While the exciting new market opportunities may lie in the Asia Pacific region, demand in the established markets of Europe and North America remains considerable.
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We will continue to invest in these heartlands, revitalising and maximising our key assets - with a particular emphasis on strengthening reliability - and taking advantage of the stronger links between chemical manufacturing and oil refining operations.
In Asia Pacific and the Middle East our sights are set on growth. A joint share in the US$4.3 billion CSPCL complex at Daya Bay in south east China gives Shell a major financial stake in the burgeoning Chinese market.
Further expansion in the region is targeted with the expectation that, by 2010, 35% of all capital assets will be in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. As well as a new cracker and world-scale ethylene glycol plant in Singapore - closely integrated with existing refinery operations on Bukom Island - options are being explored to develop gas cracking capabilities in the Middle East.
At the end of this journey our goal is to have established a truly global manufacturing base, to be delivering our core portfolio of products from a diversified range of feedstocks, and to have all facilities operating in line with the best performance standards in the industry.
