 Meanwhile, in the United States, the Shell Chemical Company (founded 1929) began the world's first production of ammonia from natural gas in California in 1931.It also started production of chemical solvents from refinery gases in California during the early 1930s while in 1942 it pioneered the production of butadiene, a key raw material for synthetic rubbers.In 1941, production of "Teepol" liquid detergent began at Stanlow in the UK, the first manufacture of a petroleum-based organic chemical in Europe, Teepol is now manufactured by Teepol Products UK based at Orpington in Greater London, from there it is sold worldwide.