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Dear Matt,
Here is your latest issue of SCOOP, our monthly newsletter bringing together news 'bites' from across the Shell chemicals businesses. At the end of each story you will find web links that will take you through to more supporting information. We aim to give you a greater insight into what goes on across the Shell chemicals businesses and inspire you to find out more!
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 | Encouraging the technology students of tomorrow
Shell Nederland Chemie (SNC) is one of seven, Netherlands-based Shell companies taking part in a Dutch initiative to increase schoolchildren's interest in studying technology-based courses at colleges and universities. The five-year project, known as Jet-Net, will be rolled out from 1 January 2003.
"For advanced technology companies like Shell and the other participants, a steady intake of technically qualified graduates is vital," says Group Managing Director and Shell Chemicals Limited CEO from 1 January 2003, Jeroen van der Veer.
"So the decline in the numbers of students reading technical subjects is very worrying, particularly when it's borne in mind that secondary schoolchildren - the potential technical graduates of the future - are turning away en masse from the 'hard-edged' technical subjects. With Jet-Net, we aim to show how fascinating and socially relevant technology really is. It's all about making the teaching of these subjects appealing, practically orientated and aligned with young people's own perceptions.
"Initially, SNC will be parenting three schools, and will appoint two "business focal points" from its own staff to find out what those schools' individual needs are and how Jet-Net can meet them.
Shell, alongside Akzo Nobel, DSM, Philips and Unilever, signed an agreement with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science and many other organisations to launch Jet-Net on 29 November.
Read more: Jet-Net | | |
 | World-scale PTT plant to use advanced anti-pollution methods
When the first world-scale polytrimethylene terephthalate plant opens in 2003 in Montreal, it will be using advanced anti-pollution methods. The plant is a joint venture project between Shell Chemicals Canada and SGF Chimie (a subsidiary of Societe generale de financement du Quebec). It will treat all water generated with a bio-oxidation process while the air will be purified using a catalytic treatment. The plant will produce less noise than the current background noise. The PTT will be made in an inert environment to avoid contamination from oxygen and all equipment and connections will be impermeable to minimise the risk of emissions.
Construction began in June 2002. At full capacity the plant will produce 95,000 metric tonnes of PTT annually, enough to carpet the City of London 32 times.
Within the next eight years, the global market for PTT is expected to grow exponentially, exceeding one million metric tonnes per year. PTT is a thermoplastic polymer that can be spun into fibres and yarns. It is sold by Shell chemicals companies under the trade name of Corterra Polymers. The product can be used in carpets without the staining or cleaning problems associated with nylon. Corterra PTT is also used to make films and engineering thermoplastics while clothes knitted or woven from it are soft, stretchable and durable with long-lasting colours.
Read more: Corterra PTT polymers | | |
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Blending support helps Australian customers
Innovation in solvents formulation is delivering competitive advantages to customers.
Shell's advanced formulation software package, BlendPro®, creates tailored solvent blends. Developed by Shell chemicals scientists in Amsterdam, it is a powerful tool, designed to help customers to optimise their solvent systems and blends in a wide variety of applications including paints, coatings, adhesives, pharmaceuticals and inks. It can assist in the rationalisation, replacement or reformulation of systems to reduce costs, enhance technical performance, or to find innovative ways to meet changing HSE regulations.
The programme can also help to save significant time and experimental effort if an existing blend or formulation needs to be reformulated. It can instantly generate alternative formulations, based on various criteria, and so reduce overall development time for new products. A multiple blend viewing option allows for rapid evaluation of proposed alternative formulations.
Two of Shell's solvents distributors in Australia supply small to medium companies in the paint, ink and engineering sectors. These companies use large amounts of solvent-based thinners and cost competitiveness is critical to win business. Without in-house industrial chemistry expertise the distributors relied on Shell to help them.
Shell analysed a number of thinner formulations in the market to establish their chemical make-up and the parameters. The most important parameters are solvency and drying time. This data was input into BlendPro to see if lower cost blends could be found. With BlendPro and some expertise a whole range of options were advanced in just a few hours. Once each alternative formulation was developed it was tested. As a result of the lower cost formulation both distributors have won about half a million litres in additional business.
Read more: Solvents section | | |
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Deer Park helps lead way in upgrading CAER line
Shell Chemical LP's Deer Park, Texas plant was a major player in the upgrading and public rollout of the CAER (Community Awareness & Emergency Response) telephone line in the Houston area this autumn.
Established in 1986 as a public service by a Houston Ship Channel area industrial association, the CAER Line is a source of emergency and general information about the refining and chemical industries. More than 30,000 calls a year are placed by community residents to the CAER Line, who listen to recordings by industry representatives about fires, smoke, chemical releases, flaring, odours, noise, sirens, drills and other incidents or activities that may involve public protective action.
Recent CAER Line upgrades include the doubling of the number of lines available for recording messages and receiving calls from the public, with Spanish or English message capability and a 24-hour odour reporting network.
Dave McKinney, manager of external affairs at Deer Park for Shell Chemical LP, chairs the multi-company team that coordinated the CAER Line improvements and the public awareness programme that is under way.
Further detail sabout the CAER line are available at the East Harris County Manufacturers Association web site.
Read more: East Harris County Manufacturers Association | | |
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Willems heads chemicals group in Singapore economic review
Rein Willems, Executive Vice President Procurement and Product Business Units for Shell Chemicals Limited, recently led a study of the chemicals industry sponsored by the Singapore Government. The study was part of the work of a wide-ranging Economic Review Committee (ERC) which has been established to review Singapore's development strategy and formulate a blueprint to restructure the economy.
The ERC's Manufacturing Sub-Committee - which encompasses biomedical sciences, chemicals, electronics and transport - presented its recommendations at a press conference on 18 October 2002. Among the recommendations put forward for the chemicals cluster were ways to improve electricity costs in Singapore. The committee did so having recognised that electricity costs were one of Singapore's main competitive disadvantages in what was otherwise an attractive location for manufacturers in the region.
The importance of Singapore to the chemicals sector is clear. No other petrochemicals hub in the world has seen anything close to the number of new plants open in the past year, with no less than nine plants opening in Singapore in the first ten months of 2002.
The recommendations of the chemicals review - which included other ideas such as establishing common waste treatment facilities on Jurong Island and establishing a tri-partite (government-industry-academic) body to steer the direction of R&D work - will be considered later when all of the other ERC Sub-Committeees finalise and report their work.
For further information on the Economic Review Committee and its findings visit the ERC web site | | |
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Norco's Lily Galland named outstanding role model
Lily Galland, of Shell Chemical's Norco, Louisiana plant, was named by the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) as one of 50 Outstanding Women Role Models in the New Orleans area for 2002. Galland, of Shell's Community Relation's Department, was chosen for outstanding leadership in serving the River Parishes community.
Galland is the founder of River Parishes Education Initiatives, a non-profit coalition of parents, educators, school boards, business leaders and government agencies that works to improve education in the River Parishes. Galland is also the founder of Professional Women of the River Region, a support and networking group for businesswomen. She also served as chairwoman of the River Parishes Chamber of Commerce in 1993 and 1994 and is the current chairwoman.
Since 1989 the YWCA annually identifies 50 women in the Greater New Orleans area who demonstrate integrity, respect and professionalism.
Read more: Norco web site
Read more: Norco plant profile | | |
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Contracts awarded for China petrochemical project
The CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPCL) awarded three major equipment/materials procurement, engineering and construction (EPC) contracts on 25 November with a total value of USD823 million. All three contract winners have extensive experience in building petrochemicals plants.
Japan Gas Corporation/Stone Webster have been awarded the EPC contract for the ethylene plant with a contract value of approximately USD499 million. More information on JGC can be obtained at their website by following the link below.
Chiyoda, Technip-Coflexip and Mitsubishi Corporation joint venture have been awarded the EPC contract for the SM/PO and MPG/Polyols Plants with a contract value of USD274 million.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation has been awarded the contract as Main Automation Contractor with a contract value of USD50 million.
The USD4.3 billion Nanhai project officially broke ground on 1 November 2002 and is on schedule for start-up in late 2005 as planned.
The joint venture contract was initially signed in October 2000 by Shell Nanhai BV, with a 50 per cent shareholding, and CNOOC Petrochemicals Investment Limited (CPIL), also with 50 per cent. CPIL is owned by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) (90%) and the Guangdong Investment & Development Company (10%).
Read more: Japan Gas Corporation
Read more: Nanhai section
Read more: Nanhai joint venture website | | |
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Technologists of tomorrow
