Petrochemical News

PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (GC), a leading global chemical company, will become the first chemical producer to integrate U.S. imported ethane into its operations in Thailand as an alternative feedstock, enhancing cost efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. By leveraging existing infrastructure, this initiative secures a stable, long-term ethane supply with minimal investment, reinforcing GC’s competitiveness and long-term growth. This initiative aligns with GC’s Holistic Optimization strategy, ensuring long-term feedstock security, cost optimization, and strengthening Thailand’s continued leadership in the global chemical industry, while contributing to a balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship between Thailand and the United States. GC is uniquely positioned to integrate ethane into its operations with minimal investment, leveraging its existing infrastructure at its facilities in Rayong, eliminating the need for costly upgrades and enhancing operatio...

LyondellBasell (LYB) and Covestro have jointly decided to permanently close the Propylene Oxide Styrene and Monomer (POSM) production unit (PO11) at the Maasvlakte site in the Netherlands . This decision comes after thorough and careful consideration and is driven by the continued pressure on Maasvlakte's profitability due to global overcapacities, a strong increase of imports from Asia and high costs of European production. Unfortunately, this situation is expected to continue, so longer-term profitable production is not anticipated. “While the decision to shut down the PO11 unit is difficult, we must ensure all assets within our portfolio are a long-term strategic fit,” said Aaron Ledet, executive vice-president, I&D and Supply Chain. “We are prioritizing our core assets which play a key role in our technology differentiation and circularity or provide attractive returns over the cost of capital. We take our obligations toward our employees, European employee reps, councils a...

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced an investment to expand propylene production capacity at its Channelview Complex near Houston.  Groundbreaking and construction are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025, with a projected startup in late 2028. The unit will have an annual propylene production capacity of approximately 400 thousand metric tons, employ 750 people during peak construction and is expected to add 25 permanent jobs. “This capacity expansion strengthens our ability to meet increasing customer demand and improve our self-sufficiency as we grow and upgrade a core business line for LyondellBasell,” said Kim Foley, LYB executive vice president, Global Olefins & Polyolefins and Refining. “Additionally, it reduces our exposure to market volatility, which positions LYB to provide consistent returns for our shareholders.” The new metathesis unit will convert ethylene into propylene for use in the production of polypropylene and propylene oxide, which are buildi...

Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced a contract award from Silleno LLP for an ethylene unit, which will be part of the first polyethylene plant to be built in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Strategically located at the National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark in the Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Region, the plant will play a pivotal role in Kazakhstan’s economy by increasing gross domestic product, creating jobs during the construction and operations phases, and generating other indirect business opportunities for the local economy. “It is an honor to collaborate with Silleno and be part of such an important petrochemical project that is a major investment and growth driver for the Republic of Kazakhstan,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lummus Technology. “We have executed several projects recently in Kazakhstan, so this builds on our experience and growth in the country. It also gives us the uniqu...

Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced an award for multiple technologies from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) for a new world-scale ethylene plant and associated downstream units in Bina, Madhya Pradesh State, India . The project is part of BPCL’s Bina Petrochemicals and Refinery Expansion Plan. Once complete, the expansion will produce polymer-grade ethylene and propylene to supply downstream polymer production units, with a capacity of 1200 KTA of ethylene and 550 KTA of propylene. “This award integrates Lummus’ industry-leading light olefins technology and the water treatment technology we recently added to our portfolio,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lummus Technology. “The comprehensive and integrated offering will ensure sustainable water treatment solutions, drive reliable and efficient light olefin production, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These benefits align wi...

Technip Energies (PARIS:TE) has been awarded a significant contract by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for the license, basic engineering design package, proprietary equipment and catalyst supply and related services for the 1500 kta Paradip naphtha cracker unit (PDNCU) block of the grassroot petrochemical complex in Paradip, India. The petrochemical complex will be integrated to the existing 15 million tons/year refinery and will be one of four proposed Petroleum, Chemicals & Petrochemical Investment Regions in India. The petrochemical complex shall include a world-scale cracker unit along with downstream process units producing several petrochemical products. In addition to the naphtha cracker technology, Technip Energies will provide key proprietary equipment, including proprietary separation trays technology Ripple Tray™ and catalyst. Bhaskar Patel, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies, stated: “We are once again delighted to be entruste...

His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, laid the foundation stone for the Ras Laffan Petrochemical Complex , one of the largest in the world, which will raise Qatar’s overall petrochemical production capacity to about 14 million tons per annum by the end of 2026. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at Ras Laffan Industrial City, and attended by His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, Mr. Mark Lashier, the President and CEO of Phillips 66, Mr. Bruce Chinn, the President and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical, and senior executives from QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical. The complex will house an ethane cracker with a capacity of 2.1 million tons per annum of ethylene, making it the largest in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world, and raising Qatar’s ethylene production capacity by more than 40%. It also includes two polyethylene trains with a combined...

Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd. (HPL) will license its olefins conversion technology (OCT) and the Lummus/Versalis cumene and phenol technologies for a new plant in West Bengal , India. Once HPL’s plant is complete, it will be India’s largest cumene and phenol plant and the nation’s first on-purpose propylene plant. The milestone will also help HPL become India’s first integrated operator in the phenolics value chain and a leader in the niche specialty chemicals segment. The integration of OCT will strengthen India’s petrochemical market by allowing production of more phenol products locally rather than by importing them. “We are honored to work with Haldia Petrochemicals, a long-time customer, on this critical investment for India's petrochemical industry,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. “This is an opportunity to showcase Lummus’ in...

Baystar (Bayport Polymers LLC) launches a new era in high-performance polyethylene (PE) production and enhanced sustainability with the start-up of its new Bay 3 polyethylene unit . The new unit is the first of its kind in North America, bringing proprietary Borstar technology from Borealis and more than doubling Baystar’s production capacity in Pasadena, TX. The Borstar technology brings a transformative approach to production flexibility for manufacturers and converters seeking a broad range of highly customized products for lighter, more durable, more flexible, and more efficient plastics. Borstar products are PFAS-free and can enable more than 50% postconsumer recycled material in some end products. Thanks to a broad molecular weight distribution, Borstar PE offers superior physical properties with no need for process aids or additives. “Bringing our new unit online marks the beginning of an exciting evolution in PE production for the industry as Baystar reimagines what is possible...

Aramco and TotalEnergies today awarded Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts for the $11 billion "Amiral" complex , a future world scale petrochemicals facility expansion at the SATORP refinery in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A signing ceremony took place in Dhahran attended by Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President and CEO, and Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO. The award of EPC contracts for main process units and associated utilities marks the start of construction work on this joint project, following the final investment decision in December 2022. Integrated with the SATORP existing refinery in Jubail, the new petrochemical complex will house the largest mixed-load steam cracker in the Gulf, with a capacity to produce 1.65 million tons of ethylene and other industrial gases per year. This expansion is expected to attract more than $4 billion in additional investment in a variety of industrial sectors (carbon fibers, lubes, drilling fluids, de...

Further to the announcement of 18 May 2023, Petrofac today confirms it has entered into a definitive agreement with STEP Polymers SPA (‘STEP’, a 100% subsidiary of Sonatrach) for the design and build of its petrochemical complex in the Arzew Industrial Zone in Algeria. As previously announced, Petrofac will deliver the US$1.5 billion project with its joint venture partner China Huanqiu Contracting & Engineering Corporation (HQC), with Petrofac’s share valued at over US$1 billion. The contract was signed at an official ceremony in Algiers by representatives of Petrofac, HQC and STEP. Tareq Kawash, Petrofac’s Group Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to be in Algiers alongside our partner and client to mark the official award of this pioneering project. Broadening Petrofac’s portfolio within the petrochemical sector, this contract builds on our 25-year track record of safely delivering strategically significant energy infrastructure in Algeria, while developing local workforces.”...

Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced Butadiene LLP has selected its iC4 CATOFIN®, CATADIENE®, CDMtbe® technologies and BASF’s butadiene extraction technology for units at Butadiene LLP’s new petrochemical plant in Atyrau , Kazakhstan. “We are grateful to be selected and provide multiple technologies and solutions to support Butadiene LLP’s growth and expansion,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. “Lummus’ integrated solutions can help grow the economic position of our customer as they execute this important project for Kazakhstan its downstream industry.” “We look forward to partnering with Lummus on this project to upgrade mixed butanes to valuable petrochemicals,” said Diaz Diyanov, General Director of Butadiene LLP. “Butadiene LLP will further develop Kazakhstan’s petrochemical industry using Lummus’ processes that have the lowest carbon footprint available in the market...

DL E&C will participate in the Shaheen Project , the largest domestic petrochemical project ever. The company said on March 10 that it will participate in the connection project of TC2C (thermal crude to chemical) in sector 1 of the Shaheen Project and existing plant. DL E&C will participate in the project by taking over part of the package 1 construction from Hyundai E&C consortium. Package 1 is worth approximately KRW 5.4 trillion, and DL E&C’s stake is 26% or KRW 1.4 trillion. The construction period is 42 months, and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. The project promoted by S OIL is the largest petrochemical project in Korea with KRW 9.2 trillion invested. Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Engineering, and Lotte E&C as well as DL E&C will participate in the project, which seeks to increase petrochemical products’ output ratio from 12% to 25% by building oil refining and petrochemical facilities in the Ulsan Onsan National Industrial Complex. DL E...

South Korean President Yoon and Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser today attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the $7 billion Shaheen petrochemical project in Ulsan, South Korea. Ministers and senior officials from both countries also attended the milestone event. The Shaheen project, which was announced in November 2022, is being developed by Aramco affiliate S-OIL and is a key part of Aramco’s regional crude to chemicals strategy. Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President & CEO, said: “We are deeply honored by the presence of His Excellency President Yoon at this historic groundbreaking ceremony. Shaheen is among Aramco’s biggest international downstream investments, representing a significant and sizeable step forward in our liquids-to-chemicals expansion and another major milestone in further strengthening our presence in Korea.” Shaheen is Aramco’s biggest investment in Korea to date and is expected to be one of the largest integrated steam crackers in the world. It is also ...

Samsung Engineering announced today that it was awarded yesterday a contract for an ethylene unit and its utilities for the Ras Laffan Petrochemicals Project (RLPP) in Qatar. The Letter of Award (LoA) of the petrochemical plant, which will be located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, 80km north of Doha, was received on October 2022. Due to a binding confidentially agreement, the announcement was publicized today. Samsung Engineering will be executing the RLPP Ethylene Project jointly with CTCI as the ‘Samsung Engineering CTCI Joint Venture’ (SCJV). The project is being built by Ras Laffan Petrochemicals (RLP), which is a joint venture consisting of Qatar Energy with a 70% stake and Chevron Phillips Chemical with a 30% stake. QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical are building petrochemical projects in Qatar and the United States. Samsung Engineering will be in charge of the major ethylene production facilities with its scope of work including furnaces, C2 hydrogenation, hydrogen purif...

Technip Energies (PARIS:TE) (ISIN:NL0014559478) has been awarded a contract(1) for the supply of proprietary cracking furnaces for the 2,000 kta(2) ethane cracker for the Golden Triangle Polymers project , a joint venture between Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) and QatarEnergy, along the Gulf Coast in Orange, Texas. This latest award is in line with our early engagement strategy with CPChem and QatarEnergy, which resulted in the selection of our proprietary ethylene technology and includes the successful completion of the ethylene license and Process Design Package (PDP). The modularized cracking furnaces will feature seven of the largest capacity furnaces that Technip Energies has ever designed. The cracker is designed using modern emissions reduction technology and processes that result in lower greenhouse gas emissions than similar facilities in the United States and Europe. Bhaskar Patel, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals and Circularity of Technip Energies, commented: “We are ve...

Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. announces that a signing ceremony concerning the USD 6 billion world-class integrated polymers complex to be built in Ras Laffan Industrial City was held today in Doha, Qatar. The USD 1.3 billion EPC Lump Sum contract, already announced on December 21st 2022, is part of this complex and has been awarded to Tecnimont by a Joint Venture composed of QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical. QatarEnergy (formerly known as Qatar Petroleum) is the state-owned petroleum company of Qatar and one of the largest gas companies in the world. Chevron Phillips Chemical is a leading manufacturer of high-density polyethylene. The project awarded to Tecnimont relates to the implementation of a polyethylene plant which includes two polyethylene units, with a capacity of 1,000,000 and 680,000 tons per year respectively, together with the associated utilities and offsites facilities. The project’s scope of work entails complete engineering services, equipment and material suppl...

QatarEnergy announced the Final Investment Decision (FID) with Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) to build the Ras Laffan Petrochemicals complex - a $6 billion integrated olefins and polyethylene facility at Ras Laffan Industrial City.   The announcement was made in Doha in a special ceremony during which His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, and Mr. Bruce Chinn, the President and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical, signed the agreement for a joint venture company to implement the project, in which QatarEnergy will own a 70% equity share, and CPChem will own a 30% share. The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Mark Lashier, the President and CEO of Phillips 66, and senior executives from QatarEnergy and CPChem. QatarEnergy also announced the award of the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the ethylene plant to SCJV, a joint venture company between Samsung Engin...

Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. announces that its subsidiary Tecnimont S.p.A. has signed with Abu Dhabi Polymers Company Ltd. (Borouge) three EPC contracts relating to the world-class fourth expansion phase (Borouge 4) of the Ruwais polyolefins complex in Ruwais, located about 240 km west of Abu Dhabi City (Abu Dhabi, UAE). Borouge is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world’s major oil and gas companies and a leading diversified energy and petrochemicals group wholly owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and Austria based Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions. The overall value of the three contracts, awarded on the basis of a competitive bidding process, is approximately USD 3.5 billion. The three EPC Lump Sum turnkey contracts relate to the execution of three packages of the Borouge 4 project: the “polyolefin units package”, which includes two polyethylene units with a capacity of 700,000 tons p...

QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) announced that they have taken a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the Golden Triangle Polymers Plant, an $8.5 billion world-scale integrated polymers facility in the Texas Gulf Coast area in the United States of America. Located about 180 kilometers east of Houston, the plant will include an ethylene cracker unit with a capacity of 2.08 million tons per annum, making it the largest in the world, and two high-density polyethylene units with a combined capacity of 2 million tons per annum, also making them the largest derivatives units of their kind in the world. Construction of the plant will begin immediately, with an expected startup date in 2026. The plant will be owned by Golden Triangle Polymers Company LLC, a joint venture in which QatarEnergy holds a 49% equity interest with 51% held by CPChem. Commenting on the FID, His Excellency Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President a...