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EPA launches voluntary methane challenge program

On March 30, EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Washington, D.C.; www.epa.gov) launched a new voluntary partnership program — with 41 founding partner companies in the oil and gas sector. The Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program builds upon the Natural…

ADM to sell sugarcane ethanol operations in Brazil

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM; Chicago, Ill.; www.adm.com) announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell its sugarcane ethanol operations in Limeira do Oeste, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, to JFLim Participações S.A. “We regularly review…

Global CPRI rose in February, ACC report says

The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) for February shows that the 1st quarter is “progressing on a good note, with the headline index rising 0.2% on a three-month moving average (3MMA)…

Endress + Hauser completes takeover of Analytik Jena

Swiss measurement and automation engineering specialist Endress+Hauser (Reinach, Switzerland; www.us.endress.com) has completed the takeover of German analytical instrumentation provider Analytik Jena (Jena, Germany; www.analtik-jena.de). The remaining minority shares of Analytik Jena were legally transferred to Endress+Hauser on 30 March 2016…

KBR to engineer FCC revamp in China

KBR, Inc. (Houston; www.kbr.com) announced today it has been awarded a license and basic engineering design contract for the revamp of a Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) unit with the company's MAXOFIN technology. The project was awarded by a confidential client…

U.S. CPRI edges higher in February, ACC report says

The U.S. Chemical Production Regional Index (U.S. CPRI) edged higher by 0.2% in February, following a 0.5% gain in January, and a 0.4% gain in December, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council…

U.S. specialty chemicals market progresses in 1st quarter, ACC says

The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index, a tool created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), progressed further during the first quarter of 2016, rising 0.1 percent on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis in February after a…

Arzeda and Zymergen collaborate on development of new molecules

Zymergen Inc. (Emeryville, Calif.; www.zymergen.com) and Arzeda (Seattle, Wash.; www.arzeda.com) announced a multi-year agreement to develop strains and processes to manufacture novel, high utility molecules and materials utilizing Arzeda’s pathway and enzyme design and Zymergen’s strain construction capabilities.    “The development…

Current Economic Trends – March 2016

The annual value for the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) was calculated to be 556.8, down significantly from the annual value for 2014. The monthly preliminary value for the January 2016 CEPCI (the most recent available) continued to fall from…

Industrial production numbers mixed for February, ACC report says

Overall, industrial production decreased in February by 0.5%, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). However, a breakdown reveals mixed results, depending on industry sector. For example, although there…