Home Author: John Richardson

Asian Chemical Connections

Reliance Bid For LyondellBasell Confirmed

Reliance Industries has made an offer for LyondellBasell says an official statement released yesterday on the LyondellBasell website: “LyondellBasell has received a preliminary non-binding offer from Reliance Industries Limited to acquire for cash a controlling interest in the company contemporaneously with the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 reorganization. “This offer is in addition to the […]

China Real Estate: When Is A Bubble A Bubble?

      Source of picture: www.managingthedragon.com By John Richardson I love the phrase used by Andrew Peaple of the Wall Street Journal in this article on China’s property “bubble”: Getting a straight answer is like “nailing jelly to a wall”, in other words xxxxxx impossible. I will be in Shanghai next week on a business […]

Unravelling China’s polyester market

By Malini Hariharan (Malini is now joint blogger for Asian Chemical Connections) China’s immense appetite this year for all petrochemicals has been puzzling many of us. This blog has been regularly asking questions and some answeres for the polyester and PTA markets were provided by YJ Kim of PCI Xylenes & Polyesters at the Indian […]

“Middle East To Control Basic Chems In 3-5 Years”

Abu Dhabi ahead in the race? Source of picture: www.gulftrackservices.com By John Richardson The global basic chemicals industry is likely to end up under the dominant control of the Middle East, and possibly Asia, within the next 3-5 years, a senior chemicals industry source told this blog. “We have known for a long time that […]

Disappointment in India…speculation on Rabigh

By Malini Hariharan (Malini is now joint blogger for Asian Chemical Connections) The 17 Nov public hearing arranged by the Indian government at Delhi to discuss provisional anti dumping duties levied on PP imports from Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Oman was postponed at the very last minute causing a great deal frustration among lawyers and […]

A Chilling Chinese Export Rumour

 “They are so cheap, I might even buy one as a hedge against global warming” Source of picture: www.formalwilderness.blogspot.com   This blog has spent a lot of time tormenting itself over the sustainability of China’s extraordinary economic rebound during 2009. “Just where are all those imports of chemicals and polymers (polymers up 50% year-to-date) going?” […]

Crude, Demand Destruction & Irresponsible Bankers

  Source of picture: www.walletpop.com     By John Richardson In his own words Paul Hodges of International e-Chem – and also a fellow blogger – puts in a nutshell some of the dangers confronting the chemicals industry as we approach the New Year, with a few interspersed further thoughts from this blog: “If crude […]

US Dollar Carry Trade Threat To Chemicals

Stay cool and don’t panic! Source of picture: www.wired.com     By John Richardson THE growth of the carry trade US dollars – leading to a sharp depreciation of the greenback and possibly of many other unintended consequences – represents a major threat to the chemicals industry in 2010. Any corporate planner with her or […]

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 […]

Naphtha Highest Level For More Than A Year

 Shelf-space to be in short supply again? Source of picture: www.zrdata.com   ASIAN naphtha prices hit their highest level for more than a year yesterday – reaching $701/tonne CFR Japan for second-half December open-spec material on “improved market conditions”. Earlier this week we picked up more reports of bleak demand in styrenics and fibre intermediates that […]

Jump to page: