BASF puts 100% sales control on US oxo-alcohols, raises prices

03 March 2010 16:34  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Chemicals major BASF has put its US oxo-alcohols on 100% sales control and will increase prices by 8 cents/lb ($176/tonne, €130/tonne) effective 15 March, a source said on Wednesday.

The sales controls were implemented to ensure that BASF could reliably deliver products to its regular customer base, a source said.

Demand for normal-butanol, isobutanol and other oxo-alcohols such as 2-ethyl hexanol has greatly increased in recent weeks due to supply-side production issues, sources said.

Last month, Oxea Chemical announced sales controls on its oxo-alcohols on increased demand, tightened supply and raw material shortages.

In addition, oxo-alcohol producer Eastman Chemical experienced a power outage 20 February at its cracker site in Longview, Texas.

The restart of those crackers has been delayed to mid-March after unexpected equipment problems during an attempted restart late last week, Eastman said.

“Based on current information, the company expects to have the smaller of the two crackers [at Longview] online by mid-March,” Eastman said.

The larger cracker was expected online before the end of March, it said.

($1 = €0.74)

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By: Frank Zaworski
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