Timeline Set

Exploration

The Dow Chemical Company and Gazprom Marketing and Trading Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and implement greenhouse gas reduction projects on a global basis. Both companies will work together to identify projects that could cumulatively reduce millions of tons of CO2 emissions through the implementation of Dow technologies and other cooperative efforts.

BASF says a breakdown at its headquarters in western Germany sent 10 tons of HPN spewing into the River Rhine. The leak has been stopped and poses no danger to humans or the environment. Direct contact with HPN can be harmful to a person’s eyes, but the company said the compound was biodegradable and would be so diluted by the water that it posed no risk to humans or nature. The cause of the leak is unknown.

Patent Case

The High Court of Mumbai has ordered Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd. to stop selling a black dye until it can determine whether the product infringes on a Huntsman Corp. patent. Huntsman’s textile effects division has claimed the product violates its Indian patent on Novacron Super Black G dye and contends it has found the Kiri product at several textile mills in Asian countries.

Plans Finalized

Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company finalized the awarding plan for engineering, procurement and construction contracts that constitute the thirteen different process packages of the Jubail, Saudi Arabia joint venture refinery. The 400,000 barrel/day full-conversion refinery is expected to be operational by the second half of 2013. The full-conversion refinery will maximize production of diesel and jet fuels while also producing 700,000 tons/year of paraxylene, 140,000 tons/year of benzene and 200,000 tons/year of polymer-grade propylene.