Ras Tanura in Saudi – private companies bunkered by feedstock shortage? By John Richardson The gas feedstock shortages in Saudi Arabia – which we have commented on before – are such that no private company will receive any allocations in the future, claimed an industry source. “It’s only going to be for Saudi Aramco and […]
Asian Chemical Connections
China Polyolefin Buyers Smell Blood……
…..but time to party for some thanks to re-exports to Brazil Source of picture: edgsgonesouth.com By John Richardson It’s a funny old world – or so it seems in poylolefins at the moment as traders re-export resin from China to Latin America and elsewhere. “I phoned up a trader in China the other day […]
US-China Yuan Row And The Threat To Chemicals
Source of picture: The China Daily By John Richardson THE outcome of the row between the US and China over the value of the Yuan has the potential to bring to an end a tentative and highly unbalanced global economic recovery, economists and chemicals industry sources have told the blog. If the US […]
China Labour Shortage Threat To Chem Demand Grows
“Sorry, but there’s more to life – I really don’t want to do this anymore…” Source of picture: China Daily By John Richardson The labour shortage crisis in southern China – which one trader had claimed would last exactly ten days beyond the end of a recent polyolefins conference – is proving to be […]
Thailand’s Map Ta Phut crisis – the NGO side of the story
By Malini Hariharan Penchom Saetang of Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (Earth) is not a typical activist vociferously denouncing companies for their environmental misdeeds. She is soft spoken and rational in her criticism of the state of affairs at Map Ta Phut, Thailand’s premier industrial zone and a major petrochemicals hub. After spending over […]
Saudi Feedstock Pricing May Change Next Year
What’s the gas? Source of picture: wwww.arabianoilandgas.com By John Richardson SAUDI Arabian feedstock pricing arrangements for ethane, liquefied natural gas (LPG) and naphtha could change in 2011 – affecting the competitiveness of existing and future investments, two well-placed sources have told this blog. Ethane is currently still priced at around 75 cents/mBTU and […]
Western Chems: Exporting Into More Domestic Trouble?
China’s migrant workers – a risky game… Source of picture: China Daily By John Richardson THIS very disturbing Op-Ed piece by Paul Krugman in the New York Times argues that the US needs to impose a 25% tariff on Chinese imports in response to the value of the Yuan being held at […]
China Re-exports Large Volumes Of PE To Latin America
Heading for the high jump Source of picture: www.commons.wikemedia.,org By John Richardson CHINA’S polyethylene (PE) market looks as if it has gone a little pear-shaped as a result of high inventory levels and buyers anticipating the long-awaited flood of new supplies. Further factors are labour shortages affecting processors and manufacturers and anxiety over […]
Asian propylene pricing heading for “a crash”
By John Richardson PROPYLENE pricing is heading for “a crash” in Asia as a result of spot supply increasing by around 20,000 tonne/month, a senior industry source has told the blog. Shell Chemicals will have a surplus 440,000 tonne/year of C3s from its Singapore cracker – in the process of starting up right now – […]
Turkish Polyolefins Confront Tight Credit, China Uncertainty
Source of picture: www.turkeytravel.com By John Richardson THE economic crisis continues to force the global chemicals industry to think on its feet due to, among many other things, persistently tight credit in some regions. China has also become even more of an important market with every rumour and counter-rumour about levels of demand there […]
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