Global Chemical Industry

         The chemical industry has shown phenomenal growth for more than fifty years. It was in the manufacture of synthetic organic polymers used as plastics, fibres and elastomers where most of the growth originated. Synthetic polymers form 80% of the chemical industry’s output worldwide. In 1999 the chemical industry was calculated to be nearly a $1.5 trillion global enterprise. Historically and presently the chemical industry is still concentrated in three areas of the world, Western Europe, North America and Japan. The European Community remains the largest producer area followed by the USA and Japan.

             The traditional dominance of chemical production by the above countries is being challenged by changes in feedstock availability and price, labour cost, utility cost, differential rates of economic growth and environmental pressures. Instrumental in the changing structure of the global chemical industry has been the growing participation of developing countries and regions such as the Middle East, South East Asia, Nigeria, Trinidad, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela, and Indonesia.

           Chemical and Engineering News magazine lists and monitors the performance of the Global Top 50 chemical companies since 1989. The chemical industry is the most globalised of all manufacturing industries and the globalisation is still in progress. The driving factors for the trend are the need for improvement of profitability by reducing production costs and proximity to markets. Companies choose location for a specific operation based on the levels of trade between countries and high competition for markets.

          The recent increasing cost of feedstock(largely crude oil) and increasing production costs has led to consolidation and merger of multinational companies. The most significant of the mergers being in the petrochemical industry and basic organic chemicals:

  (1) BP and Amoco and later Arco to form BP Amoco,

  (2) Exxon and Mobil to form Exxonmobil

  (3) Total and Petrofina and later Elf Atochem to form TotalFinaElf

  (4) Chevron and Texaco

  (5) Consolidation of petrochemical operations of Chevron and Phillips to form PhillipsChevron

        Other significant are in the pharmaceutical industry:

  (1) Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham

  (2) Novartis from merger of Rhone Poulenc and Hoechst

     The increasing feedstock costs have led the industry to explore alternative sources like gas. This is evident by Chevron and Sasol’s investment in a gas based petrochemical plant in Nigeria, Shell has recently bought gas fields in New Zealand for exploration and Sasol has also been exploring gas fields in Mozambique. Even with this move oil will remain the most favoured feed stock because of large reserves, which guarantee sustainable supply for the future.

             The chemical industry is a keystone of the U.S. economy, converting raw materials (oil, natural gas, air, water, metals, and minerals) into more than 70,000 different products. Few goods are manufactured without some input from the chemical industry. Chemicals are used to make a wide variety of consumer goods, as well as thousands of products that are essential inputs to agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and service industries. The chemical industry itself consumes 26 percent of its output. Major industrial customers include rubber and plastic products, textiles, apparel, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, and primary metals.

            Chemicals are nearly a $1.5 trillion global enterprise, and the U.S. chemical industry is the world's largest producer. There are 170 chemical companies with more than 2,800 facilities abroad and 1,700 foreign subsidiaries or affiliates operating in the United States. The industry records large trade surpluses and employs more than a million people in the United States alone. The chemical industry is also the second largest consumer of energy in manufacturing and spends over $5 billion annually on pollution abatement.
Chemical shipments are nearly $400 billion annually. Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Illinois are the nation's top chemical producers. Distillation, catalytic, and electrochemical reactors are the workhorses of the industry. Over 36% of chemical facilities conduct energy management activities.

Change of Global Share in Chemical Industry

World Leaders In Chemical Industry

1. Dow Chemical  www.dow.com

                                    Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets.

   A Brief list of the products of this company:

    Acrylic Monomers,  Polyolefin Plastomers , Aircraft Deicing Fluids, Industrial Coolants,  Functional Polymers, CalciumChloride, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Advanced Electronics Resins, Acrylates, Amines, Biocides,  BioProducts,  Building Products,  Caustic Soda Solution,  Emulsion Polymers, Family Health and pharma products, Fiber Solutions,  Glycerine,  Latex Powders, Oxygenated Solvents,  Polyglycols, Polyurethane Carpet Backings,  Polyurethane Systems,  Surfactants,  Synthetic Rubber, Superabsorbent Polymers, Engineered Adhesive Films, Engineered Films & Laminates, Engineering Plastics, Epoxy Products and Intermediates, Equifoam Comfort Products,  Ethylcellulose Polymers, Ethylene Glycols, Ethylene Oxide, Global Chlorinated Organics, Heat Transfer Fluids, Olefin Block Copolymers, Medical Films, Cellulose Ethers, Plastic Pipes, Polyolefins, Polyurethanes Propylene Glycols, Propylene Oxide, Cationic Monomer, Saran Resins and Films, Expandable Polystyrene, Polystyrene, Surface Sizing Polymers, Solution Vinyl Resins, Vinyl Acetate Monomer, Chelating Agents, Plastomers and Elastomers,  Polyols, Wire and Cable

2. BASF www.basf.com

                 In its five business segments, BASF posted sales of €42.7 billion in 2005. BASF has around 94,000 employees on five continents. With customers in over 170 countries and more than 100 production sites, BASF is the world's leading chemical company - The portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. Worldwide, approximately 7,000 employees work in research and development at BASF.

 A Brief list of the products of this company:

        Alcoholates, Ammonia, Inorganic bases and acids, Inorganic salts, Bleaching agents, Boranes and boron compound, Carbonyl Iron Powder, Chlorine and chlorine compound, Electronic Chemicals, Electronic Materials, Fertilizer, Fiber Optics, Formaldehyde Urea, Phenylacetate, Hydroxylamine compounds, Catalysts, Glues and impregnating resins, Melamine, Oxidant agents and reducing agents, Sulfur products, Nitrogen oxide derivates, Nitrogen derivates, Alkylen oxide and Glycols, Plasticizers, Technical Gases, Solvent, Trioxane, Agricultural Products, Animal Nutrition, Cosmetic Ingredients/ Aroma Chemicals, Human Nutrition, Pharma Solutions, Foams, Styrenics, Biodegradable Plastics, Engineering Plastics, Polyamide and Intermediates, Polyurethanes, Industrial Coatings, Decorative, Paints, Construction Chemicals, Detergents and Formulators, Leathe Coatings, Plastics and Specialty Textiles, Adhesive  Chemicals, Textiles Specialty Monomers, Standard Monomers, Super absorbents, Styrene, Styrene-based polymers and copolymers, Caprolactam and nylon, Engineering plastics, Polyurethane basic materials and polyurethane systems, Specialty elastomers.

3. DuPont  www.dupont.com

                     Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

A Brief list of the products of this company:

Fluoropolymer Additives, Polymer Modifiers, Polymer Adhesives, Building & Construction Materials, Carpet & Flooring Products,  Safety Glass Interlayers,  Sandblasting Materials, Surfacing Materials, Cleaning Solvents Fluorochemicals Lubricants Monomers, Consulting Services Environmental Safety Products, Crop Seeds & Inoculants, Plant and Pest Management Products, Defoliants, Fungicides, Herbicides, Insecticides, Miticides, Plant Growth Regulators, Color Filters, Display Circuit Materials, Electroluminescent Materials, Electronic & Electrical Materials, Ceramic Circuit Materials,  Embedded Passives Flexible/Rigid-Flex Circuit Materials,  Microlithographic Polymer Films, Printed Circuit Board Materials, Semiconductor Fabrication Materials, Semiconductor Packaging Materials, Fluoropolymer Films, Photo tooling Films, Air Gas & Liquid Filtration Materials, Animal Health Solutions,  Cleaning & Disinfection Products, Conductive Plates,  Membrane Electrode Assemblies, Membranes, Back Sheet Materials, Food Packaging Systems, Medical Packaging,  Resins,  Sealants, Automotive Coatings, Aviation Coatings,  Ceramic Coatings, Commercial Transportation Coatings, Industrial Coatings,  Powder Coatings,  Recreational Transportation Coatings, Fabrics,  Fibers, Metallization Materials, Paint-Coatings Pigments,  Paper Pigments,  Plastics Pigments,  Specialities Pigments, Elastomers, Engineering Thermoplastics, Ethylene Copolymers Filaments, Parts, & Shapes, Films & Sheets Fluoropolymers Functionalized Polymers, Digital Printing Systems,  Digital Textile Printing Materials, Flexographic Photopolymer Plates & Sleeves, Inkjet Printers Inks, Protective apparel accessories, Antiseptics and Disinfectants,  Ballistic Protection, Chemical & Hazmat Protection Apparel,  Cut & Puncture Protection, Dry Particulate & Light Splash Protection,  Electric Arc & Flash Fire Protection, Firefighter Protection,  Racing Protection, Fire Extinguishants, Limited Combustible Cabling Material,  Wire Insulating & Coating Materials.

4. Shell www.shell.com

                It is a global group of oil, gas and petrochemical companies with a broad portfolio of hydrogen, biofuels, wind and solar power interests. Aim of this group is to meet the energy needs of society, in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Shell excels in the exploration of natural resources, the production of oil and chemical products and the provision of dynamic business solutions. With a multi-billion dollar turnover and major manufacturing facilities around the world, the companies that make up Shell Chemicals number among the world's largest petrochemical operations. Group focus on the production of bulk petrochemicals and their delivery to large industrial customers who, in turn, use them to make many of the essential materials of our modern world. Shell offers a complete range of services from the exploration for natural gas through to distribution and end use.

       A Brief list of the products of this company:

Alpha and internal olefins, Detergent alcohols, Plasticiser alcohols, Drilling fluids, Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes, 1,3-propanediol, Polytrimethylene terephthalat, Brake fluids, Ethylene glycols, Ethylene oxide, Butadiene, Dicyclopentadiene, Ethylene, Isoprene, Piperylene, Propylene, 1-Butene, Polyether polyols, Propylene glycols, Propylene oxide, Alcohols/glycols, Ethers, Ethylene oxide, Ketones, Propylene oxide, glycol and acetates, Aliphatic mineral spirits, Aromatic solvents, Isoparaffins, Special boiling point solvents, White spirits/mineral spirits blends, Acetone, Nonene, Phenol, Styrene monomer, Hydrogen Renewables, Solar products, Lubricants, Fuels and Bitumen.

5. ExxonMobil  www.exxonmobil.com

ExxonMobil is an industry leader in the energy and petrochemical business. The company conducts business in almost 200 countries and territories around the globe. From skyscraper-sized drilling platforms to catalysts that help create thousands of consumer products, to higher-performing fuels and lubricants with near-zero emissions, ExxonMobil is a leader in developing technology. ExxonMobil explores for oil and natural gas on six of the seven continents. They are also the largest nongovernment gas marketer and reserves holder. Downstream activities include the refining and supply of petroleum products as well as the marketing of fuels under the Exxon, Mobil and Esso brands. They also market lubricants, both conventional and synthetic in every major geographic region.

Other products include : lube basestocks and petroleum specialties such as waxes, process oils and asphalt,  olefins, aromatics, fluids, synthetic rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene packaging films, plasticizers, synthetic lubricant basestocks, additives for fuels and lubricants, zeolite catalysts and other petrochemical products.

6. Total www.total.com

                 Total is a multinational energy company committed to leveraging innovation and initiative to provide a sustainable response to humankind’s energy requirements. It is the fourth largest publicly-traded integrated oil and Gas Company and a world-class chemicals manufacturer. Total operates in more than 130 countries and has over 95, 000 employees. It has Exploration and production operations in 41 countries, Producer in 29 countries, More than 500,000 shareholders and  2005 sales of € 143.2 billion. Total’s operations span the entire oil and gas chain, from exploration, development and production to midstream gas, refining and marketing, and crude oil and petroleum product trading and shipping. Total is also a chemicals producer, as well as having interests in coal mines, cogeneration and power generation. In addition, Total is helping to secure the future of energy through its commitment to developing renewable energies, such as wind, solar and photovoltaic power. 

Exploration & Production:
- Production : 2.49 million barrels of oil equivalent per day
- Reserves : 11.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent as of December 31, 2005

Refining & Marketing: No. 1 European Refiner-Marketer and No. 1 in Africa
- Refining capacity : approximately 2.7 million barrels per day
- Retail network: nearly 17,000 service stations
- Sales : approximately 3.9 million barrels per day
- Brands : TOTAL, Elf, Elan, AS 24

Chemicals: Total is one of the world’s largest integrated producers and a European leader in each of markets - Petrochemicals and Fertilizers, Specialties. The Chemicals segment is organized into the Base Chemicals sector, regrouping petrochemicals and fertilizers and the Specialties sector, which includes the Group's rubber processing, resins, adhesives and electroplating activities. The business is a preferred partner to a broad array of industries, with products covering markets as diverse as automobiles and transportation, packaging, construction, sports and leisure, health and beauty care, water treatment, paper, electronics and agriculture Chemicals business is a European or world leader in each of its markets and reported sales of €22.33 billion in 2005. Europe accounted for 56% of sales, North America 26%, and the remaining sales were generated predominantly in Asia and Latin America. The business employed 62,214 people in 2005. Total's Petrochemicals activities include base petrochemicals (olefins and aromatics) as well as polyethylene, polypropylene and styrene.

Rubber processing : Hutchinson

  Hutchinson is the world leader in industrial rubber processing. Hutchinson manufactures solutions for the Antivibration, Body Sealing and Fluid Transfer activities(for air-conditioning, brake and engine cooling systems) as well as Transmission and Precision Sealing Systems(for shaft, wheel seals and ABS braking systems). Also serves the aerospace, rail, construction and defence industries, and encompasses antivibration and sealing systems, sealants, adhesives, dashboard control and display systems, run-flat and fluid transfer systems. It has strong brand name in rubber gloves, sponges and baby care items,
premium bicycle tires, resins, gel coat . They develop high-tech coating resins for paints, inks, varnishes, adhesives and electronics, as well as rubber and thermosetting composites based on unsaturated polyester resins. Cray Valley, Cook Composites & Polymers offer a full range of coating and rubber products and technologies, including solvent-borne resins, rheological additives and surface modifiers, acrylic and vinyl resins, powder resins, colophane derivatives and resins for ink, hydrocarbon resins a unique line of monomers and oligomers that use UV and EB ray photocure technologies, and functional additives. In the area of thermosetting compounds, a wide array of unsaturated polyester resins and gel coats are used to produce compounds offering combinations of shapes, colors, surface appearances, lightness, rigidity, flexibility, and temperature and corrosion resistance for construction, automotive, navigation, health care, transportation, power and household appliance applications.
Atotech is the world’s second-largest supplier of specialty chemicals, processes and services for general metal coating of plastic and metal surfaces and for printed circuit board production. Its main applications include copper, nickel and chrome-plating, in particular for electronic, mechanical and automotive components and general metal finishing. Electroplating chemicals have extensive applications in such fast-growing areas as electronics (for printed circuit boards), onboard telematics and decorative plating, as well as in the production of metal parts and coatings, the aerospace and automotive industries, and the decoration market. Bostik is one of the worldwide leaders in its sector. Bostik is the world leader in adhesives for nonwoven products, used particularly in disposable hygiene products such as diapers. It also ranks No. 2 in Europe in construction and home improvement products, and No. 4 worldwide in industrial adhesives.

From Oil to Polymers, Integrated Global Petrochemicals Operations :

Total's petrochemicals activities include olefins and aromatics(base petrochemicals) as well as polyethylene, polypropylene and styrenics. On October 1, 2004 Total Petrochemicals was created to regroup these activities. Total's main petrochemicals sites are located in Belgium(Antwerp, Feluy), France (Gonfreville, Carlling, Lavera, Feyzin), and the United States (Port Arthur, Houston and Bayport in Texas, Carville in Louisiana) as well as in Singapore and China(Foshan). Most of these sites are either adjacent to or connected to Group refineries. As a result, Total's petrochemicals activities are closely integrated with the Group's refining operations.

Base petrochemicals :

 Encompasses the olefins and aromatics produced by steam cracking petroleum cuts, mainly naphta, as well as propylene and aromatics produced in the refineries of the group.

-Polyethylene is a plastic produced by the polymerization of ethylene manufactured in the group's steamcrackers. It is principally intended for the packaging, automotive, food, cable and pipe markets. -Polypropylene is a plastic produced by the polymerization of propylene manufactured in the steamcrakers and refineries of the Group and principally intended for the packaging, appliance, car industry, carpet and household and sanitary goods markets.
-The styrenics business unit encompasses styrene monomer, polystyrene and elastomers. Most of the styrene produced by the Group is used in the production of polystyrene. Polystyrene is a plastic principally used in packaging, domestic appliances, electronics and audio video.
Fertilizers :

    Grande Paroisse's core competency is nitrogen chemistry. Grande Paroisse is a fertilizer producer, offering a wide array of quality Fertilizers :

- Nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate, nitrogen-containing solutions, and foliage fertilizers.
- Compound fertilizers which contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium(three main plant nutrients). 
                       Grande Paroisse also markets industrial products such as ammonium nitrate, carbon dioxide, alkalis, technical urea and sulfuric acid business.

7. BP www.bp.com

            Main activities are the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, refining, marketing, supply and transportation, and the manufacture and marketing of petrochemicals. It also has a growing presence in gas and power and in solar power generation. BP is divided into three main business segments: Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Gas, Power and Renewable. It operate in 100 countries with well-established businesses in Europe, North and South America, Australasia and Africa. BP is one of the world's largest energy companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items

BP produces more than four million barrels of oil equivalent per day of oil and gas for customers across the world. In May 2005 oil began to flow into the 1,768km Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Through their retail outlets, BP serves around 13 million customers a day.

8. Bayer www.bayer.com

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. The subgroups and service companies operate independently under the leadership of the management holding company Bayer AG. In 2005 Bayer posted sales of around Euro 11.9 billion on the European market-more than 43 percent of the Group total. A comprehensive distribution network along with major production facilities in Germany, Belgium, France, the U.K., Italy and Spain give Bayer a strong presence in this important economic region. The Bayer Group markets some 5,000 products. Bayer is represented around the world by 350 companies. Global headquarters are in Leverkusen, Germany.

It has 110,200 employees worldwide(as of June 30, 2006), including: 

        61,300 in Europe (of which Germany: 44,100)

        18,000 in North America

        16,900 in Asia/Pacific 14,000 in Latin America/Africa/Middle East.

2005 fiscal year sales, in Euro million: 27,383

       Here is a list of the major products : Insecticides, Hematology/Cardiology, Analgesics Gastrointestinals, Fungicides, Polycarbonates, Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants Polyurethane Thermoplastic Polyurethane, Seed Treatment, Monitoring System.

9. Mitsubishi Chemical www.mitshubishichemical.com

     Group's Vision is Good Chemistry for Tomorrow. Mitsubishi Chemical produces Dual layer 8.5GB DVD-R DL Disk, CD, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, Floppy Discs Printer Consumables, Coated Paper, A4 Super High Grade Ink jet Paper etc.

10. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation(Sinopec) www.english.sinopec.com

    It is a publicly listed company. The Company was set up on February 25, 2000 by China Petrochemical Corporation(Sinopec Group) as the sole sponsor, pursuant to the Company Law of the People's Republic of China. The Company’s existing total number of shares is 86.702 billion, of which 71.23% is held by the State through Sinopec Group, Sinopec is an integrated energy and chemical company. The scope of its business mainly covers oil and gas exploration, development, production and marketing; oil refining; production and sales of petrochemicals, chemical fibers, chemical fertilizers and other chemical products, storage and pipeline transportation of crude oil and natural gas; import, export and import/export agency business of crude oil, natural gas, refined oil products, petrochemicals, chemicals, and other commodities and technologies; research, development and application of technology and information.

        It is China’s largest producer and supplier of oil products(Including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel etc.) and major petrochemical products(Including petrochemical intermediates, synthetic resin, synthetic fiber monomers and polymers, synthetic fiber and chemical fertilizer). The Company produced 39.27 million tons of crude oil and 6.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Refining throughput hit 140 million tons with oil product output 84.52 million tons(gasoline, kerosene and diesel). The Company also produced ethylene 5.32 million tons, synthetic resin 7.61 million tons, synthetic rubber 0.63 million tons, synthetic fiber monomers and polymers 6.72 million tons, and synthetic fiber 1.57 million tons. Production Figures :

Sinopec is the largest producer and supplier of oil products in China. Key products include gasoline, kerosene, diesel, lube oil, chemical light feedstock, fuel oil, solvent oil, petroleum wax, asphalt, petroleum coke, LPG, propylene, polypropylene and benzene products for refining. In 2005, the Company processed 139.94 million tons of crude, up by 5.26% year on year. The output of oil products (gasoline, kerosene and diesel) reached 84.53 million tons. The Company also produced 21.1 million tons of chemical light feedstock, 1.31 million tons of lube oil, 7.54 million tons of LPG, 500,000 tons of petroleum wax, 1.73 million tons of heavy-traffic road asphalt, 6.46 million tons of petroleum coke, 5.46 million tons of commercial heavy oil and 1.1 million tons of solvent oil.

    The category and usage are as follows:

              Gasoline includes motor vehicle gasoline, motor vehicle ethanol gasoline, Beijing local-spec gasoline and gasoline for export. Motor vehicle gasoline grades include RON90, RON93, RON95, RON97 and RON98. Diesel, including light diesel, urban automobile diesel, Beijing local-spec diesel and diesel for export. Lube products, categorized by usage into automotive lube oil, industrial lube oil, synthetic lubricant grease and metal working fluids (MWF), are widely applied to aviation, spaceflight, nuclear industry, electronics, military weapons, shipping, automobile, mechanical processing, metallurgical, refining, chemical, and instrumentation areas, etc. Road asphalt includes heavy-traffic road asphalt (Class A and Class B newly regulated by Ministry of Communications), modified asphalt, road petroleum asphalt, emulsion asphalt, asphalt used as a protecting coating for piping, asphalt for electric wire, water-proof asphalt, rubber asphalt, asphalt for painting, and insulated asphalt.

                 Sinopec Corp. is China’s largest petroleum refiner and oil products producer, with its refining capacity ranking the fourth in the world. The Company has 27 branches(subsidiaries) mainly located in China’s southeast coastal area, middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River and north China, with the most vital and developed economy, advantaged location, convenient transportation, and robust market demand. The Company’s major oil products include gasoline, kerosene, diesel, lube oil, chemical light feedstock, fuel oil, solvent oil, petroleum wax, asphalt, petroleum coke, LPG, propylene and benzene products for refining.

                     The Company owns a wide spectrum of processing facilities including atmospheric/vacuum distillation, FCC, hydro-cracking, delayed coking, catalytic reforming, aromatic separation, hydro-refining, alkylation, gas separation, asphalt, hydrogen production, de-sulfurization and sulfur recovery, etc. Some refineries also have solvent de-asphalting, solvent de-waxing, wax molding, solvent refining, lube oil hydro-refining, and clay refining, etc.

                  Thanks to years of self-development on technologies, the Company boasts a strong and experienced team in refining, R&D, engineering and construction. The Company has a series of major refining technologies such as RFCC, Catalytic Reforming, high-pressure hydro-cracking, medium-pressure hydro-cracking, hydro-refining, residual hydro-desulfurization and lube oil hydro-treating technologies, as well as their corresponding catalyst development and commercialization capabilities. The company’s refining technologies take the lead in China, and some of its technologies come up to international advanced level.

11. SABIC www.sabic.com

                        SABIC was established in 1976 to add value to Saudi Arabia's natural hydrocarbon resources. Today it is one of the leading global petrochemical. Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC is the Middle East's largest non-oil industrial company. SABIC's businesses are grouped into six strategic business units, supported by corporate departments and a Shared Services organization. The SBU's are  Basic Chemicals; Intermediates; Polyolefins; PVC and Polyester; Fertilizers and Metals. SABIC's manufacturing network in Saudi Arabia consists of 18 affiliates. Most of these are based in the Al-Jubail Industrial City on the Arabian Gulf. Two are located in Yanbu Industrial City on the Red Sea and one in eastern province city of Dammam. SABIC is also partners in three regional ventures based in Bahrain. In July 2002, SABIC  Europe was born after the acquisition of the petrochemicals business of Dutch group DSM. SABIC Europe employs 2,300 people and has two major manufacturing locations in Geleen in the Netherlands and Gelsenkirchen in Germany. SABIC is owned by the Saudi Government (70%) and the private sector (30%). Private sector shareholders are from Saudi Arabia and other countries of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC).

12. Degussa www.degussa.com

Degussa is a multinational corporation consistently aligned to highly profitable specialty     chemistry.

13. Formosa Plastics Group www.fpg.com

        Formosa Plastics Group has vast investment in Petrochemicals, Plastics, Textiles, Electronic Materials, Machinery, Power generation, Harbor operation, Marine and Ground Transportation, Construction, Motors Vehicle, Medical Care, Education, Biochemistry and Environment Protection Technologies. One of the top profitable enterprise in Taiwan, FPG(Formosa Plastics Group) has achieved annual turnover over US$20.2 Billion, the numbers of employee count exceeds sixty thousand, and the Factories are located throughout the world(Taiwan, USA, Mainland China, Vietnam etc). FPG has started E-engineering since 1966 and invested heavily in enterprise information system. Formosa Plastics Group holds more than 17000 clients, and 6000 frequent suppliers and engineering manufacturers.

14. Akzo Nobel www.akzonobel.com

                               The Netherland’s Multi-national manufacturing corporation is active in healthcare products, coatings and chemicals. Manufacturer of organic peroxides, metal alkyls, Ziegler-Natta and other polymerization catalysts, Healthcare products, coatings and chemicals,    

Surfactants Manufactures cost effective surfactants.

15. Huntsman  www.huntsman.com

                                Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and commodity chemicals. Its operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care,  detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.

                                Huntsman today has 15,000 employees and 78 operations in 24 countries. The Company had 2005 revenues of $13 billion. The large quantities of petrochemicals we manufacture are distributed to customers throughout North America, Central and South America, the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Southern Pacific. Huntsman annually produces more than 4 billion pounds of ethylene and 2 billion pounds of propylene. Ethylene is the petrochemical industry's most basic building block. For sale in the merchant market, the ethylene produced by Huntsman is used in a myriad of consumer products such as detergents, cosmetics, textiles and antifreeze, as well as internally for the production of ethylene oxide and derivative products.

                               Propylene, another chemical building block, is also used internally to create propylene oxide, acrylonitrile, cumene and polypropylene. Manufacturing uses include furniture and bedding, batteries, automobile interiors, carpeting, clothing, appliances, toys and packaging. Additional base chemicals produced by Huntsman include butadiene and cyclohexane.

                              Intermediate chemicals produced by Huntsman include ethanolamines and alkylalkanolamines. These chemicals, in addition to ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, and styrene monomer, are used in the production of such diverse products as paints, wrinkle-resistant clothing, audio and videotapes, gasoline additives, and furniture seat cushions. Huntsman is one of North America's largest producers of these chemicals. Huntsman is one of the world's most diversified producers of commodity and performance polymers.

                             Company offers a variety of versatile commodity polypropylene resins, including general purpose homopolymer, random copolymers and impact copolymers. Performance polymers business includes several high-end specialty grades of expandable polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene and flexible and amorphous polyolefins for the most demanding applications where strength, quality, consistency and exceptional performance are critical.

Other Global Leaders in Chemical Industry

Other Renowned Multinational Chemical Companies

► ICI Group www.ici.com

The ICI Group is one of the world's largest coatings, specialty chemicals and materials companies. ICI has over 50,000 products and more than 200 manufacturing facilities in over 55 countries worldwide.

► Johnson and Johnson www.jnj.com

The world's largest and most comprehensive manufacturer of health care products. Serving the customer, pharmaceutical, diagnostic and professional markets. Johnson & Johnson employs 89,300 people in their 170 labs located in 50 different countries

► Pharmacia Corp www.pharmacia.com

Pharmacia, Upjohn and Monsanto have merged to form a single company called. The resulting merged company has 60,000 employees in worldwide and maintains research, manufacturing, administrative, and sales offices in over 60 countries. 

► Pfizer www.pfizer.com

Pfizer is one of the worlds leading health care companies that manufactures pharmecuticals, medical devices, consumer health products and also has an animal health devision

► Union Carbide www.unioncarbide.com

Union Carbide is a leading global chemical company that manufactures thousands of familiar products including shatterproof plastic bottles, antifreeze, medicine, crayons, cosmetics and personal care products.

► Smithkline Beechman www.sb.com

Smithkline Beechman has an international reputation for innovative drug discovery and research.

► Sigma-Aldrich www.sigma.sial.com

The Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company is a global Manufacturer of Chemical Goods.

► Others : Other very familiar multi-national chemical companies are

-Proctor and Gamble www.pg.com and

-Unilever www.unilever.com

Chemical Industry Classification

The chemical industry is segmented into Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs) based on the type of chemical processing route used and the final products generated.

(1) Industrial Inorganic Chemicals

● Alkalies and Chlorine : Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), chlorine, soda ash, potassium and

    sodium carbonates

● Industrial Gases : Inorganic and organic gases(acetylene, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, argon)

● All Other Basic Inorganic Chemicals Manufacturing : Compounds of aluminum, ammonium,

    chromium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, and numerous other minerals; inorganic

    acids

(2) Plastics and Rubbers

● Plastics Materials and Resins : Synthetic resins, plastics, and elastomers (acrylic, polyamide,

    vinyl, polystyrene, polyester, nylon, polyethylene)

● Synthetic Rubber : Vulcanizable rubbers (acrylic, butadiene, neoprene, silicone)

(3) Drugs  

●Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing

(4) Soap, Detergents, Cleaning Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics and Toiletries

(5) Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels and Adhesives

(6) Industrial Organic Chemicals

● Cyclic Crudes and Intermediates :Distilling coal tars, cyclic intermediates, i.e., hydrocarbons, aromatics(benzene, aniline, toluene, xylenes) and organic dyes and pigments

● Industrial Organic Chemicals : Aliphatic/acyclic organics (ethylene, butylene, organic acids); solvents(alcohols, ethers, acetone, chlorinated solvents); perfumes and flavorings; rubber processors and plasticizers.

(7) Agricultural Chemicals

● Nitrogenous Chemicals : Ammonia fertilizer compounds, anhydrous ammonia, nitric acid, urea and natural organic fertilizers

● Phosphatic Chemicals : Phosphatic materials, phosphatic fertilizers