Nitrogen & Methanol articles from November 2000

Nitrogen & Methanol archives from November 2000

Dangerous liaisons.(acquisitions and mergers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... The recent purchase of Unocal's fertilizer assets by Agrium is only the latest in a long line of recent mergers in the fertilizer -- and many other -- sectors. At the bottom of a market, mergers are frequently seen as the best way to improve...

Market rebounds on higher demand.(ammonia market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... The start of September saw the ammonia market quite balanced. Ukrainian prices averaged $120-125/t f.o.b. Yuzhnyy, and the port's loading line-up for the month was looking steady at 275,000 tonnes -- around average for this year -- until some...

Surplus product drags market down.(urea market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... In spite of the first shipment to Canada from the port for several years, as urea demand dried up in Latin America -- especially Brazil, Yuzhnyy prices took a sharp dive. From a value of $120/t f.o.b. at the start of September, they fell to...

Costly gas and tight supply keeps prices high.(natural gas)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... The September contract natural gas price for the US Gulf Coast rebounded to a calculated average for Texas and Louisiana of $4.71/mmBtu. This represented an $0.80/mmBtu increase from August and some $0.20/mmBtu over June and July numbers. The...

Price indications.(ammonia, urea)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Price indications Cash equivalent mid-Oct mid-Aug mid-Jun mid-Apr Ammonia ($/t) fob Caribbean 141-145 141-142 162-165 150-155 fob Middle East 135-140 150-160 160-165...

Definitive UAN duties imposed.(European Commission decision)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... The European Commission (EC) has imposed definitive anti-dumping duties against UAN originating in Algeria ([epsilon]6.8/t), Belarus ([epsilon] 17.86/t), Lithuania ([epsilon]3.98/t), Russia ([epsilon]17.80-20.11/t) and the Ukraine...

New nitric acid plant.(Lovochemie to build in Bohemia)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Czech fertilizer manufacturer Lovochemie is planning to build a new 300,000 t/a nitric acid plant at its Lovosice site in Bohemia. Local engineering contractor Chemprojeckt Praha has been selected to build the plant, which will replace several...

Shahjalal project delayed.(Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory urea project)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Problems with the feasibility study have apparently slightly delayed the proposed Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory urea project. The proposal is a joint venture between the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corp and the American Business Corporation...

Agrium concludes Unocal deal.(Agrium Inc. acquires Unocal Corp.'s nitrogen assets)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... Agrium has secured approval from regulatory authorities for its US$321m purchase of Unocal's nitrogen assets. The company agreed to divest itself of the Rivergate ammonia and urea terminal at Portland, Oregon, as well as part of the Kennewick...

Yet another ammonia plant proposed.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2000... The Caribbean Nitrogen Company, a joint venture between US-based Duke Energy, Germany's Ferrostaal, local finance firm CL Financial, and Kellogg Brown & Root, is planning to build a second identical ammonia plant next to the one currently under...

Indian firms ante up.(Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative)(Krishak Bharati Cooperative)(Oman Oil Co.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The Indian partners in the massive Oman-India Fertilizer Company (Omifco) urea complex -- the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (Iffco) and the Krishak Bharati Cooperative (Kribhco) -- have each signed agreements to hand over their...

Bahwan pre-qualifies contractors.(Suhail Bahwan Trading Group)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Oman's other ammonia/urea project, the Suhail Bahwan Trading Group proposal for a $450m complex at Sohar, in the north of the country, has pre-qualified the five contractors who are interested in bidding for the project, which includes a...

Plenty River signs MoU over gas contract.(Plenty River Corporation Ltd.)(North West Shelf Gas)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Plenty River Corporation Ltd and North West Shelf Gas over a 20-year feedstock supply contract for the new Plenty River ammonia/urea unit. Plenty River recently completed its feasibility...

Pak-Saudi sale put back.(Pak-Saudi Fertilizers Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Pakistan's privatisation committee has extended by three months the deadline for receipt of expressions of interest in the sale of the Pak-Saudi Fertilizer Company, originally due to be privatised in October, due to a lack of interest from...

Lurgi says that Atlas will proceed.(Lurgi GmbH)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... German engineering company Lurgi says that following the successful completion of the 850,000 t/a Titan methanol plant, it will proceed with the "rapid development" of the 1.65m t/a Atlas project at the Point Lisas site. The plant will use...

Texaco has LNG export plans.(Texaco Inc.)(Sociedade Nacional de Combustiveis de Angola)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Texaco is developing a 3.0m t/a LNG export project in Angola, in conjunction with state oil company Sonangol. The contract is due to go to tender next year, with completion by 2005. Doubts have been expressed about the project's viability in...

Pipeline is officially declared dead.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The $2bn Oman-India pipeline, which was to have carried 0.6bcm of natural gas across the Persian Gulf, has been pronounced "no longer viable" by the Indian government. This marks the official end of a project dating back to 1994 which in...

Another LNG project award.(Indian Oil Corp. and Petroliam Nasional Bhd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The government of Andhra Pradesh has awarded the Indian Oil Company and Malaysia's Petronas a tender for a 7.0m t/a LNG import terminal at Kakinada on India's southeastern coast. The project will be the third LNG terminal planned in southern...

MGC considering new methanol plant.(Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Mitsubishi Gas Chemical has indicated that it has revived its interest in building a methanol plant in Western Australia. A pre-feasibility study is currently underway, in conjunction with Itochu Corp, MGC's partner in the Saudi Methanol Co. At...

Go-ahead for Shell GTL proposal.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The Iranian government has given the go-ahead for a Shell proposal to build a 70,000 b/d gas to liquids (GTL) plant at Assaluyeh, where gas is landed from the giant South Pars field. A six-month feasibility study is now underway, and if...

No resolution to gas dispute.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Ukraine has failed to reach agreement with Gazprom over its outstanding debts and delivered price of Russian gas. Gazprom has banned deliveries to Ukraine from other suppliers, and is currently charging $2.85/mmBtu at the border, which Ukraine...

People.
November 1, 2000... PCS Sales vice president Mike Moosman has left to join international traders Keytrade. Moosman handled PCS' ammonia sales following the company's 1997 acquisition of Arcadian. Previously he had worked for Cargill, especially in South America....

Focus on Rotterdam.
November 1, 2000... With methanol production increasingly moving to remote low-cost gas locations, a key determinant in the profitability of producers has become, transport costs Nitrogen & Methanol looks at Rotterdam, now established as the key landing site for...

Methanol project listing 2000.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Methanol project listing 2000 Contractor Licensor Company ARGENTINA Lurgi/Techint Lurgi Oel Gas Chemie Repsol YPF AUSTRALIA n.a. n.a. Methanex/Shell...

Markets for methanol.
November 1, 2000... Nitrogen & Methanol takes a look at the main derivatives of methanol, and how demand is projected to shape up in the future. Methanol is used in a wide variety of applications, from direct blending as a solvent or gasoline additive, a...

The long and winding road.(possible use of methanol in fuel cells)
November 1, 2000... For the past few years, the methanol industry has been tantalised by the prospect of greater demand for its product via methanol-based fuel cells, primarily in cars. Nitrogen & Methanol assesses the current state of commercialisation of fuel...

Methanex's legal battle.(attempt to resist California ban on MTBE)
November 1, 2000... Following the decision by governor Davis of California to mandate a phased ban on MTBE within the state, Methanex launched a legal challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This article summarises the current situation....

What's going on in methanol synthesis?
November 1, 2000... There's already talk of 10,000-t/d methanol plants, but process and catalyst designers are getting abreast of it. Superficially, the "front end" of a methanol plant bears a striking resemblance to that of an ammonia plant. Indeed, it is...

AIChE honours Anders Nielsen.(American Institute of Chemical Engineers)
November 1, 2000... The annual Safety in Ammonia Plants Symposium took place this year in Tucson, Arizona. Dr Anders Nielsen, doyen of ammonia process experts and long-time associate of Haldor Topsoe, received the Ammonia Safety Committee's distinguished service...