Nitrogen & Methanol articles from January 2000

Nitrogen & Methanol archives from January 2000

Plus Ca Change?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... At the start of a new century, it seemed an appropriate time to cast a quick glance backwards at where we have come from and reflect upon how things have changed. Therefore, to take the temperature of the nitrogen industry a decade ago, I...

Cyclone temporarily depresses world markets.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The big ammonia market news at the start of November was the terrible cyclone that hit India, putting both Oswal and Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL) out of action (see Industry News). As a result, both companies declared force majeure on a total...

Strong demand keeps urea prices firm.
January 1, 2000... In spite of the continued absence of China and now India from the market, urea prices were buoyed slightly during November and December by continuing demand from other regions, in particular Latin America, Asia and Europe. Production outages in...

Continuing oversupply keeps market soft.(natural gas industry)
January 1, 2000... Natural gas prices in the US Gulf Coast were on a rollercoaster at the end of 1999, declining by 28.8% for December versus November to the lowest point since April, and settling at $2.23/mmBtu for contract natural gas delivered to utilities in...

Plant closures hit major firms.(European fertilizer industry suffers)
January 1, 2000... Several major European fertilizer manufacturers have announced plant closures and job losses as poor market conditions continue. Hydro Agri will see the largest cuts, with 1.0m t/a of nitrogenous fertilizer capacity to go -- some 20% of current...

Duty imposed on Russian AN.(ammonium nitrate)
January 1, 2000... The US Department of Commerce is to impose a 265% interim duty on ammonium nitrate (AN) from Russia as a result of an AN dumping claim being upheld by the International Trade Commission. The duty is to be backdated for 90 days from the December...

KBR launches new combined ammonia technology.(Kellogg Brown and Root introduces KAAPplus ammonia process)
January 1, 2000... Kellogg Brown & Root has formally launched its new KAAPplus ammonia process. The process, resulting from the merger of Kellogg and Brown & Root, is an amalgamation of the Kellogg Advanced Ammonia Process (KAAP) with its novel catalyst, and...

Work begins on Caribbean Nitrogen plant.(in Trinidad)
January 1, 2000... Ground has been broken on Trinidad's ninth ammonia plant; the $300m, 645,000 t/a Caribbean Nitrogen facility at Point Lisas. Caribbean Nitrogen is a consortium comprising local finance firm Colonial Life Financial, German-based Ferrostaal, and...

PCS soon to be a potassium nitrate producer.
January 1, 2000... A 300,000 t/a potassium/sodium nitrate facility that is nearing completion at Yumbes, Chile is now the property of PCS, since that company's buyout of Mineria Yolanda SCM last year. PCS also took over Mineria Yolanda's sodium nitrate...

DSM fertilizer profits down.
January 1, 2000... Poor market conditions for fertilizers dragged down the 3Q result for DSM's Polymers and Industrial Chemicals division. Operating results for January-September 1999 were down to [epsilon] 115m from the previous year's [epsilon]270m. The DSM...

Profertil to control Argentine terminal.(Agrium's San Nicolas fertilizer terminal)
January 1, 2000... Profertil, the 1.1 m t/a joint venture ammonia-urea project between YPF and Agrium, has taken ownership of Agrium's recently completed San Nicolas fertilizer terminal. The terminal has storage facilities for 45,000 t of urea and 22,000 t of...

Russian fertilizer export duty is hiked.
January 1, 2000... The Russian government has raised export tariffs on fertilizers by 1.5% to 6.5%. The duty applies to urea, ammonium nitrate, UAN solutions and compounds.

KBR to build ammonia plant.(Kellog, Brown and Root to build ammonia plant in Egypt)
January 1, 2000... Kellogg Brown & Root has purchased land in Egypt near Suez to begin construction of a 610,000 t/a ammonia plant. The land, in the Suez Industrial Development Zone, is also projected to be the site of an ammonia/urea complex being planned by the...

Pakistan imposes urea duty.
January 1, 2000... Pakistan's Economic Coordination Committee has approved a 10% duty on all urea imports. The move follows complaints by domestic producers that they were being undermined by cheap foreign imports.

Fertinitro 'only considering' expansion.
January 1, 2000... Fertinitro has confirmed that feasibility studies are being undertaken to assess the potential for doubling the capacity of the huge plant currently being built at Jose in eastern Venezuela. However, the company has denied earlier reports that...

Tecnimont wins urea conversion contract.
January 1, 2000... Italian engineering and construction firm Tecnimont has been awarded a $70m contract to convert one of PIC's urea trains from prilled to granular production. The plant will also be simultaneously debottlenecked from 330,000 t/a to 575,000 t/a,...

Qafco IV decision likely soon.(Qatar Fertilizer Co.)
January 1, 2000... The Qatar Fertilizer Company (Qafco) is likely to make a decision soon on whether to proceed with its proposed fourth ammonia-urea train at its Umm Said site. Qafco has engaged British Sulphur Consultants to produce a market economic analysis,...

Uhde wins DAP contract.(Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals wins diammonium phosphate contract)
January 1, 2000... Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals (GSFC) has awarded a DM7Om ($32m) turnkey contract to build a third diammonium phosphate (DAP) plant at Sihka in Gujarat state. The 230,000 t/a plant will raise DAP production at the site to 850,000 t/a...

Yet more new urea capacity.(Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers asks for expansion of proposals for ammonia-urea plant)
January 1, 2000... Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers (GNFC) has asked the government to be allowed to expand its proposals for an LNG-based ammonia-urea plant at Bharuch. GNFC would like the plant, originally envisaged as having 775,000 t/a of urea capacity, to...

Deregulation some way off yet.(fertilizer industry deregulation)
January 1, 2000... The new Indian Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Suresh Prabhu, has said that while the government intends to totally deregulate the fertilizer sector, this is likely to be a slow process, taking place over several years. The minister is...

Cyclone closes Oswal, PPL.(Oswal Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd.)
January 1, 2000... October's cyclone which struck the Orissa coast has closed Oswal Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd DAP plant, and Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL) for up to six months, according to local sources. As well as damage to power lines, water and mud have...

Omifco back from the dead.(Oman-India Fertilizer Co.)
January 1, 2000... The Oman-India Fertilizer Company (Omifco) project is still alive following negotiations in November which finalised ownership and offtake agreements. Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF), one of the original Indian partners, has finally...

UK to scale back 'carbon tax'.
January 1, 2000... UK chancellor Gordon Brown has announced that the proposed climate change levy (aka the 'carbon tax') will be scaled down for energy-intensive industries by 30% from 0.21p/kWh to 0.15p/kWh, with an additional 80% discount for energy intensive...

Kvaerner profits.
January 1, 2000... Kvaerner has announced net group profits for 3Q 1999 of NKr 16m ($2.0m), the only highlight of nine months which has seen the company lose NKr 4.8bn ($609m). The company is in the process of a major programme of divestment and consolidation...

Lurgi to build methanol plant.(Lurgi Oel Gas Chemie has contract with Repsol YPF)
January 1, 2000... Argentine-Spanish oil major Repsol YPF has contacted Lurgi Oel Gas Chemie to build its new 400,000 t/a methanol plant at Plaza Huincu, Argentinal. Lurgi will design and build the plant, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2002.

California Fuel Cell Partnership growing.
January 1, 2000... The California Fuel Cell Partnership, a joint venture aiming to demonstrate fuel cell vehicles in California, has added Honda and Volkswagen to its list of members, which include DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Shell, Texaco, Arco, Ballard Power...

LNG project secures approval.(gas import terminal in Guangdong China planned)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... The Chinese cabinet has given its approval to an LNG import terminal in the southern province of Guangdong, near the boom city of Shenzen. The terminal, China's first, is to be 65% owned by Chinese companies, led by the China National Offshore...

Direct methanol fuel cell breakthrough.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Canadian energy research firm Energy Ventures Inc (EVI) has claimed to have made an advance in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology which may bring commercialisation of that technology one step closer. EVI has filed a US patent...

HBJ capacity to double.(Gas Authority of India Ltd. plans to double capacity of Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur pipeline)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... The Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) has unveiled plans to double the capacity of part of the 2,350km Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) pipeline, the main feed to the country's fertilizer plants. In 1998 the addition of new compressor stations...

Methanex extends gas contracts.(two-year gas supply contract with Contact Energy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Methanex New Zealand has signed a two year gas supply contract with Contact Energy, originally a government-owned company spun off to introduce more competition into New Zealand's energy market. The contact is for a total of 3.4 bcm, allowing...

Methanex interested in methanol project?(may invest in methanol plant in Singapore)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... There are reports that Methanex has unofficially registered its interest in a methanol plant currently under consideration for Singapore, although feedstock gas prices will need to be 'competitive'. The Singapore Economic Development Board is...

Strategic alliance to promote methanol fuel cells.(Statoil and Methanex form strategic alliance)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... On November 12th last year, Statoil and Methanex signed a five year memorandum of understanding to form a strategic alliance. The overall goal of the partnership is to "prepare for a safe introduction of methanol as a fuel in fuel cell...

A difficult road ahead.(overview of fertilizer industry in European Union)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... These are trying times for the western European fertilizer industry. In spite of the extensive rationalisations of the early 1990s, fertilizer plants are once again being shut down as the industry grapples with low prices and overcapacity. ...

The future is remote gas.(November 1999 World Methanol Conference in San Diego, CA)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... As Jim Crocco bowed out of the methanol industry at his last conference, the talk in San Diego was of the continuing low prices in the industry, and where the methanol market might be going. The consensus seemed to be that competitive advantage...

Collaboration for large capacity methanol plants.(Synetix, Methanix and ABB Lummus Global form alliance to reduce capital and operating cost expenditure for large scale methanol plants)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Synetix, Methanex and ABB Lummus Global have formed an alliance to complete the development and commercialisation of their new process, called Compact Methanol. The basis of the collaboration is to produce a process geared towards reducing the...

Combining fuel cell power with ammonia/methanol.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... The growth of fuel cell technology has now reached a point where widespread commercialisation is literally just around the corner. As we reported in the Nov-Dec 1999 issue (Nitrogen & Methanol 242), there are many ways in which this may impinge...

Using oxygen to debottleneck a nitric acid plant.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Oxygen injection can be used to increase the output of a capacity-limited nitric acid plant. But it is vital to identify all the potential pitfalls first. Oxygen injection (or oxygen boosting) has become fairly common as a method of...

A new lease on life.(IFFCO expands capacity)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Using Stamicarbon's "More In -- More Out" revamp concept, IFFCO expanded the capacity of its venerable urea plant at Kalol by 37%. The modern nitrogen fertilizer industry produces just two basic products: ammonium nitrate...

BHP-Incitec urea plans scrapped.(BHP management will not approve joint venture with Incitec; Westfarmers launches new ammonia plant)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... The board of BHP has not approved the company's proposed joint venture ammonia-urea complex at Geelong, Victoria, due to difficulties in resolving "outstanding commercial arrangements" with partner Incitec, thought to revolve around gas supply...

Plenty River comparative cost study complete.(study analyzes new site options for ammonia-urea plant in Australia)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A comparative cost study has been completed for the ammonia-urea plant planned by Plenty River Corp and its partners Chambal Fertilizers of India, Snamprogetti and Thiess Contractors, to determine the location for the plant. In spite of some...

Thai chemical blast: AN was not responsible.(ammonium nitrate not a factor in 9/19/99 explosion at Hong Gaset Portana plant)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Further to last issue's report on an explosion near Chiang Mai on September 19th in which 39 people were killed and another 104 injured, subsequent investigation has shown that there was no ammonium nitrate present at the site. The explosion...

Massive methanol plants planned for Trinidad, Australia.(Saturn Methanol signs agreement with Lurgi to build plants)
January 1, 2000... Deo Van Wijk of Saturn Methanol has announced that Saturn and Lurgi have signed an agreement to built the colossal 5,000 t/d (1.65m t/a) Atlas methanol plant in Trinidad. Construction will begin this summer, taking 2-3 years to complete. The...

Methanex buys out Fortier plant.(buys Cytec Industries 30% share in plant)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Methanex has bought Cytec Industries' 30% share in the Fortier methanol plant, Louisiana. The 570,000 t/a capacity plant was already 70% owned by Methanex. Cytec president and CEO David Lilley said that methanol was not considered core to the...

Syntroleum announces gas hydrate breakthrough.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Syntroleum, specialist in gas to liquids technology, has patented a system for recovering methane from gas hydrates -- crystallised gas-water mixtures found in deep ocean sediments and some areas of permafrost. Methane tied up in gas hydrates...

Snamprogetti wins NPC methanol contract.(National Petrochemical Company to build methanol plant in Bandar Imam)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... Further to last issue's announcement of Iran's tender for its third methanol plant, the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) has announced that the $200m contract for basic and detailed engineering, equipment and finance has been awarded to...

Ibn Zahr completes debt restructuring.(Saudi European Petrochemical Company reschedules loan for Sabic subsidiary)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... The Saudi European Petrochemical Company (Ibn Zahr), which produces 1.5m t/a of MTBE has rescheduled a 516m Riyal ($138m) loan, extending payments to 2004. Sabic subsidiary Ibn Zahr was finding it difficult to meet the last payments of what was...