Home Blogs Asian Chemical Connections

Asian Chemical Connections

Asia awash with aromatics

By Malini Hariharan Excess availability of product continues to trouble Asian aromatics markets. Commissioning of new plants and reluctance to cut operating rates has resulted in a steady build up of stocks over the last few months. Take the case of paraxylene (PX). The spread between naphtha and PX prices has been running below $250-300/tonne, […]

Taiwan’s tough talk

By Malini Hariharan Formosa Petrochemical Corp’s problems are mounting after two accidents in less than a month at its refinery and petrochemical site in Mailiao, Taiwan. Wu Den-yih, the country’s premier was at the site last week and ordered an investigation report to be submitted on 6 August. And in a bid to reassure residents […]

Singapore’s New Petrochemicals Strategy

Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands complex   Source of picture: Washington Pos     By John Richardson “SUCCESS in this business, whether you are tracking price direction or planning new investments, is 95% about feedstock,” says a senior European-based sales manager with a global polyolefin producer. So perhaps it shouldn’t be a great surprise that a […]

Asian Polyolefins – A Dead Cat Bounce

    Source of picture: anirudhsethireport.com By John Richardson WE reported earlier this week that cautious confidence is being expressed that the worst might be over in polyolefin markets with prices having reached the bottom. “The market seems to be improving and my view there is no much room for further price corrections from a […]

Singapore Confirms Plans For 6-8m tonne/year Ethylene

Jurong Island Source of picture: www.pcs.com.sg   By John Richardson SINGAPORE plans to eventually raise its ethylene capacity to 6-8m tonne/year from the 4m tonne/year which will be reached when ExxonMobil’s second cracker complex at Jurong Island is on-stream, Liang Ting Wee, Director of Energy and Chemicals at the Economic Development Board (EDB), has told […]

Aromatics May Suffer From Strong Reformer Economics

By John Richardson ASIAN aromatics producers are struggling from an oversupply driven both by weak demand for their products and strong overall reformer economics, the blog has been told. As this chart below illustrates for benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX), the price declines for these base chemicals mirror those we have reported on extensively in […]

Honam Set For Further Buys After Titan Deal

The layout of the Pasir Gudang complex   Source of picture: Titan Chemicals   By John Richardson and Malini Hariharan HONAM Petrochemical’s plan to buy Malaysia’s Titan Chemicals  for $1.5bn – which was announced today – is likely to be followed by further buys, including a refiner, an industry observer has told the blog. “I am […]

Iran Petchems Hit By New Sanctions

  Source of picture: irantrip1wordpress.com     By John Richardson IRAN’S ability to further develop its oil, gas and petrochemicals sectors has received further major blows from new rounds of United Nations and US sanctions. One June 9, the UN approved a fourth round of sanctions on the country, including restrictions on financial transactions, a […]

Petronas Restructuring Details Emerge

Petronas seeks to scale new heights Source of picture: www.mir.com By John Richardson MORE details have emerged concerning the major restructuring taking place at Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned oil, gas, refining and petrochemicals major. Vice-presidents have being appointed to head new downstream (refining and petrochemicals), upstream (exploration and production) and finance divisions, a source familiar […]

Jump to page: