In November Ukrainian PP production is expected to grow

(MRC) -- In November, Ukrainian producer Linik plans to increase the output of polypropylene (PP) to 9,000 tonnes. Following the October results, the total volume of the polymer made 6,900 tonnes, according to MRC ScanPlast.


In October, Ukrainian producer Linik increased volumes of PP production to 6,900 tonnes, that was by 25% more compared with September. In recent months Ukrainian producer of PP has undergone difficulties with production. Last month, Linik cut back PP production, due to technical problems at the refinery. In August, a week-long stop for a turnaround as well as the accident led to a decline in production volumes of PP.

The 9 months' volumes of crude oil refinery by Linik made about 4 million tonnes. The converter processed only 969,000 tonnes and 555,000 tonnes of the feedstock for the Ukrainian market. This year, the company changed its business model and implemented programs to improve the work efficiency, which allowed TNK-BP to have $17 million net profit over the nine months of 2011.

A significant increase in the production of PP is expected in November. This month Linik planned to process 100,000 tonnes of different feedstock for the domestic market. According to preliminary estimates, the planned total processing volume of crude oil will allow the company to increase the output of PP to 9,000 tonnes. The 9 months' volume of production of PP by Linik made more than 77,000 tonnes, that by 22% more year on year.


MRC

(PlastEurope) -- CTL Packaging (North Carolina / USA), a subsidiary of Spain's flexible plastic and laminated tube manufacturer Tuboplast CTL (Vitoria-Gasteiz), is to invest USD 58.5m in locating its North American headquarters in Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. The producer of packaging products for the cosmetic, personal care, food and pharmaceutical industries says the investment will create over 130 jobs.

Tuboplast CTL claims to be the third largest tube manufacturer in Europe, producing over 500m tubes annually and employing around 700 people worldwide. Its primary manufacturing operations are in Tuboplast Hispania in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in northern Spain, and CTL Packaging in Charmeil / France.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- GAIL (India) has earmarked US$400 mln for its new Singapore trading office to secure LNG and petrochemical product cargoes for delivery to India in 2012. The Singapore office will begin trading next month on getting all formal approvals. 90% of the trade would be in LNG from the initial start-up. GAIL is also building shale gas expertise through participation in projects in the United States.

MRC

(Plasteurope) -- The rise in both visitor and exhibitor numbers at this year's ⌠Plast Eurasia industry fair, held in Istanbul / Turkey, illustrates the country's ongoing plastics boom. The injection moulding sector, especially, is posting high growth rates, not least as a result of Turkey's budding automotive sector, which numerous international OEMs rely on. Even though Chinese plastics machinery still dominates in Turkey's plastics processing sector, there has been a marked increase in plastics machinery made in Europe as well, says Abdulkadir Topucar, CEO of Engel Enjeksiyon Makineleri, the Istanbul-based branch of Austrian injection moulding machinery maker Engel.

Even though Chinese machinery remains the cheaper option, Engel's experience in Turkey shows that many plastics processors also opt for the Austrian machinery because of its high integration and automation standards, its low energy consumption and its highly developed processing technology. All these factors increasingly play a role in automotive production, as weight prerequisites are increasingly lowered and composites used to replace heavier materials.

Topucar points out that Turkish processors are constantly feeling the pressure of prices, largely since the country does not produce sufficient feedstocks to meet domestic demand and therefore has to rely on imports. In addition, many companies continue to moonlight their activities, evading the tax authorities, which gives rise to an unfair competitive climate.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Adipic acid prices in China have shed 36% over the past two months because of weak demand that will likely to continue for the remainder of the year, market sources said on Monday.
Spot values declined by around yuan (CNY) 7,000/tonne ($1,104/tonne) from end-August to CNY12,200/tonne at the end of October, according to ICIS data.

Surplus adipic acid supply in the international markets found its way into China in the months of August and September, dampening domestic prices of the material given lacklustre demand, market sources said.

China imported a total of 9,664 tonnes of adipic acid in September, up 31% month on month and more than triple the volume recorded in August, data from China Customs showed. Domestic production was lower than usual since August but this failed to halt the slide in prices of adipic acid.
For the three months covering August-October, China's output of adipic acid totalled 168,100 tonnes, according to Chemease, an ICIS service in China.


MRC