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Asian Chemical Connections

European PE, PP below Euros1,000/tonne

By John Richardson JOURNALISTS are often accused of exaggeration for the sake a good story, but it is genuinely no exaggeration to say that markets are in free-fall. Last week we reported on how European polyolefin pricing was on a downward spiral. For example, my ICIS pricing colleague Stephanie Wilson wrote in this article: “We […]

Saudi Ethane Prices Set To Rise To $2/mBTU

  Source of picture: robertsamsterdam   By John Richardson IT will only be a question of making a large rather than a huge amount of money if you only take into account the relatively minor increases being forecast for Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical feedstock costs. The cost rises would have been far more dramatic if Saudi […]

No Going Back, But Don’t Expect Smooth Ride

Cloth nappies?….you have to be kidding       Source of picture: babygavin.com   By John Richardson IT IS the biggest transformation that the global economy has probably ever undergone, resulting in numerous opportunities and challenges for the chemicals industry as emerging markets continue to boom. The obvious opportunity is for those who can meet […]

Getting Education Right Is Crucial

The brightest and the best, but will there be enough of them? Source of picture: schoolsinnewdelhi.com     By John Richardson EDUCATION, education and education are three of the biggest challenges facing developing countries over the next 10-20 years. This will determine overall growth of economies. Without the right skill sets the rapid rates of […]

Middle East Study Casts Doubt On Downstream Strategy

Petro Rabigh Source of picture: arabianoilandgas.com   By John Richardson Petro Rabigh’s attempt to move further down the value chain raises interesting questions over exactly how successful the Saudi joint venture will be in attracting the necessary investment. As my fellow blogger Malini Hariharan wrote earlier this week, plans for the second phase of Petro […]

GCC gas shortage expected to last till 2015

By Malini Hariharan After enjoying years of plentiful supplies the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries face a gas shortage that could last another five years, says consultancy Booz & Co. And this is happening at a time when other countries around of the world, especially the US, are seeing a surge in availability. Source: Booz […]

Saudi Feedstock Pricing May Change Next Year

What’s the gas? Source of picture: wwww.arabianoilandgas.com     By John Richardson SAUDI Arabian feedstock pricing arrangements for ethane, liquefied natural gas (LPG) and naphtha could change in 2011 – affecting the competitiveness of existing and future investments, two well-placed sources have told this blog. Ethane is currently still priced at around 75 cents/mBTU and […]

The more the merrier

By Malini Hariharan (Malini is now joint blogger for Asian Chemical Connections) Sumitomo Chemical and Saudi Aramco appear to be in a generous mood. After successfully launching the first phase of their joint venture and starting work on the second phase the two are willing to welcome others to the Rabigh party. Pic source: Saudi […]

A fight to the finish

By Malini Hariharan (Malini is now joint blogger for Asian Chemical Connections) The Indian government has announced 17 November as the date for a public hearing to discuss the provisional anti dumping duties that it had imposed in June on imports of polypropylene (PP) from Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Oman. The hearing will give a […]

GCC mood lifts despite worsening gas crisis

THE MOOD seems to have become a little more upbeat in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region of the Middle East thanks to the economic recovery. “The flow of foreign funds into the GCC came to a complete standstill in Q4 and the first quarter of this year, but in Q2-Q3 it reached all-time highs,” […]

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