China's Lanzhou Petchem delays on-spec NBR output at new line

24 September 2009 11:29  [Source: ICIS news]

SHANGHAI (ICIS news)--On-spec production at China-based Lanzhou Petrochemical’s new 50,000 tonnes/year acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) plant has been delayed due to high cost of feedstock butadiene (BD), a company source said on Thursday.

The plant was expected to start on-spec production by the middle of September.

“High feedstock butadiene costs have postponed the process of trial runs [at the plant],” the source said.

BD prices rose to as high as $1,700-1,750/tonne (€1,156-1,190/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) northeast Asia in early September but fell to $1600-1650/tonne CFR (cost and freight) NE (northeast) Asia last week, according to global chemical market intelligence service, ICIS pricing.

Meanwhile, Lanzhou Petrochemical was operating its old 15,000 tonne/year NBR line at full capacity while its smaller 5,000 tonne/year line remained shut since early this year, the company source said.

Lanzhou Petrochemical, which is based in China's northwestern province of Gansu, is a subsidiary of PetroChina.

Alex Feng from CBI and Helen Yan contributed to this article

($1 = €0.68)

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By: Judith Wang
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