First ever drone standards to create lucrative market and solve economic challenges

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The introduction of the first ever list of drone industry standards is expected to enable a booming market and spur economies across the globe, says the International Standards Organisation, said Compello.

The world’s first drone standards are being introduced today in a bid to provide assurance on the safety, security and “etiquette” of their use.

International Standards Organisation (ISO) is releasing the new standards, which are expected to galvanise the industry and spur considerable market growth after boosting public confidence in the technology.

They are also expected to play an essential role in guiding how drones are used safely and effectively in a complex framework of regulatory compliance.

Robert Garbett, convenor of the ISO team responsible for global drone operational Standards, said: “I am delighted that we have now reached the point where the first ever standards for the global drone industry are ready for public consultation after three years of hard work and international cooperation between standard’s bodies across the world, with final adoption expected in 2019.

“These standards will undoubtedly lead to a new confidence in safety, security and compliance within this dynamic industry, resulting in a massive expansion in the availability and use of drone technology in the years to come.”

The new standards outline a cogent set of new rules for drone use, promoting and reinforcing compliance regarding no-fly zones, local regulation, flight log protocols, maintenance, training and flight planning documentation. They also address public concerns over privacy and data protection by requiring operators to have appropriate systems to handle data alongside communications and control planning when flying.

In terms of impact on the economy, the standards are expected to enable drones to solve various transport, security, environmental and productivity challenges faced by governments and industries across the globe.

Professional services network PWC recently predicted that the UK aerial drone industry will contribute GBP42 billion and 628,000 jobs to the UK economy by 2030, while Goldman Sachs estimate that drones worldwide will be a USD100 billion (GBP78bn) market by 2020.

Mr Garbett added: “Drones represent a global phenomenon and an unprecedented economic opportunity for any country which embraces the technology. It’s very encouraging that the UK Government is a world leader in recognising the importance of this vital business sector.

The ISO Draft International Standards for Drone Operations are formally released today for public consultation, with drone professionals, academics, businesses and the general public being invited to submit comments by 21 Jan 2019 with final adoption of these Standards expected in the US, UK and worldwide in 2019.
MRC

Oman Oil, ORPIC merge downstream businesses

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oman Oil Co and Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Co (ORPRIC) have merged their downstream businesses and appointed a new group chief executive as part of plans to integrate the two companies, reported Reuters with reference to ORPIC's statement posted on its twitter account.

Musab al-Mahruqi will take over as group chief executive effective Dec. 2 and oversee the integration of the management and assets of the two companies, the statement said.

Al-Mahruqi was chief executive of ORPIC between 2010 and 2016 and led Oman’s first large-scale corporate integration between 2010-2012, it said. He earlier worked at Oman Oil.

Reuters reported in May that Oman was working with consultancy McKinsey & Co to integrate its refining and petrochemical companies into one entity, citing a senior Omani official and a financial source.

In recent years, Gulf countries have looked at ways to reform their oil firms, including through privatization, to make them more efficient during a period of low oil prices.

Oman has been considering a wide range of privatizations for several years.

As MRC informed previously, in March 2017, ORPIC announced plans to raise capacity of its polypropylene (PP) plant to 340,000 tpa of high quality PP from 200,000 tpa.

ORPIC (Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company) is one of the leading companies in Oman and has two refineries in that country, in Sohar and Muscat. ORPIC is owned by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and Oman Oil Company SAOC, the trading company created by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for managing investments in the energy sector.
MRC

Trinity Energy firm to build refinery in South Sudan

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinity Energy subsidiary A&A Oil and Gas Ltd has been awarded a licence to build a 50,000 bpd refinery near the Paloich oilfield, around 350 km from the border with Ethiopia, said Yourpetrochemicalnews.

Preliminary feasibility studies have been carried out by Amec Foster Wheeler and Engineers India Ltd (EIL).

East Africa imports roughly 15 million tpy of petroleum products mostly from Asian refineries.

Trinity is planning to build a modular 25,000 bpd facility that can be quickly scaled up the capacity in multiples of 25,000 bpd.

The facility is expected to produce an initial 2.5 million tpy of petroleum products, ramping up to 10 million tpy over a period of 5 years. The output will target high growth export markets in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.

Construction is tabbed to begin in Q1 2019, with private equity providing part of the finance for the unit.

Chinese firm Peiyang Chemical Engineering Co. (PCC) will carry out EPC work and will establish a workshop to fabricate major components for the refinery.

South Sudanese oil production is expected to reach 300,000 bpd by Q3 2019.

Trinity Energy is also in negotiations with technology companies to build a product pipeline to Ethiopia.
MRC

SABIC expands its PP portfolio with new impact copolymer

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has announced the launch of a new impact copolymer (ICP) grade - SABIC PP PPA20 - targeted at demanding home appliances as well as high-end cosmetics, furniture and other household consumer goods, as per the company's press release.

Apart from its high gloss feature that enables production of aesthetically appealing surfaces, the new compound is developed to offer well-balanced mechanical properties and easy processability, making it a promising alternative to incumbent ABS materials in these markets.

By 2050, the global population will grow to over 9 billion, with metropolitan areas expanding over-proportionally. Smart cities will be the home of an increasing middle class with a global spending power expected to reach USD20 trillion already by 2020, and a wealth of connective electrical and electronic appliances will form a new generation of smart consumer devices. We are firmly committed to meeting the needs of the home appliances industry for healthier and more sustainable as well as cost-efficient material solutions enabling manufacturers to benefit from this enormous market potential.

New SABIC PP PPA20 polymer is aimed to provide a combination of high gloss, high scratch resistance and low stress whitening over regular impact copolymers together with balanced impact strength and stiffness. In comparison with other, potentially more costly and overdesigned solutions - high-gloss SABIC PP PPA20 is engineered to deliver comparable optical properties and scratch resistance along with superior processability. In many application cases, it can offer brand owners, molders and OEMs a significant cost and energy savings potential based on its lower density, higher flow and faster crystallization than currently used materials resulting in potentially shorter cycle times. Further energy savings may be leveraged as the material eliminates the need for pre-drying and can be injection molded at lower mold and barrel temperatures versus ABS.

Low density and high flow also open conceivable new material and weight saving design opportunities for more resource-efficient and waste-reducing products, such as from sleek housings with lower wall-thicknesses. However, the more important advantage for consumers may be the phthalate-free polymer technology of SABIC PP PPA20, which answers the need for improved consumer health safety in - for instance - food contact appliances.

Targeted applications of SABIC’s new high-gloss impact copolymer span from household appliances and food storage containers to toys and furniture. Typical examples include coffee makers, steam irons, vacuum cleaners, personal hygiene appliances and aesthetic fascia for white goods, such as washing machines and refrigerators.

SABIC PP PPA20 addresses the needs of designers and molders in these markets for aesthetic as well as cost-efficient and more sustainable materials with higher performance characteristics for functional innovation and enhanced consumer experience. This advanced high-gloss impact copolymer polypropylene is outstanding proof of our dedicated market and customer focus as we reach into new application possibilities for profitable partnerships and mutual growth.

Already available in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, SABIC PP PPA20 is to be phased in commercially in the Americas in 2019.

As MRC reported previously, in November 2017, plastics-maker Sabic developed new materials for customers producing LED automotive lighting parts. LEXAN HF4010SR resin was one of the new offerings. This polycarbonate (PC) material can make it possible for customers to develop complex headlight bezels with enhanced aesthetics. Sabic also added new grades to its existing LEXAN XHT resin line, which can offer improved flow at high temperatures compared to other high-heat polycarbonate materials available today.
MRC

BP agrees to supply crude to St. Croix refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP Plc’s trading arm has entered a tolling agreement with the owners of an idled oil refinery in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, cementing plans to bring the plant back online six years after it was idled by previous owners, reported Reuters with reference to the company.

Under BP’s tolling agreement with Limetree Bay Refining LLC, owner of the idled Hovensa refinery, BP will supply the facility with crude and sell its products, low-sulfur fuels that will meet an International Maritime Organization mandate in 2020, it said in a statement.

BP declined to comment further. Limetree did not respond to requests for comment.

Limetree, owned by private equity firm ArcLight Capital Partners LLC, is investing USD1.5 billion to bring the Hovensa refinery, one of the largest such facilities in the world, back online by late 2019, with plans to process 200,000 barrels per day (bpd).

It aims to produce low-sulfur fuels that satisfy the International Maritime Organization rule calling for large vessels to switch by 2020 to fuels containing no more than 0.5 percent sulfur from 3.5 percent. The rule is widely expected to spur new demand for the distillates the refinery would produce.

Limetree’s facility has more than 1,100 construction workers on site and has brought online 25 million barrels of crude storage capacity.

As MRC wrote earlier, British oil and gas company BP will increase investment in the United States after the lowering of tax rates under President Donald Trump, Chief Executive Bob Dudley said in early February 2018. BP invested USD90 billion in the United States over the past decade, excluding USD65 billion in fines and clean up costs over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, making it the country's biggest investor in the energy sector.
MRC