Major polyolefins producers Dow, ExxonMobil, Nova, and DuPont report earnings Dow Chemical Dow Chemical Company reported fourth-quarter sales of $8.3 billion, up 20% from fourth-quarter 2002 sales of $7.0 billion, with a 12% increase in price and an 8% increase in volume. Net income rose to $929 million, compared with a loss of $809…
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ExxonMobil Chemical develops a new cost-effective PE resin for wire and cable applications ExxonMobil Chemical announced a new linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin, LL 4004EL, for low-voltage power cable insulations. According to the company, the resin provides the cable manufacturer with a balance of crosslinking speed and ease of processing for cost-competitive cable constructions.…
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Basell’s PE process technology licensing activity on the rise Basell announced that Salavatnefteorgsintez, a Russian petrochemical company controlled by Gazprom, has signed a licensing agreement to use Basell’s Hostalen technology for a new 120,000 MT/year high-density polyethylene plant at Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. The plant is scheduled to be completed in 2006. In…
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ExxonMobil develops new PP resin grades in Europe ExxonMobil Chemical announced the availability of an advanced polypropylene resin grade – ExxonMobil PP5122E1-designed to provide the high transparency and stiffness required for demanding sheet and thermoforming applications. ExxonMobil PP5122E1, available only in Europe, is a clarified polypropylene using proprietary ExxonMobil Chemical formulation processes. ExxonMobil PP5122E1…
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NOVA and BP in agreement with Grace Davison to supply new NOVACAT™T Ziegler-Natta polyethylene catalyst NOVA Chemicals and BP Petrochemicals announced that they have entered into a long-term supply arrangement with the polyolefin catalyst business of Grace Davison for the manufacture of NOVACAT T advanced Ziegler-Natta catalysts. These catalysts, which are designed for gas-phase…
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Basell to license Spheripol technology to National Petrochemical Industrial Company, Saudi Arabia National Petrochemical Industrial Company (NATPET) and Basell have signed a license agreement for a new 400 KT polypropylene plant based on Basell’s Spheripol process. NATPET, a joint stock company owned by Alujain Corporation, Xenel Industries Limited, and other private investors, will utilize…
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BP to sell over 50% of petrochemicals business and prepares for IPO BP announced that it plans to consolidate the Olefins and Derivatives (O&D) division of its petrochemicals business into a stand-alone entity able to operate separately from the BP Group. The new O&D business will incorporate more than half of the $13 billion…
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Westlake Chemical Corporation files registration statement for Initial Public Offering Westlake Chemical Corporation announced that it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet…
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Borealis to debottleneck PP plant & expand ethylene capacity in Norway Borealis announced its plans to debottleneck its PP plant at Rønningen. The company will also expand its Noretyl ethylene cracker capacity by 100,000 MT/year at its joint venture with Hydro Polymers. The two Norwegian projects will be completed in the autumn of 2005.…
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Kazanorgsintez to triple PE capacity & add product capability using Univation’s capacity expansion technology Univation Technologies and Kazanorgsintez have signed an agreement enabling Kazanorgsintez to triple the capacity of two of its three existing UNIPOL™PE reactors and add breakthrough PE products to its manufacturing capabilities. The agreement will increase the two existing UNIPOL PE…
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