BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: A restriction on the use of three pesticides belonging to the neonicotinoid family was adopted by the European Commission. These pesticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam) were identified as being harmful to Europe’s honeybee population. This restriction will enter into force as from 1 December 2013 and will be reviewed, at the latest, within two years. It targets pesticides used in the treatment of plants and cereals that are attractive to bees and pollinat ...
MUMBAI, INDIA: Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its partners BP and NIKO announced a significant gas and condensate discovery in the KG D6 block off the eastern coast of India. The KGD6-MJ1 well was drilled in a water depth of 1,024 metre - and to a total depth of 4,509 metre - to explore the prospectivity of a Mesozoic Synrift Clastic reservoir lying over 2,000 metre below the already producing reservoirs in the D1-D3 gas fields. The discovery, named ‘D-55,’ has been notified ...
HOUSTON, US: KBR has been awarded a contract by the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership to provide detailed engineering and technical assistance services for the Eagle Pass Mine near Eagle Pass, Texas, US. The contract includes option analysis, detailed engineering for the material handling system and technical assistance during the construction phase of the project. “This award builds upon KBR’s track record for safely delivering major coal mine projects. We are delighted to have the o ...
PARIS, FRANCE: To capitalize on the shale gas revolution in the United States, the BASF TOTAL Petrochemicals LLC (BTP) joint venture (Total 40 per cent, BASF 60 per cent) revamped the Port Arthur steam cracker in Texas to process ethane, found in abundance in US shale gas. In addition to this project, BTP has also begun building a tenth ethane cracking furnace, scheduled to come on stream in the second quarter of 2014. The new furnace will improve the steam cracker’s availability and incre ...
PARIS, FRANCE: Air Liquide has just signed a long-term contract with Fujian Shenyuan New Materials Co Ltd to supply industrial gases for its caprolactam production project located in Lianjiang Kemen Economic & Development Zone, Fujian Province, South-East of China. Air Liquide will invest in an industrial gases complex of eight units including an Air Separation Unit of 2,000 tonne of oxygen per day, a gasification unit, a purification unit of synthesis gas and an ammonia plant to sup ...
TOKYO, JAPAN: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd has acquired the total shares indirectly held by General Electric Company of Asia Silicones Monomer Limited (ASM), which had been jointly managed by GE and Shin-Etsu. As of 17 May 2013, ASM became an indirectly wholly owned Shin-Etsu Chemical Group company. Shin-Etsu Chemical acquired the shares for about ¥15 billion ($147.4 million). The aim of Shin-Etsu Chemical in making ASM a 100 per cent owned Shin-Etsu Group company is to further integra ...
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL: Braskem has launched polyethylene caps for carbonated beverages. The product is expected to reach the market in the second half of the year. The launch complements Braskem’s product portfolio for the beverage segment, which already includes polypropylene and polyethylene for injection and compression moulding processes for caps with or without liners. The new polyethylene for carbonated beverage caps was developed at the Technology and Innovation Centre in Triunfo, Rio ...
MOSCOW, RUSSIA/VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA: Apatit, a subsidiary of PhosAgro, and Orica have signed a 10-year contract to supply explosives and blasting services to Apatit’s mining facilities at Kirovsk situated in the Murmansk Province in north west Russia. The large Australian mining services supply contract for the expanding Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) market, will see Orica supply up to 700,000 tonne of bulk explosives over ten years to Apatit servicing both open cut and undergr ...
PARIS, FRANCE: Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) and Total signed a framework of agreement whereby QPI will participate in Total E&P Congo through its subscription to a 15 per cent share capital increase of this company. This participation reinforces Qatar’s commitment to invest in Africa and illustrates Congo’s willingness to welcome Qatar as a new partner. Furthermore, QPI will contribute to the company’s significant investment programme in Congo, specifically the Moho ...
OBERHAUSEN, GERMANY: Oxea successfully commenced operations at its new state-of-the-art plant for the production of carboxylic acids in Oberhausen, Germany. This new facility will boost Oxea’s global carboxylic acid production capacity by around 40 per cent. The production plant is Oxea’s fifth for carboxylic acids worldwide. “Our latest carboxylic acid plant addresses the continually increasing demand of our international customers. Growing environmental awareness of both b ...