Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are the top stories from ICIS News from the week ended 15 October.

ExxonMobil plans a 30,000 tonne/year plastic waste recycling plant in Texas
ExxonMobil is aiming to build a 30,000 tonne/year recycling plant for plastic waste in Baytown, Texas, the US energy and chemicals major said on Monday.

US PE exports decline 19.7% over first eight months of 2021
US exports of polyethylene (PE) declined 19.7% over the first eight months of 2021 compared with the same period of the prior year, according to data from the ICIS Supply and Demand Database.

ILMA ’21: US trucking issues here to stay
Trucking issues topped a long list of supply-chain concerns at the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) annual meeting and there are few signs of relief.

Petrochemicals to capture more than 50% of crude demand by 2050 – IEA
Electrification of transport, industry and residential heating will leave the petrochemicals sector as the main consumer of crude oil by 2050, capturing 55% of demand for the fossil fuel, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.

US gas futures rebound on mixed demand
US natural gas prices settled lower in the days following last week’s record high but have since rebounded on a mixed demand outlook.

US Air Products to build $4.5bn blue hydrogen project in Louisiana
US industrial gases major Air Products plans to build a $4.5bn “megaproject” to produce more than 750m standard cubic feet/day of blue hydrogen in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, it said on Thursday.

Westlake Chemical lifts US PVC and VCM force majeure
Westlake Chemical will lift its force majeure for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) effective 1 November, the company said in a notice sent to customers dated 15 October.