Entries from Asian Chemical Connections tagged with 'US'
The Challenges For 2013
By John Richardson WE wish our readers a great festive season and wish them all the best for the New Year. We will take a break and resume the blog on 28 December. We really do wish we could be...
Food Prices And Chemicals
Graph prepared by the http://www.thegatesnotes.com/Personal/2012-Annual-Letter By John Richardson RISING food prices resulting from adverse weather conditions in the US, South America and Russia represent yet another threat to global economic growth. Grain prices could, for instance, increase by...
North America's Oil and Gas Potential
By Malini Hariharan The energy landscape in North America is rapidly changing. After shale gas the focus has shifted to rising oil production from various unconventional sources, which has prompted some commentators to predict that the region will regain its...
It's All About Shale Gas
By Malini Hariharan As expected, excitement around shale gas is running strong at the CERAWeek conference in Houston. But an element of caution is also visible with the majors appearing to be in no rush to finalise their investments. Shell...
Methanol moves
By Malini Hariharan Recent moves by methanol majors to boost their capacities have caught the blog's attention. Sabic's chief financial officer Mutlaq al-Morished disclosed at a press conference yesterday in Dubai that the company is in talks for a methanol...
Fresh US sanctions to target Iran petchems
By Malini Hariharan The US is looking to introduce fresh measures targeted at the petrochemicals industry. The specifics of the new sanctions are not yet available but the goal, says this report, is to bar foreign companies from doing business...
Restocking lifts polyolefins prices
By Malini Hariharan Polyolefins prices in the key China markets inched up last week thanks to an uptick in buying activity. Prices of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blow moulding and film grades moved up $20/tonne while linear-low density PE prices were...
Marcellus shale cut down to size
By Malini Hariharan The blog has been reading with interest a recent report about the Energy Information Administration (EIA) cutting its estimate of the Marcellus shale gas reserves by 80% following a recent study by the US Geological Survey (USGS)....
Cotton corrects; will polyester follow?
By Malini Hariharan After last year's stunning rise, cotton prices have plunged 53% in the last four months from a 140-year peak of $2.15/lb on 4 March. Prices have fallen 38% in July with cotton for December delivery quoted at...
Banking on gas
By Malini Hariharan Is the International Energy Agency (IEA) being extremely bullish in predicting a 'golden age' for natural gas over the next 25 years? In a recently released report (available here) the IEA forecasts a 55% growth in global...
To frack or not to frack...
By Malini Hariharan ...is a debate that has starting moving out of the US. A desire for energy independence has seen countries like Poland to embrace shale gas with the government welcoming US companies to quickly develop the country's reserves,...
Will the US lead the next olefins wave?
By Malini Hariharan A few weeks back after a post on the rise of shale gas the blog was asked a question about new petrochemical investments in North Americas. Were they feasible? Would ethane prices remain attractive for the long...
China outlines shale gas ambitions
By Malini Hariharan With all the buzz around shale gas in the US the blog is not surprised to read that China is also turning to this unconventional source of gas. The country is looking to start shale gas production...
One more US expansion
By Malini Hariharan The shale gas based ethane rush in the US continues with Westlake Chemical the latest to announce big expansions at its two crackers in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Each of Westlake's two light feedstock crackers will be expanded...
Shale gas spurs optimism but questions remain
By Malini Hariharan The mood at this year's International Petrochemical Conference, hosted by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) in San Antonio,US, is quite bullish and is evident in the reports being filed by the blog's colleagues on ICIS...
US shale gas and petchems
By Malini Hariharan The blog would like to share an interesting analysis in the latest issue of ICIS Chemical Business on the impact of US shale gas on petrochemical producers in the region. Profitability has of course improved as seen...
The C4 challenge
By Malini Hariharan C4 buyers are a troubled lot. Availabilty of the product is tight and will remain so for the foreseeable future. So it was not surprising to hear that concerns about C4 supply dominated discussions at the recent...
PX: Still going strong
By Malini Hariharan Paraxylene (PX) markets are on a roll. Prices have risen by 20% since the beginning of the year and were assessed at around $1,620/tonne cfr Asia late last week by ICIS pricing. One contract nomination for March...
Accident spurs US ethylene; Asia holds steady
By Malini Hariharan Spot ethylene prices in the US have moved up following a fire at Enterprise Products natural gas liquids (NGL) complex at Mont Belvieu, Texas, on 8th February. The complex is said to be among the world's largest...
Looking for ethane? Head West
By Malini Hariharan A problem of plenty is building up in the US where the rise of shale gas production could create problems in disposal of ethane. This may sound hard to believe but a new report by Bentek Energy...
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