KP Chemical extends aromatics plant shutdown

26 July 2006 08:30  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--KP Chemical, the South Korean petrochemicals producer, will extend its aromatics plant shutdown indefinitely due to economic reasons, a company source said on Wednesday.

The BTX line shutdown came on 19 July when the paraxylene (PX) line 2 was also closed.

Previously, the company had shut the orthoxylene (OX) line on 1 June, following which the shutdown deadline was extended from early-July to end-August.

KP had planned to keep the Ulsan unit offline to limit the purchase of feedstock isomer xylenes, whose prices have risen sharply since April and are currently at $1,090-1,100/tonne FOB Korea. 

The plant produces 200,000 tonne/year of OX, 500,000 tonne/year of PX, 100,000 tonne/year of benzene, and 20,000 tonne/year of toluene.

KP is part of the Lotte group of companies. It also operates three PTA lines with a total capacity of 1.1m tonne/year at its base in Ulsan.

By: Mahua Chakravarty
+65 6780 4359

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly