France’s SNF Group has opened a regional technical centre at its site at Gandhidham, in Gujarat state, India. This will carry out core flooding, compatibility study and chemical enhanced oil recovery screening, focusing on high-performance anionic polymers for oil and gas applications. It will serve as the firm’s R&D hub for India, while also facilitating joint projects with oil operators. The firm had invested heavily in polacrylamides at the site earlier in the year.

Kemira has agreed to divest its oil and gas chemicals portfolio to Sterling Specialty Chemicals, a US subsidiary of India’s Artek Group for €260 million subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The company said that this will enable it “to focus on its core businesses and accelerate its profitable growth strategy”. The two parties expect to complete by the end of Q1 2024.