9/10/2016

World's10largestpetrochemicalscompanies

World's10largestpetrochemicalscompanies
KevinBaxter,September28th,2009
Otherstories:World's10largestoilfieldtechnologycompanies|World's10
largestpetrochemicalscompanies|Oilindustrygiants:ADNOC|Oilindustrygiants:
SaudiAramco|Top10MENARegionmegaprojects|Top10billiondollaroil
dealsofthesummer|2009'swinnersandlosersintheoilindustry|10eventsin
oil'shistorythatshooktheworld|Top10Gulfmegaprojects|Top10largest
publiclytradedoilcompanies|World's10largestoilfieldservicescompanies|
World's10largestoilandgascontractors
ItishighlylikelythattheCEOsofmostpetrochemicalcompanieswillbepleasedtoseethebackof2009.Thisyearhasbeena
trueannushorribilisforasectorravagedbyahugedropindemandforitsproductsduetotheglobaleconomicslowdownthat
hashappenedoverthepast12months.
However,mostofthebigplayersarestillmakingaprofit,justnotasbigastheprofitstheymadeoverthepasttwoorthree
boomyears.Otherpositivefactorsincludeloweroilpricesmeaninglowerfeedstockpricesandthedropinthecostofraw
materialshasmeantthatmanycompanieshavebeenabletotrimbillionsofdollarsfrommajorprojects.
SowiththepositivesratherthanthenegativesinmindArabianOilandGas.combringsyouthetop10worldslargest
petrochemicalscompanies.
Compilingthelisthasprovedtobedifficultonoccasionduetomanychemicalscompaniesbeingsodiversifiedastomakingit
impossibletoseparatethepetrochemicalssidefromtherest.
Forthatreasonafewmajorcompanieswithinthesectorhaveeitherfailedtomakethelist,apologiestoBayerandMitsubishi
Chemical,orwhohavebeenrelegateddownthelistdespitehavinglarger2008revenuesthanothersfurtherup,DuPont.
Thelistisbasedonthe2008revenuesandthereforeexcludesanycompaniesownedoutrightbygovernments.Sitesusedto
sourceinformationincludedallofthecompanywebsitesandannualreports.
Ifyouagreewiththelistorthinkwe'veleftacomapnyout,pleaseleaveacommentbelow.
1.BASF(Germany)
2.DowChemical(USA)
3.ExxonMobilChemical(USA)
4.LyondellBasellIndustries(Netherlands)
5.INEOS(UK)
6.SaudiBasicIndustriesCorporation(SaudiArabia)
7.FormosaPlasticsCorporation(Taiwan)
8.SumitomoChemical(Japan)
9.DuPont(USA)
10.ChevronPhillips(USA)
1.BASF
(Germany$62.30billion)
Anyonewhohaseverownedacassetterecorderwillbefamiliarwiththename,butthecompanyabandoneditsconsumer
productsinthe1990s.ThemovehasobviouslypaiddividendsbecausetheGermancompanyisnowtheworldslargest
producerofchemicals.
Employingover96,000peopleworldwide,ithasover160subsidiariesandjointventureswithcustomersinalmost200
countries.Notbadgoingforacompanyfoundedin1885toproducedyes.
ThecompanyitselfsaysthatitspetrochemicalsdivisionisthebackboneofBASFsvalueaddingchain.Productssuchas
ethylene,propylene,butadieneandbenzeneareproducedinsteamcrackersfromnaphthaornaturalgasatfacilitysthe
companyhasbuiltaroundtheworld.
http://www.arabianoilandgas.com/article6235worlds10largestpetrochemicalscompanies/1/print/

1/4

9/10/2016

World's10largestpetrochemicalscompanies

CoveringawiderangeofindustriesacrossthepetrochemicalssectorBASFalsohasinterestsinoilandgasthroughWintershall
HoldingsAGandRussianenergycompanyGazprom.
2.DowChemical
(USA$57.51billion)
FoundedbyCanadianchemistHerbertHenryDowin1897,theUSbasedcompanyisamajorproviderofawiderangeof
chemicalproductsandistheworldslargestsupplierofplasticsincludingpolystyrene,polyurethanes,polyethyleneand
polypropylene.
Thecompanyhasapresencein175countriesandemploys46,000peopleworldwide.DowhasastrongpresenceintheMiddle
Eastwithanumberofhighprofilejointventureswithsomeoftheregionsmajorplayers.
DowwasrecentlyinthenewsafterKDowPetrochemicals,theUS$17.4billionjointventurebetweenthecompanyanda
subsidiaryofKuwaitPetroleumCorporation(KPC),wascancelledbyKPCcitingtheglobaleconomicslowdown.Thetwo
companiesarenowlockedinlitigationwithDowaskingforcompensationofatleast$2.5billion.
3.ExxonMobilChemical
(USA$55billion)
ExxonMobilChemicalisasubsidiaryoftheUSenergygiantandisanintegratedmanufacturerandglobalmarketerofolefins,
aromatics,fluids,syntheticrubber,polyethylene,polypropylene,orientedpolypropylenepackagingfilms,plasticizers,synthetic
lubricantbasestocks,additivesforfuelsandlubricants,zeolitecatalystsandotherpetrochemicalproducts.
BeingactiveinallaspectsofthehydrocarbonsindustryallowsExxonMobilmanyadvantagesnotopentoitsdirectcompetitors.
Itsmajorplantsareintegratedwithrefineriesmeaningthatitcanemploythemosteconomicfeedstocksandcosteffective
operations.
Thecompanyhasmanufacturinglocationsinmorethan20countriesanditsproductsmarketedinmorethan150countries.
ExxonMobilChemicalsalsohasanumberofhighleveljointventuressuchasthe
SaudiYanbuPetrochemicalCompany(Yanpet)facility,a50/50jointventurewithSABICthatproducesmorethan1.6million
metrictonsofethyleneandmorethantwomillionmetrictonsofderivativeproductsannually.

4.LyondellBasellIndustries(LBI)
(Netherlands$51billion)
LBIisaprivatelyheldcompanyheadquarteredinRotterdamintheNetherlands.ThecompanywasformedinDecember2007
afterLyondellChemicalwasboughtbyBasellPolyolefinsfor$12.7billion.
Thecompanyrefinescrudeoil,producesgasolineblendingcomponents,manufacturespetrochemicalsandpolymers,including
polyolefinsandadvancedpolyolefinsanddevelopstechnologiesfortheproductionofpolymers.LBIownsaround9,600
patentsworldwide.
LBIhas60manufacturingsitesin19countriesworldwideandemploysmorethan15,000people.Thecompanyhasanumber
ofjointventuresintheMiddleEastincludingtheSaudiPolyolefinsCompany,theSaudiEthyleneandPolyethyleneCompany
andAlWahaPetrochemicalCompany,allinSaudiArabia.
However,notallisgoodforLBI,inJanuarythecompanysUSoperationsfiledforChapter11bankruptcyinorderto
restructuredebts.
5.INEOS
(UK$47billion)
TheprivatelyownedUKchemicalscompanyisarelativenewcomerstartertothepetrochemicalsindustry.
Formedin1997toeffectamanagementbuyoutofaformerBPpetrochemicalsfacilityinBelgiumINEOShasexpanded
exponentiallyoverthelastdecadebypurchasingseveralotherbusinessesbelongingtocompaniessuchasAmoco,BASF,ICI,
DowChemical,SolvayandUCB.
Thecompanyisnowaglobalmanufacturerofpetrochemicals,specialtychemicalsandoilproductsandcomprises17
businesses.Itsproductionnetworkspans64manufacturingfacilitiesin14countriesthroughouttheworldandINEOSemploys
http://www.arabianoilandgas.com/article6235worlds10largestpetrochemicalscompanies/1/print/

2/4

9/10/2016

World's10largestpetrochemicalscompanies

15,500employees.
ThecompanyhasnorealinterestsintheMiddleEast,buthasanumberoffacilitiesinotherAsiancountriesincludingIndia,
ThailandandChina.
6.SaudiBasicIndustriesCorporation(SABIC)
(SaudiArabia$37.66billion)
SABICwillneednointroductiontoanyonefromtheMiddleEast.TheSaudiArabianpetrochemicalscompanysneaksontothe
listseeingasitislistedontheSaudistockexchangealthough70%ofitisstillownedbytheSaudigovernment.
Thecompanywasfoundedin1976toprocesssomeofthehugeamountsofSaudiArabianoilbyproductsintochemicals.Its
risehasbeenmeteoricduetobothacquisitionsandinternalexpansionanditnowprocesses42millionmetrictonnesand
employs16,000workersworldwide.
ThecompanyacquiredtheUScompanyGEPlasticsin2007,payinga$11.6billioncash.ThecompanywasrenamedtoSABIC
InnovativePlastics.Themovewasnotatotalsuccesshowever.
ThecompanysvicechairmanandCEOMohamedAlMadyadmittedearlierthisyearthatitmayhavegotthetimingwrongand
paidovertheodds.Thiswasconfirmedwhenthecompanyannounceda$315milliongoodwillimpairmentchargeintheirlast
quarterlyfigures.
7.FormosaPlasticsCorporation
(Taiwan$31.5billion)
TheTaiwanesecompanywasfoundedin1954and,whenformed,wastheworldssmallestPVCproductionfacility.Itwouldbe
amassiveunderstatementtosaythatthecompanyhasgrownslightlysincethen.
FormosaPlasticsisnowthelargestmanufacturerofPVCresinsintheworldaswellaspolypropyleneandpolyethyleneresins,
causticandethylenedichloride,polyolefins,olefins,EVA/LDPEandLLDPE.BasicallyanythingplastictocomeoutofChinaand
TaiwanprobablystartedlifeinoneofFormosasfactories.
Thecompanyhasatotalof94,000employeesworldwideandhasassetsinexcessof$85billion.Whilenotparticularlyactive
intheMiddleEastthecompanyhasmajorinterestsintheUS.
8.SumitomoChemical
(Japan$16.65billion)
Foundedin1913,SumitomoChemicalispartoftheJapaneseconglomerate,orkeiretsuasitisknowninJapan,theSumitomo
Group,whichbeganlifein1630whenacertainMasatomoSumitomoopenedastoresellingmedicineandbooks.
Thecompanyproducesawiderangeofpetrochemicalproductsincludingpolyethylene,polypropylene,propyleneoxideand
styrenemonomeraswellasresinssuchaspolymeralloys.Itemploysaround25,000employees.
SumitomoalsohasextensiveinterestsintheMiddleEastthelargestofwhichisPetroRabigh,thejointventurewithSaudi
Aramco.
WhentheUS$10billionprojectiscompleteditwillbeoneofthelargestintegratedrefiningandpetrochemicalfacilitiesinthe
worldproducingaround1.3millionmetrictonsperannum(mtpa)ofethylene,900,000mtpaofpropylene,aswellas60,000
barrelsofgasolineperday.Petrochemicalunitswillconvertalloftheolefinproductiontodownstreamproducts.
SumitomoandAramcoeachown37.5%oftheprojectwhiletheremaining25%wasmadeavailableasapublicoffering.
9.DuPont
(USA$31.83billion)
EventhoughDuPonthasbeenmovingawayfromthehydrocarbonsindustryforthepast1015yearsandnowcallsitselfa
globalsciencecompany,thevastamountofpetrochemicalsitstillproducesisstillenoughforittomakethelistalbeit
lowerdownthatitsrevenuessuggest.
TheAmericancompanyledthepolymersrevolutionintheearlypartofthelastcenturyanditsrangeofengineeringpolymers,
ethylenecopolymers,fluoropolymers,filmsandsheetsandpolymermodifiersareusedacrosstheautomotive,electricaland
industrialindustries.

http://www.arabianoilandgas.com/article6235worlds10largestpetrochemicalscompanies/1/print/

3/4

9/10/2016

World's10largestpetrochemicalscompanies

Thecompanyemploysmorethan60,000peopleandoperatesin70countriesworldwide.In1999itsolditsitssharesinoil
andgasproducerConocoInctoPhillipsPetroleum.
10.ChevronPhillips
(US$13billion)
TherearenoprizesforguessingChevronPhillipsisjointlyownedbythetwoUShydrocarbongiantsChevronCorporationand
ConocoPhillips.Formedin2001the50/50ventureisgovernedbyaboardofdirectorscomposedoftwomembersfromeach
oftheparentcompanies.
Thecompanywasactuallynamedinacointosstodeterminewhichparentcompanynamewouldbefirstandwhichwouldbe
last.
HeadquarteredinHoustonTexas,ChevronPhillipsisamajorproducerofethylene,propylene,polyethylene,polypropylene,K
ResinSBC,Rytonpolyphenylenesulfide(PPS),alphaolefins,polyalphaolefins,aromaticcompoundsandarangeofspecialty
chemicals.
Thechemicalsthecompanyproducesareusedinover70,000consumerandindustrialproducts.

Thecompanyhas4800employeesandoperates37manufacturingandresearchcentres.
NotablefacilitiesintheMiddleEastincludethreeworldscaleplantsinQatarandarecentlyexpandedplantinAlJubailthatis
oneofthelargeststyrenefactoriesintheworld.

2016ITPBusinessPublishingLtd.|UseofthissitecontentconstitutesacceptanceofourUserPolicy,PrivacyPolicyandTerms&Conditions.

http://www.arabianoilandgas.com/article6235worlds10largestpetrochemicalscompanies/1/print/

4/4