By Malini Hariharan Ras Laffan Olefins Co (RLOC) is studying an expansion of its new cracker by using propane as a feedstock. At a recent news conference, Mohammed Yousef Al Mulla, general manager of Qatofin, the Qatar Petroleum-Total joint venture downstream of the 1.3m tonnes/year cracker, said that while the cracker was currently running at […]
Asian Chemical Connections
Changing expectations
By Malini Hariharan A turnaround in petrochemical fortunes in the US, as a result of falling gas prices, means that Dow Chemical is willing to wait to get the best value for its basic chemicals business. At an earnings call last week, the company’s ceo, Andrew Liveris, was clear that while Dow was committed to […]
Chinaplas: Optimism, consolidation, new plant start-ups and more
By Malini Hariharan Chinaplas has just concluded and my colleagues have filed some great reports from Shanghai. Worries about a margin squeeze in the second half of the year persist but polymer producers seem to be increasingly confident about long-term growth prospects. The chairman of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA) talked of the […]
Aramco-Dow project to be scaled down?
By Malini Hariharan If you are moving a project to a new location then why not take some time to re-examine its configuration? That appears to be the thinking at Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical for their proposed cracker and derivatives complex in Saudi Arabia. As reported on this blog recently, the mega petrochemical project […]
Good Chance Of Polyolefin Trough Delay
By John Richardson THE betting remains on trough conditions arriving for polyolefins at some point later this year with new supply expected to begin to severely lengthen markets towards the end of Q2. A temporary buying strike in China that dragged on for too long – following overbuilding of local resin inventories – has helped […]
Surge in Saudi-US PE Exports Reported
Heading West,,Jeddah’s container port Source of picture: http://ofwngayon.com/home/?p=257 By John Richardson SABIC has increased its exports of PE to the US in response to high pricing and what could be weaker demand in China, a source with a North American producer told the blog earlier this week. “I have heard of more linear-low […]
Will crude oil revive PE markets?
By Malini Hariharan Has the steady increase in crude oil prices last week prompted Chinese buyers to resume purchases? That is what a Shanghai-based distributor of Middle East product is hoping. And it is the only explanation that he can find for concluding a sale of nearly 10,000 tonnes of polyethylene (PE) yesterday. After weeks […]
China Polyolefins – A Bad Case Of Indigestion
By John Richardson IT IS always dangerous to assume that the future will be exactly the same as the past – a big lesson from the recent financial crisis. But so seems to have been the assumption amongst China’s polyolefin traders late last year as a close look at import statistics for December and January, […]
Aramco Confirms Ras Tanura Location Review
Here’s a post from a guest blogger, my good colleague Prema Viswanathan – Deputy Managing Editor of ICIS pricing in Asia. Ras Tanura and Al-Jubail Source of picture: www.absoluteastastronomy.com By Prema Viswanathan A Saudi Aramco official has confirmed a Reuters report earlier this week that a change of location for the giant Ras Tanura […]
Dealing With The Middle East Logistics Challenge
Singapore’s container port Source of picture: www.gcaptain.com By Malini Hariharan and John Richardson A big challenge facing many companies that have built large polymer plants that are located far from key markets is how to move product most efficiently. These facilities have been built to take advantage of competitive feedstocks in regions such as […]
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