Reporting on the business and technologies
driving today's global industrial gas industry

Air Products Presentation Available
2010.01
January 5, 2010 – Air Products’ Stephen Jones, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Tonnage Gases, Equipment and Energy, presented at the Bank of America-Merrill Lynch 2009 Global Industries Conference on December 9, 2009. Slides and webcast are available on their website. 

Full story: www.airproducts.com/Invest/PresentationSummary.htm

Praxair Presentation Available
2010.01
January 5, 2010 -  James S. Sawyer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Praxair, spoke at the December 09, 2009 Bank of America/Merrill Lynch 2009 Global Industries Conference. Slides and webcast are now available on the Praxair website. 

Full story: www.praxair.com

MTG Acquires ETOX and Gastech
2010.01
January 11, 2010 – Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.  has successfully acquired the assets and business of ETOX, Inc and Gastech, LLC. Based in Tyler, TX, and Texarkana, TX respectively, the businesses have operations throughout Eastern and Central Texas, Southeastern Arkansas, and Northwestern Louisiana. The purchase will add 14 new branches to the Matheson Tri-Gas network, and the acquired business will become a new region within the Matheson Tri-Gas South Central Zone. The transaction involves all of the assets and employees of ETOX and Gastech. Frank Barker will retain his general management responsibilities for the acquired business.

William J. Kroll, Chairman and CEO of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. and Executive Director of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, parent Company of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., stated, “This acquisition is consistent with our strategy and highlights Taiyo Nippon Sanso’s commitment to expansion through acquisition in the US Market. We have always admired ETOX as a well run company and we welcome this addition to our network. ETOX strengthens our presence throughout Eastern Texas and offers increased value to the customers of ETOX as a result of Matheson’s additional capabilities.”


Frank Barker, President of ETOX, Inc., added, “The owners are pleased by the completion of the sale to Matheson Tri-Gas. We felt that Matheson’s way of doing business would provide the best future for our employees and would allow the business to continue to grow through continued investment while maintaining the high service levels that ETOX customers have always been provided.”


Leaders LLC, www.leaders-llc.com, served as merger and acquisition advisor to ETOX in connection with this transaction.

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Full story: www.mathesongas.com

Matheson Tri-Gas and Gelest Collaborate on High-Purity Germane
2010.01
January 11, 2010 – Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. and Gelest, Inc. have entered into an agreement that provides for Matheson Tri-Gas to have exclusive rights to the global sales and marketing of high purity germane (GeH4) to the electronics and photovoltaic industries and joint ventures to expand manufacturing of the product. The joint ventures would be in the key markets of Asia and the United States.

This collaboration combines the extensive technical and commercial capabilities of both companies to provide a quality product quickly, safely, reliably, and cost-effectively. Gelest brings the synthesis and manufacturing expertise necessary to produce a high-purity, consistent product that meets the needs of the semiconductor and photovoltaic markets. Matheson Tri-Gas combines worldwide sales, marketing and logistics expertise with its leadership in high-purity specialty gases applications R&D purification, and analysis for the electronics sector to bring the product to market. Together, Matheson Tri-Gas and Gelest will meet the increased worldwide demand for high-purity GeH4.

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Full story: www.mathesongas.com

Air Products CEO John McGlade Participates in White House Forum Today
2010.01
January 14, 2010 – John McGlade, Air Products Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, together with other leading CEOs from a range of industries, today is participating in a discussion with President Barack Obama and members of his Cabinet and staff on using technology to deliver more effective and efficient services to American taxpayers.

The President announced on December 21 his plans to convene private sector leaders today in a White House Forum on Modernizing Government to “focus on the significant gap existing between private sector and federal government use of technology to drive productivity and improve service quality.” To view this meeting, go to www.whitehouse.gov/live

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Full story: www.airproducts.com

Praxair to Supply Industrial Gases to Valero in Memphis
2010.01
January 15, 2010 – Praxair, Inc. has finalized an agreement with Valero Refining Company to supply oxygen and nitrogen to Valero’s Memphis, TN, refinery connected to Praxair’s pipeline system. As part of the agreement, Praxair will build a new air separation plant with a capacity of 450 tons per day. In addition, Praxair will build two new six-mile pipelines for the supply of oxygen and nitrogen to Valero’s Memphis refinery.

“The Valero agreement confirms Praxair’s commitment to unmatched reliability and system capability for the economic future of the Memphis area,” said Ted Trumpp, Vice President, East Region, for Praxair’s North American Industrial Gases business unit.

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Full story: www.praxair.com

Linde and BASF Cooperate in Flue Gas CO2 Capture
2010.01
January 15, 2010 − Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH (LKCA), a Linde Group subsidiary, and BASF signed a cooperation agreement to jointly market licenses and plants for the capture of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flue gases.

Within this cooperation BASF will be responsible for the chemical processes for capturing CO₂, while LKCA will provide engineering and design as well as the construction of the facilities. The cooperation will focus mainly on the Middle East region, where the demand for purified CO₂ is increasing, for example to raise yields in crude oil production (by means of enhanced oil recovery) and in urea production.


“In a situation where energy production around the world relies predominantly on fossil materials and where this share is expected to increase further, we will concentrate precisely on these energy sources in our cooperation,” said Dr. Andreas Northemann, head of the gas treatment business in BASF’s Intermediates division, and added: “By pooling the two companies’ expertise we can provide our customers with integrated engineering solutions and even complete CO₂ capture plants.”


“Through this cooperation we will contribute to capturing and transporting climate-damaging CO₂ in a controlled manner for recycling in purified form or final sequestration,” said LKCA Managing Director Jörg Linsenmaier.


LKCA has extensive expertise in the field of planning and building plants that separate and then compress CO₂ from flue gases. BASF has experience in capturing CO₂ from gas flows. The company markets its amine-based gas treatment technology under the brand name aMDEA®, which has been used successfully around the world in more than 220 gas scrubbing facilities, mainly in natural gas and syngas facilities.

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Full story: www.linde.com

CryoVation to Host March GAWDA Regional Meeting
2010.01
January 19, 2010 –The oxygen challenges for a climb up Mount Everest – and the adventure itself - will be featured at the annual Southeastern zone regional meeting for the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) hosted by CryoVation March 2 at Raptor Bay Golf Club in Fort Myers, FL. This topic will be presented by Christopher Guest, a Distributor Sales Manager at Air Liquide who scaled Mount Everest last May and whose mountain adventures have been featured in CryoGas International. 

Other speakers will be Jim Glessner, President of Trackabout, Inc., who will outline the step approach to business growth and talk about cylinder tracking; and Nick Covino, an instructor from the renowned David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Naples, who will discuss the mental aspects of the game and provide hands-on instruction. Along with these speakers, attendees will enjoy golf games, an 18-hole golf tournament, and an after-golf social and networking event. Manufacturers and distributors from states throughout the country are expected to attend. Lloyd Robinson, President of Awisco and President Elect of GAWDA, will open the 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. program.


The day before, on Monday March 1, CryoVation will host an open house at its Fort Myers headquarters, featuring equipment demonstrations.


Reservations for the event can be made by calling Ryan Boyd at CryoVation, (239) 337-1114.

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Full story: www.cryovation.com

Air Products Supplying Multiple LNG Heat Exchangers for Gorgon Project
2010.01
January 21, 2010 – Air Products has signed an agreement with Chevron Australia Pty Ltd. to supply its proprietary liquefied natural gas (LNG) process technology and equipment for three process trains producing up to 15 million tons of LNG per annum at the Gorgon Project located offshore of Western Australia.  LNG production is scheduled to begin in 2014.

Under the agreement, Air Products will provide three separate units of its proprietary propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant process using the SplitMR® machinery configuration.  The LNG units will operate offshore Western Australia on Barrow Island. 

Air Products’ involvement in LNG projects in Australia dates back to the late 1980s and early 90s when it delivered process technology and MCR® cryogenic heat exchangers for the first three trains at the North West Shelf Venture LNG Project.

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Full story: www.airproducts.com

Ballard to Advance Fuel Cell Power Module Technology
2010.01
January 22, 2010 – Ballard Power Systems has been awarded up to $4.8 million by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) for a project to further develop fuel cell power module technology for the transit bus market. Design improvements will be implemented on test buses to be operated in Metro Vancouver, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2010.

“Heavy duty diesel vehicles account for almost half of Canada’s road transportation greenhouse gas emissions,” said Vicky Sharpe, President and CEO of SDTC. “The technology developed by Ballard will increase the cost-effectiveness and performance of fuel cell hybrid buses, making them more accessible to public transit authorities and helping Canada to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.”
 
In the development project funded by SDTC, Ballard and it’s system integration partner, ISE Corporation, will design, assemble, and test key sub-components for Ballard’s FCvelocity™-HD6 power module and the hybrid electric drive system. Refinement of this critical new technology will facilitate the commercial introduction of fuel cell hybrid buses by reducing cost, improving durability and robustness of select sub-systems, and improving overall bus performance.

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Full story: www.ballard.com

Air Products Reports Fiscal Q1 EPS
2010.01
January 26, 2010 – Air Products has reported net income of $252 million, or diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.16, for its fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2009 versus $69 million and $0.32 for the fiscal first quarter of 2009.
  
First quarter revenues of $2,174 million declined one percent as lower energy and raw material cost pass-throughs offset higher volumes and favorable currency. Operating income of $345 million was up 20 percent from the prior year on improved volumes in Tonnage Gases, and Electronics and Performance Materials; broad productivity gains across the company; and favorable currency impacts. Sequentially, sales improved two percent while operating income gained five percent.


John McGlade, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are off to a good start in fiscal 2010. Our earnings per share grew 20 percent and we continued our margin improvement putting us on track to meet our 17 percent goal in 2011. Both our sequential and year-over-year results benefited from an improving global economy and our efforts to move Air Products to a sustainable, lower cost structure.”

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Full story: www.airproducts.com

Praxair Starts Up New Plant in Costa Rica
2010.01
January 26, 2010 – Praxair, Inc. has started up its new air separation plant in San Jose, Costa Rica. In addition to meeting increasing demand for oxygen, nitrogen, and argon from industrial and medical customers in Costa Rica, the new facility positions Praxair to supply distributors in Panama as well as the Caribbean market.

Praxair is the leading industrial gases company in Costa Rica, supplying oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide to a variety of industrial and medical customers. It also operates a carbon dioxide plant and an acetylene and packaged gases facility in the country. 

Full story: www.praxair.com

Airgas Reports Fiscal 2010 Q3 Earnings
2010.01
January 28, 2010 – Airgas, Inc., the largest US distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases and related supplies, reported net earnings of $46.9 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, for its third quarter ended December 31, 2009. Excluding previously announced charges of $0.05 per diluted share for debt extinguishment and $0.04 per diluted share for withdrawal from multi-employer pension plans, adjusted earnings per diluted share were $0.65, compared to $0.76 per diluted share in the prior-year quarter.

Third quarter sales were $942 million, a decline of 13 percent from the prior year. Total same-store sales declined 14 percent, with hardgoods down 19 percent and gas and rent down 11 percent. Acquisitions contributed 1 percent sales growth in the quarter. On a sequential basis, total sales declined by 2 percent from the second quarter, reflecting the impact of fewer selling days and a normal seasonal decline of certain businesses in the All Other Operations segment. Sales per selling day increased sequentially by 1 percent.


Year-to-date free cash flow through the third quarter was a record $289 million compared to $171 million last year, driven by adjusted cash from operations of $470 million, up from $436 million last year, and by a 32 percent reduction in capital expenditures to $192 million this year.


The full report can be found at the Company's website.

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Full story: www.airgas.com

American Air Liquide Rushes Medical Oxygen to Haiti
2010.01
January 29, 2010 – American Air Liquide, a division of industrial gas company Air Liquide, has been helping coordinate emergency assistance efforts with the United Nations’ Center for International Disaster to provide much needed medical oxygen to the rescue teams.

Because of Air Liquide’s footprint and logistics structure, it was able to establish its first medical oxygen filling system on January 16 and a second system on January 18. In Haiti, Air Liquide is providing medical oxygen needs for a number of hospitals in the area and all of the temporary medical facilities/tents that are in operation at the U.N. compound.


The U.N. Medical Team had an immediate need for 20-25 cylinders per day at Level 2 hospitals and Air Liquide has configured two oxygen tube trailers for cylinder filling. Each tube trailer has a capacity to fill 400 size 44 (6m3) cylinders per day and Air Liquide technicians have been assigned to operate them.


While support services are needed, monetary donations are also critical to recovery efforts. Air Liquide has coordinated with the American Red Cross to develop a microsite for employee donations, which will be matched dollar for dollar by the company until February 28.

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Full story: www.us.airliquide.com