VERSALIS

Eni head confirms plans for sale / Losses too high / Unions in uproar

VERSALIS

Potential sale has employees worried / Emergency flaring activities in Brindisi and Ferrara

OTTANA POLIMERI

Labour agreement renewed but no bets are on about the future of Sardinian PET production / Talks over feedstock supply at a stalemate / Rumours of an Indorama exit persist

ELEVANCE

Renewable feedstock technology provider appoints new CEO

POLYETHYLENE

High-pressure production: LDPE becoming increasingly tight in Europe / Global importance wanes / New plants mostly flexible and easily switched to EVA / Specifically targeted types more expensive

POLYETHYLENE

Low-pressure production: HDPE and LLDPE output linked / Number of global swing plants rising / European lines no longer competitive / Local converters increasingly dependent on imports / Exclusive PIE report

VERSALIS

Unions pick up on plans for sale of Eni's plastics arm / US investor said to be in the picture

VERSALIS

New client for Porto Marghera ethylene / Shell contract ends / Green chemistry takes a backseat

LANXESS

Half of rubber carve-out to be sold to Aramco / Joint Venture set to start in Q1 2016 / First back integration for German producer / Farther-reaching Middle East projects envisaged

POLYETHYLENE

New production era for mass plastics begins / European refineries on the brink of extinction / Feedstock base lost / Global competition increasingly relegates Europe to second class / High time for discussions on how to react

ABS

Solid growth on a global basis / Worldwide capacities of 10m t/y / Asia dominates production and consumption / Restructuring in Europe makes an impact / Market players still face challenges

GFBIOCHEMICALS

World's largest levulinic acid plant on stream in Italy / Feedstock for bioplastics

ASSOCIATIONS

Italian EPS association AIPE with new executive council

VERSALIS

Distributing Reliance's ESBR in China

IDENTIPLAST

Discussion on the role of plastics in a circular economy / End of life of plastic goods key to sustainable development / Dialogue on regulation is a prime duty / International conference in Rome

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Versalis cracker in Brindisi undergoes 10-year maintenance turnaround / PE facilities also affected / Status with PP from LBI unclear

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Versalis lifts FM for PE from Dunkirk

ITALY

Plastics consumption down in 2014 / Lack of investment / Too many small businesses / Only slight signs of recovery / Efforts to switch to "green" chemistry not sufficient / Study by Plastic Consult

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Versalis declares force majeure for LD and LLDPE from Dunkirk

INTERNATIONAL PLASTICS INDUSTRY

Most producers see sales and earnings improvement in 2014 / Cautious optimism for 2015 / Falling raw materials prices and strengthening demand provide impetus / Currency shift will boost European companies

ENI / VERSALIS

Operating loss in Q4 halved / Demand weakness bites / Intermediates and PE margins improve / Plan to close Porto Marghera cracker put on ice

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

India's Haldia restarts its cracker and downstream units / Oil price slide alleviates financial woes

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Shell's Moerdijk cracker unlikely to restart until end of 2015 / Porto Marghera ramping up to fill the void

SIRMAX

Italian compounder builds first plant in the US / Expanding international market presence

UPDATE - VERSALIS

Reports indicate that Porto Marghera cracker is in start-up mode / Shell allegedly contracted for olefin volumes