Sulphur market entering weak period - consultant

03 November 2008 13:27  [Source: ICIS news]

ROME (ICIS news)--The global sulphur market is heading for a period of chronically weak conditions on the back of increased production, according to Mike Kitto, principal consultant at British Sulphur Consultants.

Speaking at the Sulphur 2008 conference on Monday, Kitto said that while sulphur consumption would increase over the next 10 years, production was forecast to rise at faster rates.

As a result, sulphur output would have to be carefully managed, with producers looking at storage options, he added.

Kitto said that elemental sulphur production would grow 35.6m tonnes by 2017, mostly in the Middle East, Canada, Kazakhstan and China.

Meanwhile, elemental sulphur consumption was projected to rise by 20.9m tonnes by 2017, with the majority of the growth coming from East Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Middle East.

This forecast growth in production and consumption at the same time would lead to serious product surpluses and weak market conditions, he said.

The Sulphur 2008 conference runs from 2-5 November in Rome, Italy.

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By: Rebecca Clarke
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