Occidental Petroleum 2008 Annual Report Download - page 4

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Competition and Sales and Marketing
As a producer of oil and natural gas, Occidental competes with numerous other domestic and foreign private and government
producers. Oil and natural gas are commodities that are sensitive to prevailing global and, in certain cases, local conditions of supply and
demand and are sold at "spot" or contract prices or through the futures markets to refiners and other market participants. Occidental competes
by developing and producing its worldwide oil and gas reserves cost-effectively and acquiring rights to explore and develop in areas with
known oil and gas deposits. Occidental also competes by increasing production through enhanced oil recovery projects in mature and
underdeveloped fields and making strategic acquisitions.
CHEMICAL OPERATIONS
OxyChem manufactures and markets basic chemicals, vinyls and performance chemicals.
OxyChem owns and operates manufacturing plants at 21 domestic sites in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, New
Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas and at three international sites in Brazil, Canada and Chile. OxyChem produces the
following products:
Principal Products Major Uses Annual Capacity

Chlorine Chlorovinyl chain and water treatment 4.0 million tons (a)
Caustic Soda Pulp, paper and aluminum production 4.2 million tons (a)
Chlorinated organics Silicones, paint stripping, pharmaceuticals and refrigerants 0.9 billion pounds
Potassium chemicals Glass, fertilizers, cleaning products and rubber 0.4 million tons
Ethylene dichloride (EDC) Raw material for vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) 2.4 billion pounds (a)

VCM Precursor for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 6.2 billion pounds
PVC Piping, medical, building materials and automotive products 3.7 billion pounds

Chlorinated isocyanurates Swimming pool sanitation and disinfecting products 131 million pounds
Resorcinol Tire manufacture, wood adhesives and flame retardant synergist 50 million pounds
Sodium silicates Soaps, detergents and paint pigments 0.6 million tons
(a) Includes gross capacity of a joint venture in Brazil, owned 50 percent by Occidental.
4
MIDSTREAM, MARKETING AND OTHER OPERATIONS