OREANDA-NEWS. Versalis (Eni) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Neville Venture for the production of hydrocarbon resins at the versalis Priolo plant and entered into a licence agreement related to the feedstock which will feed the resin facilities. These new, high added-value productions, synergetic in particular with the elastomer business, will be used in specialty applications such as adhesives, inks, coatings and rubber.

Neville Venture is a joint venture between US based companies Neville Chemical Co., a synthetic resins manufacturer, and GTC, an engineering and technology company in the chemical, refining and gas industry.

The partnership represents an important step in the Priolo plant overhauling framework and it confirms the central role of the site in the Versalis strategic plan. In fact, these new technologies will make it possible to build hydrocarbon resin production plants, contributing to making the most of the cuts produced by the existing cracking facility. The presence of a promising market for these products at a European level, where Versalis has a widespread and consolidated commercial presence, represents another qualifying factor that makes this project extremely important for the company.

"The overhaul activities started off at Priolo represents an example of industrial integrated model and this agreement is Versalis' tangible sign of its commitment to innovation and to application of  technological excellence instrumental to enhancing the plant strengths", said Daniele Ferrari, CEO of Versalis. "The path we have taken enables us to find innovative business solutions that, in turn, translate into opportunities for the area and the community we are part of".