Americas top stories: weekly summary

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Americas for the week ended 17 February 2017:

US ethane to double by ’19, squeezing margins – Cowen
US chemical producers will suffer from big increases in ethane prices as demand exceeds supply from the second half of 2018, according to a new report by investment bank Cowen & Co.

Americas Styrenics extends Louisiana styrene outage
Americas Styrenics (AmSty) expects a styrene outage at its 950,000 tonne/year Saint James plant in Louisiana to extend into the second quarter to complete repairs on critical equipment, the company said in a news release.

US ethylene exports in 2016 up 13% year on year
US exports of ethylene rose by 13% in 2016 from 2015, according to recent trade data provided by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM).

US propylene exports, imports in 2016 rise year on year
US exports of propylene rose by 57% in 2016 from 2015, according to recent trade data provided by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM).

US Williams resumes operations of Discovery Gas system
US-based Williams’ Discovery Gas Transmission (DGT) system in southeast Louisiana has resumed normal operations, a week after curtailing gas shipments due to the nearby Phillips 66 NGL pipeline fire, the company said.

US Huntsman sues Albemarle over Rockwood tech
US-based Huntsman has sued Albemarle over technology it acquired when it purchased the pigment business of Rockwood Holdings, US-based Huntsman said.

Mexico Pemex increases February PE prices
State-owned Pemex has begun a round of price increase initiatives in Mexico averaging more than 5% combining all grades, market sources said.

Heavy-vis lubes set for strong demand from marine
Operating conditions designed to save on fuel costs should keep demand for heavy-vis base oils strong from the marine sector, said Victor Zhuravskiy of Lukoil Marine Lubricants at the ICIS World Base Oil Conference.

Feeds, tightness push on US Feb acetone contracts
US acetone contracts for the barge and truck/rail markets are facing upward pressure from tight supply and an increase in feedstock costs.

Initial US Feb acrylates price increases confirmed
Some initial US acrylic acid and acrylates esters freely negotiated contract price settlements were confirmed at full increases separately proposed for 1 February by each of the major domestic suppliers.