 | |
| Type | Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chemicals |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Headquarters | Bangkok, Thailand |
| Products | Chemicals, such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, various bases and salts, fertilisers and lubricants |
| Website | www.siamchemicals.co.th |
The Siam Chemicals Public Company (SCC) blends and trades chemicals, fertilisers and lubricants and manufactures basic chemicals for downstream industries such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, various bases and salts.
The company was founded as The Siam Chemicals Company Limited in 1959 by Dr. Charng Ratanarat and a group of scientists, engineers and businessmen. Dr. Charng Ratanarat had studied in Germany and had the vision to make Thailand independent from importing bulk chemicals, commodities and supplies. He wanted to become the first producer of chemicals for the downstream industry in Thailand such as sulphuric acid and agricultural fertilizers. He set-up the company to support Thailand's industry and agriculture with locally produced chemicals. He started in 1960 to produce sulfuric acid. [1]
A state of the art plant for the mass production of sulfuric acid was completed by 1966. It operated with the double absorption system, which was the first in Southeast Asia. Other chemical products included nitrous oxide and potash alum. The Siam Chemicals Company Limited was the first in Thailand to produce bulk blend fertilizer in 1968 which was marketed under the brand name Three Nagas. The construction of Wharf 5C, the company's riverside harbor and port was completed in 1971 and general cargo warehouses and a tank farm were built. As the first Thai company it produced lubrication oil for the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) since 1983. [1]
In 1994 the company was registered as Public Company with a registered capital of 200 million Baht under the management of the son of the company founder, Chira Ratanarat, who had obtained a master's degree in Automotive Engineering from the University of Stuttgart. [2] The registered capital increased quickly by four times to 800 million Baht in 2009. Since 1995 liquid tank farm services from ship to shore were provided, to store fuels, solvents and drummed liquid goods for land transport. In 1996 oil trading commenced as certified oil importer in an exclusive collaboration with the National Petroleum of Kuwait Plc, and Huyndai Global Oil Co., Korea. [1] In 1997 the group's laboratory for analytical chemistry was registered with the Ministry of Industry for analyzing waste water and pollutants, to provide services also to other factories in Samutprakarn. In 2009 a CNC machine centre was installed to produce bespoke spare parts. [1]
The S-Chem Group was set-up in 2010 as a group of companies with the same core management for Siam Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd, SFS Aviation Co., Ltd, the Southern Oxygen Co. Ltd., ChiraTech Maxima Research Group and the Phoenix Petroleum Co., Ltd. Business Development. [1] The application of research results into industrial scale was fully implemented by 2012, for instance the design, installation and operation of blending units to blend fuel and lubrication oils. The research focusses on ethanol fuel, ethanol engine lubricants and engine-modifications to run on ethanol fuel. [2]
In 2013 the oil business was revived. The company is now one of Thailand's largest lube makers. It produces 5 million litres per month and supplies to more than 60 brands in Asia with the plan to double capacity to 10 million litres by 2016. [3]
The Siam Fine Chemicals manufactures engine and industrial lubricants and trades base oils and solvents and provides rental services for warehouses and tanks. [4] It provides modern laboratory and analysis services including cold-cranking simulation, Karl Fischer titration, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy.
SFS Aviation provides low risk and cost effective helicopter services to the oil and gas industry as mean of transport to and from the Si-Chang Island Deep Sea Oil Terminal. The company was set-up in 1990 as part of the Siam Chemicals Group of companies, by Chira Ratanarat, a helicopter pilot with more than 1000 flying hours. [2]
It was the first civilian helicopter operator in Thailand and has more than 20 years of experience with onshore operation with two BK 117 with no major incidents. The company owns and operates two MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, three Sikorsky S76C+ and three AgustaWestland AW139. Currently it has two operating bases in Thailand: the Bangkok base located at Don Mueang International Airport and one at Songkhla. [5]
The Southern Oxygen Company Ltd. was established in 1966 in Thung Song with a registered capital of 2 million Baht and has now registered capital of 50 million Baht. It produces oxygen for industrial use in southern Thailand. It has produces a variety of gases used in hospitals and for medical purposes, including oxygen, argon, nitrous oxide, nitrogen and coolants for air-conditioners and fills these into cylinders. Recently, the company has acquired real estate in Nakhon Srithammarat and Surathani, and produces bulk-blended fertilizers in the Phayao Province. [1]
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name petroleum covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude oil and petroleum products that consist of refined crude oil. A fossil fuel, petroleum is formed when large quantities of dead organisms, mostly zooplankton and algae, are buried underneath sedimentary rock and subjected to both prolonged heat and pressure.
The terms gasoline and petrol identify and describe the petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid, which is used as a fuel for spark-ignited, internal combustion engines. As the fuel for petrol engines, gasoline is chemically composed of organic compounds derived from the fractional distillation of petroleum, and later is chemically enhanced with gasoline additives.
Petrochemicals are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as maize, palm fruit or sugar cane.
Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic or industrial biowaste. Biofuels are mostly used for transportation, but can also be used for heating and electricity. Biofuels are regarded as a renewable energy source. However, the use of biofuel has been controversial because of the several disadvantages associated with the use of it. These include for example : the "food vs fuel" debate, biofuel production methods being sustainable or not, leading to deforestation and loss of biodiversity or not.
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with an alcohol, producing a methyl, ethyl or propyl ester by the process of transesterification.
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas and petroleum naphtha. Petrochemical feedstock like ethylene and propylene can also be produced directly by cracking crude oil without the need of using refined products of crude oil such as naphtha. The crude oil feedstock has typically been processed by an oil production plant. There is usually an oil depot at or near an oil refinery for the storage of incoming crude oil feedstock as well as bulk liquid products. In 2020, the total capacity of global refineries for crude oil was about 101.2 million barrels per day.
Synthetic oil is a lubricant consisting of chemical compounds that are artificially modified or synthesised. Synthetic lubricants can be manufactured using chemically modified petroleum components rather than whole crude oil, but can also be synthesized from other raw materials. The base material, however, is still overwhelmingly crude oil that is distilled and then modified physically and chemically. The actual synthesis process and composition of additives is generally a commercial trade secret and will vary among producers.
Ethanol fuel is fuel containing ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol as found in alcoholic beverages. It is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline.
Liquid fuels are combustible or energy-generating molecules that can be harnessed to create mechanical energy, usually producing kinetic energy; they also must take the shape of their container. It is the fumes of liquid fuels that are flammable instead of the fluid. Most liquid fuels in widespread use are derived from fossil fuels; however, there are several types, such as hydrogen fuel, ethanol, and biodiesel, which are also categorized as a liquid fuel. Many liquid fuels play a primary role in transportation and the economy.
Ethanol, an alcohol fuel, is an important fuel for the operation of internal combustion engines that are used in cars, trucks, and other kinds of machinery.
Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1, which are produced to a standardized international specification. The only other jet fuel commonly used in civilian turbine-engine powered aviation is Jet B, which is used for its enhanced cold-weather performance.
Petroleum products are materials derived from crude oil (petroleum) as it is processed in oil refineries. Unlike petrochemicals, which are a collection of well-defined usually pure organic compounds, petroleum products are complex mixtures. Most petroleum is converted into petroleum products, which include several classes of fuels.
Renewable Fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels, Hydrogen fuel, and fully synthetic fuel produced from ambient carbon dioxide and water. This is in contrast to non-renewable fuels such as natural gas, LPG (propane), petroleum and other fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Renewable fuels can include fuels that are synthesized from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Renewable fuels have gained in popularity due to their sustainability, low contributions to the carbon cycle, and in some cases lower amounts of greenhouse gases. The geo-political ramifications of these fuels are also of interest, particularly to industrialized economies which desire independence from Middle Eastern oil.
PTT Public Company Limited or simply PTT is a Thai state-owned SET-listed oil and gas company. Formerly known as the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, it owns extensive submarine gas pipelines in the Gulf of Thailand, a network of LPG terminals throughout the kingdom, and it is involved in electricity generation, petrochemical products, oil and gas exploration and production, and gasoline retailing businesses. The company also owns Café Amazon, a popular coffee chain throughout South East Asia, which shops are often located next to PTT gas stations or inside malls.
The BPRefinery (Kent) was an oil refinery on the Isle of Grain in Kent. It was commissioned in 1953 and had a maximum processing capacity of 11 million tonnes of crude oil per year. It was decommissioned in August 1982.
The use of biofuels varies by region. The world leaders in biofuel development and use are Brazil, United States, France, Sweden and Germany.
IRPC Public Company Limited or simply IRPC is a Thai Public SET-listed Petroleum and Petrochemical company. It is a subsidiary of PTT Group, formerly Thai Petrochemical Industry Public Company Limited or "TPI", which was founded in 1978 by the Leophairatana family.
Chira Ratanarat was the chief executive officer of The Siam Chemicals Public Company (SCC).
Khun Ying Thongtip Ratanarat is a Thai chemical engineer. She is a member of the board of directors of The Siam Fine Chemicals and of the Foundation for the Petroleum Institute of Thailand (PTIT). From 1985 to 2005 she was the PTIT's executive director.
Heysham oil refinery was located between Heysham and Middleton on the Heysham peninsula, Lancashire. It was built during the Second World War to produce high octane fuel for combat aircraft. It was later adapted to refine crude oil with a processing capacity of two million tonnes per year and was in operation from 1948 to 1976. It worked in conjunction with a chemical plant which produced ammonium nitrate fertilizer and other products, using feedstocks from the refinery.