ECN-European Chemical News articles from September 1992

ECN-European Chemical News archives from September 1992

Six more plants to shut at ICI Australia. (ICI Australia Proprietary Ltd.)
September 7, 1992... ICI AUSTRALIA is closing six of its eight chemical plants at the Rhodes site, Homebush Bay, New South Wales, affecting 200 jobs. This brings the number of closures by ICI Australia in the last 18 months to around 20. Staff numbers have already...

SB sharpens focus of pharma research. (SmithKline Beecham)
September 7, 1992... SMITHKLINE BEECHAM is reshaping its basic pharmaceutical research programme and will axe work in gastrointestinal diseases in order to increase spending in other therapeutic areas, such as neuroscience, and to broaden its research alliances. The...

Akzo steps up legal battle over La Seda. (Akzo N.V.; La Seda de Barcelona S.A.)
September 7, 1992... AKZO IS taking action to resolve its long-running court wrangle over its former Spanish fibres subsidiary La Seda. It has initiated legal proceedings in a Barcelona court against the Spanish lawyer Soler Padro, alleging that he has failed to...

US firms lead petchem and plastics top ten. (petroleum chemicals and plastics industries)
September 7, 1992... US FIRMS dominate the 1991 ranking of the best performing petrochemicals and plastics companies, with Exxon Chemical heading a list compiled by ECN's sister publication Chemical Insight. In all, six US companies are included in the top ten. There...

Hurricane Andrew puts its mark on US market.
September 7, 1992... ETHYLENE CRACKERS, methanol plants and derivatives facilities in Louisiana were returning to normal production early last week after many of them were forced into closure for periods of up to a week by Hurricane Andrew. Electricity and gas...

East European exports hit caprolactam price.
September 7, 1992... CHEAP EAST European exports, the declining value of the dollar and the continuing world slump in the nylon industry have reduced west European caprolactam prices by a further 10% since the beginning of this year, according to market players....

UPs set off alarm in agchems producers. (EC uniform principles directive; agrochemical producers)(includes related articles) (ECN Agrochemicals Focus)
September 7, 1992... Although a pan-European Community pesticides registration scheme has been welcomed by industry, the draft directive setting out uniform assessment criteria has sounded alarm bells amongst agrochemical producers. They argue that basing safety...

US growth forecast proves too bullish. (ECN Agrochemicals Focus)
September 7, 1992... At the start of 1992 economic indicators pointed towards strong growth in the US pesticides market. A decline in exports, world recession and freak weather conditions have led analysts to reassess predictions, despite a healthy domestic market....

Biofuels to soften CAP reductions? (EC Common Agricultural Policy) (ECN Agrochemicals Focus)
September 7, 1992... The setting aside of arable land under the CAP reforms agreed by the European Commission looks certain to reduce sales of agrochemicals in Europe. But recent proposals on biofuels could offset the effect as land is turned over to the growing of...

Resistant crops lead biotech thrust. (agricultural chemicals research) (ECN Agrochemicals Focus)
September 7, 1992... The agrochemical majors have invested heavily in developing ways to enhance crops by means of genetic engineering. After targeting herbicide and pesticide resistance, they are now moving on to improve crop quality and processability. GENETIC...

German majors see squeeze on margins. (BASF AG; Bayer AG; Hoechst AG)
September 7, 1992... REDUCED MARGINS as a result of falling selling prices seem to be the hallmark of the recession for the German chemicals giants -- more so than the reduction in physical sales which has doubly hit many other companies. Nonetheless this, compounded...

Ciba and R-P buck trend with solid rise in profits. (CIBA-GEIGY Corp.; Rhone-Poulenc S.A.)
September 7, 1992... CIBA-GEIGY AND Rhone-Poulenc's first half results contrast with many other large diversified chemicals groups by showing solid improvements in profit. Ciba-Geigy's after-tax profit rose 12% to SF1.424bn ($1.14bn), while at R-P net income before...

Upjohn to launch Vantin antibiotic next month. (Upjohn Co.)
September 7, 1992... UPJOHN IS launching its oral broad spectrum antibiotic Vantin in the US this October, with approval for treatment of mild-to-moderate infections in adults and children above 6 months. Vantin (cefpodoxime proxetil) will be sold in suspension and...

Antibody test identifies waste dumping firms.... (new chemical markers from Biocode)
September 7, 1992... UK CHEMICAL firms are being offered a novel technology to mark their waste outputs which will enable them to confirm or disprove their involvement in water pollution cases. The technique is simultaneously attracting the attention of the UK's...

...NRA chief calls for action. (UK National Rivers Authority)
September 7, 1992... ANNOUNCEMENT OF the availability of the new technology has coincided with a period of publicity in the UK over the large quantities of industrial effluent being discharged into rivers and seas through a system of legal consents issued by the NRA...

Bids under scrutiny for Thai aromatics project. (Aromatics, Thailand, Co.)
September 7, 1992... THE AROMATICS (THAILAND) CO (TAC) was meeting last week with project consultants Foster Wheeler (Pacific) and bidders shortlisted to build the proposed aromatics complex at Mab Ta Phut, Rayong province (ECN 29 June). The bid list has been reduced...

Neste's PP closure stirs swap rumours. (Neste Chemicals Inc.; polypropylene plants)
September 14, 1992... SPECULATION WAS growing across the polypropylene industry last week that other major swap, joint venture or cooperation deals are in the offing following Neste Chemicals' decision to close down its 70 000 tonne/year PP plant in Sines, Portugal,...

Czech pharma sector in a state of crisis. (Czech pharmaceutical industry)
September 14, 1992... THE CZECH PHARMACEUTICAL sector is in deep crisis due to the collapse of the former Comecon market, the liberalisation of imports, vague price rules and the inflow of unregistered products, found a study on the restructuring of the sector by...

Fisons actively seeking new business partners. (Fisons PLC)
September 14, 1992... BELEAGUERED UK drugs group Fisons is in 'active discussions' with a number of pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to find marketing and development partners, a volte-face by its new management from its long-standing philosophy of fierce...

High electricity prices threaten ICI C&P unit. (ICI PLC; chemicals and polymers)
September 14, 1992... ICI SAID a proposed reduction of the nuclear levy, which adds 11% on to its electricity bills, would be insufficient to solve the problems facing its chloralkali interests. The Merseyside-based chloralkali business, which has experienced an...

European producers fill gap in Far East VCM. (vinyl chloride monomer)
September 14, 1992... WEST EUROPEAN vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) producers are still exploiting the gap in supply to Far East buyers left by traditional US suppliers. Tightness in the US market has been compounded by Hurricane Andrew, which forced all VCM production...

Round of closures halts ammonia price slide.
September 14, 1992... THE RECENT round of ammonia plant closures across western Europe appears to have finally halted the material's downward price spiral. However, new efforts by producers to push up prices during September are thought to only have a 50:50 chance of...

Pharma crash hits Fisons' H1 results. (Fisons PLC)
September 14, 1992... FISONS PUT on a brave face last week to report a near 60% fall in interim net profits, stemming mainly from the debacle over its handling of FDA manufacturing compliance issues relating to Opticrom and Imferon. The fall in profit was exacerbated...

British Vita achieves modest profits rise. (British Vita PLC)
September 14, 1992... UK POLYMERS group, British Vita, recorded a modest improvement in net profit over the first half, although the growth reflects the benefit of interest on the |pounds~73.4m ($145.5m) net proceeds from the rights issue staged in March. Turnover...

South Africa comes in from the cold. (investment opportunities in chemical industry)(includes related article on major chemical outlets) (ECN Special Report)
September 14, 1992... The changing political scene in South Africa is opening up new investment opportunities for the chemical industry. With the potential for a strong export drive, buoyant domestic growth and the development of the African continent, South Africa...

France under renewed pressure in waste row.
September 14, 1992... THE FRENCH government became involved in yet another waste row last week when Greenpeace protestors repeatedly tried to hinder the shipment of 18 tonne of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from Australia to France aboard the MSC Maria-Laura....

Dutch 'bio glasnost' opens door to sabotage. (policy of transparency in biotechnology research)
September 14, 1992... EFFORTS BY the Dutch government to promote openness in biotechnology could backfire as companies consider their futures in the wake of continued sabotage by anti-biotechnology campaigners. Dutch seed and plant breeder Koninklijke Vanderhave...

Palmyra bids exceed budget for complex. (bids for phospate fertilizer complex at Palmyra, Syria)
September 14, 1992... BIDS ARE now in for the proposed phosphate fertiliser complex at Palmyra, Syria, but all four are understood to exceed state-owned General Fertiliser's current budget for the complex. Further negotiations with all bidders are now in hand, with...

Shell/Montecatini merge polyolefins. (Royal Dutch-Shell Group of Cos.; Montecatini S.p.A.)
September 21, 1992... ROYAL DUTCH/SHELL and Montecatini have taken the first step to merge their PE and PP businesses worldwide together with associated feedstock and technology activities. A memorandum of understanding has been signed to evaluate the integration of...

ICI/Du Pont confident swap deal will go ahead. (ICI PLC; E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Inc.)
September 21, 1992... PRESSURE IS mounting within the European Commission to scupper ICI's proposed swap deal with Du Pont (ECN 27 April) on the grounds that it would give Du Pont too dominant a position in nylon carpet fibre. Despite speculation, both players remain...

War blights future of Slovenian industry. (chemical industry)
September 21, 1992... SLOVENIA'S CHEMICALS industry faces an increasingly uncertain future as the inter-dependence it enjoyed with other former Yugoslav republics is torn apart by the pernicious civil war. Companies have been hit by the loss of their established...

Restructuring tops bill at Chemical Congress. (2nd World Chemical Congress in Newport Beach, California)
September 21, 1992... INVESTMENT BY CHEMICAL companies will have to be extremely selective in the future, targeted towards markets which offer both favourable growth prospects and competitive opportunities, emphasised key speakers at the second world chemical congress...

US EG producers deny dumping allegations. (US ethylene glycol firms)
September 21, 1992... US ETHYLENE glycol producers have forcefully rebutted dumping claims made against them by EC producers, just as one of the main complainants spoke of a prima facie case for an anti-dumping suit to be filed with the Commission. While the extent of...

Chevron backs out of alphaolefins deal. (Chevron Chemical Co.)
September 21, 1992... CHEVRON CHEMICAL says it has pulled out of its alphaolefins marketing deal with Czechoslovakian firm Chemopetrol because of the collapse of the Russian market. Five years ago, when the original agreement was signed, the USSR had contracted to...

Robust performance at Glaxo as profits rise. (Glaxo Inc. Glaxo Pharmaceuticals)
September 21, 1992... GLAXO RENEWED its bid for the 'world's most successful pharmaceutical company' accolade with its results for the year ended 30 June 1992, showing a robust increase in sales and profits, while R&D investment was substantially increased. The group...

Dramatic surge in Croda's H1 profits. (Croda International PLC; 1st half of 1992)
September 21, 1992... CRODA INTERNATIONAL saw a dramatic rebound in its fortunes during the first half of 1992, recording a 40% increase in pre-tax profit, albeit against the depressed results last time. The upturn was based on improved sales and profitability in the...

A resolute future for chiral drugs. (approaches to chiral transformation) (ECN Special Report)
September 21, 1992... Chirality is befuddling to most business managers, but in commercial terms it stands for lower costs, conservation of resources, shorter drug development times and extended patent life. ECN reports on two approaches to chiral transformation....

The battle to win German gas supply. (competition in German gas market) (ECN Special Report)
September 21, 1992... A battle to supply the German gas market is hotting up between the Wintershall/Gazprom jv and Ruhrgas, which is seeing its cosy position eroded with the opening of the new Stegal pipeline. Customers, on the other hand, could stand to benefit...

Bayer builds on its top slot in rubber. (Bayer AG benefits from acquisition of Polysar Inc.) (ECN Special Report)
September 21, 1992... Bayer moved to the top of the rubber production league after its acquisition of Polysar, which effectively tripled the German major's capacity. The new acquisition has also boosted efforts to redirect and consolidate R&D activities. BAYER'S...

UK withdraws two leading MMR vaccines. (UK Department of Health; mumps, measles and rubella vaccines)
September 21, 1992... THE UK Department of Health has withdrawn the two market dominating mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccines, produced by SmithKline Beecham and Merieux, following reported links with mumps meningitis. In future, only Merck Sharp and Dohme's MMR...

Rotterdam toughens up on waste dumping. (new regulations from the Municipal Port Authority of Rotterdam)
September 21, 1992... THE MUNICIPAL Port Authority of Rotterdam is to introduce from next year a package of environmental measures geared to persuade shipowners to clean up their. The measures are likely to have sweeping implications for other major European ports....

One-step methyl ester biodiesel by end of year. (alkylation technology)
September 21, 1992... US ALKYLATION technology specialist Stratco says it expects to commercialise a one-step continuous process for the manufacture of methyl ester-based biodiesel by the end of the year. A new Kansas City-based company, GraTech, will be established...

'Defensible niches' only way to enter US market. (UK prospects for biotechnology in the US)
September 21, 1992... UK BIOTECHNOLOGY companies wanting to win positions in the lucrative US market have their work cut out for them, according to a report commissioned by the UK Department of Trade and Industry's Exports to North America branch. But biotechnology...

Organohalogens to be eliminated. (new regulation issued by European environmental ministers)
September 28, 1992... ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS last week claimed victory as European environment ministers issued a declaration to protect the northeast Atlantic, which for the first time accepts that discharges and emissions of toxic, bioaccumulative substances -- in...

Mixed reactions to EC currency devaluations.
September 28, 1992... FINANCIAL MARKETS and industry have been thrown into turmoil by the instability of the European currency markets over the past fortnight. Dow Europe last week announced it would establish a DM-based price structure throughout its business with...

Grace is to push five more core businesses. (W.R. Grace and Co.)
September 28, 1992... WR GRACE has identified five additional businesses which have the potential to become core businesses. These are: printing products, electronic materials, battery separators, engineered materials and breeding services such as artificial...

First tentative steps to PP rationalisation. (polypropylene production)
September 28, 1992... POLYPROPYLENE HAS the brightest growth prospects of any bulk petrochemicals derivative, with forecasts of over 5%/year consumption hikes running well into the second half of the decade. But it is also the polymer most burdened by overcapacity in...

Antwerp styrene plant delayed. (BASF AG styrene facility in Antwerp, Belgium)
September 28, 1992... BASF HAS delayed the startup of its new 240 000 tonne/year styrene plant at Antwerp until January next year as west European producers brace themselves for a big fall in the contract price. Some producers hope the Q4 number will not be below...

PP sales into devalued markets threatened. (polypropylene sales)
September 28, 1992... AT LEAST one major European PP producer has ordered sales of its product into the UK, Italian and Spanish markets to be halted from 1 October pending a proposed upward revision of prices to take account of the recent depreciation of sterling, the...

Poor 1991 stirs fresh anti-EC/GCC feeling. (opposition to bilateral trade agreement between EC and Gulf Cooperation Council)
September 28, 1992... STRONG OPPOSITION to a bilateral free trade agreement between Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the EC has once again been voiced by west European petrochemical producers. Reiterating its commitment to Gatt, the Association of Petrochemical...

Ethylene capacity: too much, too old. (analysis of West European ethylene production)
September 28, 1992... THE WEST EUROPEAN ethylene sector, currently characterised by maturity, overcapacity and weak economic growth, is suffering a period of 'miserable profitability', says Edward Delboy, vice president, Shell International Chemical Co. The rapid...

ADL predicts upturn in gas shipping fortunes. (Arthur D. Little Inc.)
September 28, 1992... SHIPPING RATES for chemical gases mirrored the recent fall in petrochemical markets and have declined since the end of the Gulf War. However, a recent analysis of the worldwide petrochemical and gas carrier supply/demand balance leads Arthur D...

Feedstocks: a shift in fundamentals. (competition and feedstock supply) (ECN Special Report)
September 28, 1992... Slower growth in oil derivatives than chemicals is likely to leave petrochemicals confronting tightening feedstock supplies. The most competitive players will be those that integrate back into refineries. And better refinery/chemical integration...

Europe's propylene imports set to fall. (ECN Special Report)
September 28, 1992... Rising European production of propylene and lower prices are set to cut imports into the region. US export patterns are most likely to be affected, but US producers are still expecting to target the region, even though the Far East will become...

European nylon adapts to survive. (structural changes to avert collapse) (ECN Special Report)
September 28, 1992... Against a backdrop of poor market conditions throughout the 1980s, and the probable worsening of conditions through the 1990s, European nylon producers have had to look at restructuring their industry to safeguard the future of remaining players....

Polish fertilisers ripe for revamp. (revamps for greater competitiveness) (ECN Special Report)
September 28, 1992... Given current overcapacity and the difficulty of funding new projects, revamps are the best way forward for fertiliser producers in central and eastern Europe trying to compete with western producers, as a study of the position in Poland shows....

Schofield picks up the pieces at MTM. (MTM PLC CEO Ken Schofield) (ECN Special Report)
September 28, 1992... MTM appeared to be caught in an irreversible downward slide not so long ago but under the leadership of Ken Schofield the company believes it has set itself on a path of recovery and started to gather together the ingredients for success....

Recession bites at Japanese chemicals.
September 28, 1992... JAPANESE CHEMICALS companies have been far from immune to the recession, many reporting steep declines in profit for their fiscal year ending 31 March 1992, during which the previously buoyant domestic economy slowed down. Japan Synthetic...

Laporte benefits from Interox reorganisation. (Laporte PLC; Interox Chemicals Ltd.)
September 28, 1992... FIRST-HALF RESULTS from speciality chemicals group Laporte show a slight fall in pre-tax profit but higher sales, boosted by recent acquisitions. However, as a result of dissolving its long-term Interox partnership with Solvay, Laporte's...

Chemical firms in EC eco-audit pilot study.
September 28, 1992... CHEMICAL FIRMS in three member states will take part in a pilot study due to get underway next month to assess the costs and benefits of the EC's proposed eco-audit scheme, with a target to report back to the Commission's DGXI early next year....

German majors work together on recycling. (Hoechst AG; Bayer AG; BASF AG; Huls AG; Dow Deutschland; Veba Oel AG; RWE Entsorgung; Badenwerk AG; Bayernwerk AG; Ruhrkohle AG)
September 28, 1992... WITH THE blessing of federal environment minister Klaus Topfer, five German plastics manufacturers have joined ranks with energy groups and disposal firms to find a working party on the chemical recycling of plastics wastes collected by the...

Ciba-Geigy studies bladder cancer link.... (CIBA-GEIGY Corp.)
September 28, 1992... CIBA-GEIGY'S PLANT protection division at Greensboro, North Carolina, US, has initiated a retrospective study of 2500 employees to investigate a possible link between the incidence of bladder cancer and exposure to the insecticide chlordimeform....

... Plans French biotech site. (CIBA-GEIGY Corp.'s Biotechnikum plant in Huningue, Alsace, France)
September 28, 1992... CIBA-GEIGY HAS confirmed that it has submitted planning applications to French authorities to build its Biotechnikum at Huningue, Alsace. The total investment for the facility, due to open in 1995, is now likely to exceed the FF700m ($138m)...

Tecnimont signs $200m Russian PP contract. (Tecnimont S.p.A.; polypropylene plant at Moscow refinery)
September 28, 1992... PROJECTS IN THE former Soviet Union are making slow progress, within the backdrop of a continuing oil sector crisis, deepening credit problems and a rouble fast depreciating against western currencies. Tecnimont announced last week it has...

Paints: looking out for new markets. (Spanish paint industry) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... The Spanish paints sector could find itself in the position of having to seek out new markets, and North Africa, eastern Europe and South America are all areas which are being considered. South America in particular looks promising, due to its...

Rubber companies must rationalise. (rationalization of Spanish rubber industry for competitiveness) (ECN Spanish Supplement) (Industry Overview)
September 28, 1992... Spain believes its rubber industry can compete with the rest of Europe, but to make the most of the Single Market it needs to amalgamate and rationalise. Some help from the Spanish government is needed too, in the form of low inflation and...

Squeeze on plastics as tariffs are lifted. (Spanish plastics industry) (ECN Spanish Supplement) (Industry Overview)
September 28, 1992... Since 1988, imports of plastic raw material have overtaken exports in Spain as trade barriers come down. In 1990, imports of finished products leapt by 124.6%, and now the domestic industry is starting to feel the strain. Angela Smith reports....

Repsol set to enter transitional period. (Repsol Quimica) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... Repsol is looking to raise its international profile by forming alliances with other major chemical companies. At the same time it is rationalising its workforce and focusing on the areas where it is most able to compete, as Angela Smith found...

Tarragona tackles industry's image. (Tarragona Chemical Industrial Association) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... The Tarragona Chemical Industrial Association (AEQT), incorporating 29 petrochemical companies, sees one of its principal tasks as working to improve public understanding of the industry's contribution to the prosperity and wellbeing of the...

Production slowing down in Huelva. (Huelva chemical production zone) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... Although Huelva is Spain's second most important chemical production area, its geographical position on the edge of both the country and the market has worsened the effect of the area's decline in economic activity. Angela Smith reports....

Spain grows more eco-conscious. (environmental awareness in Spanish plastics industry) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... Spain is becoming more environmentally aware. Now the plastics industry has set up its own Plastics Foundation for the Protection of the Environment to keep both the public and the industry informed and examine recycling possibilities, as Sally...

Integrating Spain into the EC market. (Spanish chemical industry) (ECN Spanish Supplement) (Industry Overview)
September 28, 1992... 'IN THE early 1950s the Spanish chemical industry was significantly out of step with those of more industrialised countries. The task of trying to bridge this gap required serious effort right across the board. Production capacity for basic...

Cepsa keeps on growing bigger. (Compania Espanola de Petroleos S.A.) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... With the purchase of Ertoil, Cepsa has consolidated its position in the Spanish petrochemical market, with almost 25% of the market for energy products. The most important private group in Spain, Cepsa also has significant interests in plastics...

Gradual progress on responsible care. (responsible care program under the Federacion Empresarial de La Industria Quimica Espanola) (ECN Spanish Supplement)
September 28, 1992... Spain's responsible care programme is managed by the chemical industry association Feique, which is encouraging all companies, big and small, to join. Although the association's fragmented structure has hampered progress a little, the industry...