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Asian Chemical Connections

Shell plans for the long-term

See below for an extended interview with Shell Chemicals vice president, Ben van Beurden, who talks of the search for new feedstock sources. He raises the possiblity of using syngas from the Pearl GTL project in Qatar to make methanol and then olefins. Or perhaps the high paraffinic naphtha and ethane from the same project […]

The search for more basic petrochemicals

Very interesting speech from Alan Kirkley, Vice President of Strategy and Portfolio for Shell Chemicals, which first of all goes over the predictable ground of where we are in the cycle and the threat from the Middle East. However, he then makes the valid point – which I made earlier this week – that the […]

Is the last margin grab over?

Shortly after I wrote this article (see below) on the doom and gloom surrounding China polyolefins markets, hey presto, prices rallied and I was wondering whether I needed to be wiping egg off my face. But shortly after the slight rally occurred, a polyolefins trade told me it was likely to be the last margin […]

Balancing economics with the environment

Recent comments by An Qiyuan, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee for Shaanxi, warned of the environment and social catastrophe facing the northwestern province of China because of a shortage of water. He was referring to the diversion of water from Shaanxi to Beijing ahead of the Olympics and hydroelectricity plants which he […]

If I had a dollar for every time………

…….I had heard a company saying it was moving up the value chain (or rather a Euro or a British pound these days), I wouldn’t be writing this blog entry while smelling the wonderful aroma of pork sausages being cooked for my tea. Brown sauce and mash as well, of course. Can Dow Chemical make […]

Here we go again – 1997 is back…..

I sincerely hope not, but all the signs are there because of: *A financial crisis which nobody again saw coming, this time with global implications *What could prove to be too much spending on new equipment and capacity. This time high equity prices have paid for these investments rather than US dollar-denominated bank loans, as […]

Will Dow ever crack India?

The two big gaps in the US major’s Asian presence (and gaping gaps they indeed are) are cracker complexes in India and China. China could be fixed through the alliance with PIC – meaning, Dow has leverage to get a license to build a naphtha cracker complex by offering crude supply through its new jv. […]

Where does Dow/PIC go from here in Asia?

What Andrew Liveris didn’t address when interviewed over the Dow/PIC deal is what the $19bn olefins and polymers deal could mean for Asia, the Middle East and commodities. All the talk was of specialities with speculation sure to be rife over the next few months over how the US major will use its now substantial […]

More talk of credit tightening in China

Call me a bitter old cynic, but some of the talk in this ICIS news article about a government lending crackdown might be from a few traders taking positions. But still, it does seem as if the government is taking some measures to restrict loan growth. Earlier, it appeared unclear as to whether the restrictions […]

More Indonesian consolidation on the way?

There are strong rumours circulating that the hopelessly fragmented Indonesian petrochemical industry might undergo some more restructuring. This would follow Titan Petrochemical’s purchase of troubled polyethylene producer PT Peni, now renamed PT Titan, for a bargain price. Common ownership between sole cracker operator Chandra Asri and its numerous downstream companies would go a long way […]

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