By Malini Hariharan The Asian olefin and polyolefin markets have softened in recent weeks but the US market remains on a different track, as seen in these reports filed by my colleagues on ICIS news. Ethylene prices are still firm on tight supplies. Spot ethylene for March/April was at 61-63 cents/lb, up from 42.5-43.0 in […]
Asian Chemical Connections
Aramco Confirms Ras Tanura Location Review
Here’s a post from a guest blogger, my good colleague Prema Viswanathan – Deputy Managing Editor of ICIS pricing in Asia. Ras Tanura and Al-Jubail Source of picture: www.absoluteastastronomy.com By Prema Viswanathan A Saudi Aramco official has confirmed a Reuters report earlier this week that a change of location for the giant Ras Tanura […]
Dealing With The Middle East Logistics Challenge
Singapore’s container port Source of picture: www.gcaptain.com By Malini Hariharan and John Richardson A big challenge facing many companies that have built large polymer plants that are located far from key markets is how to move product most efficiently. These facilities have been built to take advantage of competitive feedstocks in regions such as […]
Bright Future Predicted for Saudi Private Cos
Riyadh Source of picture: help.berberber.com By John Richardson PRIVATE Saudi Arabian petrochemical companies need not fret about the ethane-gas shortage that two sources had last week told us would hold up their development, according a third industry source we spoke to today, who is based in the Middle East. “The private companies I’ve spoken […]
Polymer trading – a great investment opportunity?
By Malini Hariharan I recently met a businessman at a dinner party. After exchanging the usual greetings he eagerly disclosed his plans for a new business venture – trading in polymers. “There will be three of us in this business; we plan to import polymers in bulk from Taiwan and China; each consignment will not […]
Europe Faces More Middle East Pressure
A high chance of more showers Source of picture: www.stuff.co.zn By John Richardson A closer look at last year’s polyolefin trade flows illustrates just how vulnerable European producers will be over the next few years to rising pressure from Middle East imports. “The volume of trade in Western Europe (intra-regional plus imports) for all […]
No More Gas For Saudi Private Cos – Industry Source
Ras Tanura in Saudi – private companies bunkered by feedstock shortage? By John Richardson The gas feedstock shortages in Saudi Arabia – which we have commented on before – are such that no private company will receive any allocations in the future, claimed an industry source. “It’s only going to be for Saudi Aramco and […]
China Polyolefin Buyers Smell Blood……
…..but time to party for some thanks to re-exports to Brazil Source of picture: edgsgonesouth.com By John Richardson It’s a funny old world – or so it seems in poylolefins at the moment as traders re-export resin from China to Latin America and elsewhere. “I phoned up a trader in China the other day […]
US-China Yuan Row And The Threat To Chemicals
Source of picture: The China Daily By John Richardson THE outcome of the row between the US and China over the value of the Yuan has the potential to bring to an end a tentative and highly unbalanced global economic recovery, economists and chemicals industry sources have told the blog. If the US […]
The changing world of gas
By Malini Hariharan The blog has recently written about gas availability in the Middle East and upcoming changes to pricing which have big implications for the petrochemicals business. But the global gas market is seeing wider changes and these have been excellently summarised by The Economist. The key development has been the rise of shale […]
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