Indorama’s Indovinya business segment has agreed to acquire two speciality surfactants brands in the oil and gas sector from Cargill Bioindustrial UK. This includes 25 patents, tolling rights and an R&D facility in Houston, Texas. The two lines are: 

* Kememix demulsifiers for the separation and removal of water from crude oil. The range includes alkoxylates, polyamine derivatives and modified polyols, and are said to highly effective under demanding field conditions, including heavy oil, low temperature and low/high water applications

SMC Global has acquired International Chemicals (ICC) and will merge its own Oilfield business into ICC. The company said this “establishes an expanded, comprehensive portfolio of innovative products and services specifically designed for the oil and gas and produced water treatment industries”. Terms were not disclosed.

Oilfield chemicals player Baker Hughes and Dussur, which is co-owned by Sabic and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, have signed an agreement to form a joint venture company to make oilfield and industrial chemicals in Saudi Arabia.

The 51-49 venture includes Baker Hughes’ existing chemical blend plant in Dammam and manufacturing facility in Jubail. The latter will supply the Saudi market while expanding localisation opportunities. The deal is expected to close in Q3.

Two Western players, Italy’s Italmatch Chemicals and Colonial Chemicals of the US, have recently signed investment plans that will see them manufacturing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the wider Gulf region. Terms were not disclosed in either case.

Together with Biolab Arabia, Genoa-based Italmatch has created a 60-40 joint venture called Italmatch Biolab Industrial. This will make performance additives for applications in water and process treatment, and the oil and gas sector, with a focus on thermal and membrane based desalination, at Al-Jubail.