Indonesia Follows Brazils Lead in Ethanol
Indonesia is eyeing on developing a similar biofuels programme as Brazil's ethanol technology. Talks between two countries are looking at technology exchange for FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) which runs on gasoline or 100% ethanol. With rising concern of shortage fuel and energy hikes, biofuels and ethanol is becoming more feasible to replace gasoline shortage.
US Coal Gasification
Rentech is expecting its first pilot plant for a coal gasification production facility to be completed and start
production in Spring 2008. The coal gasification plant is located in the Commerce City, Colorada near Denver to produce synthetic diesel and aviation fuels from natural gas, coal and also biomass. America is critically looking into other sources of energy fuels and extensively developing its biofuels business.
production in Spring 2008. The coal gasification plant is located in the Commerce City, Colorada near Denver to produce synthetic diesel and aviation fuels from natural gas, coal and also biomass. America is critically looking into other sources of energy fuels and extensively developing its biofuels business.
Saudi Arabia Epoxy Project Almost Complete
Saudi Arabia's 60 ktpa epoxy resin capacity project is near completion with its EPCC (Engineering, procurement and construction) work has reached 99% with overall works of 86%. The epoxy resins plant is owned by Nama Chemicals. The epoxy petrochemical complex will produce epoxy resins as well as epichlorohydrin, caustic coda and calcium chloride. The whole project is expected to be completed in April 2008.
Nama Chemicals already owned a 50 ktpa capacity high quality caustic soda prills utilizing Switzerland Bertrams technology operated by Arabian Alkali Company (SODA). SODA receives the caustic soda lye as feedstock through SABIC affiliate Saudi Petrochemial Co (Sadaf). The project is in-line with Arab Saudi government direction to increase petrochemical products development in the country.
Oilseed Facility in Canada
Twin Rivers Technologies (TRT), a US oleochemicals, natural ingredients and biofuels business producer is in the midst of building an oilseed facility in Quebec Canada for a total cost of $150 million.
The oilseed plant will have a capacity of 1000 ktpa in the Becancour industrial park to crush and refine canola seeds, soybeans and refining palm oil for food application. The capacity includes co-product of protein meal which will be used for the animal feed industry.
Construction is expected to start in February 2008 with comissioning date targeted for end 2009. The oilseed facility would be able to generate sales of $450 million per year and potentially creating almost 100 jobs in Becancour.
China Fertilizer Project
Hubei Yihua Chemical, a Chinese fertilizer maker, has planned to invest in a fertilizer petrochemical plant in an Inner Mongolia project. The cost of investment Hubei Yihua would join in is for $70 mil. The $70 will make the Hubei Yinhua a 51% stake holder from Erdos Union Chemical which plans to build the 600 ktpa fertilizer plant of ammonia and a 1040 ktpa of urea for the cost of CNY3billion expected to start construction in quarter four 2008.
LyondellBasell Technology Used for PetroChina Polypropylene Plant
PetroChina has decided to use LyondellBasell process technology for its recent project of a new 300 ktpa polypropylene (PP) plant for the Daqing Refinery-Petchem integration which is expected to be completed in the Heilongjiang province by 2010. They have chosen to use LyondellBasell Spherizone technology, previously owned by Basell. PetroChina has a history of subscribing to LyondellBasell polyolefin technology and if materialises, this would be PetroChina's ninth polyolefin licence from LyondellBasell.
Itera & Uralkhimplast to Build 600 ktpa Methanol Plant
A 600 ktpa methanol plant in Russia in the Urals area is planned by the Russian gas trader Itera and resins producer Uralkhimplast expecting to be due on stream in 2010 with an estimated cost of construction for the whole project to be in the region of $400 million. This is shortly after both of Itera and Uralkhimplast original announcement of a 400ktpa methanol unit.
Petrochemical News: Impact of Increasing Oil Towards Oil & Gas Companies
The recent hike of oil price has major impacts on oil & gas companies worldwide. Schlumberger has announced a strong net rise of 22% amidst the global economic crisis.
It looks as if, the earnings and revenue from the United States operations were dropping but this has been strongly overcome by the strong international growth where demand is skyrocketing especially coming from the Middle East, China, India and Africa.
This could very well be the starting point of US recession but would be the first time in history where the recession wouldn't bring much impact towards the rising economy power in other areas in the globe. The demand shifting is happening from the US towards new booming economies of Asia and the Middle East.
However, the ripple effect of hiking oil price is having less and less effect towards petrochemical products. More and more petrochemical companies are struggling to cope with high cost of feedstock and diminishing margin. That however was the case in the past years and 2007. With oil becoming stable at US$100, the end customers are beginning to adapt, boosting petrochemical product prices. This is helped alot by the incoming petrochemical plant capacity in the Middle East as well as to create balance between increasing demand and hiking price of petrochemical products with increasing supply of feedstock form the Middle East.
Shell & BP Looking for Investments in China
Tug of war between two oil and gas giants, Shell and BP seems inevitable. Recently, BP was shortlisted to participate in a refinery project in Guangzhou China in collaboration with Sinopec and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC). The refinery project is in the capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum of refinery products. The project also consists of 1 mil tpa of ehtylene unit with investment worth of more than US$5 billion.
Royal Dutch Shell has previously signed a US$4.3 billion investment with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) in the Guangdong Province for production of 350,000 bpd of crude oil.
Both oil and gas majors are actively seeking downstream oil projects in China. BP currently acquires 9.4% of the shares of China's largest refining and petrochemical company, Sinopec's Zhenhai Petrochemical Company. Shell holds 50% of the shares in the 800,000 tpa ethylene unit at CNOOC-Shell Petrochemical Company in Huizhou.
Jubail LLDPE Delayed by Sharq
Eastern Petrochemical’s (Sharq) in Saudi Arabia has delayed the start-up of its linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant. This will more likely to drop supply in the Middle East and Asia from the plant which has a total capacity of 750 ktpa. Only one of the two lines of that capacity is delayed however.
India BCPL looking for Polypropylene Licensor
Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd (BCPL) is looking for technology licensor for its Assam project (Assam Gas Cracker Complex) or known as AGCC to construct polypropylene (PP) unit.
BCPL has already engaged an ECPM (Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management) which is Engineers India Limited (EIL) for the planned 60 ktpa capacity polymer-grade propylene for production of homopolymer PP.
Peru LNG Project Costing $3.9 Billion
Peru LNG Project totalling $3.9 Billion will be partially funded by Inter American Development Bank (IDB) costing $400 million for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction plant, a marine terminal and 400 km pipeline.
The investment attracted many eyes since this is Peru's largest private investment at $3.9 billion which potentially could generate $230 million per year not including tax revenues for the countries. The consortium includes US based Hunt Oil, Repsol YPF of Spain, South Korea's SK Energy and Marubeni Corporation of Japan. This ultimately will bring even greater petrochemical investments in the country in the near future.
Basell Constructing Polypropylene Unit in China
Basell second polypropylene (PP) plant in China will be commissioning in September 2008 with initial PP capacity of 15000 tonnes per annum expandable to 50000 tonnes per year depending on demand.
The PP plant began construction in Guanzhou province will be producing compounding PP.
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