As part of its “refinery and petrochemicals integrated development” (RAPID) project in Johor / Malaysia, state-own oil giant Petronas (Kuala Lumpur; www.petronas.com) on 29 November awarded the project’s LLD/HDPE portion to Ineos Technologies (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com). The 350,000 t/y swing plant will utilise Ineos’ “Innovene G” gas phase fluidised bed process. Output will also include metallocene LLDPE and is earmarked for the Malaysian and Asian high-performance film, moulding and packaging markets.

Claimed to be the largest liquid-based green-field downstream project in Malaysia, RAPID will not only house a 300,000 b/day refinery, but also a number of petrochemical plants, including facilities for the production of plasticiser feedstock isononanol as well as polyisobutylene, non-ionic surfactants, methanesulfonic acid and precursor materials, to be operated by a new Petronas-BASF joint venture – see Plasteurope.com of 09.03.2012.