http://www.chemanager-online.com/enen/rss.xml en http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/wr-grace-beats-street-shares-jump W.R. Grace posted a higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday as the chemicals maker raised prices on catalysts and construction products, helping lift its stock to an all-time high. The results came after Grace said on Tuesday night its reorganization plan had been approved by a district court, clearing a major hurdle for it to emerge from decade-long bankruptcy protection. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/wr-grace-beats-street-shares-jump Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:37:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/us-accuses-china-instigating-plot-against-dupont Chinese government representatives directed a U.S. businessman to obtain valuable technology manufactured by chemical giant DuPont and U.S. authorities were seeking on Wednesday to keep him in jail ahead of his trial on charges relating to trade secret theft, prosecutors said in newly released court documents. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/us-accuses-china-instigating-plot-against-dupont Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:35:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/exxon-narrowly-beats-production-falls-short Exxon Mobil reported quarterly earnings that narrowly beat expectations, on higher oil prices and asset sales of about $1 billion, but the company's shares dropped nearly 2% as its oil and gas production fell short of estimates. Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said fourth-quarter production dropped 9%, which Barclays Capital analyst Paul Cheng found "disappointing" even after accounting for reduced European natural gas sales due to warm weather. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/exxon-narrowly-beats-production-falls-short Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:34:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/abb-buy-thomas-betts-39-billion-us-push Swiss engineering group ABB has agreed to buy U.S. electrical components maker Thomas & Betts for $3.9 billion to ramp up its presence in the world's largest market for low-voltage products. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/abb-buy-thomas-betts-39-billion-us-push Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:06:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/valeant-withdraws-its-bid-ista-pharmaceuticals Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said on Monday it has withdrawn its sweetened takeover bid for ISTA Pharmaceuticals, citing a lack of progress. "We were not interested in participating in a lengthy evaluation process and we are disappointed that the ISTA team was not willing to fully explore our proposal by January 31," said Valeant Chief Executive Michael Pearson in a statement. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/valeant-withdraws-its-bid-ista-pharmaceuticals Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:05:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/interviews/saltigo-examines-state-custom-manufacturing-new-year Optimism Springs Eternal - 2011 was a year fraught with uncertainties, and many industries are wearily eyeing the year to come. The state of the worldwide economy as well as the health of the 10-year-old euro has many concerned about what the next months will bring. However, reports from mainstream media seem to differ from the mood within the chemical industry. Here, the outlook is overwhelmingly positive; the sector went through a lot of changes after the crisis that began at the end of 2008, and most in the industry are ready to face any challenges ahead. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/interviews/saltigo-examines-state-custom-manufacturing-new-year Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:16:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/eastman-chemical-buys-solutia-338-billion Eastman Chemical said it would buy specialty chemical maker Solutia for about $3.38 billion in cash and stock to expand in Asia Pacific. Solutia stockholders would receive $22 in cash and 0.12 shares of Eastman for each share held. The per-share value of $27.65 is a 42% premium to Solutia's Thursday close of $19.51 on the New York Stock Exchange. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/eastman-chemical-buys-solutia-338-billion Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:40:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/stefan-borgas-fired-lonza-ceo Drugs industry supplier Lonza Group ditched Chief Executive Stefan Borgas after profit last year plunged by a third and warned 2012 would pose further challenges because of a strong franc and problems at pharmaceutical firms. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/stefan-borgas-fired-lonza-ceo Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:08:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/interviews/informex-usa-goes-global New Year, New Name - Like every year, the 2012 trade show season will kick off with the Informex in the States. But this year, a few things will be different: The show is being launched Feb. 14-17 in New Orleans with a new name and new features. What was once known as Informex USA is now being called Informex Global, which organizers say reflects the fact that the event is no-longer limited to the U.S. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/interviews/informex-usa-goes-global Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:37:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/interviews/evonik-s-dr-klaus-stingl-growth-highly-potent-apis Pacesetter - Evonik recently made news when it opened its laboratory for highly potent APIs (HPAPIs) in Hanau, Germany while expanding its cGMP capacities for these ingredients to kilogram-scale production at its Tippecanoe site in Indiana. The new lab enables the company to develop and optimize syntheses for HPAPIs in Germany. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/interviews/evonik-s-dr-klaus-stingl-growth-highly-potent-apis Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:04:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/sinopec-group-inks-deal-aplng-lng-supply Sinopec Group has signed a 20-year binding agreement with Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) to increase annual liquefied natural gas purchases from 4.3 million tons to 7.6 million tons, starting in 2016. Sinopec Group also inked an equity subscription agreement to raise its stake in APLNG from 15% to 25%, the company said. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/sinopec-group-inks-deal-aplng-lng-supply Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:16:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/basf-sell-share-jv-pec-rhin-gpn BASF has signed a contract to sell its 50%-share in PEC-Rhin in Ottmarsheim, France, to its joint venture partner GPN, a member of the French Total Group. PEC-Rhin produces CAN/AN (calcium ammonium nitrate/ammonium nitrate) fertilizers and the respective intermediates, ammonia and nitric acid. The company was established in 1966 and currently has about 180 employees. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/basf-sell-share-jv-pec-rhin-gpn Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:12:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/illinois-tool-works-acquires-applichem Illinois Tool Works (ITW) has acquired AppliChem, a German based chemical company with particular focus on fine chemicals and biochemical products for laboratory, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. Founded in 1992 and lead by Dr. Frasch and Dr. Oeler, AppliChem has its production facility in Darmstadt, Germany, with some 130 employees. The company exports 50% of its products to 70 countries all over the world. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/illinois-tool-works-acquires-applichem Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:09:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/eu-agency-issues-guideline-biosimilar-ms-drugs European regulators took another step towards opening the market for copies of biotech drugs on by releasing a draft guideline on how companies should test biosimilar medicines containing interferon beta, used to treat multiple sclerosis. The guideline is open for consultation until the end of May 2012 and is part of a package of new regulations being prepared by the London-based agency. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/eu-agency-issues-guideline-biosimilar-ms-drugs Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/china-energy-ma-deals-2011-2012 Fast-growing, resource-hungry China continues to invest in oil and gas assets from Canada to Latin America to Australia in 2011, and also sees a few acquisitions in the nuclear sector. Below are details on China's M&A activity, energy deal approvals, and high-profile deals that failed in 2011 and 2012. Projects And Deals http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/china-energy-ma-deals-2011-2012 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:38:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/akzonobel-selects-tebodin-frankfurt-chlorine-plant-conversion AkzoNobel Industrial Chemicals said has selected consulting and engineering company Tebodin for the engineering, procurement and construction management of a new chlorine plant in Frankfurt into state-of-the-art membrane electrolysis technology. The new plant will increase current annual production in Frankfurt by approximately 50%, to 250 kilotons of chlorine and 275 kilotons of caustic lye. The energy consumption per tonne of product will be improved by nearly 30%. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/akzonobel-selects-tebodin-frankfurt-chlorine-plant-conversion Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:51:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/legal-status-shale-gas-key-countries The development of shale gas extraction is a potential game-changer in world energy markets, offering the potential for ample supplies in markets that could otherwise tighten in coming years. In the United States, where the technology is most widely used, it could flip the country from a net importer of natural gas to a net exporter. But shale gas extraction requires large amounts of water and chemicals, and environmental concerns have led some governments to ban its use or put moratoriums in place. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/legal-status-shale-gas-key-countries Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:37:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/thyssenkrupp-affirms-outlook-q1 ThyssenKrupp, Germany's largest steelmaker, denied market speculation it would issue a profit warning and reiterated guidance for the first quarter. "We deny the profit warning speculation," a spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday after several traders said there was talk that ThyssenKrupp might issue a warning. "We are reiterating our guidance for the first quarter that Materials would be difficult and Technologies would be stable," the spokesman said. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/thyssenkrupp-affirms-outlook-q1 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:36:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/sinopecs-28-billion-lng-terminal-win-final-approval-soon China Petroleum and Chemical Corp's (Sinopec Corp) plan to build a 3 million ton-per-year import terminal of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in south China is expected to win final state approval soon, a source with direct knowledge of the $2.8 billion project told Reuters. The terminal, to be built in a man-made island off the southwestern coastal city Beihai, is slated to start operations around mid-2015, slightly behind an earlier plan, and will bring in the super-chilled natural gas from Queensland, Australia. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/sinopecs-28-billion-lng-terminal-win-final-approval-soon Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:35:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/novozymes-shares-drop-after-q4-profit-misses-forecast Novozymes , the world's biggest industrial enzymes producer, posted earnings at the low end of expectations on Thursday and warned of uncertainties in the global economic outlook, sending its shares to a near two-month low. The Danish company, whose enzymes are used to produce consumer goods from detergent to biofuel, said its profits were held back by higher raw material costs, currency conversion effects and slack sales of bioenergy enzymes. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/novozymes-shares-drop-after-q4-profit-misses-forecast Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:34:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/cnooc-targets-higher-output-and-capex-2012 Top Chinese offshore producer CNOOC said on Wednesday it plans to produce 2.4% more oil and gas in 2012 as more projects commence operation, and to further boost spending on exploration and production. The state-run company said in a statement that it aimed to produce 330-340 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) this year, compared with estimated output of 331-332 million boe in 2011, roughly in line with target. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/cnooc-targets-higher-output-and-capex-2012 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:33:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/german-farm-group-regrets-basfs-gmo-move-us Germany's giant association of farming cooperatives said it regretted the decision by BASF to transfer its research into crops with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from Germany to the United States and other countries. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/german-farm-group-regrets-basfs-gmo-move-us Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/basf-spend-1-billion-german-tdi-plant-foams BASF plans to invest €1 billion at its German headquarters to boost its polyurethane foam chemicals capacity, expecting long-term growth in demand from makers of cars and furniture. The world's largest chemicals company said on Tuesday it would build a plant with an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes of toluene di-isocyanate (TDI), a precursor chemical for producing the plastic foams that go into car seats, cushions and sports shoes. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/basf-spend-1-billion-german-tdi-plant-foams Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:29:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/ex-innospec-uk-director-guilty-iraq-corruption A British businessman who used to work for American chemicals company Innospec has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to corrupt, including making corrupt payments to Iraqi officials, the UK's Serious Fraud Office said on Tuesday. The SFO said that Dr. David Turnerhad pleaded guilty in a London court to three counts of that charge. These included conspiracy to give corrupt payments to public officials and other agents of the Indonesian and Iraqi governments between 2002 and 2008 in order to secure contracts for Innospec. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/ex-innospec-uk-director-guilty-iraq-corruption Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:28:00 +0000 http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/saltigo-joerg-schneider-succeeds-uwe-brunk Saltigo, a subsidiary of German chemical company Lanxess, has appointed Joerg Schneider as head of its Agro and Fine Chemicals business unit. He succeeds Dr. Uwe Brunk, who is leaving the company at his own request, according to a press release. The change is effective Feb. 1. http://www.chemanager-online.com/en/news-opinions/headlines/saltigo-joerg-schneider-succeeds-uwe-brunk Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:06:00 +0000