks...

NBR cartel fine.(oil-resistant nitrile rubber price fixing fine for Zeon Chemicals )(Brief Article)
January 17, 2005... Zeon Chemicals will plead guilty and pay a $10.5m fine for helping to fix the price of oil-resistant nitrile rubber between May and December 2002, the US Department of Justice announced last week. According to the charge, Zeon conspired from...

Yukos adds to list.
January 17, 2005... Dismembered Russian oil company Yukos will add India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to its list of companies to be sued if India's largest oil explorer acquires any of Yukos' former assets. The Indian company is in talks to acquire part of a...

Planning blight.
January 17, 2005... Metal and surface finisher MacDermid wants a judicial review of plans for a major housing development around its Birmingham, UK, plant. This could threaten the future viability of the site, which uses and stores a variety of hazardous...

BASF buys shares.
January 17, 2005... BASF bought 16.2m shares at a cost of 726m [euro] last year as part of its 1bn [euro] share buy-back programme, the German energy and chemicals group said last week. The average price paid per share was 44.70 [euro]. New editor...

Symyx extension.
January 17, 2005... Symyx Technologies and Univation are extending their multi-year catalyst development collaboration for a further three years. Univation, a technology joint venture company between ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical, will fund an expanded research and...

Monsanto fined $2m for bribe.(US: GRAFT)
January 17, 2005... Monsanto has been fined $2m over a $50 000 bribe paid to a senior environmental official in the Indonesian government. The company, which notified the US Department of Justice of financial irregularities in its Indonesian operations in...

Shell executive jailed over bribe.(SINGAPORE: CORRUPTION)
January 17, 2005... Kerk Kok Han, 39, an operations executive in charge of freight at Shell Eastern Petroleum, was jailed for six months for taking bribes amounting to S$82 495 (38 000 [euro]/ $50 000) after pleading guilty to four corruption charges involving...