The Urethane Blog
June 4, 2021
June 3, 2021
Subject: LyondellBasell 2021 Hurricane Preparedness Plans
Dear Valued Customer:
We are committed to providing a 2021 Hurricane Response Plan that maximizes the safety of our
employees and minimizes the disruption of services and supply to our customers. This communication
summarizes the LyondellBasell resources available to you if we experience a hurricane or other severe
weather conditions that impact our Gulf Coast operations.
To protect your business operations, we are strongly encouraging you to:
- Plan ahead as much as possible for potential severe weather-related supply disruptions. Our
US chemical and polymer supply chain is currently optimized for real-time supply demand dynamics and
could experience weather-related inventory disruptions and weather-related transportation issues (in an
already constrained transportation industry) as a result of a severe weather-related event. - Review our plans and resources outlined below, which are designed to mitigate the impact
of a severe weather-related event to our operations:
Communications:
Our toll-free customer service number 1-888-777-0232 will be available 24 hours a day. The
LyondellBasell Website, www.lyb.com, will also provide severe weather updates for customers. - Customer Service and Logistics Activities:
We plan to have personnel situated at safe locations with the required connectivity to manage
important customer service and logistics activities. We are also working with our logistics service
providers to ensure that they have Hurricane Preparedness Plans in place.
We encourage all of our customers to use the LyondellBasell online order management tool:
https://lyb.customerxpress.com/Login?ReturnUrl=%2f
This tool provides order placement options, order status updates, bills of lading, certificates of analysis,
invoices and tracking, and tracing of railcars.
If you are not familiar with our Customer Xpress tool, now would be an excellent time to sign up for it
with your Account Specialist, who will be happy to help you get started.
Plant Operations:
A process is in place to effectively manage our shutdown procedures, if required, prior to landfall of a
hurricane or other severe weather related event. Our recovery teams will immediately begin assessing
issues at our facilities once the situation is under control.
We are dedicated to minimizing disruption of services to our customers in the event of severe weather.
We have successfully demonstrated our ability to service our customers remotely during Hurricane
Harvey and the current Covid-19 pandemic. Thank you for your continued business and confidence in
LyondellBasell as a preferred supplier.
June 4, 2021
Huntsman has recently completed a major expansion and enhancement to its Arlington, TX, USA, manufacturing campus. (Source: Huntsman) 02. June 2021
Huntsman Building Solutions: Major expansion in Texas
Huntsman Building Solutions has recently completed a major expansion and enhancement to its Arlington, TX, USA, manufacturing campus. With two of three phases now complete, the campus is one of the largest spray foam and coatings manufacturing facilities in the world.
“The recent formation of Huntsman Building Solutions combined the two legacy Demilec and Icynene-Lapolla spray foam companies with the power of the Huntsman brand, bringing a more diverse and expansive customer experience,” says Simon Baker, president of Huntsman Building Solutions. “Our Arlington facility now expands our manufacturing footprint with a robust family of building envelope and roofing solutions, which is undoubtedly now one of the largest spray foam manufacturing facilities in the world.”
The expansion of Huntsman Building Solutions’ Arlington site brings it to over 800,000 square feet, encompassing three adjacent structures. The expansion effort has enabled the company to integrate domestic manufacturing of all of its products – spray foam insulation, spray foam roofing, pour-in-place foams and coatings – onto one US campus. All facilities and operations within the campus also employ the best in Huntsman Corporation’s safety designs and processes.
“This facility now leverages the best practices, state-of-the-art automation and operational excellence of all three companies,” adds Baker. “Notably, the integration dramatically expands our product output capacity and there is additional capacity to grow the campus even further in the future.”
The expansion was completed in two phases and a third is planned, which will establish a 75,000-square-foot distribution center onsite, serving all of the company’s US customers.
The enhanced Arlington campus will continue to complement operations at the Huntsman Building Solutions Canadian factory in Boisbriand, Quebec, another manufacturing facility the company is currently investing in expanding as it plans for significant growth.
June 4, 2021
Huntsman has recently completed a major expansion and enhancement to its Arlington, TX, USA, manufacturing campus. (Source: Huntsman) 02. June 2021
Huntsman Building Solutions: Major expansion in Texas
Huntsman Building Solutions has recently completed a major expansion and enhancement to its Arlington, TX, USA, manufacturing campus. With two of three phases now complete, the campus is one of the largest spray foam and coatings manufacturing facilities in the world.
“The recent formation of Huntsman Building Solutions combined the two legacy Demilec and Icynene-Lapolla spray foam companies with the power of the Huntsman brand, bringing a more diverse and expansive customer experience,” says Simon Baker, president of Huntsman Building Solutions. “Our Arlington facility now expands our manufacturing footprint with a robust family of building envelope and roofing solutions, which is undoubtedly now one of the largest spray foam manufacturing facilities in the world.”
The expansion of Huntsman Building Solutions’ Arlington site brings it to over 800,000 square feet, encompassing three adjacent structures. The expansion effort has enabled the company to integrate domestic manufacturing of all of its products – spray foam insulation, spray foam roofing, pour-in-place foams and coatings – onto one US campus. All facilities and operations within the campus also employ the best in Huntsman Corporation’s safety designs and processes.
“This facility now leverages the best practices, state-of-the-art automation and operational excellence of all three companies,” adds Baker. “Notably, the integration dramatically expands our product output capacity and there is additional capacity to grow the campus even further in the future.”
The expansion was completed in two phases and a third is planned, which will establish a 75,000-square-foot distribution center onsite, serving all of the company’s US customers.
The enhanced Arlington campus will continue to complement operations at the Huntsman Building Solutions Canadian factory in Boisbriand, Quebec, another manufacturing facility the company is currently investing in expanding as it plans for significant growth.
June 3, 2021
European and American benzene supply will return to normal in the second half of the year to ease the imbalance between supply and demand
Echemi 2021-06-01
After uncharacteristically tense in the first half of the year, the supply of benzene in the United States and Europe is expected to return to normal in the second half of 2021, thereby alleviating the demand for Asian goods.
In the United States, in addition to the winter storm in mid-February that destroyed more than 4.6 million barrels per day of refinery capacity in Texas and Louisiana, limited imports from South Korea and substandard refinery operating rates also suppressed U.S. benzene stocks.
Supply disruption in the United States and limited materials in Asia disrupted transportation to Europe, while the rapidly lagging market, strong Chinese demand and limited ship supply further restricted Asia’s exports to Europe and the United States in the first half of 2021.
However, with the easing of market price cuts around the summer and an increase in global supply, European benzene consumers are expected to have more products arriving in Europe to make up for the gap.
After the maintenance of ExxonMobil Chemical’s Botlek plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, production resumed, and the shortage is expected to be alleviated.
As Korean benzene cargoes begin to arrive in the U.S. Gulf in large quantities, U.S. supplies will increase around July. According to KITA data, the amount of benzene shipped from South Korea to the coast of the United States from May 1 to 10 is roughly the same as that of the entire April. The United States is expected to surpass China in May and become South Korea’s largest importer of benzene.
According to sources, domestic production in the United States is also expected to increase. New crown vaccination and improved demand for summer travel and air travel have prompted US refineries to increase the production of gasoline, aviation fuel and middle distillates.
Due to the amazing profit rate of benzene in the first half of the year, Asian producers are operating at a high speed in order to maximize profits, leading to an increase in the export volume of Asian countries. From January to April, the Asian benzene-naphtha price gap averaged US$240/ton, and once hit a high of US$475/ton in mid-April.
In contrast, the average price difference between p-xylene and naphtha in January-April was US$224/ton, and manufacturers have shifted their focus to the production and sales of benzene.
According to sources, with the gradual recovery of supply, profit margins in Asia are still uncertain in the second half of the year, and benzene may maintain its advantage in the first half of the year.
Platts Analysis wrote in an April report: “The recovery of local demand in Western countries may accelerate rapidly in the next six months. They predict that the net utilization rate of refineries may reach about 95% in the middle of the summer. “
But market participants are not sure whether this increase will be enough to suppress prices when demand in the downstream value chains of benzene is strong and the US manufacturing industry is recovering strongly. Styrene producers are not expected to significantly reduce prices, and there are no SM devices planned to be overhauled in the United States for the remainder of 2021.
Downstream demand remains healthy
The demand for downstream products such as styrene and phenol is expected to remain healthy. The reduction in COVID-19 cases and the progress of the vaccination program provide a glimmer of hope for alleviating the blockade across Europe, while supporting further demand for benzene and its derivatives. The increase in car travel in the summer also means that refineries may increase the production of road fuels and increase the supply of benzene raw materials.
A source said that the actual demand for styrene is expected to be stronger in the second half of the year, but the decrease in SM imports from the United States may put pressure on benzene prices.
A trader said: “The increase in styrene production capacity in Asia will have a huge boost to benzene.”
Until 2021, China’s downstream new capacity has been delayed and started simultaneously, which has increased the demand for benzene, especially in southern China where commercial storage has not been widely used. At the same time, China’s integrated refineries have an oversupply of benzene, and the start of the styrene plants at these refineries has been postponed to 2022.
Previously, due to the sale of goods outside Asia, the availability of goods for Asian buyers decreased, and end users in Asia were dissatisfied with the sharp increase in prices. FOB Korea’s benchmark price hit a seven-year high in April and May several times.
There is a big gap between the bids and quotations in the CFR Asian market. Sellers are considering global delivery prices. The current spot quotations of CFR Asian buyers are almost 10 times higher than the 2021 fixed-term contract benzene price.
A buyer said: “It is difficult for Asian buyers to tolerate the substantial increase in costs caused by reasons unrelated to Asia. The entire styrene chain will eventually be normalized in the second half of the year.” Many sources said that the situation in the first half of the year was intermittent. Sexuality is unlikely to become the norm in the future.
June 3, 2021
European and American benzene supply will return to normal in the second half of the year to ease the imbalance between supply and demand
Echemi 2021-06-01
After uncharacteristically tense in the first half of the year, the supply of benzene in the United States and Europe is expected to return to normal in the second half of 2021, thereby alleviating the demand for Asian goods.
In the United States, in addition to the winter storm in mid-February that destroyed more than 4.6 million barrels per day of refinery capacity in Texas and Louisiana, limited imports from South Korea and substandard refinery operating rates also suppressed U.S. benzene stocks.
Supply disruption in the United States and limited materials in Asia disrupted transportation to Europe, while the rapidly lagging market, strong Chinese demand and limited ship supply further restricted Asia’s exports to Europe and the United States in the first half of 2021.
However, with the easing of market price cuts around the summer and an increase in global supply, European benzene consumers are expected to have more products arriving in Europe to make up for the gap.
After the maintenance of ExxonMobil Chemical’s Botlek plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, production resumed, and the shortage is expected to be alleviated.
As Korean benzene cargoes begin to arrive in the U.S. Gulf in large quantities, U.S. supplies will increase around July. According to KITA data, the amount of benzene shipped from South Korea to the coast of the United States from May 1 to 10 is roughly the same as that of the entire April. The United States is expected to surpass China in May and become South Korea’s largest importer of benzene.
According to sources, domestic production in the United States is also expected to increase. New crown vaccination and improved demand for summer travel and air travel have prompted US refineries to increase the production of gasoline, aviation fuel and middle distillates.
Due to the amazing profit rate of benzene in the first half of the year, Asian producers are operating at a high speed in order to maximize profits, leading to an increase in the export volume of Asian countries. From January to April, the Asian benzene-naphtha price gap averaged US$240/ton, and once hit a high of US$475/ton in mid-April.
In contrast, the average price difference between p-xylene and naphtha in January-April was US$224/ton, and manufacturers have shifted their focus to the production and sales of benzene.
According to sources, with the gradual recovery of supply, profit margins in Asia are still uncertain in the second half of the year, and benzene may maintain its advantage in the first half of the year.
Platts Analysis wrote in an April report: “The recovery of local demand in Western countries may accelerate rapidly in the next six months. They predict that the net utilization rate of refineries may reach about 95% in the middle of the summer. “
But market participants are not sure whether this increase will be enough to suppress prices when demand in the downstream value chains of benzene is strong and the US manufacturing industry is recovering strongly. Styrene producers are not expected to significantly reduce prices, and there are no SM devices planned to be overhauled in the United States for the remainder of 2021.
Downstream demand remains healthy
The demand for downstream products such as styrene and phenol is expected to remain healthy. The reduction in COVID-19 cases and the progress of the vaccination program provide a glimmer of hope for alleviating the blockade across Europe, while supporting further demand for benzene and its derivatives. The increase in car travel in the summer also means that refineries may increase the production of road fuels and increase the supply of benzene raw materials.
A source said that the actual demand for styrene is expected to be stronger in the second half of the year, but the decrease in SM imports from the United States may put pressure on benzene prices.
A trader said: “The increase in styrene production capacity in Asia will have a huge boost to benzene.”
Until 2021, China’s downstream new capacity has been delayed and started simultaneously, which has increased the demand for benzene, especially in southern China where commercial storage has not been widely used. At the same time, China’s integrated refineries have an oversupply of benzene, and the start of the styrene plants at these refineries has been postponed to 2022.
Previously, due to the sale of goods outside Asia, the availability of goods for Asian buyers decreased, and end users in Asia were dissatisfied with the sharp increase in prices. FOB Korea’s benchmark price hit a seven-year high in April and May several times.
There is a big gap between the bids and quotations in the CFR Asian market. Sellers are considering global delivery prices. The current spot quotations of CFR Asian buyers are almost 10 times higher than the 2021 fixed-term contract benzene price.
A buyer said: “It is difficult for Asian buyers to tolerate the substantial increase in costs caused by reasons unrelated to Asia. The entire styrene chain will eventually be normalized in the second half of the year.” Many sources said that the situation in the first half of the year was intermittent. Sexuality is unlikely to become the norm in the future.
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