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The new order environment for engineering and construction (E&C) firms serving the chemicals industry continues to be difficult, as reflected in a subdued Achema show in Frankfurt earlier this year. [...]

From his stylish new headquarters, close to Mumbai's docklands, Mukesh Ambani is orchestrating the next phase of growth for Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), India's largest private sector company. Rising to [...]

The acquisition of Tokyo Marine by Mitsui and Company Ltd is challenging the Norwegian hegemony in the deep-sea parcel tanker lines. This will have an impact on chemical carrier demand which is expected to increase at least by 5.5% per year from 1995 to 1999. Environmental and safety issues are also having an impact on chemical transportation, as well. One result is a change in the sophistication and quality of ocean parcel tanker ships., 'Just as the dutch dominate the terminal business, the Norwegians control the parcel tanker business,' says one chemical trade executive. 'They do a good job, and I don't see anything [...]

Because hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) is a difficult material to ship most producers, including DuPont and FMC, serve local and regional markets from several plants. Degussa has spent nearly $10.5 million [...]

Several high-profile air disasters earlier this year brought the risks associated with transporting hazardous materials to the attention of the public. Although the chemical industry recognized these risks a long [...]

Information technology (IT) is washing like a wave over the chemical industry. It is enabling companies to gear activities toward 2000 and hone their manufacturing, administration, and marketing skills to [...]

Arnhem, Netherlands-based Akzo restructured itself in Jan 1993. The firm's five divisions were dismantled, leaving 34 business units. Those units have been clustered in four groups: chemicals, coatings, fibers and pharmaceuticals. The reorganization also involves employment cuts, the divestment of noncore operations and an increased focus on key operations.

China's chemical industry growth reached 10% in 1992, a level the Ministry of Chemical Industry seeks to maintain. The ministry accounted for 67% of the country's chemical output in 1992, and state-owned enterprises currently account for over 80% of production. Overviews of China's chemical raw materials, fertilizer, inorganic chemicals and chemical-import/export markets are given.

An overview of international investment in China's chemical industry is presented. Foreign investments in Chinese chemical projects have totaled nearly $1.7 billion since 1983, according to Chem Systems, but US investments alone could total $3 billion by 1996. No major international chemical firms have large Chinese operations, but many are planning ambitious ventures. The investment plans of Eastman Chemical, Shell, Dow Chemical and other major firms are outlined.

The French chemical sector was the shining star in Europe during 1992. At a time when others were struggling to stay level it recorded output growth of 5% over the [...]

ICI: A DIVIDED COMPANY? Formed in 1926 by the merger of alkali explosives and dyestuffs companies, ICI is today the U.K.'s largest industrial company and is often called the 'bellwether' [...]

Q. Where does the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) fit into Bahrain's 2030 vision ? A. NOGA was formed by Royal Decree in September 2005, as part of His [...]

In the 1960s, polyurethane (PU) consumption shot up dramatically, and usage has approximately doubled each decade since. And although overall production has expanded 25% since 1987, speakers at the Polyurethanes [...]

As delegates gathered in Budapest last month for Chemical Week's second annual Central/East European conference it was clear that interest in the chemical industry of the region still runs high. [...]

The countries of Eastern Europe continue to struggle with economic and political turmoil. Industry suffers from exposure to world markets, insufficient investment, and reduced local buying power. Output and demand [...]

China's rapidly growing economy could be the world's largest by 2000. The Chinese people's increasing spending power and the need to modernize the country's infrastructure present unequaled opportunities to the global chemical industry. China's Ministry of Chemical Industry, state-owned petrochemical producer Sinopec and state-owned chemical trading firm Sinochem are attempting to speed development by encouraging international investment and trade.

Progress varies by company and culture How do chief executive of Western companies, from their plush offices, keep tabs on what happens at chemical plants in developing countries? Many point [...]

Backed by a long history of invention and production (p. 16s), the U.K. chemical industry has become the world's fifth largest. The sector is important to the U.K. national economy. [...]

Cost increases spurred by rising oil prices, plus capacity hikes in certain parts of the world are the twin themes that hove characterised the polypropylene (PP) market in the post [...]

Polypropylene (PP) remains the fastest-growing major polymer. Over the past five years it has overtaken ldPE and lldPE together in terms of business size in Europe and is considerably larger [...]

Polypropylene is set for another exciting year. I am pleased to present the second annual review of the industry, with comprehensive global capacity tables, pointing to turbulant markets ahead as [...]

EPCA was founded in 1967 by several major traders but it was 30 years before a director of an independent trading company was invited to be a member of the [...]

Over 300 high-level speakers and delegates from around the world gathered at the First GPCA Plastics Summit, held in Dubai on June 14-16. The summit provided a platform to discuss [...]

Tasnee, Saudi Arabia's first joint-stock company wholly owned by the private sector, has played a groundbreaking role in the Kingdom's industrialization. The company has developed into a major producer of [...]

BP Chemicals International Ltd is pursuing a four part strategy to meet the challenges of the industry and position itself for the future. Deputy CEO and COO Chris Gibson-Smith says the company is creating large-scale world class plants and maintaining technical and engineering capabilities. BP Chemicals is building relationships, especially in the Far East, and improving employee and organizational skills.

BP Chemicals has undergone a dramatic turnaround in 1997 from its performance in the early 1990s. There are less than half the employees compared to 1990, and capacity has been reduced by approximately 1.75 mt/year through selling or closing plants. New investments in Asia and expansion in the US and Europe have replaced the lost tonnage. Plans include $1 billion in improvements at the Grangemouth, UK cracker site.

The turnaround at BP Chemicals International Ltd began in the early 1990s. Managers of the company put in place measures of financial and personnel performance and began setting goals to attain improvements. Benchmarks and value improvement techniques were put in place. Losses increased between 1991 and 1993 from $25 million to $100 million. A 60% reduction in employees from 21,000 in 1990 to less than 9,000 in 1997 has helped lead the turnaround.

With a few exceptions, chemical majors have not embraced outsourcing Information Technology (IT). There are signs that this is beginning to change, however, and in the past two years, companies [...]

Almost three years ago the american Crop Protection Association (Washington) held a board meeting at which members were discussing the value of electronic data interchange (EDI) for information flow in [...]

Hoechst's specialty chemicals division is a complex system of activities that goes right to the roots of the company and has needed severe pruning to get on performance track. Businesses [...]