“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 […]
Asian Chemical Connections
India’s petchem projects dilemma
By Malini Hariharan I have been doing my annual exercise of compiling major petrochemicals projects in India and as usual there not too many. Making a case for investing in a cracker in India has never been easy and the task continues to be difficult despite the demand growth experienced in the last few years. […]
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 […]
Good Manners More Important Than Financial Results
Source of picture: www.theage.com.au By John Richardson A good friend of mine, working for a Singapore-based chemical company, recently had a discussion about a new office seating plan with her company’s human (????) resources manager. “I have decided not to sit you next to xxxxx because, as both of you are so fat, you won’t […]
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 […]
Iran’s many problems
By Malini Hariharan A new problem is brewing for Iranian petrochemical producers. It appears that the government is quite keen on raising feedstock ethane prices and this issue is now under ‘hot negotiations’. “The National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) and the petroleum ministry would like to rationalise the price of ethane according to the international […]
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 – […]
Refinery closures – how many and how fast?
By Malini Hariharan Many Asian aromatics producers are optimistic that the worst is over and a gradual improvement in global demand coupled with firm Chinese demand will help them through 2009. There is also the expectation that a pressure on refining margins will lead to more plant closures which would also help the aromatics business. […]
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