Home Events Training Petrochemicals: An In-Depth Introduction – Agenda
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Petrochemicals: An In-Depth Introduction

MODULE 1 (2 hours & 40 minutes)

Understanding petrochemicals: Feedstock dynamics and industry fundamentals

1 hour : Understanding petrochemicals: industry development, basic production processes and building blocks

  • How the industry has developed over the years
  • Overview of the petrochemicals value chain: terminology
    explained
  • Paraffins (alkanes), olefins (alkenes) and aromatics
    introduced
  • Steam cracking to make the building blocks
  • Recycling: Introducing basic concepts and terminology

15 minutes : Break

Petrochemical building blocks and their major applications

1 hour : Olefins : Ethylene, propylene and butadiene

  • Ethylene and derivatives: major sources, value chains and end-uses of PE, EO, EG, PET and the vinyls chain
  • Propylene: the versatile polypropylene (PP, CAN, Alcohols, PO and other derivatives). Sources of propylene and on-purpose processes
  • Butadiene: The difference between raf 1&2, synthetic rubbers and other C4 derivatives

15 minutes : Value chain exercise: Olefins

10 minutes : Summary and conclusion

MODULE 2 (3 hours & 25 minutes)

1 hour Aromatics : Benzene, toluene and xylenes

  • Primary and secondary sources of aromatics
  • Benzene and derivatives: value chains and end-uses
  • Polymers made from styrene
  • Tensions in the phenol-acetone chains
  • Paraxylene to polyester
  • Phthalates from orthoxylene
  • Market dynamics: Demand and supply

10 minutes : Value chain exercise: Aromatics

10 minutes : Break

45 minutes : Examining oil and its relationship with petrochemicals

  • Overview of the oil refining industry
  • Crude oil quality measurements
  • Crude distillation, FCC and catalytic reforming processes
  • Where petrochemicals are produced in refineries
  • Crude oil pricing, and its influence on petrochemicals

1 hour: An introduction to natural gas, methanol and ammonia

  • Types of natural gas: NGLs, LPGs and condensates
  • Natural gas distribution and LNG
  • Growth of shale gas and the fracking process
  • Ethane cost advantage
  • The impact of shale gas on US competitiveness
  • Emerging trade in ethane
  • Production, consumption and reserves
  • Methanol and ammonia from natural gas
  • Olefins and growing fuel uses from methanol

20 minutes : Summary and conclusion

MODULE 3 (3 hours)

Petrochemical market trends and understanding cost drivers

45 minutes : Understanding petrochemicals pricing and cost drivers

  • How markets function and prices are set
  • Types of prices: Spot and contract pricing
  • Pricing jargon clarified
  • Main price drivers – cost, supply, demand and sentiment
  • ICIS price assessment explained
  • Price reporting challenges; manipulation and illiquid
    markets

45 Minutes : Bio-opportunities in the energy transition

  • Understanding the link between biorefineries, bio-feedstocks, biofuels and biochemicals
  • Key business drivers: net-zero targets, evolving policies, sustainability concerns, competition for feedstocks and more
  • Opportunities and challenges across the transport and chemicals sectors  

10 minutes : Break

1 hour : Petrochemicals – a changed world

  • Petrochemicals are a global business: who are the leaders; what are their roles?
  • Key business drivers: Feedstock, markets, logistics and more
  • Global and regional chemicals output; domination of China
  • The key industries for petrochemicals
  • Strategic moves and creating winning partnerships
  • Trade flows and shifting regional influences
  • Industry challenges and opportunities: social pressure and tightening controls, key trends in the drive to net zero

20 minutes : Summary and conclusion

MODULE 4 (3 hours)

Future trends: Looking into factors that are shaping the future of the petrochemicals industry

30 Minutes : Application: Knowledge survey & interactive discussion

1 hour : The rise of sustainability commitments and how it could change the future direction of petrochemicals

15 minutes : Break

1 hour : Inflation, the new China and global petrochemicals

  • The global demand context
  • European production and demand challenges
  • US capacities and the ethane advantage
  • The importance of China, China’s long-term slowdown and rising self-sufficiency
  • A long-term global outlook: Demographics, geopolitics and sustainability

15 minutes : Summary and conclusion