Basell is the world's largest
producer of polypropylene, a leading supplier of polyethylene and
advanced polyolefin products, and a global leader in the
development and licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene
processes and catalysts.
Established in October 2000, Basell has customers in more than
120 countries and manufacturing facilities in 18 countries on
five continents. Basell's corporate headquarters is located in
Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, near Amsterdam. The company has
regional offices in Brussels, Belgium; Mainz, Germany;
Wilmington, Delaware, USA, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Hong Kong, as
well as sales offices in the major markets around the globe.
With coordinated research and development programmes in centres
located in Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region,
Basell is continuing and expanding a technological heritage that
dates back to the very beginning of the polyolefins industry. In
R&D Basell is committed to continuously extending the
property profile of its polyolefins portfolio and to developing
with its customers a shared agenda for bringing new products to
market as quickly as possible.
In addition to its worldwide network of wholly owned operations,
Basell's global presence is enhanced through investments in joint
ventures. The joint ventures extend Basell's technology and
market base and enable Basell to follow key customers as they
expand and globalise their operations.
1999年11月4日
モンテル・エスディーケイ・サンライズ
新ポリオレフィン会社設立の発表について
http://www.sunallomer.co.jp/japanese/infoindex.html
昨日モンテル社の株主であるシェルは、BASFと共同で新ポリオレフィン会社の設立について発表を行いました。弊社関係先の皆様方に、発表された内容、及び弊社としての考え方を以下の通りご説明をさせて頂きますのでご理解のほどよろしく御願いいたします。
皆様には、今後ともご支援、ご協力を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。
「シェルとBASFの発表内容」
●シェルとBASFはモンテル、エレナック、タゴールの事業を統合し、世界最大級のポリオレフィン会社を設立する計画を発表しました。この会社は、シェル、BASFそれぞれ50％の出資比率となり、本社をオランダにおきます。この統合により新会社は、ポリプロピレンでは世界最大、ポリエチレンでは世界で4番目の製造能力を持つことになります。また、新会社の年間売上金額は60億ドルを見込んでいます。
●両社は、今年末までに調印を終了できる見込みと考えています。
「新会社の設立とMSSの今後の事業展開について」
●今回発表されたモンテル、エレナック、タゴールの事業を統合し世界的規模のポリオレフィン新会社を設立する事は、MSSにとっても積極的な展開であり、私たちの事業の立場を強くするものと考えています。
●モンテルが、タゴール、エレナックを通じ、BASFと共同で新会社を設立することは、ポリプロピレン事業に株主が強い支援を約束していることを意味します。
●MSSは、この合併によってすぐに影響されることはありませんが、今後は更に新しい技術、新しい触媒、そして幅広い商品へのアクセスが可能になります。
●新会社の非常に強い技術開発力により、MSSは今後期待される新規開発へ参画し、優れた商品開発・応用技術をもって顧客の皆様へより良いサービスを提供することができます。
●MSSがより大きな世界規模のポリオレフィンファミリーの一員になることにより、MSSの能力を一層高め、世界規模で顧客の皆様へサービスできると信じます。
http://www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/AppellateCourt/2001/1stDistrict/June/Html/1000433.htm
Prior to November 1, 1983, Hercules was a global manufacturer of a petroleum-based plastic called polypropylene. Between 1981 and November 1, 1983, Hercules sold over $1 billion worth of polypropylene, and this amount consisted of 15% of plaintiff's net sales. Hercules, however, did not maintain the technology to economically produce polypropylene and, with the increase of oil costs, plaintiff decided to reduce its reliance on this product.
On November 1,
1983, plaintiff and an Italian corporation, Montedison, entered into a
joint-venture agreement. The agreement created the corporation, Himont, which would take over all
aspects of the manufacture and sale of polypropylene. Himont was
a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in
Delaware. In exchange for 50% of the stock of Himont, plaintiff
contributed all of its assets involved in the sale and
manufacturing of polypropylene to Himont. Specifically, Hercules
transferred to Himont its six manufacturing plants; all of its
patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other technical information;
its inventory, including finished products and raw materials, and
its accounts receivable. In addition, all of Hercules' employees
involved in the manufacturing of polypropylene resigned their
positions with Hercules and took positions with Himont. Hercules
did not rehire any of these employees. After the transfer of
assets by Hercules to Himont on November 1, 1983, Hercules had no
facilities, personnel or technology engaged in the sale,
marketing or manufacturing of polypropylene.
Montedison also received 50% of the stock in Himont. For this
stock, Montedison gave Himont its manufacturing business in
polypropylene and a new technology for the manufacturing process.
This new technology used an advanced catalyst that reduced the
costs for production and provided a higher yield. Himont's
"prime directive" was to implement this new technology
through the construction of new plants. The joint-venture
agreement also directed Montedison to make payments to Himont
totaling $180,000 so that its investment in Himont would be equal
to that of Hercules. Moreover, Hercules and Montedison agreed not
to sell their stock in Himont for five years unless they both
consented to the transfer. The joint-venture agreement contained
rights of first refusal, restrictions on pledges of stock,
provision for future financial requirement and termination
rights. As a result of the joint-venture agreement, Hercules no
longer produced or sold polypropylene.
Initially, both Hercules and Montedison appointed three directors
to Himont's six-member board of directors. Hercules also selected
Himont's president, three out of six vice-presidents, chief
financial officer, and controller. At no time did Hercules and
Himont have any common officers or employees. Further, none of
Hercules' employees were involved in the day-to-day operations of
Himont. When Himont's stock went public in February 1987, its
board of directors was expanded to 11 members. Hercules still
retained the right to elect three members to the board of
directors.
Between 1983 and 1987, Hercules provided Himont with a variety of
services, such as advertising, public relations, comptroller,
engineering, medical, legal, tax and audit, billing, purchasing,
and information technology. Himont paid Hercules approximately
$9.9 million per year for these services. An independent
accounting firm reviewed these transactions and determined that
the amount Himont paid for these services was comparable to the
amounts charged by unrelated companies. Hercules additionally
purchased polypropylene from Himont. Hercules agreed to purchase
80% to 85% of its polypropylene between 1983 and 1987 and
negotiated a 2.5% discount on its purchases. Hercules also
continued to purchase polypropylene from other suppliers.
On February 12, 1987, Himont offered 22.6% of its common stock to
the public in its initial public offering. Following this public
offering, Hercules'
and Montedison's ownership shares of Himont fell to 38.7% each. In September 1987, Montedison threatened to
take over Hercules if it did not sell its remaining shares in
Himont. Montedison also agreed to pay a premium for the stock
owned by Hercules. Hercules then agreed to sell its shares, and
in 1987 Montedison paid Hercules $1,487,500,000, or $59.50 per
share, resulting in a net capital gain to Hercules of
$1,338,501,966.
Hercules Incorporated http://www.herc.com/
Hercules Incorporated is a global manufacturer of chemical specialties used in making a variety of products for home, office, and industrial markets. Businesses and their key products are:
・ Aqualon, for thickeners used in water-based products such as latex paint; ・ Pulp and Paper, for total solutions to customers' pulp and paper manufacturing needs;
Industrial Specialities, for thickeners used in water-based products such as latex paint;・ FiberVisions, for staple fiber used in hygienic products and automotive textiles; ・ Pinova, for adhesives, flavor and beverage, construction, fragrance, household and industrial. Hercules, established in 1912, is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.
シェル、モンテル株を 100％取得 モンテエジソンは撤退
ロイヤルダッチ・シェルはポリプロピレンの世界最大企業であるモンテルを
100％傘下に収めることを明らかにした。モンテルの一方の親会社であるモンテジソンの保有株式を約
20億で買収する。ＥＣ委員会の承認を得て、実施する。
モンテルは95年4月にシェルとモンテジソンの折半出資会社として発足、現在、欧米を中心に年産
350万ﾄﾝ強の生産能力を持つ世界最大のポリプロピレンメーカー。同社の設立により、世界のポリプロピレンの業界地図は大きく塗り替えられている。ライバルメーカーの一つであるＢＡＳＦはＩＣＩの同事業を買収するとともに、ヘキストと同事業を統合、規模拡大により競争力を強めている。
石油化学事業の拡大を目指すシェルでは、同社を完全に支配下に置くことで、ポリオレフィン事業で強力なポジションを構築する。モンテジソンはこれにより、石油化学事業からほぼ全面的に撤退する。
Ｂａｓｅｌｌ、８７０万トン体制でスタート 生産拠点は１９ヵ国・４４工場に
ＢＡＳＦとシェルの折半出資によるポリオレフィンのガリバー企業「バセル（Ｂａｓｅｌｌ）ポリオレフィンズ」が１０月１日にアムステルダムに設立され、業務を開始した。
同新会社は、シェルの全額出資会社のモンテル、ＢＡＳＦとシェルの折半出資会社のエレナック（Ｅｌｅｎａｃ）、そしてＢＡＳＦの１００％子会社のタルゴア（Ｔａｒｇｏｒ）の３社が手がけてきたポリオレフィンの事業の統合組織と言えるもの。設備能力はＰＰ（ポリプロピレン）が年産５７０万トン、ＰＥ（ポリエチレン）が２６０万トン、特殊ポリマーが４０万トンの合計８７０万トンとなっている。現時点では、エクソンモービルの７６０万トンを抜いて世界トップの地位を占めている。
生産拠点は１９ヵ国・４４工場を数える。内訳は、米国４工場、カナダ２工場、ブラジル３工場、アルゼンチンとメキシコ各１工場、英国３工場、フランス４工場、ドイツ６工場、イタリア４工場、スペイン１工場、オランダ３工場、日本２工場、韓国、インド、香港、台湾、マレーシア各１工場、タイ２工場、豪州３工場−−となっている。
Shell and BASF announce intention to merge polyolefins businesses
Shell Petroleum N.V.('Shell'), a holding company in the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, and BASF announced today that discussions are at an advanced stage to combine Elenac, Montell and Targor into one of the world's largest polyolefins enterprises. Shell and BASF would each own 50 per cent of the new enterprise which would have its holding company in The Netherlands. The proposed new enterprise would become the world's largest producer of polypropylene and the fourth largest polyethylene producer. The turnover of this new enterprise would be in excess of $6 billion.
"The proposed merger reflects the strong relationship that exists between Shell and BASF," said Evert Henkes, Chief Executive Officer of Shell's Chemicals business. " It would bring together established technical strengths, global reach and an extensive product portfolio, which I believe shows both partners' determination to most effectively serve customers. It manifests our vision and long-term commitment to the industry."
Dr. Volker Trautz, member of BASF's Board of Executive Directors and responsible for the Plastics & Fibers segment, sees the project as the logical continuation of the company's forward strategy in the polymer sector, initiated a few years ago. He also emphasised the importance of the relationship with Shell, which had proved itself over many years. He said: "The new joint venture will also profit from this partnership, and we will make sure it has the best possible starting position so that it can act independently of its parent companies." Trautz is also convinced that the proposed new joint venture will set new profitability and customer benefit standards based on its innovative potential, the depth of its product range and its technical expertise.
In the opinion of Shell and BASF the agreements could be ready for signature by the end of the year after which the competition authorities are expected to review the proposed transaction. Once discussions are completed, a more detailed announcement will be made.
Polyolefins Merger Fact sheet
BASF means BASF Group and its parent company BASF Aktiengesellschaft. BASF is a return-focused group of companies generating growth and superior profitability from its global activities in chemicals, plastics, health and nutrition, and energy. BASF's products range from high-value chemicals, plastics, dyestuffs, automobile coatings, crop protection agents, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. BASF's approach to integration, known in German as "Verbund," is one of the company's particular strengths and provides a unique competitive advantage.
With sales in 1998 of some $29 billion and a workforce of 105,000 employees, BASF is one of the world's top chemical companies. BASF shares are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as well as a number of other exchanges. BASF is a component of Germany's blue-chip DAX index of the country's 30 largest capitalized companies and of the Euro-Stoxx-50. Information on BASF shares is available on Bloomberg under the symbol BAS GR and under BASF.X on Reuters. BASF's Internet address is www.basf.com.
Montell means Montell N.V., a company wholly-owned by companies of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of companies, and the companies directly and/or indirectly owned by Montell N.V. Montell is a global leader in the production, marketing and sale of polypropylene, advanced polyolefin materials and related products, with plants in over 30 key locations on five continents. Montell employs 5400 staff. Some 4.0 million tonnes of polypropylene (PP) are produced annually by Montell as well as 270 Kt of PP composite materials, 350 Kt of Catalloy(TM) process resins and 220 Kt of polyethylene (PE). Montell is also an industry leader in polypropylene catalyst and process technologies and a major portion of the world's licensed high-yield polypropylene production is manufactured using Montell's Spheripol technology.
Targor was founded in 1997 as 50:50 joint venture between BASF and Hoechst, with 1,600 employees. Before the proposed foundation of the new enterprise, BASF will acquire the 50% shares in Targor which recently passed from Hoechst to Celanese. The production sites are in Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain and the Netherlands with a total production capacity of 1.4 million tonnes/year.
Elenac means Elenac GmbH and Elenac S.A. companies owned on an equal basis by BASF AG and Deutsche Shell AG and Shell Chemie S.A. respectively, and the companies directly and/or indirectly owned by either or both of them. Elenac's activities comprise the development, production and marketing of polyethylene products and technologies. Amongst the world's largest producers of polyethylene.
（23 Mar 2001 発表）
Dow Acquires Former Basell plant in Cologne
The Dow Chemical Company and Basell announced today that they have reached agreement on the sale of the Basell polypropylene plant in Cologne, Germany.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dow will acquire the plant and associated business for an undisclosed sum and will take ownership of the site on 01 April 2001. The modern manufacturing site, built in 1991, employs 71 people and can produce 195,000 tons (430 million lbs) of polypropylene each year.
In order to resolve competition concerns raised by the European Commission before the Basell merger was approved, Basell is required to divest polypropylene resin plants with a capacity to produce at least 600KT and PP compounding plants with a capacity to produce at least 130KT. The sale of the Cologne plant helps to satisfy part of the divestment requirements.
“This acquisition is an important step for our polypropylene business”, says Romeo Kreinberg, business group president for Polyolefins and Elastomers businesses of Dow. “The Cologne unit uses UnipolO production technology, matching the technology and assets we recently acquired from Union Carbide. Dow can now offer a much broader array of technologies, products and services to our customers”.
“We are pleased that we have reached this agreement and have moved a step closer to fulfilling the divestment requirements set forth by the European Commission,” said Volker Trautz, Basell’s President and CEO. “I extend best wishes for the future to the colleagues who will be leaving Basell and I thank them for the contributions they have made to our company.”
Basell’s business activities in Asia-Pacific,
South America, Africa and the Middle East consist of a network of
joint ventures, wholly owned operations and commercial
representatives located throughout these growing markets. The
core of Basell’s presence
in these key areas is the wholly owned operations in Australia
and Basell’s position in
joint ventures in 12 countries. Together, this “family” of companies, complemented by Basell’s extensive network of commercial
representatives, aims to provide state-of-the-art customer
support. By combining Basell’s broad product portfolio and extensive
technology and application expertise, with local companies having
strong knowledge of local market conditions and with hands-on
technical support and supply capabilities, customers’ rapidly-changing needs are addressed
effectively and efficiently. Basell intends to build upon the
strengths of this “family”
network to be a leader throughout
the growing markets in the international region, and to meet the
supply requirements of both our local and global customers.
Investments are focused on key consumption growth areas and
advantaged supply regions.
Basell Advanced Polyolefins
(Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Basell Advanced Polyolefins (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a Thailand-based plastics compounding company established in 1997 to manufacture and market polypropylene compounds, jointly owned by Basell and SunAllomer. The company's production plant is located in Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, Rayong, Thailand, with 15,000 MT per year of compounding capacity. The plant has been operational since mid-1999, and has been designed for future expansion of up to 30,000 MT annually. The portfolio of products produced by the joint venture includes polypropylene compounds, an extensive range of filled and unfilled products for the automotive, industrial and appliance industries.
Basell Orlen Polyolefins
Basell Orlen Polyolefins, owned equally by Basell and PKN Orlen (Poland’s largest petrochemical producer), is Basell's newest polyolefins joint venture which began operations March 1, 2003 in Plock, Poland. The new joint venture company produces and markets polyethylene and polypropylene in Poland. Basell Orlen Polyolefins benefits from the strengths of both of its shareholders. From PKN Orlen it receives local market expertise and feedstock integration; from Basell it gains a link to global polyolefins technology leadership with broad experience in production and sales around the world. The Polish joint venture currently operates the 150 KT LDPE and 140 KT PP plants that PKN has contributed to the new company until two new world-scale plants are built in Plock in 2005. Basell Orlen Polyolefins will invest approximately ? 500 million in the new units--a 400 KT Spheripol process polypropylene plant and a 320 KT Hostalen high density polyethylene plant.
MACHINO-BASELL INDIA LTD.
Machino-Basell India Ltd. (MBI) is a joint venture company owned equally by Basell and Machino Plastics Ltd. Based in Gurgaon, 25 km from New Delhi, the joint venture has been in operation since 1998. MBI operates two Berstorff compounding lines with a total annual capacity of 15,000 MT. MBI produces an extensive range of unfilled and filled polypropylene compounds and is the major supplier of polypropylene compounds to the Indian automotive market.
POLYPACIFIC PTY. LTD.
PolyPacific Pty. Ltd. is an Australian based company established in 1980 to manufacture and market PP compounds. The company manufactures the full range of polyolefin compounds, masterbatches and modified elastomers, and has become the leader in its field in Australia, with a growing market presence in the Asia Pacific region. PolyPacific's manufacturing base and technical centre is in Dandenong, near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. In late 1997, PolyPacific also commenced manufacturing in Malaysia under the name PolyPacific Polymers Sdn. Bhd., and both Malaysia and Singapore are serviced by that operation. PolyPacific also has representative offices in New Zealand and Indonesia.
HMC Polymers Company Limited is one of the largest and most technically advanced polypropylene resin producers in Asia, and the first polypropylene producer in Thailand. HMC is a technology leader with a worldwide marketing distribution system to support export sales activities.
TAIWAN POLYPROPYLENE CO., LTD
Taiwan Polypropylene Co. Ltd. (TPP) is a joint venture company owned 35% by Basell and 16% by the Koos Group of Taiwan, with the remaining 49% held by more than thirty thousand public shareholders. TPP was the first polypropylene producer in Taiwan, starting with Hercules technology more than 25 years ago, and today is the leading polypropylene supplier in the country. TPP operates two Spheripol technology production lines at its site in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with annual capacity of 360 KT. In addition, TPP operates a polypropylene compounding line and a staple fibre plant at the same site. The company's business office is located in Taipei.
PETROKEN
Petroken, a 50/50 joint venture between Basell and Repsol/YPF, is the leading polypropylene company in Argentina. The company opened its first plant near the major local market in Buenos Aires in 1992. The company has doubled its polypropylene capacity to 180 kta in 1999 with the start- up of a state-of-the-art compounding facility to support the advanced polyolefins and automotive industry in the region. Petroken’s dedication to producing outstanding product quality and to providing exemplary customer service has made it one of the premier quality suppliers in its industry sectors. With two complimentary shareholders, Basell providing leading technology and catalysts, and access to world markets; and Repsol/YPF providing a local secure feedstock environment, Petroken has established itself as a major force in the Mercosur market as well as an export supplier of choice in many countries outside of South America.
POLIBRASIL
Polibrasil Resinas S.A., which includes the advanced materials business of Policom, is a 50/50 joint venture between Basell and Suzano, a Brazilian company focused on petrochemicals and the pulp and paper business. Pioneering the production of polypropylene in Brazil since 1978, Polibrasil operates from three strategically positioned locations: Camacari, Duque de Caxias and Maua. Polibrasil has a strong commercial focus with excellent customer relationships across a wide range of conversion technologies. The company develops product and application solutions with excellent cost/benefit performance for its customers. The success of this strategy is demonstrated through the company’s continued leadership in the Brazilian marketplace, which is further enhanced with the completion of the new world-scale Spheripol process plant in Maua. With a broad customer base and a growing resins portfolio, Polibrasil is uniquely positioned to continue to build upon this platform of leadership.
INDELPRO
Indelpro S.A. de C.V. is one of the companies of ALPEK, the Petrochemical Group of ALFA. It produces and commercializes PP resins in the global market. Indelpro’s plant, with a production capacity of 200,000 metric tonnes per year, (441 mm lbs annually), is located in Altamira, Tamps (Tampico), on the East Coast of Mexico. Its headquarters is located in Monterrey, with a sales office in Mexico City.
POLYMIRAE
PolyMirae Company Ltd. is the premier PP producer in Korea. The company was formed by a strong alliance of two highly respected global companies, Daelim Industries and Basell Polyolefins; with the specific charter of expanding the demonstrated properties of PP in order to provide our customers with leading-edge solutions to their material requirements. PolyMirae offers customers in Korea and Northern Asia a full range of services previously unavailable.
SUN ALLOMER, LTD
SunAllomer Ltd. is one of the largest PP producers in Japan, offering customers a competitive range of value-added products and services. The company offers a unique combination of expertise, innovation and know-how to customers. SunAllomer works closely with customers and suppliers to implement solutions that benefit all parties, thus creating a win-win for all. The company also has a strong commitment to the environment and health and safety.
（Joint press release of BASF
and BASELL 2002/1/29）
Basell's styrene plant in
Wesseling shut down
BASF and Basell, a 50:50 joint venture between BASF and Shell,
shut down the styrene plant at Wesseling at the end of 2001. The
plant, which had an annual capacity of 410,000 tonnes, first
started producing over 30 years ago and covered part of BASF's
styrene requirements in Europe. The main reason for the closure
is a worldwide drop in demand for styrene and styrenic polymers.
Styrene monomer (SM) is a starting product for plastics such as
polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS),
styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylonitrile-styrene acrylic
ester (ASA). Major users of these plastics are the automotive,
electronics and electrical, construction and packaging
industries.
BASF is a transnational chemical company that aims to increase
and sustain its corporate value through growth and innovation.
The company's product range includes high-value chemicals,
plastics, colorants and pigments, dispersions, automotive and
industrial coatings, agricultural products and fine chemicals as
well as crude oil and natural gas. BASF's approach to
integration, known in German as "Verbund," is one of
its particular strengths, ensuring cost leadership and a unique
competitive advantage. With sales of about ?36 billion (circa $34
billion) in 2000 and over 90,000 employees, BASF is one of the
world's leading chemical companies. BASF acts in accordance with
the principles of Sustainable Development. BASF shares are traded
on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), Zurich
(BAS), Paris (BA) and New York (BF). The company's Internet
address is www.basf.com.
Basell is the largest producer of polypropylene in the world, the
largest supplier of polyethylene in Europe and a leading producer
of advanced polyolefin materials. Basell also develops and
licenses polypropylene and polyethylene processes and catalysts.
Basell serves customers in more than 120 countries with materials
produced in 18 countries.
2002/6/27
Basell announces start-up of new 260 KT polypropylene plant in
Spain
Basell is announcing today the start-up of its new 260 KT
polypropylene plant ー Tarragona PP III -- at the
Tarragona East complex. The world-scale plant manufactures a wide
range of homopolymer and heterophasic copolymer grades for
diverse markets.
"Production from this state-of-the-art facility will enable
Basell to better serve the needs of our customers in Europe and
keep pace with the market demands of the region," said
Robert Genin, president, Basell Volume Business Europe.
"The addition of this new capacity is consistent with Basell’s commitment to a scrap and build policy
with its manufacturing assets," Genin added. "This year
we are shutting down or mothballing older, less efficient
polypropylene plants in Europe with a capacity of 330 KT. Now,
with the European PP market making a comeback from the severe
downturn in 2000 and 2001, we are pleased that this highly
efficient new plant is on-stream." The plant uses a process
based on Novolen technology.
Basell develops, produces and markets polypropylene,
polyethylene, advanced polyolefin materials and polyolefin
catalysts, and also develops and licenses polyolefin processes.
With research and development centres in Europe, North America
and the Asia-Pacific region, Basell is committed to continuously
extending the property profile of its polyolefins portfolio and
to developing with its customers a shared agenda for bringing new
products to market as quickly as possible. Basell, including its
joint ventures, serves customers in more than 120 countries with
materials produced in 18 countries.
1998/7/13 Hoechst AG
Hoechst plans to sell its polyethylene business to Elenac -
Letter of intent signed
Hoechst AG and Elenac are envisaging the sale of the Hostalen polyethylene
business to Elenac, a leading
supplier of polyethylene in Europe. The two companies agreed to
this in a letter of intent.
Hostalen has been operating the global high-density polyethylene
business of Hoechst as an independent legal entity since 1997.
The sale, which is planned for this year, is subject to the
approval of the responsible bodies and antitrust authorities. The
parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the
transaction.
As part of its focus on the life sciences, Hoechst is exiting
stepwise from the industrial chemicals sector. The sale of
Hostalen to Elenac will ensure the successful further development
of the polyethylene business in a broader context.
"Hostalen will ideally complement our product range and
decisively strengthen our market and technology position. This
will make us an even more attractive partner to our customers and
bring us a lot closer to our Vision 2010 goal of achieving market
leadership," said Rolf Richter, CEO of Elenac. "The
integration of our activities with Elenac will give the Hostalen
business excellent prospects for the future," added Reinhard
Traub, managing director of Hostalen.
With a production capacity of approx. 500,000 metric tons per
year at sites in Germany and Spain, the Hostalen polyethylene
business of Hoechst is a major supplier of HDPE in Europe.
Hostalen plastic is used mainly to manufacture packaging material
and also as a high-quality and technologically sophisticated
material for pipes and special films. Additionally, Hostalen has
a substantial global technology licensing business. In 1997, the
company had sales of DM 858 million and employed 728 people.
Hostalen has production operations and research facilities in
Frankfurt-HUchst and production sites at Munchsmunster and
Knapsack near Cologne, Germany, and also in Tarragona, Spain.
Elenac, a joint venture between BASF and Shell, has approx. 2,500
employees and expects to achieve sales of around DM 3 billion in
1998. By acquiring Hostalen, Elenac will expand its annual
capacity to approx. 1.9 million metric tons. Elenac's
headquarters are in Strasbourg and Kehl. The company has
production sites in Ludwigshafen and Wesseling, Germany, at Berre
and Fos in France, and Carrington, UK and owns a 50% interest in
CIPEN in Notre-Dame de-Gravenchon in France.
Due to new developments, good recyclability and environmentally
friendly manufacturing and processing, polyethylene is a material
with high growth rates.
1998/1/16
Name and start-up date decided for BASF/Shell Polyethylene joint
venture
Following approval by the EU Commission, the planned BASF/Shell
joint venture can now be implemented, which will include the
acquisition of Montell* European PE business. It will operate
under the name Elenac
and will start-up on March 1st, 1998.
The new company will have more than 2500 employees and, with
sales of about DM 3 billion, will be one of the leading suppliers
of polyethylene in Europe. The production sites are in Germany
(Wesseling near Cologne and Ludwigshafen), France (Fos, Berre and
Notre Dame de Gravenchon) and Great Britain (Carrington). The
headquarters will be in Kehl and Strasbourg.
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board will be Rolf
Richter, currently head of the Polyethylene Business Unit at BASF
AG.
The other members of the management board are:
Henry Strick van Linschoten, responsible for finance and
personnel
Gerhard Schunck, responsible for marketing and sales
Jo Vincken, responsible for production and technology.
This is a significant step forward for Shell Chemicals. The
formation of Elenac is an important part of the organisation's
transformation strategy which is to achieve leadership in
selected areas.
Targor Gets the Green Light from
Brussels
Joint Press Release from BASF and
Hoechst
The European Commission in Brussels has approved the formation of
Targor , the 50:50 polypropylene joint venture between BASF
Aktiengesellschaft and Hoechst AG. The new company, which is
headquartered in Mainz, will thus start operating as planned on July 1, 1997.
In 1996, BASF and Hoechst achieved sales in the polypropylene
field of more than DM 800 million and DM 900 million,
respectively. As previously reported, Targor will have a total
annual capacity of 1.4 million metric tons.
The production plants are located at the Knapsack site near
Cologne (Germany), Lillebonne (France), Wilton (United Kingdom),
Rozenburg (Netherlands) and Tarragona (Spain). The polypropylene
plants installed in Wesseling at Rheinische Olefinwerke GmbH, a
joint venture between BASF and Shell, will operate on a
commission basis. Furthermore, the proportionate production
volumes of the plant operated jointly by Hoechst and Repsol in
Tarragona will be taken over.
Platts 2002/11/11
Polibrasil to start-up new 300kt PP plant mid-Feb 2003
Polibrasil, a 50/50 joint venture between Basell and Brazil's
Suzano group, is set to start up its new 300,000 mt/yr
polypropylene plant at Maua, Sao Paulo state, in mid-February
2003, a company source said Monday.
The company plans to run tests this month and December, but
anticipates having on-spec, commercial production in
mid-February, he said. By May or June 2003, the company plans to
bring block and random copolymer production on-stream. Earlier,
Polibrasil had reported plans to permanently shutdown the
existing 125,000 mt/yr slurry technology PP plant at Maua.
However, Polibrasil is now considering running an undetermined
portion of the old plant, the source said. Whether some part of
the older plant will be run depends on talks with feedstock
providers, he said.
Platts 2002/11/14
PKN Orlen says Basell JV may start
up by Christmas
Poland's downstream oil company
Polski Koncern Naftowy (PKN Orlen) today said a joint venture
with polyolefin producer Basell Europe Holdings BV may be ready
to start up by Christmas. Both companies signed a joint venture
agreement Sep 30 to form a new polyolefins company in Plock,
Poland. In addition, supply, trademark and off-take agreements
also have been signed. "Our deadline to start up the joint
venture is the 15th of January, when financing is complete,"
Janusz Wisniewski, PKN Orlen board vice-president for production,
said during a conference call Thursday. "We hope we may be
ready before Christmas," he said. Negotiations are
continuing with finance institutions for funding. The project
cost is estimated at about Eur500-mil. The shareholders'
contributions are about Eur108.5-mil each.
Platts 2004/2/11
Basell to close down three HDPE
sites, one PP unit by 2005
Polyolefins major Basell plans to
close down three of its older high density polyethylene plants,
and possibly one polypropylene unit, in Europe, by 2005, said
Volker Trautz, president and CEO, Wednesday. Speaking at the
Nexant ChemSystems Annual European Seminar in London Tuesday,
Trautz said the closures would affect about 300,000 mt/yr of HDPE
capacity and would take place once its two new world-scale HDPE
plants come on stream. The two new HDPE plants--located at
Wesseling, Germany, and at Plock, Poland--are currently being
built and capable of producing 320,000 mt/yr each. The latter, scheduled to start up in
2005, is a joint venture between Basell and PKN Orlen. Both
plants are back integrated into crackers and refineries, to
optimize the production chain. Meanwhile, although Trautz was not
willing to elaborate on which plants would be affected, it is
believed that Basell would shut down its units in Germany, Spain
and possibly UK.
April 28, 2004 Dow Jones News
Service
Mexico's Alfa Unit To Build New 350,000 MT Plastics Plant
Mexican conglomerate Alfa said Tuesday its unit Indelpro plans to
build a new polypropylene plant with a capacity to produce
350,000 metric tons a year of the plastic.
In a press release, Monterrey-based Alfa said the new plant is
expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2006.
Indelpro is jointly owned by Alfa's petrochemicals group Alpek and by
Netherlands-based Basell, the
world's biggest polypropylene producer.
The new plant, in the northeastern industrial center of Altamira,
will increase Indelpro's capacity to 570,000 metric tons a year, Alfa said.
Raw materials have been secured under a long-term supply
agreement with Mexican state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, or
Pemex, Alfa added.
Polypropylene is a popular and versatile plastic used for the
manufacture of auto parts, containers, bags and wrappings,
cosmetics and toys, among others.
Alfa said world production of polypropylene has been growing at
more than 10% a year for the past decade.
2004/7/29 Basell
BASF and Shell review strategic options regarding Basell
http://www.basell.com/
BASF and Shell announced today
that they are reviewing strategic alternatives regarding their
joint venture Basell, a global leader in polyolefins, in which they both hold a 50
percent equity interest. The
options being reviewed by the shareholders include the sale of their stakes
and an equity market transaction. During the review process, the
shareholders remain committed to supporting Basell’s strategic and operational goals and its
ongoing financial progress. Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and
Lazard have been retained to assist in assessing the feasibility
and attractiveness of these options.
"Merging our polyolefins activities with those of Shell in
Basell was a beneficial strategic decision. As an independent
company, Basell has integrated and consolidated its businesses in
all parts of the world with great success and is now established
as a global industry leader. This is the right time to assess the
next step," said Dr. John Feldmann, member of the Board of
Executive Directors of BASF AG, responsible for the Plastics
segment. "BASF, one of the leading global plastics
suppliers, will continue to focus its strategic position on
styrenics, performance polymers, polyurethanes and their related
value chains. The review of options regarding Basell fits well
into that strategy."
"Basell has been an important part of the Shell Chemicals
portfolio and we have valued our partnership with BASF in this
joint venture," said Fran Keeth, Executive Vice President,
Customer Fulfillment and Product Business Units, Shell Chemicals.
"In a relatively short period of time, Basell has
successfully integrated a valuable set of global assets and
achieved economies of scale and other benefits not available to
either shareholder separately. Now that Basell has become a
global industry leader and is positioned well to compete in a
dynamic market environment, it is an appropriate time for us to
look at Basell within the context of Shell’s long-term portfolio aspirations and to
review strategic alternatives to deliver enhanced shareholder
value."
BASF
BASF is the world’s leading
chemical company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further
increase the value of our company. We help our customers to be
more successful through intelligent system solutions and
high-quality products. BASF’s
portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products,
agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural
gas. Through new technologies we can tap into additional market
opportunities. We conduct our business in accordance with the
principles of sustainable development. In 2003, BASF had sales of
more than ?33 billion (circa $42 billion) and over 87,000
employees worldwide. BASF shares are traded on the stock
exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF), Paris
(BA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on
the Internet at www.basf.com.
Shell
Shell Chemicals collectively refers to the companies of the Royal
Dutch/Shell Group engaged in the chemicals business. Shell
chemicals companies manufacture and deliver petrochemical
building blocks and polyolefins to industrial customers. These
products are widely used in plastics, coatings and detergents.
For further information please visit www.shell.com/chemicals/news
Basell sells 50% share in French
CIPEN LLDPE plant to ExxonMobil
Polyolefins producer Basell announced Friday that it has sold its
50% share in the Compagnie Industrielle des Polyethylenes de
Normandie linear low density polyethylene plant in
Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, France to ExxonMobil. "After
careful review of our position we have concluded that we will
focus our presence in the polyethylene and polyethylene film
market by relying on our own low and high density polyethylene
technologies," said Werner Breuers, president of Basell
Polyolefins Europe. "Basell will, however, continue to
supply its key accounts in the film business with both linear low
and metallocene linear low density products for a period of at
least two years."
*CIPEN
Exxon Polymeres and Shell Chimie created a business entity entitled Compagnie Industrielle Des Polyethylenes De Normandie ("CIPEN"), the sole purpose of which was to own and operate a plastic manufacturing plant in Notre-Dame-De-Gravenchon, France.
CIPEN was structured as a Groupement d'Interet Economique ("GIE"), a form of business entity under French law resembling a partnership. Exxon Polymeres and Shell Chimie each controlled 50% of CIPEN's stock and jointly elected CIPEN's sole director. By agreement of its member corporations, CIPEN's sole pursuit was the manufacture of plastic from the raw material ethylene provided by Exxon Polymeres and Shell Chimie.
November 4, 2004 Financial Times
Information 事前報道
Basell confirms HDPE plant closures;
buying interest in Basell high.
Basell has confirmed it is to shutter three HDPE plants in Europe
with a total capacity in excess of 300,000 tonnes/y after the end
of 2004. The plants are at Frankfurt and Knapsack, Germany; and
Tarragona, Spain. The
shutdowns will coincide with the commissioning of a 320,000-tonnes/y HDPE
plant at Plock, Poland that
is part of a polyolefins joint venture of Basell and PKN Orlen,
and of a similar-sized facility at Wesseling, Germany. Meanwhile,
there have been more potential buyers for
Basell than expected.
Basell's owners, BASF and Shell, aim to complete the divestment
of Basell by mid-2005. They are looking to raise $7 bn from the
divestment. They would consider divesting Basell via an initial
public offering if a suitable bid were not received by the
deadline. Iran's National Petrochemical Co and Reliance
Industries are interested in making separate bids for Basell.
2005/2/14 Basell
Basell announces that it intends to sell share in PP plant in
Spain that it jointly owns with Repsol
http://www.basell.com/portal/site/basell/?epi_menuItemID=d9d887b2d711ac55c87d7fc1a0f034a0&VCMChannelID=a841159b59e3af00vcm100000000c53f3cc3____&VCMContentID=32c83be4aef02010vcm100000000c53f3cc3RCRD
Basell announced today that it
intends to sell to Repsol YPF its 50% share in the 160 KT per
year polypropylene plant in Tarragona, Spain that is operated by
Transformadora De Propileno A.I.E., a company jointly owned by
Basell and Repsol.
The parties expect to complete the transaction in the next few
months following approval by the Spanish regulatory authorities.
“Basell’s goal is to focus on its wholly owned
production facilities in Tarragona, which currently have an
annual capacity of 360 KT of polypropylene,” said Manuel Fraga, president of Basell
Iberica. ”We will continue
to supply our customers from those plants and other regional
sources.”
About Repsol YPF:
Repsol YPF is Spain’s
largest oil producer, a fully integrated oil and gas company with
proven reserves of 5.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent, mostly
in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. The company
owns 99% of YPF, Argentina's leading oil company, and has
operations in 28 countries. Repsol YPF has five refineries in
Spain (as well as stakes in five Latin American refineries) and
produces chemicals, plastics, and polymers. It sells gasoline
under the brands Campsa, Petronor, and Repsol at more than 3,600
service stations in Spain and has 3,000 stations in Argentina and
other locations.
About Basell:
Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products, a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and a global leader in the development and
licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. Basell,
together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities
around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries.
Additional information about Basell is available at
www.basell.com.
2005/5/5 Shell/BASF BASF
and Shell review strategic options regarding Basell
BASF and Shell to sell their stakes in Basell to consortium led
by Access Industries
http://www.corporate.basf.com/en/presse/mitteilungen/pm.htm?pmid=1833&id=mGVN16lGdbcp40T
BASF and Shell Chemicals are to
sell their 50-50 joint venture Basell, one of the world's leading
manufacturers of polyolefins, to a consortium led by New York-based Access
Industries together with The Chatterjee Group. A corresponding agreement was signed.
The sale price will total Euro 4.4 billion, including debt.
The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust
authorities and closing is expected in the second half of 2005.
BASF and Shell announced plans to review options for the joint
venture in July 2004. The two companies established Basell as an
independent company in 2000 to successfully consolidate their
polyolefins businesses across the world. Basell achieved
competitive advantages such as cost leadership through
world-scale plants, and has developed into one of the world
leaders in its industry.
“Basell's recent strong
performance has shown that it was the right decision to form the
joint venture,” said Dr.
John Feldmann, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF
Aktiengesellschaft, and Chairman of Basell's Supervisory Board. “The strategic divestment will now create
additional value for the BASF Group as part of the company's
ongoing portfolio management. In its Plastics segment, BASF will
continue to focus its strategic position on styrenics,
performance polymers, polyurethanes and their related value
chains.”
“Basell has successfully
consolidated the portfolio of polyolefins assets of the two
shareholders to become a major player in the industry,” said Fran Keeth, Executive Vice President,
Shell Chemicals. “The
divestment enables Shell to optimize share-holder value and focus
on our strategy of leveraging the synergies between oil products
and chemicals activities, to strengthen our core portfolio in
Europe and North America, and to grow in Asia and the Middle
East.”
“I’m very pleased that we are the successful
bidder for Basell,” said
Len Blavatnik, Chairman of Access Industries. “We are experienced in industrial
investments in companies that compete in large, cyclical markets,
and we believe Basell is an attrac-tively positioned global
business with an excellent future. I am very impressed by
Basell's track record, and by the company's highly professional
and motivated man-agement and workforce.”
Dr. Chatterjee, Chairman of The
Chatterjee Group, likewise praised Basell's “broad-based customer portfolio, premium
market position and leading capability in product and process
innovation. We look forward to consolidating Basell's global
leadership position through enhanced commitments in technology.”
Basell
Basell is headquartered in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. The
company has sales ac-tivities in more than 120 countries and
operates production sites in 21 countries worldwide. Basell
employs a workforce of 6,600 employees: about 5,200 in Europe and
about 1,000 in North America. In 2004, Basell posted sales of
Euro 6.7 billion.
Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefins, and is a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts. The company is a global leader in the development
and licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. These
plastics are used in a wide number of applications, for example
in the packaging and automotive industries and for consumer
goods.
BASF
BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical
Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics,
performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to
crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all
industries, BASF's intelligent solutions and high-value products
help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new
technologies and uses them to open up additional market
opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental
protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a
better future. In 2004, BASF had ap-proximately 82,000 employees
and posted sales of more than Euro 37 billion. BASF shares are
traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA),
New York (BF), Paris (BA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on
BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com - opens in new
window.
Shell
Shell Chemicals collectively refers to the companies of the Royal
Dutch/Shell Group engaged in the chemicals business. Shell
chemicals companies manufacture and deliver petrochemical
building blocks and polyolefins to industrial customers. These
products are widely used in plastics, coatings and detergents.
For further information please visit www.shell.com/chemicals/news
-opens in new window.
Access
Industries
Access Industries, founded by company Chairman and President Len Blavatnik in 1986, is a privately held, US-based
industrial holding company with investments worldwide. Access has
long-term strategic interests in the oil, aluminium, coal and
telecommunications sectors.
The
Chatterjee Group
The Chatterjee Group (TCG) is a privately held, US-based
investment organisation with a significant business presence in
India. Dr. Purnendu Chatterjee is the chair-man of TCG, which has
a controlling interest in Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd, a major integrated petrochemical company
that utilises Basell technology.
Len Blavatnik holds a Master'sdegree from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Blavatnik is a founder and principal shareholder of Access Industries Inc., a global private equity investment firm with a diversified portfolio in energy, minerals and mining, telecommunications and financial services.
He is Chairman of Access Industries. Director of the Siberian Urals Aluminum Company (SUAL), and Svenska Bredbandsbolaget AB. Mr. Blavatnik is also a member of the Global Advisory Board of the Center for International Business and Management at Cambridge University and a member of the board of Dean'sAdvisors at the Harvard Business School. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Eurasia Group in New York, and is Vice Chairman of the Kennan Council at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.
BBC 2005/5/4
US 'blocking Iran plastics deal'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4514171.stm
Iran's National
Petrochemical Company says it is being excluded from buying a
major Dutch plastics maker by US political pressure.
Polypropylene maker Basell is being sold by its joint owners,
Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell and chemicals giant BASF of Germany.
INPC
has been "unofficially told Iran cannot buy Basell", the ISNA news agency cited the
firm's boss as saying.
A Shell spokeswoman in London said the Basell negotiations were
confidential.
She declined to confirm whether the Iranian firm was among the
bidders being considered, or comment on press reports that US
officials had raised objections.
Sanctions risk
US firms face trade sanctions if they import Iranian goods.
Basell is the world's biggest maker of polypropylene and its US
customers are worried about the implications of an Iranian deal,
according to Reuters news agency and the Wall Street Journal.
US sanctions date back to tensions following Iran's 1979 Islamic
revolution. But diplomatic tensions with the US and Europe are
currently escalating over Iran's nuclear programme, making a
change of policy unlikely.
"Shell and BASF announced that we had an intention to review
strategic alternatives for Basell in July 2004. Offers for the
company have been received and advanced discussions have taken
place," she said.
"We are bound by commercial confidentiality and I cannot
give you any further comment."
Finished business?
A deal to sell Basell for 4.4bn euro (£3bn; $5.7bn) is reportedly close
to completion. Its products are used in everything from plastic
bottles to car parts.
"Although NPC won all aspects of the Basell tender, due to
US pressures, we cannot buy Basell," ISNA quoted the Iranian
firm's managing director Mohammed Reza Nematzadeh as saying.
An Indian firm, Haldia, is now poised to win the bidding for
Basell, the Wall Street Journal reported. Haldia is backed by two
New York-based financiers, Chatterjee Group and Access
Industries.
The US is "concerned that Basell is a very large
multinational with a high degree of technology and Iran is state
sponsor of terrorism and a proliferator," Reuters cited a US
State Department official as saying.
"The chances of it being the Iranians is decreasing,"
Reuters quoted a separate, unnamed source close to the
negotiations as saying earlier in the week.
"There would be a risk to Shell's reputation if they were to
scrap a potential deal with Iran, because it is developing energy
sector interests in that country."
Iran was one of the countries listed by President George W Bush
as belonging to an 'axis of evil' in a speech in 2002.
Business Telegraph
2005/5/6
Until yesterday, the Iranian state oil company was leading the
race for Basell. However, a promise not to include Basell's
Louisiana plant in the deal was not enough to placate stiff US
opposition.
2005/5/4 Aljazeera
Iran blames US for buyout bid failure
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A17C6B0C-B004-49F3-B4D7-E6286A43EDF7.htm
Intense US pressure has
scuppered the possible acquisition of a European plastics firm by
an Iranian state-owned company, Iran said, clearing the way for
its purchase by an Indian-led consortium.
Iran's National Petrochemical Company was favoured to buy Basell,
the world's top producer of the plastic polypropylene, from oil
giant Royal Dutch/Shell and Germany's BASF, in a deal worth 4.4
billion euros ($5.7 billion).
"Although NPC won all aspects of the Basell tender, due to
US pressures we are unofficially told Iran cannot buy
Basell," semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA quoted NPC
Managing Director Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh as saying on
Wednesday.
Reuters reported on Sunday that an acquisition by Iran was
becoming less likely because of US opposition. Rejection of the
bid leaves a group of investors led by Purnendu Chatterjee and
India's Haldia Petrochemicals as the only alternative buyer.
"There's a decent chance of a deal (with Haldia) happening
overnight," said one source familiar with the situation.
Another source said a sale could be agreed by the end of the
week.
Intense lobbying
NPC's inability to clinch a deal with BASF and Shell is the
latest evidence of a deep reluctance among European companies to
do business with Iran in the face of US pressure.
A source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters earlier this
week that intense US lobbying was making it difficult for the
sellers to win boardroom backing for the Basell transaction.
Determined to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, the US
has threatened to brand as "proliferators" companies
large and small that supply any goods which could be used for
civilian or military purposes.
This is making it harder, however, for Europe to offer Iran
economic incentives to persuade it to abandon nuclear processes
that could be used to build weapons.
German engineering conglomerate Siemens, French State-controlled
nuclear-power equipment company Areva and British oil major BP,
have decided to stay out of Iran for now, industry sources and
diplomats have said.
Advantage India
Netherlands-based Basell has operations around the world, selling
products to a wide range of industries in 120 countries.
Haldia is a smaller rival and was jointly founded by the
government of West Bengal, Chatterjee's investment vehicle and
India's salt-to-software Tata conglomerate.
"Although NPC won all aspects of the Basell tender, due to
US pressures we are unofficially told Iran cannot buy
Basell"
Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh,Managing Director,National Petrochemical
Company
"I will not be able to comment on this at all," Swapan
Bhowmik, chief executive of Haldia Petrochemicals, said.
As recently as Saturday, the Iranians were saying they expected
to win the battle to buy Basell, the world's top producer of
polypropylene, which is used in a range of applications from car
dashboards to packaging.
Iran vowed on Tuesday to press ahead with nuclear activities that
could be used to make weapons and accused the US and Israel of
threatening international peace with their own atomic arsenals.
ISNA quoted Nematzadeh on Wednesday as saying the US had scuttled
the purchase of Basell.
"We have always been harmed by our enemies and this time too
the United States tackled the purchase of Basell," he said.
Sanctions regime
A State Department official told Reuters over the weekend that
the department had expressed its concerns to BASF and Shell,
which each own 50% of Basell.
He said the US was concerned about potential
misuse of Basell technology and the fact that, under the US
sanctions regime, US companies would not be able to deal with
Basell if Iran took it over.
A BASF spokesman said: "We are in negotiations over the sale
of Basell. We hope a deal will be completed within the first half
of this year."
"We don't comment on details of the negotiations."
A spokeswoman for Shell said only that offers for Basell had been
received and that advanced discussions were under way.
In Frankfurt, BASF shares closed up 0.4% at 51.66 euros, while in
London, Shell stock ended up 0.3% at 472-1/2 pence.
Shell to sell 50% stake
in Socie'te' du Craqueur de l’Aubette to Basell
Shell Chemicals companies and Basell today signed agreements for
the sale of Shell Petrochimie Mediterranee’s (SPM) 50% share in Socie'te' du Craqueur de l’Aubette (SCA) to Basell.
SCA owns the ethylene cracker at Berre in southern France and Basell currently
holds 50% of the SCA shares. Once the transaction is completed,
the cracker will be wholly-owned by Basell.
As part of the agreement, Basell will also acquire the butadiene
business of Shell at Berre, including the butadiene assets,
as well as logistic assets associated with the cracker operation
in Aubette, Berre and Fos.
SPM will continue to operate the cracker, logistic assets and
butadiene plant under the terms of the relevant operating
agreements with Basell.
The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust
authorities and other customary closing conditions. Completion of
the transaction is expected at the end of 2005.
“This
transaction enables us to fully integrate the cracker with our
state of the art PP and PE plants at Berre and PE plant in Fos
and will strengthen Aubette as a strategic platform to support
our polyolefin business for the long term," said Frans
Jongen, executive vice president of manufacturing and services at
Basell.
Graham van’t Hoff, Shell Chemicals Vice
President for Base Chemicals Europe, said: “Basell is a very important
customer for Shell and we are delighted that we have been able to
secure a deal which brings value to Shell and strategic benefits
to Basell.”
Basell to build new
Hostalen ACP HDPE plant at Muenchsmuenster, Germany
Basell announced
today that it plans to build a new Hostalen
Advanced Cascade Process (ACP) high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant at the Muenchsmuenster
industrial site near Munich, Germany. Basell’s first generation Hostalen
process plant at Muenchsmuenster was damaged by an explosion and
fire in December 2005.
Subject to the
necessary approvals, there will be a complete rebuild of the damaged 120 KT polymerization unit based on the
latest generation Hostalen ACP technology as well as a new
extrusion unit. Start-up is planned for beginning of 2009. The
plant design will accommodate future expansion
to 150 KT.
“Muenchsmuenster
is an important manufacturing location to serve our European
customers,” said Werner Breuers, president of
Basell’s European Polyolefins Business. “By rebuilding Muenchsmuenster with
state-of-the-art Hostalen ACP technology, which we currently use
at our Wesseling, Germany site and at our Basell Orlen
Polyolefins Polish joint venture location, we will upgrade the
manufacturing site and ensure the long term supply of our most
advanced HDPE grades.”
Just Jansz,
president of Basell’s Technology Business, said “Basell’s new Hostalen ACP technology can
produce high performance multi-modal HDPE. These grades offer
advantages in demanding customer applications such as high
pressure pipes, caps & closures, blow moulding and specialty
film.”
Basell’s complete portfolio of licensed
technologies is comprised of:
・Spheripol -
polypropylene technology for the production of homopolymer,
random and heterophasic copolymers
・Spherizone -
latest generation polypropylene technology based on new
multi-zone reactor technology
・Spherilene -
swing gas phase process for the production of LLDPE, MDPE and
HDPE
・Hostalen -
low-pressure slurry process for the production of bi-modal HDPE
・Lupotech T -
high pressure tubular reactor process for the production of LDPE
and EVA copolymers
・Metocene -
technology for production of specialty polypropylene products
based on proprietary single-site catalyst systems
Basell also
produces and commercialises advanced catalyst systems which are
sold under the Avant trade name.
Basell is the
world's largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin
products, a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and a
global leader in the development and licensing of polypropylene
and polyethylene processes. Basell, together with its joint
ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells
products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about
Basell is available at www.basell.com.
Basell completes
expansion of Geelong polypropylene plant
Basell announced today that is has completed the expansion of its
Geelong,
Australia polypropylene plant, increasing capacity from 60 KT to 130
KT per year.
“This
project represents a significant commitment to the Australian
polymer industry,” said Barry Kelly, managing
director of Basell Australia. “It will help us continue to be a
quality supplier of innovative products to our valued customers
not only locally, but regionally and globally as well.”
He added: “This project represents one of the
largest investments made in many years in the Australian polymer
industry.”
Basell and its
predecessor companies have been manufacturing polypropylene in
Australia for more than three decades. Currently, Basell employs
170 people in total in its Australian operations, which also
includes a plant in Sydney. Polypropylene is a versatile plastic
and is used in making many household, consumer and industrial
goods. Examples include banknotes, food and drink containers,
home appliances, garden furniture, stadium seating, and vehicle
components such as car bumpers and instrument panels.
Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products, a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and a global leader in the development and
licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. Basell,
together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities
around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries.
Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com
2006/8/16 Chemweek's Business Daily
Basell to Enter Kazakhstan Petchem JV Soon
Basell will acquire a 35% stake in Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI; Almaty) from Sat & Co. (Almaty) by the end of this summer, paving the way for KPI to build a previously announced $4-billion petrochemicals complex at Atyrau, Kazakhstan, KPI says. Sat & Co.'s stake in KPI will fall from 85%, to 50% following the transaction. The remaining 15% of KPI is held by government energy group KazMunayGaz Exploration & Production (Almaty).
About $1.2 billion of the
planned investment will be financed by the joint venture partners
and the rest will be provided by international project financing,
KPI says. Construction will start in the third quarter of next
year and completion is expected three years later.
The complex will use Basell technology and have capacity for 400,000 m.t./year
each of low- or
high-density polyethylene; linear low density
polyethylene;
and polypropylene (PP).
A
400,000-m.t./year propane dehydrogenation unit will provide feedstock to the PP
plant.
CSJC Nizhnekamsk Refinery selects Spherizone technology for a new 200 KT per year PP plant in Russia
CSJC Nizhnekamsk Refinery
has selected Basell’s Spherizone technology for a new 200 KT per year
polypropylene
plant to be built at Nizhnekamsk, Russia as part of a major
refinery and petrochemical complex expansion. The project is
scheduled for completion in 2011.
“Nine
Spherizone process plants have already been licensed in eight
different countries, including locations in The Americas, the
Middle East, Asia and Western and Eastern Europe,”
said Just Jansz,
president of Basell’s Technology Business, who
attended the signing ceremony in Nizhnekamsk. “These companies understand the
importance of differentiation to capture maximum value and
maintain business profitability throughout the industry cycle.”
Spherizone
technology is an advanced manufacturing process for the
production of polypropylene. It uses a unique, state-of-the-art,
multi-zone circulating reactor system. Spherizone technology
plants can produce the full range of polypropylene grades, as
well as new families of propylene-based polymers with enhanced
product properties.
Jansz added, “Today’s speciality products will be
tomorrow’s commodities. Spherizone
technology enables producers to rapidly commercialize new
innovations to distinguish themselves from competitors.”
Basell is a leading
licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. It has
licensed more than 200 polyolefin process licenses, twice that of
any other polyolefin technology licensor. During the past 20
years, Basell technologies have been used in about half of all
new polypropylene projects worldwide.
2006/8/1 Basell
Sinopec selects Spherizone technology for a new 450 KT per year
polypropylene plant in China
Sinopec
Tianjin Petrochemical Company has selected Basell’s Spherizone technology for a new 450 KT per
year polypropylene
plant to be built at Dagang, Tianjin in the People’s Republic of China. Start up is
planned for 2009.
“Sinopec
was one of the first licensors of Basell’s Spheripol process in the 1980s,
and we are pleased that two decades later Sinopec has again
selected our newest and most advanced polypropylene technology,
representing our 200th polyolefins process license,”
said Just Jansz,
president of Basell’s Technology Business. “Sinopec’s preference for new,
state-of-the-art technologies confirms our view that the
Spherizone process enables users to expand their businesses and
capture additional value from the market today and long into the
future.”
Jansz added: “Of the 200 Basell process licenses
sold, more than 100 have been polypropylene technology licenses.”
The Tianjin plant
will be the eighth to be built using Spherizone technology. About
2.5 million tons of capacity has already been licensed, including
three new Spherizone process licenses in the past two months.
Spherizone technology is an advanced manufacturing process for
the production of polypropylene that uses a unique,
state-of-the-art, multi-zone circulating reactor system.
Spherizone process plants can produce the full range of
polypropylene grades, as well as new families of propylene-based
polymers.
Basell to build new
Spherilene polyethylene plant at Wesseling, Germany
Basell announced today that it plans to build a new Spherilene S
polyethylene plant at its Wesseling industrial site near Cologne,
Germany. The plant will be based on Basell’s new Spherilene S single reactor
gas phase design. Start up is planned for 2008.
Basell currently operates an 80 KT Lupotech G polyethylene plant at Wesseling. This plant
will be
converted into a new Spherilene S plant based on latest generation
technology including the installation of a new reactor system.
“The
new Spherilene S process features low investment and operating
costs, high on-stream factors and monomer efficiency,”
said Just Jansz,
president of Basell’s Technology Business. “Spherilene S plants also have true
swing capability between HDPE and LLDPE since both products can
be produced from the same Ziegler catalyst family.”
Basell’s new Spherilene technology can be
designed in a single reactor configuration (Spherilene S) or with
two gas phase reactors in series (Spherilene C) for the
production of bimodal grades.
Spherilene S technology is designed to produce products with
narrow and medium molecular weight distribution. Both butene and
hexene modified LLDPE can be produced as well as HDPE.
2006/9/14 Basell
Basell expands catalyst plant in Ferrara, Italy
Basell has successfully completed an expansion of its catalyst
manufacturing facility located in Ferrara, Italy.
The capacity of the plant, which produces Ziegler
polyethylene and Ziegler-Natta polypropylene catalysts, has been expanded by 40%. The
plant can now supply catalysts for the
production of 30 million tons of polyolefins.
According to Just Jansz, president of Basell’s Technology Business, “The new catalyst capacity was
added to support the many new polypropylene and polyethylene
licensees to whom Basell has granted polyolefin process licenses
in recent years. The new capacity will also be used to supply our
catalyst customers who produce polyolefins with non-Basell
processes, especially gas phase polypropylene technologies. This
will further strengthen our catalyst supply chain and enhance
supply security for our customers.”
The Ferrara plant
can produce 3rd, 4th and 5th generation Ziegler-Natta catalyst
systems. These catalysts are sold under the Avant trade name:
・ Avant
ZN - Ziegler-Natta catalysts for polypropylene
・ Avant
Z - Ziegler catalysts for polyethylene
・ Avant
C - Chromium catalysts for polyethylene
・ Avant
M - Metallocene catalysts for polypropylene
Jansz added, “Basell’s Ferrara plant is the largest
polyolefin catalyst manufacturing facility in the world. When
combined with our Edison, NJ, catalyst plant, which we acquired earlier this
year
from Akzo Nobel,
and our other catalyst manufacturing facilities in Ludwigshafen and
Frankfurt,
Germany, Basell is uniquely positioned to serve the global
polyolefins catalyst market.”
Basell is a leading
licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. It has
granted more than 200 polyolefin process licenses worldwide.
Basell’s complete portfolio of licensed
technologies is comprised of:
・ Spheripol
- polypropylene technology for the production of homopolymer,
random and heterophasic copolymers
・ Spherizone
- latest generation polypropylene process for the production of
homopolymers, random and heterophasic copolymers based on new
multi-zone reactor technology
・ Spherilene
- swing gas phase process, for the production of the entire range
of LLDPE, MDPE and HDPE including bimodal grades
・ Hostalen
- low-pressure slurry process for the production of bi-modal HDPE
・ Lupotech
T - high pressure tubular reactor process for the production of
LDPE and EVA copolymers
・ Metocene
- technology for production of specialty polypropylene products
based on proprietary single-site catalyst systems
Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products, a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and a global leader in the development and
licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. Basell,
together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities
around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries.
Additional information about Basell is available at
www.basell.com.
Basell establishes sales
and marketing team dedicated to serving Chinese plastic pipe
customers
Basell, one of the world’s leading suppliers of resins used
by customers in pipe applications, has set up a team of sales and
marketing staff in its Chinese locations dedicated to addressing
the polyolefin requests of the expanding plastic pipe industry
in that country.
Located in the company’s Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou
sales offices, the team is designed to effectively serve Chinese
customers who select Basell’s high-performance,
energy-saving and reliable polypropylene and polyethylene resins
for their pipe applications in the Chinese growing market.
“China
is probably the fastest growing market for plastic pipes in the
world,” said Michael Vogt, (Business
Development Manager Pipe - Asia), who will head up the Asia team
from Basell’s Hong Kong office. “We see significant potential, as
demand for plastic pipe in the country is expected to grow from
680 million metres in 2005 to a projected 1.1 billion metres in
2010, an annual increase of 10.5 per cent.”
He added, “Our goal is to further build upon
the success we have already established in China.”
Basell’s Hostalen PE 80 and PE 100 grades
are being selected by Chinese customers for manufacturing drinking water and
gas pressure pipes.
Pipes produced using these grades are known for their excellent
impact/stiffness balance, outstanding corrosion resistance and
resistance to stress cracking.
In the field of heating and plumbing
applications,
customers in China produce pipe using Basell’s Hostalen PP-R (polypropylene
random copolymers), which combines outstanding creep strength
with good impact resistance. Lupolen resins are also being used
by Chinese customers for PE-X (cross-linked polyethylene)
applications thanks for their outstanding environmental stress
crack resistance and excellent creep behaviour at elevated
temperatures.
Other Basell grades being used by customers in gravity sewage
pipe applications include Hostalen PP copolymers like Hostalen PP
H2483 a PP-HM (high modulus) resin which shows an improved
stiffness / toughness balance compared to standard PP copolymers.
“As
a resins innovator and the original developer of resins widely
used by customers in pipe applications, Basell is effectively
equipped to serve the needs of this growing industry,”
said Richard
Roudeix, vice president for Basell’s Pipe and Sheet business. ”Basell and its predecessors have
more than 50 years of experience producing and supplying its
Hostalen HDPE grades to customers in the pipe business. This year
Basell is celebrating its 35th anniversary of supplying Lupolen
grades used in cross-linking processes.
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production
and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene
and polyethylene processes, including providing technical
services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with
its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries
and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional
information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
Basell to expand polypropylene capacity at Bayport, Texas
Basell announced today that it plans to expand capacity at its Bayport, Texas site by restarting a polypropylene plant that has been inactive since 2001. The company currently operates two Spheripol process plants at Bayport with a combined annual nameplate capacity of 530 KT.
The plant to be restarted also uses the Spheripol process and has a nameplate capacity of 220 KT. This plant will be fully refurbished and upgraded with state-of-the-art innovations. Start-up is scheduled for the second quarter of 2008.
Michael Mulrooney, president of Basell Polyolefins North America, said, “Restarting the Bayport plant is an extremely cost effective way to add capacity. In addition, synergies from operating multiple production lines at the same site will reduce unit fixed costs for all three lines and improve our overall cost position.”
Mulrooney added, “While the North American market has experienced little or no growth over the last two years, Basell is currently in a sold out position and our plants are now fully loaded. New initiatives to expand the addressable market for polypropylene are starting to gain momentum. We are confident that our new innovation-focused initiatives, such as continued inter-material replacement with more cost effective polypropylene solutions, and the growing demand for Metocene polypropylene, will lead to higher growth.”
In North America, Basell also operates two polypropylene lines in Lake Charles, Louisiana as well as plants in Sarnia, Ontario and Varennes, Quebec. Basell’s joint venture in Mexico, Indelpro, operates a Spheripol process line and is building a new 350 KT Spherizone polypropylene plant at Altimira which will start up in 2008.
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and the industry leader in developing, licensing and providing technical services for polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
2007/6/22 Basell
Basell to stop
producing polypropylene in Sarnia in 2008
Basell announced
today that it will stop producing polypropylene in Sarnia, Ontario in mid-2008. The plant is
expected to continue normal operations until the time it ceases
production.
“When the Sarnia
plant began operation in 1978, it was one of the last plants to
be built in North America with old generation slurry process
technology,” said Michael Mulrooney, president
of Basell North America. “Annual production has averaged
only
100 KT the
past two years, and the reality is that the operating costs there
are no longer competitive."
“Production will
be shifted to other Basell sites which use more advanced
Spheripol or Spherizone process technologies,”
Mulrooney said. “In addition to being more
efficient, this will allow us to upgrade product quality which
will benefit our customers.”
Basell currently
operates two polypropylene lines in
Bayport, Texas and
is in the process of re-starting a third line at that site. The company also
has two polypropylene lines in Lake Charles,
Louisiana,
and one in Varennes, Quebec. All of these units use Spheripol
process technology. Basell’s joint venture in Mexico, Indelpro, operates a Spheripol process line
and is building a new 350 KT Spherizone polypropylene plant at
Altamira which is scheduled to start up in early 2008.
Basell is the
global leader in polyolefins technology, production and
marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in developing, licensing
and providing technical services for polypropylene and
polyethylene technologies. Basell, together with its joint
ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells
products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about
Basell is available at www.basell.com.
Basell to acquire
Huntsman for $25.25 per share
Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, The Woodlands, Texas, Salt Lake City,
Utah, USA - June 26, 2007 ? Basell, the global leader in
polyolefins’ technology, production and
marketing, and Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN), one of the world’s largest manufacturers and
marketers of differentiated chemicals and pigments, announced
today that they have signed a definitive agreement pursuant to
which Basell will acquire Huntsman in a transaction valued at
approximately $9.6 billion, including the assumption of debt.
Under the terms of the agreement, Basell will acquire all of the
outstanding common stock of Huntsman for $25.25 per share in
cash.
The transaction was unanimously approved by the Boards of
Directors of both Basell and Huntsman. Huntsman's Board of
Directors approved the transaction agreement at the
recommendation of a Transaction Committee comprised of Huntsman
independent directors.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions,
including regulatory approval in the U.S. and in Europe, as well
as the approval of Huntsman shareholders. Entities controlled by
MatlinPatterson and the Huntsman family, who collectively own 57%
of Huntsman’s common stock, have agreed to
approve the transaction. Closing is expected in the fourth
quarter of 2007.
The combined company will have an extensive geographic footprint,
with operations on all continents of the world, and will be well
positioned in fast-growing markets such as China, India, Eastern
Europe and Latin America. In 2006, Basell and Huntsman had
combined revenues of more than $26 billion and employed
approximately 20,900 people.
Volker Trautz, CEO of Basell, said: “Basell’s industry-leading polyolefins
businesses and Huntsman’s businesses will benefit from the
expertise both companies have demonstrated in technology,
innovation and customer service. Together we will be able to
achieve even more.”
Commenting on the
announcement, Len Blavatnik, Chairman and founder of U.S.-based
Access Industries, owner of Basell, said: “This transaction enhances our
position as a global industrial group with long-term strategic
assets in the chemicals industry.”
Mr. Blavatnik
added: “Basell’s management team has done an
excellent job in growing and enhancing the company over the last
two years, putting it in a position to make this acquisition. We
look forward to further growth and profitability in this
industry.”
Jon M. Huntsman,
founder and Chairman of Huntsman Corporation, said: “This transaction opens a new
chapter in the proud history of Huntsman and for the thousands of
people who work in our facilities around the world. I am
confident Basell is the right owner for the company going
forward. The proceeds of this transaction will allow our family
to focus more effectively on the elimination of human suffering
and on finding cures for cancer.”
Peter R. Huntsman,
President and CEO of Huntsman, said: “This transaction represents
outstanding value for Huntsman’s shareholders. The merger of
Basell and Huntsman creates one of the largest chemical companies
in the world. I am confident that this combination will allow us
to even more effectively pursue our underlying business
strategies and continue to provide rewarding opportunities for
our associates.”
About Basell
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production
and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene
and polyethylene processes, including providing technical
services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with
its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries
and sells products in more than 120 countries. Basell is
privately owned by Access Industries. (www.basell.com)
About Access Industries
Access Industries is a privately held, U.S.-based industrial
group with long-term holdings worldwide. Access was founded in
1986 by Chairman, Len Blavatnik, an American industrialist.
Access’ industrial focus spans three
sectors: natural resources and chemicals; telecommunications and
media; and real estate. (www.accessindustries.com)
About Huntsman
Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated
chemicals and pigments. Its operating companies manufacture
products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals,
plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and
coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care,
detergents, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
Originally known for pioneering innovations in packaging and,
later for rapid and integrated growth in petrochemicals, Huntsman
today has operations in 24 countries. The company had 2006
revenues from all operations of over $13 billion.
(www.huntsman.com)
Basell makes offer to acquire Shell’s oil refinery at the Berre l’Etang petroch. complex in France
Basell and Societe de
Petroles Shell SAS announced today that Basell has made an offer
to
buy the Shell oil refinery and associated infrastructure and
businesses at the Berre l'Etang petrochemical complex in France.
Subject to staff council consultation, review and approval from
regulatory authorities and agreement on the sale and purchase
documents, the transaction is expected to close early 2008. A
purchase price of $700 million has been agreed.
With world-scale polypropylene and polyethylene
plants, a steam cracker and butadiene extraction unit at the same
site and a polyethylene plant
at nearby Fos sur Mer,
Basell is currently the largest customer of the Shell refinery.
The refinery’s products include naphtha,
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), fuels for a variety of
applications, bitumen and heating oil.
“The
refinery is of strategic importance to Basell because it provides
a further backward integration of our activities at the Berre
site, one of our core European sites,” said Volker Trautz, CEO of Basell.
“Its
products play an important role in support of our Polyolefins
Europe business and through the acquisition we will be able to
simplify existing interfaces and operate even more effectively.”
Commenting on the
transaction, Rob Routs, Executive Director Oil Products and
Chemicals, Royal Dutch Shell plc, said: “The deal is consistent with our
strategy of ‘more upstream, profitable
downstream’, where we aim to focus and
simplify the portfolio of the Downstream business to those areas
that give us the best returns and allow us to use capital to
invest in growth markets. We believe this deal is in the
long-term best interests of our shareholders, staff and
customers.”
In 2006, to
strengthen its ethylene and propylene integration, Basell
acquired the remaining 50% interest in the steam cracker at the
same petrochemical complex at Berre from Shell, its former
partner in the cracker joint venture. If the refinery transaction
is completed the approximately 1,500 Shell employees at the site
will transfer to Basell (of this 1,500, about 500 already work
for Basell’s site activities).
Basell
の欧州のエチレン能力は以下の通り。
| フランス Berre | 470千トン | SHELLとの50/50JV → Basell 100% |
| ドイツ Wesseling | 1,043千トン | |
| ドイツ Munchsmunster | 342千トン | Ruhr Oel から買収 Basell 100% |
2006/12/25 Basell、ドイツのナフサクラッカー買収
Royal Dutch Shell progresses sale of its Berre-l'Etang refinery site complex
As part of an ongoing strategy of portfolio management, Société des Pétroles Shell (Shell) has received an offer for the sale of its Berre-l'Etang refinery site complex and associated infrastructure and businesses to Basell. A purchase price of $700 million has been agreed.
The sale is subject to staff consultation and regulatory approval. Shell will be working closely with the appropriate trade unions and staff representatives as it has been doing since the announcement to review the ownership of the assets was made in January 2007. It is anticipated that any deal would be concluded in early 2008.
Shell will continue to serve its customers in France in a range of businesses including retail, commercial road transport, lubricants (including Marine Lubricants), LPG, aviation and bitumen.
"The deal is consistent with our strategy of 'more upstream, profitable downstream', where we aim to focus and simplify the portfolio of the Downstream business to those areas that give us the best returns and allow us to use capital to invest in growth markets. We believe this deal is in the long-term best interests of our shareholders, staff and customers," said Rob Routs, Executive Director Oil Products and Chemicals, Royal Dutch Shell plc.
Shell also owns the Petit Couronne and Reichstett Vendenheim refineries, which are not part of the deal with Basell. An announcement on the possible sale of these two refineries was made earlier today. Petroplus Holdings AG has signed a Letter of Intent with Shell International Petroleum Company Limited (not Société des Pétroles Shell as previously reported).
Feb 4, 2008 Reuters
EU clears Basell to buy French refinery from Shell
Privately held Basell won permission from the European Commission on Monday to buy the Berre-l'Etang refinery in France from Royal Dutch Shell for $700 million.
Basell is a large, European plastics maker and provider of proprietary petrochemical process technologies. Berre-l'Etang, in southern France, is relatively small with a capacity of 80,000 barrels per day.
"Given the parties' limited position on all the upstream and downstream markets, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not strengthen either the parties' incentive or their ability to close off the market to competitors," the European Union's top competition regulator said in a statement.
The refinery makes petrochemical products including naphtha, jet fuel, gasoline, heating oil, bitumen, fuel oil and gasoil. Basell will also buy the infrastructure associated with the refinery, including pipelines and terminals.
Basell achieves 20
million tons milestone in Spheripol PP process with new license
in Qatar
Qatar Petroleum, a global leader in the energy sector, has
selected Basell’s Spheripol technology for a new 700 KT per
year polypropylene plant that will be built in Mesaieed,
Qatar, as part of the Qatar Petrochemical Complex project. The
unit will be operated by a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum
and Honam Petrochemical of Korea. Start-up is expected in 2011.
“With
this new license we have passed the milestone of 20 million tonnes
of licensed capacity for our Spheripol process, which is the most widely used
polypropylene technology in the world,”
Just Jansz,
president of Basell’s Technology Business, said at a
signing ceremony in Qatar’s capital city of Doha. “The new project further affirms
the superior product range and cost-effectiveness of the
Spheripol process in the highly competitive polypropylene market.”
He added: “There are Spheripol plants in 35
countries. Through the refinement of bulk liquid and gas-phase
polymerization reactors this technology includes features that
reduce both resource consumption and emissions from the process.”
This is the second
license sold by Basell in Qatar this year. A Lupotech T low
density polyethylene license was recently granted to QAPCO for a
new plant in Mesaieed.
“The
Middle East requires world-scale plants to take full advantage of
the abundant availability of feedstock for petrochemicals,”
Jansz said. “Scale is one of the advantages
offered by Basell’s technologies in combination with
demonstrated product capability, thus offering excellent
manufacturing economics and a broad range of high quality
products.”
In addition to the
Spheripol and Lupotech T processes, Basell’s portfolio of licensed
technologies and associated technical services is comprised of:
Spherizone - latest generation polypropylene technology based on
new multi-zone circulating reactor technology
Spherilene - advanced swing gas phase process for the production
of LLDPE, MDPE and HDPE
Hostalen - leading low-pressure slurry process for the production
of multi-modal HDPE
Lupotech T - leading high pressure tubular reactor process for
the production of LDPE and EVA copolymers
Metocene PP - technology for the production of specialty
polypropylene products using single-site catalyst systems
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production
and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene
and polyethylene processes, including providing technical
services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with
its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries
and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional
information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
Basell to stop producing polypropylene in Varennes, Quebec in 2008
Basell announced today that it will stop producing polypropylene at its Varennes, Quebec site in April 2008. The plant is expected to continue normal operations until the time it ceases production. 180千トン
Michael Mulrooney, president of Basell North America, said, “Basell has been present in Varennes for thirty years, so this was not an easy decision. Although the initial slurry technology was replaced at Varennes in the late 1980s with a single Spheripol process plant, as a stand alone site with small capacity, the operating costs are no longer competitive.”
This past June, Basell announced that it would also stop producing polypropylene at its Sarnia, Ontario site in mid-2008. 100千トン
Mulrooney explained, “In today’s difficult business climate, economies of scale, along with the ability to produce innovative, differentiated products, are essential for growth and continued success. Production will be shifted from our two Canadian facilities to other Basell and Basell-affiliate sites which utilize advanced Spheripol or Spherizone process technologies. In addition to being more cost effective, this will also allow us to improve our portfolio of grades and enhance overall product quality which will benefit our customers.”
“We remain committed to serving the Canadian polyolefins market,” added Mulrooney. “Our supply and transportation infrastructure including bulk terminals will be maintained and continue operating to ensure continuity of supply to our customers throughout Canada.”
Basell currently operates two polypropylene lines in Bayport, Texas and is in the process of re-starting a third line at that site. The company also has two polypropylene lines in Lake Charles, Louisiana. All of these units use Spheripol process technology. Basell’s joint venture in Mexico, Indelpro, operates a Spheripol process line and is building a new 350 KT Spherizone polypropylene plant at Altamira which is scheduled to start up in early 2008.
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and the industry leader in developing, licensing and providing technical services for polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
2007/10/18 Basell
Basell announces expansion of its polybutene-1 plant in The
Netherlands
Basell announced today that it plans to debottleneck its four
year-old, 45 KT per year PB-1 plant located
in Moerdijk, The Netherlands, which will increase its
nameplate capacity to 67 KT per year in 2008.
“Basell
will reinforce its leadership and commitment to this high
performance polyolefin and to the markets that benefit from this
versatile material,” said Paul Yeates, president of
Basell’s Advanced Polyolefins business. “We will continue to strengthen our
capability and assets in the markets where our customers are
investing and where we see high demand for our resins and
services. As part of our overall strategy, we are also finalizing
a study regarding construction of a further PB-1 production
asset, and expect to announce more details in the near future.”
Basell uses its
proprietary manufacturing process to produce PB-1 products, which
possess outstanding properties that combine flexibility and
excellent creep resistance. PB-1 is selected by customers for use
in a wide range of applications, including easy-opening
packaging, hot melt adhesives, polyolefin modification, sanitary
pipe, as well as surface heating and cooling systems. As an
all-polyolefinic resin, PB-1 is also recyclable.
“For
more than 40 years, architects have specified PB-1 as the
material of choice for use in hot water systems. Pipe producers
in Europe and Asia benefit from its outstanding technical
properties and environmentally sustainable performance, including
ease of installation, durability, energy efficiency and
recyclability,” added Yeates.
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production
and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene
and polyethylene processes, including providing technical
services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with
its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries
and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional
information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
Basell, NGC, NEC and
Lurgi have entered into MOU for integrated polypropylene complex
in Trinidad and Tobago.
Basell, the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, Ltd.
(NGC), and the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and
Tobago, Ltd. (NEC) announced today that they have entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) confirming their intention to
construct and operate a fully integrated polypropylene
complex in Trinidad and Tobago.
The MOU includes the construction of a methanol plant, which will exclusively supply a methanol-to-propylene
unit at the
complex. The propylene produced at the complex will be the
feedstock for a world-scale 450 KT per year polypropylene
plant based
on Basell’s Spherizone technology. Start up
is tentatively scheduled for 2012. The whole project will be
undertaken in conjunction with Lurgi AG, the industry leader in
methanol and methanol-to-propylene (MTP) technology. The
polypropylene complex is one of the cornerstones of the country’s strategy to promote downstream
diversification and to build the foundation for a value adding
local plastics industry.
“By
using Basell’s latest-generation Spherizone
polypropylene technology, the project will benefit from a highly
innovative product portfolio,” said Just Jansz, president of
Basell’s Technology business. “These resins enhance performance
in existing applications while creating opportunities for
polypropylene to expand into new end uses.”
The National Gas
Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) was founded in 1975 and
plays a key role in the development of the natural gas-based
energy sector through its core responsibility, that is, the
purchase, transmission, sale and distribution of natural gas in
Trinidad and Tobago. The National Energy Corporation (NEC) is a
fully autonomous entity within the NGC Group with the mandate to
promote new gas-based and associated downstream energy industries
and the development and management of industrial estates, port
and marine facilities for the gas-based energy sector.
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production
and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene
and polyethylene processes, including providing technical
services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with
its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries
and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional
information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
Basell building second PP compounding facility in China
Basell has begun
construction of its second polypropylene compounding
facility in China at Guangzhou Nansha.
“As
the leading global supplier of polypropylene compounds to the
automotive, appliance, electrical and electronics sectors, Basell
is strongly committed to further growing our presence in China to
address the continuous increase in demand,”
said Frank
Noeltgen, Basell’s vice president for automotive in
Asia Pacific.
The new facility, to be operated by Guangzhou Basell Advanced
Polyolefins Co. Ltd., will have an initial annual capacity of 15,000 tonnes and will supply polypropylene
composites and alloy materials to the South China automotive and
appliances industry. “This initial capacity can be
easily expanded to more than 50,000 tonnes based on future demand
growth,” said Noeltgen.
“In
addition to our first Chinese PP compounding
facility in Suzhou,
our second plant will help us to better serve our customers in
the south of China with high quality products and services that
meet their increased expectations,” he added.
The Nansha facility is scheduled to come on-stream in September
2008.
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production
and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and
advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene
and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene
and polyethylene processes, including providing technical
services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with
its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries
and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional
information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
LyondellBasell
to Boost Its Global Polypropylene Compounding Capabilities by
More Than 30 Percent by End of 2009
LyondellBasell Industries has announced plans to expand its
global polypropylene (PP) compounding capacity to 1.2 million
tonnes per
year by the end of 2009, which represents a growth rate of more
than 30 percent.
To address rapidly expanding needs in the Asian region,
LyondellBasell's Advanced Polyolefins (APO) business has recently
relocated its global headquarters to Hong Kong.
"In the coming months, a new 15 KT plant in
Guangzhou,
China will come on stream," said Paul Yeates, Senior Vice
President of LyondellBasell's APO business. "In addition,
our Saudi
Polyolefins Company
joint venture is currently constructing a new compounding plant
in Damman, Saudi Arabia. We are also considering additional plant
investment options for Russia and India."
Further expansion of the company's existing sites in Suzhou,
China; Rayong, Thailand; and Ensenada, Argentina is planned.
Yeates added, "By 2010, we aim to operate a global network
of 18
PP compounding plants on four continents that delivers 1.2
million tonnes per
year of high quality PP compounds to the automotive and appliance
industries."
LyondellBasell recently achieved a major milestone in its growth
plans by completing the acquisition of Solvay Engineered
Polymers, Inc., which consolidated LyondellBasell's PP
compounding position in North America.
"The global reach of our PP compounding facilities is
unmatched by other producers," said Yeates. "To further
enhance our worldwide market leadership position in the
automotive sector, we will continue to strengthen our
capabilities and assets in the regions where our customers are
investing, and where we see high demand for our quality materials
and services."
Yeates added, "Due to the resins' cost competitiveness,
superior performance and high value-in-use, LyondellBasell's PP
compounds continue to be selected for entirely new applications
that include a variety of automotive components such as bumpers,
interior and exterior trim, and under-the-hood parts, and also
include a multitude of electrical appliance components."
LyondellBasell Industries is one of the world's largest polymers,
petrochemicals and fuels companies. We are the global leader in
polyolefins technology, production and marketing; a pioneer in
propylene oxide and derivatives; and a significant producer of
fuels and refined products, including bio-fuels. Through research
and development, LyondellBasell develops innovative materials and
technologies that deliver exceptional customer value and products
that improve quality of life for people around the world.
Headquartered in The Netherlands, LyondellBasell (http://www.lyondellbasell.com)
is privately owned by Access Industries.