Middle East
Europe: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is Europe’s fourth largest chemical economy, after Germany, France and Italy. It accounts for 8% of the European Union’s (EU’s) $900 billion overall chemical pro..
AkzoNobel to raise Middle East coatings output by expanding Kanoo venture
Under the terms of the new expanded agreement, AkzoNobel will offer products in its performance coatings portfolio, including professional woodcare, automotive refinish, marine, yacht, fire protection, protective and powder coatings. The old deal only covered coil and packaging coatings.
Libyan ex-rebels block access to main oil refinery
The refinery in Zawiyah supplies around 70% of the country's fuel, and a similar four-day protest there in early November cost the government $30 million. Thursday there were already queues forming at petrol stations in Tripoli, although an official said there was no danger of a fuel shortage.
Sabic CEO sees technology, innovation as keys for Middle East petchems
The Sabic chief executive said that the global petrochemicals industry has worked hard to recover from the slump of late 2008 and early 2009. The Gulf petrochemical industry has also shown impressive strength and remarkable resilience, he added, noting that it remains in its infancy.
Aramco picks Técnicas Reunidas for engineering on Saudi refining projects
Técnicas Reunidas will build a hydrocracker plant and a diesel hydrotreater facility for an upcoming 400,000 bpd refinery and marine terminal project that Saudi Aramco is developing at Jazan, in the kingdom's southwest on the Red Sea coast. The facilities are scheduled to be operational by 2017.
Sabic, Vopak to jointly build Saudi Arabia chemical, downstream terminal
Once commissioned early 2015, the storage capacity of the petrochemical and downstream terminal will be about 250,000 cubic meters. The first phase will consist of around 40 commodity and specialty chemical storage tanks, complete with truck handling and ship loading facilities for five berths.
Sinopec, Huntsman agree to build propylene oxide, MTBE plant in Nanjing
Huntsman will own 49% of the joint venture, and Sinopec will own 51%. The facility will produce 550 mm lbs/year of PO and 1.6 billion lbs/year of MTBE at a capital cost of $750 million. It will be completed by the end of 2014 and it will utilize Huntsman's proprietary PO/MTBE manufacturing technology.
Sabic, Shell to expand Saudi petrochemical venture
Sabic said the two companies will jointly conduct studies for a styrene monomer propylene oxide, or SMPO, project and a polyols project before making a final decision. The firms said they also agreed to explore international petrochemical opportunities beyond Sadaf and Saudi Arabia.
Sudan reaches agreement with China's CNPC to revamp Khartoum refinery
A deal to revamp the 100,000 bpd Khartoum refinery was reached over the weekend during talks between Sudanese Petroleum Minister Awad Ahmed Al Jaz and CNPC vice president Wang Dongjin. The refinery is a joint venture between the Sudanese government and CNPC.
US to overtake Saudi Arabia as top oil producer, says IEA
A shale oil boom means US production will pass that of Saudi Arabia by 2020, the IEA says, in a radical shift that could greatly transform energy supplies and geopolitics. The assessment is in stark contrast with last year, when the agency envisioned Russia and Saudi Arabia vying for the top position.
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