AMERICAS Westlake to place ethylene assets in limited partnership Westlake Chemical plans to place its ethylene assets into a separately traded limited partnership. Westlake Chemical Partners LP, will own two ethylene facilities at Lake Charles, LA, one ethylene unit at Calvert City, KY and an ethylene pipeline that runs from Mont Belvieu, TX…
AMERICAS Synthos to build Nd-PBR plant Synthos will be investing in a USD 170 million synthetic rubber plant at Triunfo, Brazil. The plant will produce neodiyum catalyzed polybutadiene (Nd-PBR) rubber based on Michelin’s technology. The raw material for the plant will be supplied by Braskem. The plant will have a capacity of 80…
AMERICAS CPChem begins construction of PE plants Chevron Phillips Chemical has broken ground for the construction of 500 KTA PE plant in Old Ocean, TX. This is a part of Chevron Phillips Chemical’s USD 6 billion US Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project which includes a 1,500 KTA ethane cracker at Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX.…
AMERICAS Sasol and Ineos to move forward with HDPE JV Sasol and Ineos will be proceeding with a 50-50 JV for the manufacture of bimodal HDPE at Ineos’ manufacturing site in LaPorte, TX. The JV will construct a 470 KTA HDPE plant which is expected to begin operations in 2016. The plant will…
AMERICAS Flint Hills Resources to acquire PetroLogistics Flint Hills Resources will be acquiring propylene producer PetroLogistics for USD 2.1 billion. PetroLogisticsis a major producer of propylene and operates the only propylene dehydrogenation facility currently operating in the United States. The propylene production facility has a capacity of about 725 KTA. Comments: As a…
AMERICAS CB&I to market Versalis’ LDPE and EVA technologies in North America Versalis and CB&I have signed an agreement through which CB&I will market and provide Engineering services for Versalis’ EVA and LDPE technology plants in North America. CB&I will offer both tubular and autoclave high-pressure processes. Comments: Versalis, a subsidiary of Italy-based…
AMERICAS CPChem to go ahead with alpha olefins expansion CPChem plans to begin a 100 KT expansion of its normal alpha-olefins plant at Cedar Bayou in Texas. CPChem has obtained the approval of its board and the required environmental permits. Comments: The expansion of the alpha-olefins plant further reflects CPChem’s strategy to take…
AMERICAS Formosa Plastics obtains EPA permits for new plants Formosa Plastics Corp. has obtained greenhouse gas prevention of significant deterioration (GHG-PSD) permits from EPA for the construction of 1,600 KTA ethane cracker, 660 KTA PDH unit and a 570 KTA LDPE plant at its site in Point Comfort, Texas. Formosa Plastics expects to…
AMERICAS Mexichem acquires HDPE pipe and conduit producer Mexichem will be acquiring Dura-Line for about USD 630 million. Dura-Line manufactures HDPE conduit, duct, and pressure-pipe products for telecom and data communications, energy, and infrastructure industries. Comments: Dura-Line is one of the largest plastic pipe manufacturers in the US. The company has a wide…
AMERICAS Sinopec licenses PP technology to US plant Sinopec will be licensing its gas-phase PP continuous pre-polymerization technology to Formosa Plastics in the USA. The technology has been licensed to four plants in China and this is the first license in the USA. Comments: Sinopec having licensed its PP technology to Formosa in…