Petrochemical Projects Archive for June 2007

June 30, 2007

BASF Started up New Alkylethanolamines (AEOA) Plant in Geismar, Louisiana One Month Ahead of Schedule

The new plant will produce over 20 specialty amines, on top of the existing amine production facilities at the Louisiana. The Geismar plant will increase BASF’s worldwide production capacity for AEOA (alkylethanolamines) by 40 percent which is backward integrated with its existing ethylene oxide production at the site. BASF also operates AEOA plants at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

June 23, 2007

Hanwha in Talks with Saudi Arabia for US$6.5 Billion Delayed

Hanwha Chemical Corp., in the process of negotiating a US$6.5 bln petrochemical project in Saudi Arabia, is facing some delays. The petrochemical plant, which will produce ethylene and propylene by cracking naphtha produced with Saudi crude. Hanwha will buy raw materials at local prices in Saudi, boosting sales. Hanwha's, Kim Seung-youn - chairman and owner is on trial for assault and kidnapping. The final deal on total amount of investment and stake sharing, due for finalization by the end of this month or early next month, along with commencement of construction, has been delayed due to the current situation.

June 20, 2007

BASF: New Chinese MDI plant may be at Chongqing

BASF (Ludwigshafen) may open up an MDI plant at the Chonqing (Changshou) Chemical Industrial Park at Chongqing in western China. BASF signed memorondum of cooperation on 12 June 2007 with Chongqing Chemical and Pharmaceutical Holding (Chongquing / China) and local authorities. Expected capacity is 400,000 t/y of crude MDI. Construction beginning 2010. Chongqing Chemical may have an as yet unspecified role in the project.

ExxonMobil Chemical plans to build Florida manufacturing plant

ExxonMobil Chemical plans to build a new facility at Pensacola, Fla., to manufacture specialty elastomers and nylon as early as 2008. Exxon's proprietary Exxpro will be produced, an elastomer designed to improve the quality of automobile tire inner liners improving tire performance and durability by reducing air permeability. ExxonMobil Chemical expects to commercialize the technology in late 2007.

Mitsubishi, Kirin Brewery to build ethanol plant

Mitsubishi Corp, Japan's biggest trading firm, and Kirin Brewery Co Ltd, the No. 2 brewer, will join in a government backed “green” fuel project by building an ethanol plant on the northern island of Hokkaido. Market is for domestic. A consortium formed by the two companies and unlisted Osaka-based Japan Chemical Engineering & Machinery Co Ltd won a plant order for the project of some six billion yen (US$48.5mil). Construction starts in October and expected to produce 15,000 kilolitres of ethanol per year. Feedstocks would be excess sugar beet and low-quality wheat.

Hanwha Chemical Corp to construct USD 6.5 billion plant in Saudi Arabia

Hanwha Chemical Group of South Korea was reported to have had initiated talks with Saudi Arabia for the construction of a 6 trillion to 7 trillion won (USD 6.47 billion) petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia.

HaiKe Chemical says China petrochem plant on course for December start-up

China's HaiKe Chemical Group Ltd reported construction of the heavy oil catalytic cracking facility is progressing as planned and operations to dtart in December. It spent 14 mil USD to build the facility using the 17 mil USD it raised from a share listing on the Alternative Investment Market in February. 3 mil USD was used for the expansion of the group's isopropyl alcohol production facilities.