Japan Energy shuts down PX lines for turnaround

19 May 2008 10:09  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Paraxylene (PX) producer Japan Energy shut down its No 1 and 2 PX lines at its facility in Chita on Thursday for a maintenance turnaround that will last 40-45 days, said a company source on Monday.

 

Both lines with a total capacity of 400,000 tonnes/year would resume operations by early July, he added.

 

“We are now negotiating with our customers to reduce or cancel contract volumes for June as our other aromatics plant in Kashima has yet to restart its operations. We have no clear indications when operations would be resumed,” he said.

 

Late last month, a fire broke out at the Kashima plant and delayed the producer’s plans to restart the facility after an unplanned shutdown in early April due to technical problems. 

 

Due to this shutdown, PX supply was expected to tighten, said traders, adding prices could edge higher in the near term but a soft downstream purified terephthalic acid (PTA) market could cap the upturn in prices.

 

For more on aromatics visit ICIS chemical intelligence

 

 

By: Su Yeen Cheong
+65 6780 4359

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