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Asian Chemical Connections

Asian C2 Muddle Reflects Wider Uncertainty

By John Richardson ASIAN ethylene markets appear to be in a muddle over the Middle East supply picture. Click here for a graph of the latest pricing – EhylenePrices1March2011.ppt  A shipping industry source we spoke to recently insisted that more rather than less C2s were being exported from the region as opposed to the reduced […]

A Repeat Of The 2008 Collapse On The Cards

       “Only another thousand or so years to go…..”       Source of picture: Atlantic Council   By John Richardson HERE we go again, eh? Yes, as rising crude-oil prices and overall inflation pose a major threat to the petrochemicals industry. Nothing the blog has read or heard over the last two weeks has given […]

Saudi Petchems Blighted By Logistics

By John Richardson ONE of the many factors behind petrochemicals supply being less than expected during 2010 has been logistics problems in Saudi Arabia. One trader we spoke to on the sidelines of last month’s Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) conference in Dubai told us that one particular complex was struggling to accurately complete […]

Gaping Chasm Between Effective, Real Op Rates

By John Richardson A gaping chasm has opened up over the past 18 months between nameplate capacities and effective operating rates, resulting in much greater focus on the latter. It isn’t easy and it is getting ever-more complicated to assess the actual volumes likely to hit markets. There is a considerably well-supported school of thought […]

Overconfidence The Bisk Risk For 2011

  By John Richardson OVERCONFIDENCE is perhaps the biggest risk for 2011 as a result of sales volumes that have this year exceeded even the most wildly optimistic forecasts. The danger is that we have yet to see the worst of this current petrochemicals cycle. Companies and chemicals analysts might have got a little ahead […]

US Petrochemicals A World Beater

Shell’s refinery and petchems complex in Deer Park, Texas Source of picture http://www.msnbc.msn.com/   By John Richardson THE excellent third-quarter financial results of the likes of Dow Chemical and LyondellBasell further confirm the extraordinary turnaround in the cost positions of those with a big proportion of their global polyolefins production based in the US. Some […]

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 […]

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