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1-day Chinaplas B2B conference well received / Focus on OEMs and sustainable packaging in China / View to challenges the global plastics industry must address / 200 participants attend kick-off Guangzhou

North American firms end Polish shale gas activity / Reserves smaller than thought

South Korean chemical producer reportedly looking into building an ethylene plant in the US / Jumping the shale gas bandwagon

Global capacities exceed 252m t/y / PET output spearheads expansions in 2012 / More than half of global output found in Asia / China will continue to extend its lead in the coming years / Sabic still slightly ahead of Sinopec

South African group plans new mega-cracker in the US / Attracted to shale gas light feed

Modernised HPDE plant due on stream before year's end / Capacity upgrade to 90,000 t/y

Al Jubail complex trips over technical issues / Outage expected to last for four weeks

Phillips' New Jersey refinery out for several weeks in the wake of “Sandy” / PP output also affected

Follow-up: Al Jubail hub starts commercial production

China-based PPS world market leader expands capacity / Strong growth for polymer and fibre

Follow-up: Hurricane "Isaac" approaches Louisiana / Numerous US refinery complexes shut down or operating at reduced rates

14m t of new petrochemical capacity brought on stream in 2011 / Saudi Arabia leads the pack / Regional players are setting their sights to the east / Feedstock surplus will sweep global markets in near future

ExxonMobil ceases all shale gas extraction in Poland / Government alleges conflict of interest in the wake of gas deal with Russia

Start up of ethylene complex in Al Jubail / Downstream units include PE, PP and PS

New ethane cracker and PE plants at Baytown / Cheap US shale gas gives price advantage

Sweeny picked as location for two new polyethylene lines / Shaw Group will design Cedar Bayou cracker

Plans to build world's largest 1-hexene plant in Texas

Bradley Croker appointed CEO Americas Styrenics

Key points of North American ethane cracker feasibility study completed / Final decision for downstream PE units to come in early 2012

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

South Korean group expands it compounding activities in China

Plans for PP compound production in Czech Republic / Output to go towards local automotive industry / Diversifying its portfolio

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

Phillips Sumika PP plant to close / Joint venture to be dissolved

DimeLika Plast to distribute high performance engineering compounds in German-speaking Europe / Large array of specialty grades