Ineos

Police slowly clear union barricades blocking refineries / Public mood flags / Union threatens to extend strikes to rail and nuclear plants / More force majeure declarations

PE, PP: Ineos declares force majeure for Lavéra and Sarralbe

Petrochemical output increasingly threatened by strike / Most refineries affected / Many FM declarations / Minister says the country has been taken hostage

Agreement to sell EPS activities to Poland's Synthos / Proposed deal would create Europe's largest EPS producer

Naming ceremony for massive ethane carrier / US shipments to Stenungsund expected to commence in Q4

Liquid gas purchase deal with Rex Energy / US shale-derived ethane, propane and butane

Joint venture partners Ineos and Solvay sign binding agreement for latter's early exit

Government agrees to lower plastics packaging recovery and reuse targets / Industry's fears heard / Polymer price plunge may also endanger compliance with Circular Economy targets

Preparations for switch to gas feedstock at Grangemouth almost complete / Mothballed cracker starts up again

Two-day high-level conference on “Zero Plastics Waste to the Oceans” draws industry, government and private sector together / Need for collaborative efforts across the chain / Design for end of life / Calls for system change

Investing in Bahia cracker to enable shale gas input / 10-year offtake agreement with Enterprise Products Partners

Tom Crotty, group director at Ineos: UK test drills could begin this year / Despite low oil price, fracking still economically viable / Mulling new cracker in Norway / Offshore North Sea assets: Ineos enters the oil business

Solvay to exit vinyls jv early / Ineos to take full control / Ratcliffe “comfortable” with deal

First transatlantic ethane shipments underway / Leaked UK government paper fans flames of opposition to shale / Scottish First Minister under fire over unclear stance on moratorium

Jorge Oliveira takes over responsibility for group operations in Spain and Portugal

PVC group plans to divest all downstream units / Write-offs almost reach USD 1 bn / Poker game over takeover continues

Plastics industry in strong recovery mode in 2015 / Thermoplastics consumption rises by 3% to 5.5m t / Strong acceleration in Q4 / Demand from automotive segment particularly high / Biotechnology continues to play an important role

2015 EBITDA comes in at a record EUR 2.2 bn

Falling oil hits earnings in 2015 / Lower costs passed on / Plastics hold up well / Outlook for 2016 rather shaky / TDI plant at Schwarzheide to stay on stream a few more months

Ineos still bullish on shale despite falling prices / Plans to begin test drills this year / UK may override local planning authorities / Cuadrilla appeal to be heard in March

Board summarily rejects latest Westlake takeover proposal / Shareholders addressed in open letter

Company is renamed to reflect new ownership structure / Triple Shift strategy to be continued

Fierce competition and high volatility drive consolidation in Germany / French state fund for renovations / New UK market leader is born / Cladding segment increasingly trends towards grey EPS / Prolonged use of HBCD has no notable market relevance

Fracking yes, but get it right, UK task force says / Incentives can sweeten the pill for communities

First qualitative report on sustainability highlights styrenics' characteristics / Lifecycle approach and optimised use of resources