VERSALIS

Dunkirk cracker to be converted to ethane feedstock / Imports of US shale gas

INEOS

Second licence for shale gas exploitation in Scotland / Two sites are adjacent

BRASKEM

Ineos PE technologies selected for Ascent project in USA

STYROLUTION

Enhanced production of transparent styrenic copolymers at Ludwigshafen / “Triple Shift” strategy

INEOS

Swiss petrochemicals group offers UK homeowners, communities 6% of shale gas proceeds / Emulating US example

INEOS

LDPE plant in Cologne switched off following incident involving excess pressure / German site to undergo inspection

INEOS / DOEFLEX

PVC compounding businesses successfully merged under new Ineos Compounds

SHALE GAS

India's Reliance and China's CNOOC announce plans for gas imports from the US / Feedstock to be used for domestic crackers

INEOS

Commencing shale gas exploration in the UK / Majority share acquired for licence covering land where Grangemouth refinery is located

SABIC

Wilton cracker to be upgraded to enable the processing of ethane / Latest player to respond to US shale gas boom

SHALE GAS

US fracking activities gather speed / Excessive ethane earmarked for export / Argentina said to possess large reserves / Poland to begin commercial production in 2016 / Environmental impact contested

VESTOLIT

SVC Global sells German PVC producer to Mexichem / Further changes in the European PVC market

BILCARE RESEARCH

Investing EUR 50m in Latin America and Asia to accelerate growth

INEOS / DOEFLEX

European Commission gives go-ahead to PVC compounding merger

WESTLAKE

Vinnolit acquisition wrapped up / “Major step” on US PVC producer's strategic path

SOLVAY

Earnings rise in Q2 2014 on strong volumes and restructuring / Functional Polymers sales impacted by weak pricing / Softness in non-consolidated vinyls assets to go to Inovyn

PVC MARKET

European production landscape undergoing massive changes / Global capacity shifts drive consolidations / Overcapacities mean additional closures cannot be avoided / Who will be the next victim in this game of Russian roulette?

BASF

Sales rise 1% on higher volumes / Negative currency effects bite / Strong performance by engineering plastics / Triple-digit earnings gain expected from sale of Styrolution stake to Ineos

INEOS

Moody's assigns provisional “Aa1” rating to UK-backed Grangemouth bonds / Cracker to be shale-gas fed from 2016 / Holding improves EBITDA 22% in Q2 2014

VESTOLIT

PVC producer up for sale? / Consolidation in western Europe takes another big step forward

STYROLUTION

Ineos buys BASF's share in 50:50 styrenics joint venture for EUR 1.1 bn

INEOS / SOLVAY

European chlorvinyls activities to merge under new Inovyn 50:50 jv / Operations expected to commence in Q4 / Solvay to exit after three years

C3 PETROCHEMICALS

EPA permit paves way for massive Texas propane dehydrogenation plant / Start-up expected in 2015

BASF

German chemical giant opposes prolonged use of HBCD flame retardants in EPS/XPS foams

INEOS

Mulling entry into UK shale gas exploration / Working group assessing benefits and risks