Markets Polymer Materials Petrochemicals

Saudi Polymers jv project to start up in Q1 2012 / Output includes PE, PP and PS

Discussions continue with SK Group on Wuhan ethylene project

Raising phenolic resin output in Belgium / Pilot plant for chemical recycling

Construction of USD 5.5 bn mega-refinery on track / Commissioning expected in 2015 / Start-up will significantly reduce Turkey's dependence on feedstock imports

Petrochemicals project planned in Russia's Primorsky region / Lummus to supply cracker technology / Downstream polymers production planned

Propylene plant planned in China / Technology provided by UOP

Polish chemical company plans to introduce caprolactam technology in Asia / Collaborating with Pulawy

Isocyanate jv planned with Thai PTT Global Chemical / PTT to invest EUR 115m for a 51% stake

Japanese group shuts VCM units / Over a third of country's capacity affected / One worker killed

Safety checks for petrochemical complex in Mailiao / Full operations scheduled to resume in August 2012

China imposes anti-dumping duties on EU, US imports

No PE force majeure at Polimeri Europa / Explosion takes out cracker and downstream units

Ube lifts force majeure for caprolactam from Castellon

Bolivian oil group hopes to attract USD 10.7 bn by 2015 to develop country's petrochemical sector / Plans for new ethylene, PE plant?

Realignment towards higher-value products / Plans to invest EUR 1.6 bn up to 2016 / Huge reconstruction in Sicily

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

Expanded Nanjing cracker on stream / JV with Sinopec mulls new projects worth EUR 1bn

Berre refinery to be restarted / No end yet to force majeure / Arkema's PVC production also affected

Plans to idle aromatics facility in Wesseling withdrawn / All options being examined

Production cuts extended for the third month in a row

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

First ethylene deliveries from Chinese mainland / An isolated “help-out” delivery or precursor to a permanent fixture?

Expansion of US cracker / Latest player to use shale gas as feedstock

Cracker commissioned in Ain Sokhna

Propylene project planned in China using UOP technology / World's largest propane dehydrogenation plant