Around the Industry

Corus is to test a potentially ground-breaking new iron-making technology in a pilot plant project at its IJmuiden steelworks in the Netherlands.

An international consortium’s breaking of a binding contract has led Corus to partially implement the proposal announced in May 2009 of mothballing some of the facilities belonging to the Teesside Cast Products (TCP) business in northeast England.

ExxonMobil Production Company announced that it has resumed drilling on two wells started earlier this year at Point Thomson and is on schedule to reach total depth by year-end 2010. The company drilled each of the wells, PTU-15 and PTU-16, to approximately 5,000 feet during the summer, as deep as possible during the ice-free season. Drilling into deeper formations is permitted only during the period November 1 through April 15.

Exxon Mobil Corporation and XTO Energy Inc. announced an all-stock transaction valued at $41 billion. The agreement, which is subject to XTO stockholder approval and regulatory clearance, will enhance ExxonMobil’s position in the development of unconventional natural gas and oil resources.

Exxon Mobil Corporation2 , announced $3.5 million in grants for public health and education programs in Angola. The ten grants, provided by the ExxonMobil Foundation, are aimed at combating malaria and expanding educational opportunities for women. The grants will be disbursed in partnership with national and international non-governmental organizations. The grants will provide additional financial support for existing programs and also facilitate the development and deployment of new programs.

Former Schneider Electric employee Franck Loigerot received the Talents de l’Essaimage award for his company Anjou Plaquelec, which he created with the support of Schneider Initiatives Emploi (SIE), an association that nurtures spin-offs.

The Areva Supervisory Board has announced its decision to enter into exclusive negotiations with Alstom and Schneider Electric for the acquisition of the activities of its transmission and distribution business, Areva T&D.

ANSYS, Inc. , a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, today announced that it has been named to the Software Top 100(TM), the leading and independent online overview of the world's largest software companies. For the 2009 list, ANSYS placed at 75.

HSL is pleased to announce their formal recognition as an Approved Service Provider by the REACHReady organisation.

A CD Rom version of HSL's Safety Climate Tool will be launched on January 5th 2010.A paper version of the Safety Climate Tool has been successfully used over recent years by many organisations to evaluate their safety culture and ultimately improve their safety performance.