Chemtura Organometallics and Huntsman have both moved forward in manufacturing joint ventures at Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia with the Al Zamil Group. The former, a German subsidiary of Chemtura, has completed the front-end engineering and design of a world-scale metal alkyls facility while the latter is considering a morpholine and Diglycolamine Agent (DGA) amines facility.

According to Chemtura, the next stages of its venture, including financing and contracting the detailed engineering and construction, “are being progressively”. The facility, which will make speciality catalyst components various processes, mostly related to thermoplastics, should be operational in 2012.

Al Zamil and Chemtura Organometallics will jointly market the products in the Middle East, while the latter would take charge of this in other regions. Chemtura and Al Zamil have been producing antioxidant stabilisers in Saudi Arabia for the regional polyolefin industry since 2000, also at Jubail, and recently announced an expansion in line with demand growth.

Meanwhile, Huntsman and Al Zamil have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to explore the feasibility of constructing and operating their proposed facility. Morpholine is a neutralising amine used for preventing carbonic acid corrosion in plant or refinery steam condensate systems., while DGA removes CO2 and hydrogen sulphide from refinery and production gas streams.

This would operate on a 50:50 ownership basis, using Huntsman technology and with Huntsman also having global rights to sales and marketing. Huntsman Performance Products divisional president Daniele Ferrari, said that this venture would make Huntsman “the most global supplier of DGA and morpholine”, both of which it currently makes in the US and the UK.