India’s Reliance shelves $15 Billion Deal with Saudi Aramco

India’s Reliance Industries (RIL) and Saudi Aramco have opted to shelve the $15 billion deal that would see the Saudi oil gaint take a 20% stake in RIL’s oil to chemicals (O2C) business. The pair signed a “non-binding Letter of Intent” in August 2019 for the sale, but RIL released a statement over the weekend … Read more

Saudi Arabia to Use $110 Billion Natural Gas Project for Blue Hydrogen

Saudi Arabia announced its key focus of Jafurah development natural-gas projects would be on manufacturing blue hydrogen, as it steps up efforts to transit to green-energy. A large portion of gas from the $110 billion Jafurah development will be used for blue hydrogen, according to Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman. The fuel is made by … Read more

India’s L&T Hydrocarbon bags Orders from GAIL, Air Products Middle East

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro bagged two orders in the construction services segment – one each from GAIL India and Air Products Middle East Industrial Gases. According L&T’s classification, the value of the said contracts lies between Rs 1,000 crores ($135.9 million) to Rs 2,500 crores ($339.7 million). … Read more

Sadara Completes EO/PO feedstock pipeline for Downstream Tenants at PlasChem Park

Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) announces mechanical completion of its Ethylene Oxide /Propylene Oxide (EO/PO) Pipeline and Distribution Center Project for providing feedstock to tenants in the adjacent value park, PlasChem Park. The two parallel feedstock pipelines will distribute EO and PO feedstock to various business tenants in PlasChem Park, enabling them to produce diversified specialty … Read more

Saudi’s BCI Signs LoI to Acquire 49% Stake in UAE’s Union Chlorine

Basic Chemical Industries Co. (BCI) signed a non-binding letter of intent (LoI) with the companies owning Union Chlorine LLC for the acquisition of a 49% stake, according to a stock exchange filing. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Union Chlorine LLC is a chlor-alkali manufacturer based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. … Read more

ADNOC and Reliance Sign Strategic Partnership for Chemical Projects in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced that Reliance Industries Limited (Reliance), has signed an agreement to join a new worldscale chlor-alkali, ethylene dichloride and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production facility at TA’ZIZ in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. The agreement capitalizes on growing demand for these critical industrial raw materials and leverages the strengths of ADNOC and … Read more

Sasol Receives Tribunal’s Nod for ASUs Sale to Air Liquide

Chemicals company Sasol announced Monday that the Competition Tribunal approved the deal by Sasol South Africa Limited to dispose of its 16 Air Separation Units (ASUs) located in Secunda to Air Liquide Large Industries South Africa. Sasol in last September had informed the market that its unit Sasol South Africa had concluded a sale of … Read more

ADNOC, ADQ Downstream Chemicals JV to Invest $5 Billion at Ruwais Derivatives Park

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and industrial holding company ADQ are looking to collaborate on $5 billion worth of projects in the Ruwais Derivatives Park. The two companies signed a deal to form the JV in July to invest in chemical projects, with ADNOC holding a 60% equity stake and ADQ having the remaining 40%. … Read more

Advanced Petrochemical adds Isopropanol (IPA) Capacity to JV with SK Gas

Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Petrochemical Company is planning to add a 70,000 tonnes per annum capacity Isopropanol (IPA) plant as part of its joint venture project in Jubail Industrial City, according to an Arab media report. In March, Advanced Petrochemical’s subsidiary, Advanced Global Investment Company (AGIC) has signed a shareholders’ agreement with SK Gas Petrochemical (SKGP), … Read more

Saudi Firms SIIG, Petrochem in Potential Merger Talks

Saudi Arabian petrochemicals companies Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) and the National Petrochemical Company (Petrochem) have started initial discussions for a potential merger, both companies said on September 20. SIIG and Petrochem announced in separate statements that they have begun talks to study the “economic feasibility” of merging the two companies. The SIIG and Petrochem … Read more

LyondellBasell PP/HDPE technology Selected for Duqm’s Oman plant

LyondellBasell announced that Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company LLC (DRPIC) has selected LyondellBasell’s world-leading polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) technologies for a new facility. The new plants will comprise of a polypropylene (PP) plant that will utilize LyondellBasell’s Spheripol PP process technology to produce 280,000 metric tons per year of PP and a … Read more

Iran Inaugarates Two Methanol Projects

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Thursday inaugurated the world’s largest methanol producing plant in the country’s southern province of Bushehr through a ceremony held via videoconference, according to a news report by Tasnim News Agency. President Rouhani simultaneously ordered the opening of two energy projects in Bushehr and one in the western province of … Read more

Air Liquide to Acquire 16 ASUs from Sasol for $510 million

Sasol Ltd. has signed an exclusive negotiation agreement for Air Liquide to acquire the biggest oxygen-production site in the world located in Secunda in South Africa. The agreement is in line with Sasol’s plan to reduce its emissions of CO2. In this context, Air Liquide would operate the 16 air separation units (ASU) of this … Read more

Air Products Plans $5 Billion Green Ammonia Plant in Saudi Arabia

Air Products on Tuesday announced an agreement for $5 billion green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility that will be powered by renewable energy. The project will be equally owned by Air Products, ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia and NEOM. NEOM is a new model for sustainable living located in the North West corner of the Kingdom … Read more

Sasol, Enaex Conclude Explosives JV in South Africa

Sasol and Enaex S.A., a subsidiary of the Sigdo Koppers Group, have announced the start of operations of new explosives JV in Southern Africa. The new explosives joint venture Enaex Africa started operations on 1 July 2020. In line with the company’s growth strategy review of 2017, Sasol’s explosives business was identified as having substantial … Read more

Aramco Completes Acquisition of 70% Stake in SABIC

Aramco has announced the successful completion of its share acquisition of a 70% stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, for a total purchase price of SAR 259.125 billion ($69.1 billion), equating to SAR 123.39 ($32.89) price per share. The acquisition enhances … Read more

Antidumping Probe will hurt Chemical Imports to India, GPCA warns

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) mono ethylene glycol (MEG) imports into India may be severely hurt as a result of an ongoing anti-dumping investigation targeting imports from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait & UAE, according to the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA). According to GPCA analysis, the inconsistent investigative practices by Indian authorities on anti-dumping regulations … Read more

Aramco in Talks with Banks to borrow $10bn to Finance SABIC Acquisition

Saudi Aramco is in early discussions with lenders for a loan of approximately $10 billion to help fund its purchase of a 70% stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), according to a Reuters report. Last year, Aramco agreed to buy SABIC’s majority stake from the Kingdom’s wealth fund for $69.1 billion, signing one of … Read more

Tata Chemicals South Africa Announces ‘Force Majeure’ – COVID-19

Tata Chemicals announced force majeure on shipments of soda ash to South Africa after government restrictions resulted in the closure of several berths at Maydon Wharf including Tata Chemicals South Africa’s berth at Maydon Wharf 14. The South African government has placed restrictions on the continued operation of various business activities, including port operations due … Read more

Advanced Petrochemical and SK Gas Plan $1.8B PDH/PP Complex

Advanced Global Investment Company (AGIC), a subsidiary of PP producer Advanced Petrochemical, has agreed to form a joint venture with South Korea’s SK Gas and build a propane dehydrogenation (PDH)/PP complex at Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The JV agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June, 2019. The new entity, called Advanced Polyolefins, will … Read more