March 31, 2020

India TDI Plant Update

GNFC undertakes unscheduled shutdown at TDI plant in India

MOSCOW (MRC) — Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GNFC), has shut its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) units at Bharuch & Dahej, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in India informed that, the company has halted operations at the units last week owing to a nation-wide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Further details on duration of the shutdown could not be ascertained.

Located in Gujarat, India, the Bharuch unit has a production capacity of 50,000 mt/year and the Dahej unit has a production capacity of 17,000 mt/year.

TDI is a chemical used in the production of polyurethanes, primarily for flexible foam applications including furniture, bedding and carpet underlay, as well as packaging applications. TDI is also used in the manufacture of coatings, sealants, adhesives and elastomers.

As MRC wrote previously, India lockdown adds uncertainty for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) exports. Last week India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown from Wednesday for 21 days in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the world’s second-most populous country, which has 1.3 billion people. The lockdown applies to ports, which will slow imports of all kinds of goods, including PVC, to a country that was dependent on PVC imports to meet demand before the pandemic gripped the globe.

According to MRC’s ScanPlast report, contrary to seasonal factors, Russian producers of unmixed PVC have maintained a high level of capacity utilisation. Russia’s overal PVC output totalled 91,700 tonnes in January 2020, up by 4% year on year. January production of unmixed PVC was 91,700 tonnes versus 87,760 tonnes in January 2019 and 81,400 tonnes in December 2019. Thus, despite relatively weak demand for resin from the domestic market, the average capacity utilisation exceeded 95% last month. Russia’s overall PVC production reached 975,000 tonnes in 2019, compared to 958,600 tonnes a year earlier.

Author:Margaret Volkova

http://www.mrcplast.com/news-news_open-368449.html

March 31, 2020

India TDI Plant Update

GNFC undertakes unscheduled shutdown at TDI plant in India

MOSCOW (MRC) — Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GNFC), has shut its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) units at Bharuch & Dahej, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in India informed that, the company has halted operations at the units last week owing to a nation-wide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Further details on duration of the shutdown could not be ascertained.

Located in Gujarat, India, the Bharuch unit has a production capacity of 50,000 mt/year and the Dahej unit has a production capacity of 17,000 mt/year.

TDI is a chemical used in the production of polyurethanes, primarily for flexible foam applications including furniture, bedding and carpet underlay, as well as packaging applications. TDI is also used in the manufacture of coatings, sealants, adhesives and elastomers.

As MRC wrote previously, India lockdown adds uncertainty for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) exports. Last week India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown from Wednesday for 21 days in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the world’s second-most populous country, which has 1.3 billion people. The lockdown applies to ports, which will slow imports of all kinds of goods, including PVC, to a country that was dependent on PVC imports to meet demand before the pandemic gripped the globe.

According to MRC’s ScanPlast report, contrary to seasonal factors, Russian producers of unmixed PVC have maintained a high level of capacity utilisation. Russia’s overal PVC output totalled 91,700 tonnes in January 2020, up by 4% year on year. January production of unmixed PVC was 91,700 tonnes versus 87,760 tonnes in January 2019 and 81,400 tonnes in December 2019. Thus, despite relatively weak demand for resin from the domestic market, the average capacity utilisation exceeded 95% last month. Russia’s overall PVC production reached 975,000 tonnes in 2019, compared to 958,600 tonnes a year earlier.

Author:Margaret Volkova

http://www.mrcplast.com/news-news_open-368449.html

March 31, 2020

LyondellBasell Slows Propylene Oxide Project

LyondellBasell to Slow Construction on PO/TBA Project

HOUSTON, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has informed the engineering and construction contractors it will slow construction of its world-scale propylene oxide (PO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant. The company is limiting non-essential activities at this time due to ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including government orders designed to limit human contact.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and evolving. Because the PO/TBA site is currently under construction and not producing needed products yet, in the interest of health and safety we believe it is prudent to limit construction activities at this time,” said Torkel Rhenman, executive vice president, Intermediates & Derivatives (I&D). “We remain committed to the completion of this strategic investment incorporating our low-cost, next generation PO/TBA technology. Over the next several weeks, we will be working with our contractors and suppliers to develop a revised project timeline.”

LyondellBasell’s PO/TBA project broke ground in August 2018. Currently, the project is more than 30 percent complete with ongoing installation of key equipment and towers. The PO/TBA project has a split-facility design to optimize synergies between two existing LyondellBasell sites. A 140-acre PO/TBA plant is being built at the company’s Channelview, Texas facility, and an associated 34-acre ethers unit is being built at the company’s Bayport Complex in Pasadena, Texas. When complete, the PO/TBA plant will produce approximately 1 billion pounds (470,000 metric tons) of PO and 2.2 billion pounds (1 million metric tons) of TBA annually, which will serve the growing need for better insulation material, home comfort, cleaner fuels and other consumer applications.

This announcement does not impact LyondellBasell’s ongoing operations at Channelview or Bayport, which are designated as part of the United States’ critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security.

https://lyondellbasell.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1320

March 31, 2020

LyondellBasell Slows Propylene Oxide Project

LyondellBasell to Slow Construction on PO/TBA Project

HOUSTON, March 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has informed the engineering and construction contractors it will slow construction of its world-scale propylene oxide (PO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant. The company is limiting non-essential activities at this time due to ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including government orders designed to limit human contact.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and evolving. Because the PO/TBA site is currently under construction and not producing needed products yet, in the interest of health and safety we believe it is prudent to limit construction activities at this time,” said Torkel Rhenman, executive vice president, Intermediates & Derivatives (I&D). “We remain committed to the completion of this strategic investment incorporating our low-cost, next generation PO/TBA technology. Over the next several weeks, we will be working with our contractors and suppliers to develop a revised project timeline.”

LyondellBasell’s PO/TBA project broke ground in August 2018. Currently, the project is more than 30 percent complete with ongoing installation of key equipment and towers. The PO/TBA project has a split-facility design to optimize synergies between two existing LyondellBasell sites. A 140-acre PO/TBA plant is being built at the company’s Channelview, Texas facility, and an associated 34-acre ethers unit is being built at the company’s Bayport Complex in Pasadena, Texas. When complete, the PO/TBA plant will produce approximately 1 billion pounds (470,000 metric tons) of PO and 2.2 billion pounds (1 million metric tons) of TBA annually, which will serve the growing need for better insulation material, home comfort, cleaner fuels and other consumer applications.

This announcement does not impact LyondellBasell’s ongoing operations at Channelview or Bayport, which are designated as part of the United States’ critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security.

https://lyondellbasell.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1320

March 30, 2020

Benzene Prices Fall

US Benzene Slumps 22% Amid Pandemic; Styrene and Polystyrene Losses Muted

March 18, 2020

U.S. benzene prices have slumped 22% since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic on March 11, reaching $1.70/gal on Tuesday for prompt delivery, a 50ct slide. Prices have been tracking trends in Europe, which traded down to $460/mt ($1.53/gal equivalent). While benzene supply could be limited if refineries begin cutting operating rates, March benzene shorts are finding an ease to covering, even late in the month. U.S. benzene is expected to be well supplied into April with European Union and Asia import arrivals scheduled amid a weak downstream styrene market.

However, a worsening situation led to continued selling pressure in Europe on Wednesday with benzene prices bottoming out at $335/mt, equivalent to $1.10/gal. That keeps an open arbitrage for benzene from Europe to move to the U.S. Gulf Coast with a landed price near $1.30/gal. The buyers in the Gulf have been hesitant to emerge on Wednesday morning and offers were down to as low as $1.48/gal for May arrivals by lunchtime. The styrene spot price is at a bid level of $455/mt prompt March, $475/mt April and $495/mt May at the moment.

That is down from $500-$550/mt for March and $500-$560/mt for April and May an hour earlier this morning.

Styrene losses have been milder than most markets, as it was a weak market before the pandemic. March spot styrene began the month at 32-33cts/lb., and rested at 29-30cts/lb. this week. Multiple styrene production lines are expected to be down until early April, as well and a cumene line. Cumene is another use for benzene.

An upside for benzene could be if refiners begin to cut CDU and FCC operations that will eventually lead to lower reformer rates. There are also still a few reformer outages for maintenance in March that companies are trying to wrap up by April. The current benzene price is over a 2.6 ratio to crude, which is generally considered to be an indicator of a tight market.

Downstream polystyrene prices have eased, but not to a dramatic degree. This has been the case with U.S. plastic markets in general, as the effects of the upstream routs have not reached the manufacturing level so far. General purpose polystyrene prices have slipped from 68cts/lb. in early March to 66cts/lb. this week, while high impact polystyrene prices have moved from 73cts/lb. to 71cts/lb. Polystyrene has a range of consumer applications, primarily in disposable goods such as food packaging trays and take-out containers. It is also used in the manufacture of appliances, consumer electronics and construction materials.

–Reporting by Kevin Wallman, kevin.wallman@ihsmarkit.com, David Barry, david@petrochemwire.com;

–Editing by Kathy Hall, kathy@petrochemwire.com, Joe Link, joe@petrochemwire.com

https://petchem.opisnet.com/petrochemical-news?utm_campaign=[Social]%20PCW%20News&utm_content=121968437&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-21009178#us-propylene