How will Petronas’ exit affect PVC supply in Malaysia?

Following Petronas’ announcement that the company will exit the vinyls business by the start of 2013, players in Malaysia’s PVC market have started to speculate about the likely impact on the country’’s PVC trade balance, as per ChemOrbis.




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Kraton Performance Polymers to expand hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer (HSBC) capacity

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers, announced plans to expand hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer (HSBC) manufacturing capability in Asia on a sttand-alone basis.




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US demand for pipe expected to grow 6.2% pa in 2016, plastic to see fastest growth

US demand for pipe is expected to grow 6.2% pa to US$50.1 bln in 2016. Sales of pipe will benefit primarily from a rebound in building construction. In addition, the expansion of oil and gas exploratiion and transmission activity, an improved outlook for state and municipal infrastructure spending, and the continued need to replace and repair the country's aging water pipe networks will contribute to growth.




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Dow plans to build a new world-scale metallocene ethylene propylene diene monomer plant

The Dow Chemical Company announced plans to build a new world-scale plant for the production of metallocene ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), sold under the trademark of NORDEL ™ IP Hydrocarbonn Rubber.




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Engineering plastics gradually substitute traditional materials in diverse applications in Brazil

Traditional materials such as commodity plastics, metal, and glass are slowly giving way to engineering plastics, as consumers demand more sophisticated products. The growth of the middle class has coonsiderably aided the development of this market and made Brazil one of the most attractive consumer markets in Latin America.




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5.5% yoy decline in chemicals output in UK in Q2-12

In H1-12, the UK’s chemicals and chemical products index saw a steady decline as the country headed into recession. BMI estimates that chemicals output declined by 5.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) in Q2-12 aand the situation has deteriorated markedly since.




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Formosa Petrochemical’s residue desulphurizer unit resumes operations at China

Formosa Petrochemical has resumed operations at its only refinery’s secondary unit in China. The 80,000 bpd residue desulphurizer unit (RDS) was closed for unscheduled maintenance on 12 October after a leak was reported.




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17% decline in Pemex Q3 petchem output due to maintenenace shutdown

Mexico’s Pemex produced 1.08 mln mt of petrochemicals in Q3- a 17% decline compared with Q3 of last year, as per Platts. The fall was due to the temporary suspension of aromatics production as a resullt of maintenance on a unit at the La Cangrejera complex in the state of Veracruz.




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Two major crackers return in Europe, import availability grows

The European ethylene market saw two major crackers return to operations after delayed restarts last week, as per ChemOrbis. Cracker shutdowns in the region had led to tight prompt supplies in Northwwest Europe earlier in the month.




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Tongsuh ACN plant goes offstream for annual maintenance turnaround

South Korea based - Tongsuh Petrochemical has taken off-stream an Acrylonitrile (ACN) plant located in Ulsan on October 5 for an annual maintenance turnaround. “Tongsuh will also begin commercial prodduction of its new ACN line which has a capacity of 245,000 tpa in January 2013”, an official informed fibre2fashion.




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Naphtha spreads surge to near one month high

Naphtha's prompt inter-month timespread surged to a near one-month high on Monday as prospects of firmer physical demand supported sentiment among traders, as per Reuters. The November/December contraact was transacted several times in the over-the-counter (OTC) market in a backwardation of $10.




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Formosa Petrochemical to raise run rate at 2.93 mln tpa naphtha cracker

Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corp plans to raise run rate at its 2.93 mln tpa naphtha cracking complex by 10 percentage points to 90% in three days, as per traders reported in Reuters. This will ressult in higher demand for naphtha.




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Petronas Chemicals to discontinue vinyl business in a bid to streamline assets, focus on higher value products

The petrochemical arm of Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas plans to discontinue its vinyl business as it looks to streamline its assets and focus on higher value products, as per Reuters. As per a sttatement, Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad announced plans to stop operations at its two Malaysian plants from Jan 2013 and begin a sales process for its interest in a plant in Vietnam.




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Technip wins FEED contract for Dow ethylene plant in Texas

The Dow Chemical Company has awarded Technip a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract and cracking furnaces engineering and procurement services for a previously announced new large world-sccale ethylene production plant to be located at Dow Texas Operations in Freeport, Texas.




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Oil prices fall as Sandy hits US East Coast

As Hurricane Sandy bears down on US East Coast, US refineries have anticipated a fall in energy demand and reduced crude production. As a result, oil prices have dipped. Oil on the Nymex has fallen too US$85.



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Jindal PolyFilm inks agreement to buy ExxonMobil Chemical's global BOPP film biz

Jindal Poly Films Ltd (JPFL) has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil Chemical to acquire its biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) global film business. The pact signed between JPFL and ExxonMobil CChemical, part of the oil and gas giant Exxon Corporation, is subject to approvals.



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First right of refusal for HPL to be given to TCG

The West Bengal government has chosen the auction route for selling off its shares at Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL). However, after the auction, the first right of refusal would be given to another promoter The Chatterjee Group (TCG), that hold 37% stake, as per Business Standard.




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Improved US economic growth in Q3, concerns over Hurricane Sandy prop oil prices

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December rose to US$86.2 while Brent North Sea crude for delivery in December gained over a dollar at US$109.5 a barrel in London trade. Oil prices havee closed higher, on better-than-expected US economic growth in Q3 and worries about Hurricane Sandy churning toward the heavily populated US east coast.




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Japan’s naphtha imports rise in Sept

Japan’s imports of naphtha, used in the production of ethylene, rose 11% year-on-year to 1.18 mln tons in September 2012, as per data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry revealed. On a moonth-on-month basis, Japan’s September naphtha imports increased 0.



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A new laser-activated bio-adhesive polymer

A new laser-activated bio-adhesive polymer- a chitosan-based polymer, SurgiLux, was developed by scientists at the University of New South Wales, as per JoVE, Journal of Visualized Experiment. Chitosaan is a polymer derived from chitin, which is found in fungal cell walls or in exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects.




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