Asia top stories - weekly summary

20 June 2011 01:00  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Asia and the Middle east for the week ended 17 June 2011.
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Focus - China sulphur imports to remain stable despite uncertainties
China will continue to import sulphur in the long term despite an expected domestic production increase and short-term demand uncertainties, market sources said on Friday.

Focus - China bitumen demand to surge on new roads in 2011-2015
China’s demand for high-quality bitumen is expected to rise by as much as 7.5m tonnes/year in 2011-2015 because of plans to develop the country’s road network, C1 Energy, an ICIS service in China, said on Friday.

Update - China to stem high inflation, low growth in Q3 - analysts
China’s economy is expected to shed its high inflation and low growth, seen since last August, when governmental policies take effect in the third quarter, analysts said on Tuesday.

Focus - China’s toluene demand may dip on motor gasoline regulations
The demand for toluene in China, Asia’s largest importing market, is weakening because of the new restrictions that were introduced by a key producer against blending the aromatic into motor gasoline (mogas), traders and producers said on Monday.

Focus - Asia nylon chip makers seek higher July prices
Asian nylon 6 (polyamide 6) chips producers are seeking higher prices in July in line with rising feedstock caprolactam (capro) prices, industry sources said on Thursday.

Interview - Lotte Pakistan PTA mulls 1m tonnes new capacity by 2014
Lotte Pakistan PTA (Lotte PPTA) plans to triple its purified terephthalic acid (PTA) nameplate capacity to 1.5m tonnes/year by late 2014 to meet the growing domestic and regional demand, a company executive said on Thursday.

Focus - China's PP market bearish as government tightens lending
Prices of polypropylene (PP) in China are expected to fall further through July, on the back of faltering demand from downstream markets as the government continues to tighten its credit lending polices, market participants said on Wednesday

Interview - Bayer’s new China TDI plant to begin slow ramp-up
By the end of July, Bayer MaterialScience will begin slowly ramping up a new 250,000 tonne/year TDI (toluene di-isocyanate) plant in China, Peter Vanacker, head of polyurethanes for the Germany-based company said on Tuesday.

Iran’s BIPC to suspend aromatics production on blending demand
Iran’s Bandar Imam Petrochemical Co (BIPC) will suspend its production of aromatics indefinitely as its feedstock reformate will be channelled for gasoline production, a source close to the company said late on Wednesday.

Shell and Qatar Petroleum sell first gasoil shipment from JV plant
Shell and Qatar Petroleum said on Monday they have sold the first commercial shipment of gas-to-liquid (GTL) gasoil produced from their joint venture Pearl GTL plant at Ras Laffan in Qatar.

By: Staff Reporter
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