Shell

Construction of mega-refinery joint venture project with Venezuela's PDVSA begins / Project includes two ethylene crackers

Standard Thermoplastics in March 2012: Significant margin improvement for PE and PVC in Q1 / Stable costs keep PS and EPS in check / Scant supply improvement / High prices dampen demand / Fresh hikes in store

Shell signs land option agreement to evaluate Pennsylvania site for possible ethane cracker / Aither Chemicals mulling complex in West Virginia

Shell lifts force majeure for Moerdijk cracker

Polyurethane feedstocks in March 2012: Seasonal influences spark demand / TDI producers see triple-digit gains, MDI and polyols up by single-digit figures / Producers will seek further margin gains in April

EPS plant in Marl to continue operations / Plans to consolidate capacities in the future?

Dawn of the “Great Ethylene Era” / Five Year Plan calls for massive increase in domestic C2 capacities / Pinpointed regional investments / Foreign players race to form joint ventures

Standard Thermoplastics Trend March 2012: Polyolefin and PVC producers pursue margin improvement / Stable cost base for PS, EPS / Cracker outages tighten supply / Upward price pressure continues

Composites/GRP February 2012: Ortho resins again make slight gains / Momentum looks likely to hold up through H1 / Direct roving under considerable pressure / Demand stable for most products

Standard Thermoplastics in February 2012: Polyolefins see triple-digit rises as margins improve / PVC producers also enjoy some margin relief / Styrenics reach limit / Olefin costs will rise again in March

Shell declares force majeure for several cracker and downstream products from Moerdijk

New USD 5.5 bn complex in Qatar to start in 2018 / Asia, Africa and Latin America targeted

Oil minister reportedly bans foreign companies from developing Iranian petrochemical projects / Likely retaliation against EU sanctions

Stuart Chambers joins Rexam as chairman designate

New EUR 9.6 bn refinery complex deal inked in Qatar / No start-up date / Around 1.2m t/y of ethylene

Follow-up: Shell and Qatar Petroleum ink deal on scope of proposed Ras Laffan petrochemical hub / Output to go towards growing Asian markets

Shell test drills confirm shale gas reserves in China's Sichuan basin / Sinopec chairman says country's shale gas reserves surpass those of US

Plans for diphenyl carbonate demonstration unit in Singapore / Phosgene-free polycarbonate production

Standard thermoplastics in October 2011: PE, PP and PVC down despite stable costs / PS in triple-digit fall / EPS margins improve / Production cuts with limited impact / Targeted hikes have little chance of success

Alternative feedstocks rejuvenate global plastics sector/ Oilfield licences to be awarded in Brazil / Shale gas fever rages on three continents / Middle East resources still firmly driving / Saudi Arabia, Iran are major players / GlobalData reports

Plans to idle aromatics facility in Wesseling withdrawn / All options being examined

Standard thermoplastics in September 2011: Prices soften on a broad front / Polyolefins tend downwards / PVC in weak rollover / PS and EPS producers pass on feedstock relief / Output cuts to avoid surpluses

Massive fire takes out large Singapore refinery / Plant could be idled for at least a month / Initial declarations of force majeure for distillate

Berre refinery to be closed / Olefins and polyolefins unaffected / Workers in two-day strike

Polyurethane feedstocks in September 2011: Oversupply hits TDI / Producers retain part of cost advantage for MDI and polyols / Supply lengthens as demand recedes / Margin improvement through price hikes?