Sinopec Fujian and Linde Form JV to Supply Gases for FREP   

Sinopec Fujian Petrochemical Company Ltd. (FPCL) and the Linde Group formed a joint venture on September 10th. The 50/50 jv between FPCL and Linde Gas (Hong Kong) Limited, a fully-owned Linde subsidiary, will supply industrial gases to customers in Fujian province, southeastern China.
   The new jv Fujian Linde-FPCL Gases Company Limited, located in Quangang Petrochemical Industrial Park, Quanzhou, Fujian, will produce and distribute nitrogen, oxygen and argon.
   Fujian Linde-FPCL Gases is currently building two air separation units at the Quanzhou site. Each of the plants has a capacity of 40 000 normal cubic meters oxygen per hour. In future, the principal function of these plants will be to supply air gases via pipeline to the Fujian Integrated Refining and Ethylene Project (FREP) in Quangang. The plants will also produce the liquefied gases oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as raw krypton and raw xenon for the regional market in Fujian.
   In addition to the liquefied gases business, Fujian Linde-FPCL Gases intends to set up a local gases center in Quangang, providing a high-quality gas supply infrastructure to various customers in the industrial park.
   FPCL, a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp.), is currently building FREP, partnering with ExxonMobil and Saudi Aramco, which is scheduled for startup this October.
   In addition, Sinopec Corp. announced on September 16th it signed overseas engineering contracts worth US$1.698 billion in the first seven months of 2008, up 193% year-on-year, representing the giant's overseas engineering business has formed a completed service network in the global market.