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Petrochemicals

Sipchem starts up vinyl acetate monomer plant

The Saudi International Petrochemical Co.(Sipchem) has started up the commercial operations of its vinyl acetate monomer plant (VAM) (which is actually registered under the name International Vinyl Acetate Co., one of Sipchem’s affiliates) in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

ABB to fix the juice at Saudi petrochem complex

ABB has won a $20 million contract from Saudi Petrochemical Co. (Sadaf) to implement a power factor correction and power management solution at the company’s Jubail manufacturing complex.

Lurgi contracted for polyamide 6-plant in China

Lurgi GmbH has a contract to supply Fujian Jinjiang Technology Co., Ltd.’s polyamide 6-plant in Changle, Fujian, China.

BASF enhances its North American manufacturing operations for copper-chrome catalysts

BASF has initiated a number of capital investment projects to enhance the company’s manufacturing operations for copper-chrome catalysts at its production sites in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Elyria, Ohio.

Eastman to expand hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin production

Eastman Chemical Co. plans to expand production of hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins at both its Middelburg, The Netherlands, and Longview, Texas, facilities.

Huntsman to purchase Indian chemicals business

Huntsman Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the chemicals business of Laffans Petrochemicals Ltd. Located in Ankleshwar, India, the Laffans chemicals business manufactures amines and surfactants.

INEOS Oxide building a new ethylene terminal

INEOS Oxide says it will build and operate a new one million tpy ethylene terminal, to be constructed at its Zwijndrecht facilities in Belgium. Operation of the new deep-sea terminal is expected to start in 2012.

Uhde Inventa-Fischer wins contract for PA-66 plant

Huafon Group has chosen Uhde Inventa-Fischer as supplier for its latest project, a PA-66 plant to be built in Zhejiang Province, China. Huafon Group is the biggest producer of polyurethanes in China.

Jacobs receives contract for European copolymer manufacturing facility

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has a contract with The Dow Chemical Co. to provide engineering and construction management services for the expansion of Dow’s facility in Fombio, Italy. The expansion will accommodate the manufacturing of uniform particle size (UPS) copolymers to be used in ion exchange resins.

Mustang to optimize polymers for Ecopetrol

Mustang was awarded a contract by Ecopetrol, Colombia’s national oil company, to perform conceptual engineering and technology evaluations to optimize the production of polymers at Ecopetrol’s grassroots integrated petrochemical complex in Colombia.