Global Cement News

Taiwan: Asia Cement has bought all shares in Taiwan Chiahui Power Corporation belonging to co-owner Electric Power Development Company (J-Power). Electronic News has reported that the two companies have jointly owned Taiwan Chiahui Power Corporation since December 2002. The deal awaits ratification by the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs Investment Commission.

US: Argonaut Private Equity has acquired a well cement business following the bankruptcy of Texas-based BJ Services. The purchase retains 260 employees and procures company assets and equipment, including bulk plants and technical labs located in the field. No fracturing assets were acquired in the acquisition. It has rebranded the business as American Cementing.

“The addition of American Cementing to the Argonaut Private Equity portfolio combines our expertise in efficient operations management with our experience in the oil and gas industry,” said Steve Mitchell, Argonaut’s chief executive officer (CEO).

American Cementing services include laboratory testing, blending at the bulk plant and mixing and pumping operations at the wellsite. Additionally, the company offers acidising services and products that are intended to enhance production and remove well-bore damage to preserve well lifetime.

Pakistan: Cement dispatches increased by 5% year-on-year to 3.52Mt in August 2020 from 3.35Mt in August 2019. Domestic sales rose by 4.8% to 2.79Mt from 2.67Mt, while exports rose by 5.8% to 0.73Mt from 0.69Mt. Plants in northern Pakistan produced 2.49Mt of cement (52% of total production), while those in the South produced 2.35Mt (48%).

Egypt: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Egyptian Tourah Portland Cement recorded a second-quarter loss of Euro4.65m in 2020, down by 79% year-on-year from Euro21.9m in 2019. The company made sales worth Euro1.81m over the period, down by 81% Euro9.74m, according to Reuters. In line with its position regarding future losses at 31 December 2019, the company called a shareholder’s meeting to decide on its continuity.

Algeria/Belarus: Belarus-based automobiles producer Belaz says that it has received an order for twelve dump trucks from Groupe des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA), Algeria’s leading cement producer with 13.5Mt/yr installed cement production capacity. Business World Magazine News has reported that the company will use the trucks for conveying raw materials in its Saoura quarry in Adrar Province. It previously bought twelve 60t-capacity Belaz-7555I trucks and nine front-loaders in mid-2020. The latest order is due for arrival in September 2020.

Belaz produces the 450t-capacity Belaz-75710, the largest-capacity dump truck in the world.