Russia’s basic chemical production up 1.5% in H1 year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–Russia’s production of basic chemicals in the first half grew by 1.5% year on year although output has been declining in the last three months, according to official statistics.

Production has been decreasing since April, with a fall in June of 3.2% from the previous month, according to the Federal Service of State Statistics (Rosstat).

June production of ethylene in Russia were about 224,000 tonnes compared with 232,000 tonnes in May.

Total production of ethylene in Russia exceeded 1.425 m tonnes in January-June 2016, down 0.9% year on year. The main reason was a long shutdown of ethylene production at Angarsk ZP because of equipment failure.

Russia’s benzene output in June decreased to 95,500 tonnes, compared with 97,100 tonnes in May. Total benzene production over the first six months of the year reached 599,000 tonnes, down 3% from the same period in 2015.

The production of xylols in June decreased to 48,300 tonnes, compared with 48,800 tonnes in May 2016. Production of xylols in January-June 2016 totalled 290,400 tonnes, up 4.5% year on year.

June production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) increased to 88,900 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) against 85,400 tonnes in May.

Kaustik (Volgograd) has finished turnarounds and SayanskKhimPlast also restarted production in the late of the month.

Total production of caustic soda in Russia exceeded 548,600 tonnes in January-June of this year, down 1.1% year on year on the back of an unscheduled shutdown at SayanskKhimPlast.

June production of mineral fertilizers was 1.617m tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients), up 0.2% from the May level.

Russia’s production of mineral fertilizers in January-June exceeded 10.1 m tonnes, up 1.3% than in the same time a year earlier.

All types of fertilizers have grown, the exception was only potash production volumes which declined by 8.8%.

MRC, a partner of ICIS, produces polymers news and pricing reports from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.