Core Viewpoint - BASF has introduced a new catalyst product, Lupragen N208, for the production of polyurethane (PU) foam, aimed at reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in manufacturing processes [1] Group 1: Product Development - The new catalyst integrates firmly into the PU polymer network during foam production, preventing its subsequent release from the foam [1] - Lupragen N208 is designed to meet customer demands for low VOC emissions, particularly in the production of flexible foams for mattresses and furniture, as well as semi-rigid and rigid foams for automotive interiors [1] Group 2: Production and Market Application - The production of Lupragen N208 will take place at BASF's integrated site in Ludwigshafen [1] - The product is suitable for industries that require compliance with low VOC emission standards [1]

编者按 前不久，陕西省委、省政府公布了2024年度陕西省科学技术奖获奖项目名单。其中，石油和化 学工业领域共有28项成果入选，包括一等奖10项、二等奖6项、三等奖12项，涵盖油气勘探、煤化工、 石油化工、精细化工、化工新材料、石油装备及资源绿色利用等多个方向。 为展现相关科技成果的研发历程、创新价值与应用成效，本报记者对其中3项一等奖成果进行了深入采 访，并自本期起推出《2024年度陕西省科技奖成果展示》系列报道，以期呈现科技赋能产业高质量发展 的生动实践。 以轻工技术与工程(造纸)学科见长的陕西科技大学扮演了冲锋者的角色。该校在此领域已深耕20余年， 此前攻克的高性能纤维纸基材料制备关键技术，已成功应用于国产CRH系列高速列车和新型军用直升 机。站在前人肩膀上，以陆赵情教授为核心的团队，再次向绝缘材料领域的珠峰——高掺量芳纶云母复 合材料发起挑战。科研团队开展了高性能纤维纸基复合材料纤维制备、高效分散与界面增强等基础理论 研究，相继攻克了有机无机高密度差浆料系统难分散、高掺量云母芳纶纤维体系难共容等"卡脖子"技术 瓶颈，在云母活化改性、有机/无机界面结合、芳纶云母绝缘纸复合等关键核心技术取得突破，形成了 具 ...

Core Insights - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released projections for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, estimating a production of 1.9 million tons by 2025, which is a doubling from 1 million tons in 2024, but growth will significantly slow in 2026 to only 2.4 million tons [1] - The market share of SAF in total aviation fuel consumption is projected to be very low, at 0.6% in 2025 and 0.8% in 2026 [1] - The high cost of SAF is a major factor affecting its adoption, with current prices being twice that of traditional jet fuel and up to five times higher in regions with mandatory usage [1] - The aviation industry is expected to incur an additional cost of $3.6 billion for SAF usage in 2025 [1] - The production forecast of 1.9 million tons has been revised down from previous estimates due to insufficient policy support leading to underutilization of capacity [1]

Core Insights - The petrochemical industry needs to enhance collaboration, including public-private partnerships, to address challenges such as overcapacity, regulatory changes, and technological disruptions [1] Industry Overview - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is projected to see a 5.7% year-on-year increase in petrochemical production capacity in 2024, reaching 165.4 million tons [1] - The average operating rate of plants is expected to decline from 93.4% in 2023 to 89.5% in 2024, indicating a situation where new capacities are coming online while global demand recovery is slowing [1] - The increase in capacity is primarily attributed to new and upgraded projects in Saudi Arabia and Oman [1] Financial Performance - The total sales revenue of the petrochemical industry in the GCC is forecasted to decrease by 6.5% year-on-year, falling to $80.1 billion in 2024 [1] - Approximately three-quarters of the petrochemical products from GCC member states are used for export, highlighting the region's critical role in the global petrochemical value chain [1]

Group 1 - Europe is restarting domestic oil and gas exploration to reduce dependence on high-priced imported energy, which conflicts with the EU's 2050 carbon neutrality goals and a significant LNG procurement agreement with the US [1][2] - Greece has issued its first offshore oil and gas exploration license to ExxonMobil, with the Ionian Sea area estimated to contain up to 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas, while Italy and the UK are also considering resuming offshore exploration [2] - The EU currently relies on imports for 85% of its natural gas consumption, with the US being the largest supplier, meeting approximately 16.5% of total EU consumption, and expected to account for about 70% of LNG imports by 2026-2029 as the EU phases out Russian gas [2] Group 2 - The development of domestic resources may enhance energy autonomy and potentially lower energy costs, but it conflicts with Europe's green transition goals, which include a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels [3] - The EU's commitment to purchase $250 billion worth of US energy products over the next three years creates a tension with its goal of diversifying energy supplies and reducing dependence on the US [3] - The rapid expansion of US LNG export capacity poses a dilemma for Europe, as it is a key source for replacing Russian energy and ensuring short-term energy security, but long-term dependence could undermine European energy autonomy and delay the transition to renewable energy [4] Group 3 - Internal discrepancies in energy policies among major European economies, such as Germany and France, hinder unified coordination, which may weaken Europe's negotiating power against energy giants like the US [4] - The transition to renewable energy, while promising, cannot fully address the immediate supply gap left by natural gas, particularly in heavy industry and heating sectors, necessitating a balance between ideal climate goals and practical energy supply [4]

Group 1 - The global chemical market is experiencing a significant increase in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, particularly in high-value sectors such as specialty chemicals and green renewable energy materials [2] - A notable acquisition involves a leading North American electronic-grade polymer materials company being acquired by a European chemical giant, focusing on semiconductor packaging materials and electronic adhesives for electric vehicles [2] - The European giant plans to expand its production capacity in Munich to meet the surging demand from the global chip and high-end automotive electronics industries [2] Group 2 - A major Asian chemical group has signed an agreement to fully acquire a European company with advanced bio-based polyester technology, which has a production capacity of 30,000 tons of biodegradable plastics [3] - This acquisition aligns with global decarbonization strategies and aims to enhance the group's green materials supply chain in Southeast Asia and Europe [3] - A North American mid-sized petrochemical company has completed the acquisition of a small refining plant to optimize logistics and procurement, expecting to reduce overall costs by approximately 8% [3] Group 3 - Three core drivers of the observed trends include strong structural growth in end markets, with demand in the global electric vehicle and high-end chip manufacturing sectors increasing by 15% to 20% year-on-year [4] - Continuous tightening of global green policies and regulations is pushing companies to acquire low-carbon technologies and green product portfolios to remain competitive [4] - Companies in key regions like North America and Asia are increasingly pursuing horizontal mergers to strengthen local supply capabilities and enhance supply chain autonomy amid geopolitical and supply chain security concerns [4]

中化新网讯 埃克森美孚于12月9日更新其长期战略规划，大幅上调了2030年的盈利与现金流预期。 埃克森美孚表示，增长核心来自上游优势资产，预计到2030年总产量将达550万桶油当量/日，其中约 65%为低成本资源。在能源转型领域，该公司注重碳捕集与封存业务，计划在2025至2030年间投入约 200亿美元用于低碳项目，助力客户脱碳。 该公司表示，在保持资本支出不变的前提下，得益于优势资产、强化后的产品组合及成本控制，预计到 2030年将比2024年累计增加250亿美元的盈利和350亿美元的现金流，均较此前目标上调50亿美元。以每 桶65美元的布伦特油价计算，该公司预计至2030年将累计产生约1450亿美元的现金流。 ...

Core Insights - The German chemical and pharmaceutical industry is projected to face stagnation in production by 2026, with a forecasted decline in chemical product output by 1%, a smaller drop compared to the current year [1] - Revenue for the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors is expected to decrease by 2% due to falling product prices and production stagnation [1] Group 1: Industry Outlook - The situation in the German chemical industry is expected to worsen in 2025, with both production and producer prices declining by 0.5%, leading to a revenue drop of 1% [1] - Chemical product output is anticipated to decrease by 2.5%, with overall industry revenue (including domestic and international) expected to decline by 3% [1] Group 2: Industry Sentiment - A survey conducted by VCI indicates a pessimistic sentiment within the industry, with 20% of respondents planning to relocate or completely shut down production capacity [1] - 10% of companies intend to close entire production sites, over 40% expect domestic revenue to decline further, and nearly half believe profitability will continue to deteriorate [1] Group 3: Challenges Facing the Industry - Key challenges identified include a lack of competitiveness in domestic production costs, high uncertainty in regulatory policies, and lengthy approval processes [1] - Additional pressures arise from high energy and emission costs, a strong euro, excess capacity abroad, U.S. tariff barriers, and geopolitical economic instability [1] Group 4: Recommendations - VCI calls for reforms in energy climate, administrative systems, and social security within Germany and Europe, advocating for the establishment of long-term industrial policies and improvements in capital market alliances and internal markets to achieve climate neutrality and create a level playing field with the U.S. and China [1]

Core Insights - Digital innovation is rapidly becoming a core driver in the oilfield services industry, with significant cost-saving potential estimated at over $320 billion in the next five years through various digitalization efforts [1][2] - The oilfield services ecosystem is expected to undergo a major transformation, with core companies shifting towards a "digital-first" business strategy [1] - The frequency of mentions regarding digitalization in financial disclosures is increasing, indicating its growing importance in the industry [1] Digitalization Impact - Key areas for digitalization include drilling optimization, autonomous robotics, predictive maintenance, reservoir management, and logistics optimization [1] - Schlumberger has begun reporting its digital segment's performance separately, projecting a profit margin of 35% for this segment by 2025 [1] - Viridien reported a revenue of $787 million from its digital, data, and environmental segment last year, reflecting a 17% year-over-year growth [1] Challenges and Responses - The widespread adoption of digital oilfields faces obstacles such as high initial hardware and software investments, ongoing maintenance costs, and cybersecurity expenses [2] - Medium-sized companies are selectively enhancing specific digital capabilities to improve services, while smaller niche firms focus on providing modular and customized solutions [2] - Collaboration between oilfield service companies and technology firms is increasing, enhancing internal digital capabilities and complementing merger and acquisition activities in the digital space [2]

Core Insights - Yangzi Petrochemical's "Strict Control of Fuel Costs for Efficiency Improvement Project" has been awarded the "Pioneer of Value Creation" title for the second batch of 2025 [2] - The company has implemented a series of innovative production management strategies to reduce energy consumption and material costs, achieving a total savings of nearly 2 million yuan [2][4] Group 1: Scientific Decision-Making - The decision to shut down the 910/920 units was made due to historically low load levels, which were causing financial losses [3] - The shutdown led to significant savings in steam and water usage, with a reduction of 9.7 tons of steam and 1,100 tons of circulating water per hour [3] Group 2: Precise Measures - The production team implemented various energy-saving measures, including adjusting raw material structures and optimizing reaction depths, resulting in a 3.4 kg reduction in energy consumption per ton despite a 1.5% decrease in load [4] - The overall cost savings from these measures amounted to 2 million yuan [4] Group 3: Party Leadership - The party branch played a crucial role in coordinating efforts during low-load operations, facilitating daily meetings to address operational issues and share solutions [5] - The collaborative approach among team members, likened to "precision gears," contributed to the successful recovery of full-load operations [6]