Occidental agreed to buy Shell’s vinyl chloride unit.

In a move to strengthen its chemical division, Occidental Petroleum Corp. said it will acquire some Texas vinyl chloride operations of Houston-based Shell Oil Co. for an undisclosed price. Occidental will buy Shell’s vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) operations in Deer Park, Tex., and some related assets, the company said. VCM is the chief raw material in production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is used to make plastic pipe and other materials. The acquisitions will enable Occidental to produce enough PVC to supply about half of its VCM needs. Previously, Occidental had to buy all of its VCM from other companies.