BOC has reached agreement with Linde AG to combine its process plant business based in Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA, with Linde’s process plant operation based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. The new entity, Linde BOC Process Plants LLC, will be based in Tulsa and is scheduled to start its activities by the summer of 2002. BOC will have a 30% holding in the new entity. BOC and Linde will also combine their process plants research and development capabilities, related to the production of industrial gases, which are currently based in Murray Hill and Munich, Germany respectively. BOC Process Plants is part of BOC Process Gas Solutions, the arm of BOC that works primarily in industries such as oil refining, chemicals and steel. BOC expects cost savings to be worth around GBP 15 million pounds a year and most of these will be attained in calendar 2003.