The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed two large petrochemical projects planned for the US. Daelim Chemical has pulled out of an ethylene cracker project in Ohio that it had been developing with the Thai firm PTT Global Chemical.
PTT says the project continues to be a top priority and that it will seek a new partner while working toward a final investment decision late this year or early next year. PTT acknowledges that the combination of the pandemic and oil price volatility have delayed the timeline for developing the plant by 6–9 months. PTT has been pursuing the project since at least 2015, when its partner was the Japanese trading firm Marubeni.
Meanwhile, Chevron Phillips Chemical cites the pandemic for delaying a final investment decision on an $8 billion petrochemical facility it is considering building on the US Gulf Coast with Qatar Petroleum. The firms had intended to make the call on the plant next year. Chevron Phillips says it continues front-end engineering design.
By: Michael McCoy
Source: C&EN
Corteva (Indianapolis, Indiana) says it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Stoller Group (Houston, Texas), a producer of biostimulants and plant nutrition products, for $1.2 billion. Stoller is one of the largest independent biologicals companies globally, with operations in more than 60 countries and more than $400 million in annual sales.
OMV has announced its new corporate structure today, designed to fully enable the delivery of Strategy 2030. The new organization will be built on five distinct areas. In addition to the CEO and CFO areas, three business segments will be established: Chemicals & Materials, Fuels & Feedstock, and Energy.
The European petchem sector is readying for some tough quarters. It’s a different picture in the US. So is this the best time ever to find a new role in the chemical industry? If you are in Europe, you would expect me to say probably not. But actually, it depends. So let me give you four answers to this question.
