Petrochemicals
BP plans layoffs at Texas City petrochemical plant
A BP spokesman said the Texas City complex is shutting a paraxylene (PX) unit that has been idle for over a year due to market conditions and to make better use of resources.
Olin shareholders approve $5B chlor-alkali, vinyls merger with Dow Chemical
Olin said on Tuesday that its shareholders overwhelmingly approved the necessary stock measures to complete the pending merger with Dow Chemical's US chlor-alkali and vinyl, global chlorinated organics and global epoxy businesses. The deal should be complete in October.
Germany boosts chemical sales as US buys more
Total German chemical industry sales went up because of foreign business. In particular, trading with overseas customers developed positively, led by vigorous growth in sales to the US.
Unipetrol picks Technip for engineering on new Czech polyethylene plant
Based on INEOS technology, the new unit will have a capacity of 270.000 tpy of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The contract is worth between €100 to €250 million, according to Technip officials.
Accident at Eni’s ethylene plant in Sicily kills two
The two workers, employed by a third-party contractor, had been carrying out inspection work at the Versalis ethylene plant in Priolo. Eni says an investigation is still ongoing.
Petrobras to supply naphtha feedstock to Braskem
Npahtha is the main raw material for most of Braskem's chemical and plastic products. However, the contract has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks after allegations of bribery surfaced.
Formosa eyes $9.4-billion chemicals project for Louisiana ethane cracking
The proposed project would be built on the west bank of the Mississippi river near the Gramercy bridge. It would be built in two phases, with the first phase including an ethylene cracker and derivatives plants, including high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, ethylene glycol, and polypropylene.
PTT awards FEED work to Fluor, Technip, SK for Ohio ethane cracker
The project will encompass an ethane cracker and derivatives units by leveraging the availability of feedstock from gas taken from the Utica and Marcellus shale formations to create chemical products.
Celanese opens Mexico chemical technology hub
The new center will support the automotive, consumer, petrochemical and aerospace industries, as well as original equipment manufacturers and their tier suppliers.
CB&I wins early works contract for Axiall, Lotte’s Louisiana ethane cracker
The companies are evaluating the construction of a cracker with the capacity to produce 1-million tpy of ethylene employing CB&I's latest, proven ethylene technology, including highly selective SRT cracking heaters and its innovative recovery section design.

- CNOOC completes construction on $2.9-B, 1.8-MMtpy integrated complex in east China 8/22
- bp's Whiting refinery (U.S.) continues to flare days after severe thunderstorm 8/22
- Bachmann introduces latest version M-Target for Simulink 8/22
- U.S. to rule on biofuel waivers, but big oil refiners may need to wait 8/22
- Chinese independent refiner Hongrun buys Canadian, Brazilian crude 8/22
- Ukrainian attack suspends Russian oil flows to Hungary, Slovakia 8/22