ECN-European Chemical News articles from May 2005

ECN-European Chemical News archives from May 2005

Has the public lost trust in industry?(survey by the European Commission about pollution due to chemicals)(Column)
May 9, 2005... A recent survey by the European Commission contains some good news and some not so good news for the chemicals industry. Carried out last year among members of the public in all 25 member states, the questioning was designed to assess the...

Rhodia challenge.
May 9, 2005... A minority shareholder in Rhodia is seeking to oust some of the French chemicals company's senior directors at June's board meeting. Adam, a leading minority shareholders' group in France, has set down resolutions calling for shareholders to...

Pipeline on hold.
May 9, 2005... The consortium spearheading Canada's Mackenzie Delta gas and natural gas liquids pipeline has halted all project execution work due to regulatory delays and huge financial demands from aboriginal groups. The Can $7.7bn (4.75bn [euro]/$6.1bn)...

Death inquiry.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Agencies are investigating the death of a man who fell iii at a Great Lakes Chemicals' plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, US. The dead man was one of a group of technicians at the brominated flame retardants plants which reported eyes and nose...

New name.
May 9, 2005... Sabic's European operation has been renamed Sabic Europe in place of Sabic EuroPetrochemicals. News Editor simon.robinson@icis.com

Profits jump.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Unipetrol posted consolidated 2004 gross profits of Koruna 4.87bn (161m [euro]/$210m). The huge improvement from a loss of Koruna 406.3m in 2003 could raise the price Poland's PKN Orlen will have to pay for the group by up to 15%. Elsewhere in...

US majors see record first quarter earnings this year.(US: RESULTS)
May 9, 2005... Despite reports of a slowing down in US economic growth, US majors continue to report record first quarter earnings, driven by strong increases in prices. Volumes were not a major factor, pointing to sluggish demand growth. Eastman...

Kemira takes over Kemiron.(US: WATER TREATMENT)
May 9, 2005... Kemira has taken full control of its North American water treatment business through the purchase of the remaining 40% in subsidiary Kemiron Companies. The Finnish chemicals group bought the minority stake from Lawrence Hjersted, founder...

ICI warns of price increases.(UK: TRADING)(Imperial Chemical Industries PLC)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... ICI chief executive John McAdam has warned that further price rises will be needed to offset raw material cost inflation. He has also admitted that sales growth slowed as the quarter progressed, 'suggesting weakness in a number of market...

Shell and BASF agree Basell sale.(DIVESTMENT: POLYOLEFINS)
May 9, 2005... Shell and BASF are selling their Basell polyolefins joint venture for 4.4bn [euro] to financial buyers Access Industries and The Chatterjee Group (TCG), both based in the US. A deal was signed last Thursday after pressure from the US...

Alliance clobbers Reach study.(GERMANY: IMPACT STUDY)
May 9, 2005... Einspruch (Objection), an alliance of 140 small and medium-sized German chemical companies (SMEs), has criticised the Reach impact study by KPMG (ECN 25 April) as 'not representative'. The organisation said the proposed legislation's...

Perstorp sells US businesses.(SWEDEN: COMPOSITES)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Swedish speciality chemicals company Perstorp has sold its Vyncolit NV and Vyncolit North America businesses to Japan's Sumitomo Bakelite for a cash sum of SKr856m (93m [euro]/$122m). Vyncolit, which is active in mouldable composites and...

Fire affects plant.
May 9, 2005... A Dystar plant at Leverkusen, Germany, producing a reaction component for leather dyes was still down last week following a 30 April fire. A spokesman said that damage was contained to the northern section of the facility, which employs 130...

BASF air time.
May 9, 2005... BASF has developed a TV commercial in line with its image campaign 'invisible contribution, visible success'. It will be broadcast at peak viewing time on German, Italian, Spanish and UK television. It shows two climbers reaching the top of the...

APC to pay debts.
May 9, 2005... The Moscow Arbitration court has ordered Yukos' major petrochemical subsidiary Angarsk Petrochemical Company (APC) to pay Rouble 9.94bn (277m [euro]/ $358m) in alleged debts. The debts date back to 1996. APC said it would appeal the court's...

Dispute settlement.
May 9, 2005... A resolution has been found to the eight-month long dispute between management at Norwegian paint group Jotun and workers at its powder coatings plant at Cerkezkoy near Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish affiliate of international trade union ICEM...

German IT sale.
May 9, 2005... German speciality materials group SGL Carbon has sold its major IT operations to Thales Information Systems, the Siegburg, Germany-based electronics company. There were 15 job losses. News Editor simon.robinson@icis.com

Sasol and Total scrutinised for anti-competitive activity.(EUROPEAN COMMISSION: INVESTIGATION)
May 9, 2005... South African energy and chemicals firm Sasol and the French energy and petrochemicals group Total are under investigation by the European Commission (EC) over alleged anti-competitive behaviour in the paraffin wax industry. The companies,...

Imerys staff vote in strike ballot.(UK: PENSION)
May 9, 2005... Union members at Imerys, formerly English China Clays, are being balloted for industrial action over pension cuts at its sites in Cornwall and South West Devon, UK. Last week, 1700 ballots were sent out. Members also lobbied shareholders...

Farmers win US court approval.(HERBICIDE: CROP DAMAGE)
May 9, 2005... Texas peanut farmers have been given permission by the US Supreme Court to pursue legal claims against Dow AgroScience for crop damage allegedly caused by the company's Strongarm (diclosulam) herbicide. Dow AgroScience had argued that the...

Optimism at Bayer but not Degussa.(EARNINGS: ANNUAL FORECASTS)
May 9, 2005... Thanks to a good first quarter (Q1) performance that was driven by the good economy in the US and Asia, Bayer is optimistic for the full year, chairman Werner Wenning told the annual general meeting (agm) on 30 April. The group is...

Henkel expects high teens Ebit.(GERMANY: FINANCIAL RESULTS)(earnings before interest and taxes)(Henkel Chemicals)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Henkel is pleased with its start to 2005 and expects organic sales growth of 3-4% this year, chairman Ulrich Lehner told the group's annual general meeting (agm) last week. He forecast a foreign exchange-adjusted increase in Ebit before...

IPIC buys 50% share of AMI.(MIDDLE EAST: MELAMINE)
May 9, 2005... OMV is to sell a 50% stake in its subsidiary Agrolinz Melamine International (AMI) to International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, a key shareholder. The sale price of about 241m [euro] includes a...

'Swarm of locusts' charge for investors.(Franz Munterfering's views on private equity funds)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... In advance of late May elections in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to chemical companies such as Bayer and Lanxess (Leverkusen) or Degussa and Henkel (Dusseldorf), a public debate has erupted over Social Democratic party...

BTS to extend working hours.(BAYER: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS)
May 9, 2005... Infrastructure arm of Bayer, Bayer Technology Services (BTS) said last week it planned--with the consent of employee representatives--to extend the working week from 37.5 hours to 40 hours, without extra pay, for all 1300 employees at...

Sabic to meet Asian demand with new Al Jubail cracker.(SAUDI ARABIA: PETCHEMS)
May 9, 2005... The new Sabic cracker announced for 2010-2011 in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, will impact most heavily on the Asian market. Al Jubail is ideally placed to satisfy the growing demand from this region, according to Andrew Spiers, global vice...

PC sector bounces back.(POLYCARBONATE: GROWTH)
May 9, 2005... The European polycarbonate (PC) market looks set to stay balanced to tight until the end of the year despite fresh capacity coming onstream in both Asia and Europe. Strong global growth rates that are 'conservative at 10% and optimistic at...

PX numbers continue to drop.(PARAXYLENE: PRICES)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Europe's first May paraxylene (PX) contract price has been agreed at 674 [euro]/tonne--down 76 [euro]/tonne on the previous month and its lowest level since August 2004. The announcement 'comes as no surprise' to PX producers who had...

Solvent increases.
May 9, 2005... Celanese Chemicals is increasing off-list selling prices for some of its solvent products from 1 June, or as contracts allow. Isobutyt acetate and n-butyl acetate will rise 5 cent/lb in Canada, Mexico and the US, and $110/tonne in South and...

Plant mothballed.
May 9, 2005... Fertiliser producer Terra Industries is to mothball its 500 000 tonne/year ammonia plant in Louisiana, US. The Donaldsonville facility is deemed 'uneconomical to keep on standby'. The company adds that it has also agreed to buy ammonia from...

Resins hike.
May 9, 2005... Dow Chemical has announced a 120 [euro]/tonne hike for epoxy resins in western Europe, eastern Europe and Turkey from 1 May. Prices will also rise by $150/tonne in Africa, India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Resolution Performance Products,...

Polymers up.
May 9, 2005... Styrenic block copolymers supplier Kraton Polymers intends to raise European prices for its SIS polymers. The 250 [euro]/tonne hike will take effect from 1 May and is needed to 'offset continued substantial rises in raw material and energy...

Lanxess prices.(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Lanxess is raising European prices for its Novodur, Lustran (ABS) and Lustran (SAN) products by 200 [euro]/tonne from 1 May. Triax (ABS and PA) will also increase by 150 [euro]/tonne. Lustran and Novodur resins are primarily used for housings...

Asia leads TPU demand.(TPU: CONSUMPTION)
May 9, 2005... Global production and consumption of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) is growing by 3.8%/year, says a new study by UK-based IAL Consultants. According to the report, TPU consumption totalled around 357 000 tonne/year in 2004 with Asia...

Fertiliser growth boosts Q1 output.(ARGENTINA: PRODUCTION)
May 9, 2005... Argentina's chemicals production grew 7% for the first quarter (Q1) of 2005, driven by strong domestic demand for fertilisers and personal care products, according to the National Statistics Institute (Indec). Producers are optimistic for...

Price slide shakes market.(BENZENE: CONTRACT PRICE)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The May European benzene contract has plummeted by 186 [euro]/tonne to 695 [euro]/tonne fob NWE. Market players predicted a fall of at least 100 [euro]/tonne after spot numbers lost ground throughout April, but were surprised at the size of the...

Spot prices share a slippery slope: national holidays in much of Europe and Asia have subdued trade which, along with dipping energy prices, have forced bulk prices down. The exception is ammonia, where numbers are climbing.(Market trends)
May 9, 2005... Naphtha prices have slumped by $55/tonne, on the back of lower crude oil prices. Limited arbitrage opportunities to either Asia or the US have also contributed to the downward slide in naphtha numbers. Players say markets are long and material...

Abbreviations and currency notes.(Market trends)
May 9, 2005... Prices contained in this magazine are obtained by ECN through consultation with producers, consumers and merchants across Europe. They are intended as a guide to price levels of recent business in Europe and reflect medium to large tonnage...

Trio awaits EU approval for fertiliser deal.(DENMARK: JOINT VENTURE)(European Union)(joint venture of Yara with Dansk Landbrugs Grovvareselskap and Agro Danmark)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Norwegian fertiliser company Yara has set up a joint venture (jv) with two Danish firms: Dansk Landbrugs Grovvareselskap (DLG) and Agro Danmark. Yara will hold 50% of the new company, Ferti Supply, with DLG and Agro Danmark holding 40% and...

Odfjell fined for explosion.(BRAZIL: SHIPPING)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Odfjell has accepted a fine of $400 000 from the Hordaland Police District in Norway, in connection with the explosion on NCC Mekka off the Brazilian coast on 4 June last year. The Hordaland Police District said that Odfjell's directives...

RS buy gives Chemtrade a boost in Europe.(CHEMTRADE: ACQUISITION)(Ruhr Schwefelsaure)(Chemtrade Logistics)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Essen, Germany-based Ruhr Schwefelsaure (RS) and its subsidiary Ruhr Transport have been acquired by Canada's Chemtrade Logistics in an 8.6m [euro] debt-free deal. The transaction closed on 1 May. Chemtrade said that RS, a wholly owned...

Guidelines to lighten the load.(CEFIC: DANGEROUS GOODS)(Cefic)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Cefic has made available a set of guidelines on the security of transporting dangerous goods by road. Nine industry associations from sectors including manufacturing, transport and freight forwarding have jointly developed a set of tools...

Water treatment supply.(Logistics & Distribution)(Feedwater)(AquaChem)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... UK water treatment company Feedwater has signed an exclusive supply deal with Ireland's AquaChem. The three-year agreement went into effect on 1 April. Feedwater said that the alliance will give it a deeper penetration into the Irish...

Conferences.(Calendar)
May 9, 2005... Drivers for growth in polyolefin textiles 23-24 May Rome, Italy Tel +322 676 7472 Fax +322 676 7474 E-mail info@eatp.org Website www.eatp.org Environmental technology for specialised organics 24 May...

Duslo Sala.(People on the move)
May 9, 2005... Slovak chemical maker Duslo Sala has made Roman Karlubik, manager of Czech agrochemical group Agrofert, its chief executive officer. Karlubik is also at the head of the North Moravian company Precheza.

North East Process Industry Cluster.(People on the move)
May 9, 2005... The UK's North East Process Industry Cluster has recruited a new chief executive in the form of Stan Higgins. Higgins has held leadership roles in a number of companies in the pharmaceutical and speciality chemical industry. He began his career...

Pergo.(People on the move)
May 9, 2005... Tony Sturrus has been appointed chief executive officer (ceo) and president of Swedish flooring group Pergo. Sturrus is Pergo's senior vice president responsible for North America and will retain this responsibility. He has been with Pergo...

Rohm and Haas.(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings is increasing its presence in Europe through three key appointments in Spain and Italy. Jose Manual Valle has been appointed European process technology manager based in Castellon, Spain; Francesco Gazzola becomes...

Sartomer.(People on the move)(Sartomer Company Inc. appoints Hawon Kea as sales manager )(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Global speciality chemicals manufacturer Sartomer has hired Hawon Kea as sales manager for Sartomer Korea. Kea will be responsible for managing sales on the Korean peninsula. He will report to Daniel Lim, general manager of the Asia-Pacific...

20 years ago: ECN 13 May 1985.(EUROPEAN ECN CHEMICAL NEWS)(John Brown Engineers and Constructors Inc. constructs plants for Beecham Group PLC)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Beecham, the UK's leading antibiotics producer, is investing 40m [pounds sterling] in expanding production facilities to meet the increasing world demand for its new generation of antibiotics. The investment, at Irvine in Scotland, represents...

Money matters: German minister for justice Brigitte Zypries is calling for top managers to declare what they are paid. But some feel this could create problems of envy, and even personal safety.(Salaries)
May 9, 2005... For 15 years, Germany has been a (re)united country. Nevertheless, on many points of political discussion it seems more divided than ever if no longer along east-west lines. One of the many issues splitting the corporate world--including the...

What German chemical managers earn.(Salaries)
May 9, 2005... Germany's chemical and pharmaceutical managers are regarded among the best paid in industry. Employees of the two sectors also usually enjoy generally higher pay compared with other branches. At partly family-owned chemical-pharmaceutical...

Growing panes: Arkema's PMMA business unit is in the middle of a major business realignment, Bertrand Repelin, the president of Altuglas International, outlines his strategy.
May 9, 2005... Bertrand Repelin, president of Arkema's Altuglas International business, is a man with two missions: to simplify the business and to restore margins on extruded and melt calendered acrylic sheet. He is well on the way to the first of his aims....

Emissions testing: on-site gas analysis using speciality gases is becoming more prevalent, as a range of industries seek a new approach to controlling industry emissions.(Environmental Management)
May 9, 2005... Despite the sophistication of existing systems for controlling industry emissions, a new European quality standard is now forcing manufacturers to review their systems and procedures. Adopted by the UK in 2004, EN 14181 is intended to harmonise...

Best foot forward: many successful chemicals suppliers view customers as long-term partners. Cath O'Driscoll looks at BASF's relationships with market leaders Adidas and Renault.(Customer Focus)
May 9, 2005... If high-street retailers have long regarded their customers as kings, then over in the chemicals sector they are no less important. For most chemicals suppliers, however, the relationship is less reverential and--increasingly it seems--more of...

Swat team aims to improve safety.(CANADA: PETROCHEMICALS)
May 9, 2005... A report from Canada's Ontario environmental protection team, known as the Swat team, has concluded that 'most petrochemical companies in the Sarnia area need to take action to meet safe operating requirements and protect the environment'. ...

COP-1 lays the groundwork.(URUGUAY: PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS)(Conference of Parties)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The first Conference of Parties (COP-1) to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) took place over five days last week in Uruguay. According to the United Nations Environment Program some 800 officials from governments...

Toys have highest toxin levels.(GREENPEACE: TOXIC SUBSTANCES)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... A series of tests has revealed that consumer goods aimed at children and babies contain the highest levels of toxic substances, according to Greenpeace. The tests, commissioned by Greenpeace Italy, looked at 12 common consumer items,...

Public polled on issues.(EUROPE: SURVEY)(survey of citizens on environmental issues)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... The first survey examining the attitudes of citizens across the EU-25 towards the environment has revealed that issues of highest concern are water pollution, man-made disasters, climate change, air pollution and chemicals. Of these five...

Production plant.
May 9, 2005... Global healthcare company Johnson & Johnson is to build a E30m production plant in Geel, Belgium, for its subsidiary Tibotec, a Tibotec spokesperson confirmed. Tibotec is active in HIV/AIDS research and currently has three antiretroviral...

Avecia/Pfizer deal.
May 9, 2005... Avecia and Pfizer have entered into a long term agreement for the process development and manufacture of the active pharmaceutical ingredient for Pfizer's anticancer drug ProMune. Financial details were not disclosed, but the deal follows...

12m share offering.(BioTie Therapies Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Biotie Therapies Corp plans to strengthen its financial position by raising approximately 9m [euro] through offering up to 12m new shares. These will go primarily to current shareholders as well as to the holders of option rights and...

DNA methylation.
May 9, 2005... Epigenomics and Qiagen have agreed to collaborate to develop a gold-standard preanalytical solution portfolio for DNA methylation analysis. The jointly developed portfolio is expected to provide complete and validated preanalytical solutions...

GSK agrees FDA terms.(PUERTO RICO: LEGISLATION)
May 9, 2005... GlaxoSmithKline expects to resume production of Paxil CR and Avandamet at its site in Cidra, Puerto Rico, by the middle of the year, following an agreement this month with the US Food and Drug Administration. Manufacture of the drugs will...

Wholesalers form weakest link.(SURVEY: ERNST & YOUNG)
May 9, 2005... A survey of pharmaceutical executives has pointed to the secondary wholesaler distribution market as the weakest link in the medicines supply chain, while Internet- and mail-order pharmacies are expected to become the greatest source of...

Serono secures T-cell blocker.(DENMARK: MEDICINE)
May 9, 2005... Swiss biotechnology major Serono has been granted exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise Danish firm Genmab's monoclonal antibody product HuMax-TAC. Currently in preclinical trials, HuMax-TAC inhibits the proliferation of...

German government's aid will support entrepreneurs.(EU: FINANCE)
May 9, 2005... A German government plan to provide 120m [euro] a year in financial support for new or technology-oriented SMEs, which makes use of technology centres and incubators, has been approved by the European Commission. The approval has been given...

Texas supports nano-research.(US: LOBBYING)
May 9, 2005... The Texas Nanotechnology Initiative (TNI) has set up an executive committee to help promote commercialisation and growth of the State's nanotechnology. The committee will be particularly involved in government lobbying. TNI said that its...

1.1m [euro] funding to reactor maker.(UK: R&D)
May 9, 2005... NiTech Solutions, a UK-based company involved in the development and manufacture of reactor systems for the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, has secured 750 000 [pounds sterling] (1.1m [euro]/$1.4m) in funding which will be used to upgrade...

Fluorine forum.(Fluorum of Crystal Faraday and Fluorine Technology Limited )(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Crystal Faraday's fluorine technology forum, Fluorum, has established a venture with Fluorine Technology Limited (FTL). Under the deal, which was announced last month, Fluorum will host FTUs biannual Fluorine Technology Bureau meetings and...

Award scheme.
May 9, 2005... Quadrant, the global manufacturer of high performance thermoplastic materials and composites, has set up an outstanding academic achievement award. Graduates who have received higher degrees in materials and processes related to engineering...

$5m on InPhase.(Bayer MaterialScience AG and InPhase Technologies)
May 9, 2005... Bayer MaterialScience has signed a joint development agreement with US startup company InPhase Technologies for the development and supply of polymer raw materials for producing high capacity optical storage media. Bayer MaterialScience will be...

Extra PVC in China.(LG Chem Ltd.)(polyvinyl chloride)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... South Korea's LG Chem will begin increasing its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) capacity in China in the second half of this year. An industry source said LG Chem would expand its 340 000 tonne/year PVC plant by 160 000 tonne/year at Tianjin, with...

Contract for Fluor.(contract of Shell Nederland Chemie B.V. and Fluor Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Fluor has been awarded a contract from Shell Nederland Chemie (SNC) to provide engineering and project management services at two chemical plants in Pernis and Moerdijk, the Netherlands. The three year contract includes provision for a two year...

Ahead at Jubail.(plant construction of Gulf Advanced Chemical Industries Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Aker Kvaerner is ahead of schedule in building a 75 000 tonne/year butanediol (BDO) plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, for Gulf Advanced Chemical Industries Company (Gacic). This will be the first plant to produce maleic anhydride in the Middle...

Major milestones.(liquefied natural gas terminals)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and Edison have reached 'major milestone' agreements for the Isola di Porto Levante liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal to be built off the coast of Italy in the North Adriatic Sea. The terminal, scheduled for...

Two Russian loans for IFC.(RUSSIA: INVESTMENT)
May 9, 2005... The International Finance Corp (IFC) has made its first investments in the Russian chemicals sector, with loans to two privatised companies: Kuibyshevazot and TogliattiAzot (ToAz). Kuibyshevazot is Russia's largest producer of caprolactam...

Largest unit in China.(GTC: AROMATICS)(PetroChina Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... GTC has been awarded the aromatics recovery portion of PetroChina's refinery expansion project in Dalian, China. The project will produce lm tonne/year of reformate feed at start-up in 2006, making it the largest extraction unit in China....

Texas plant expands.(HUNTSMAN: ETHANOLMINES)(Huntsman)(Brief Article)
May 9, 2005... Huntsman is expanding its ethanolamines capacity at its Port Neches, Texas, US, plant by 31 760 tonne/year to 186 000 tonne/year. Engineering has begun for the project and the company expects to have the new capacity on line by the first...

Unipol licence for two plants.(US: DOW CHEMICAL)
May 9, 2005... Dow Chemical has licensed its Unipol polypropylene (PP) process to a leading, but undisclosed, global petrochemical company for use in two PP plants. The process will be implemented on a 400 000 tonne/year unit and a 500 000 tonne/year...

Lonza: planning massive investment in peptides.(New Projects)
May 9, 2005... Lonza is investing $20m in peptide production at Visp, Switzerland, in response to increased demand for peptide active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) worldwide. The investment is focused on several areas of Lonza's peptides and...

Radici ups Brazilian output.(ACRYLIC FIBRES: EXPANSION)
May 9, 2005... Italy's Radici has approved a 10000 tonne/year expansion of its acrylic fibres plant to 38 000 tonne/year, in Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The $12m project is expected to be completed in September, according to Stefano Loro,...

Oxiteno picks technology partners.(BRAZIL: OLEOCHEMICALS)
May 9, 2005... Oxiteno has selected Belgium's Desmet Ballestra and the UK's Davy Process Technology as technology partners for its $93m oleochemicals project in Camagari, Bahia, Brazil. Desmet said it will supply know-how and basic engineering for the...

Fatty alcohol and acid builds to begin.(INDONESIA: OLEOCHEMICALS)
May 9, 2005... Indonesia's integrated palm oil producer PT Musim Mas plans to build a 100 000 tonne/year fatty alcohol plant at Medan, Indonesia, by 2006 as part of its oleochemical expansion plan. Construction of the plant is expected to begin this...