Q-Chem to start up Mesaieed HDPE plant by end Sept or early Oct

16 September 2010 09:15  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Qatar Chemicals (Q-Chem) expects to start up its new 350,000 tonne/year high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant at Mesaieed, Qatar, by the end of September or early October, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

“The HDPE plant will produce mostly blow-moulding grade [and] also some HDPE 80 pipe and film grades,” said the source.

The company plans to start up its normal alpha olefins plant, which is located at the same site and also has a capacity of 350,000 tonnes/year, in early December, the source said.

The plants were originally scheduled to come on stream by the middle of the year.

The HDPE plant would source ethylene feedstock from Ras Laffan Olefins Co’s 1.3m tonne/year cracker at Ras Laffan. The cracker came on stream in March and was expected to achieve full production in the fourth quarter, the source said.

“The cracker has been doing better lately, after some ups and downs earlier this year,” he said.

Q-Chem, a joint venture between US major Chevron Phillips Chemical and state-owned Qatar Petroleum, currently operates a 450,000 tonne/year HDPE plant at Messaieed.

The Ras Laffan cracker is jointly owned by Q-Chem (53%) and Qatofin (46%). Qatar Petroleum owns the remaining 1%.

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By: Prema Viswanathan
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