LDPE production dropped in Japan in August

(chemmonitor) -- According to the production data recently disclosed by Japan Petrochemical Association, the production dynamics in the domestic polyethylene (PE) sector was mixed in August.

For instance, low density PE (LDPE) output amounted to 122,600 tonnes. The figure is 5,900 tonnes or 4.6 percent month on month lower.

August LDPE output is also lower than the one a year earlier. It decreased by 24,900 tonnes or 16.8 percent year on year.
MRC

Bharat Petroleum wants LG Chem to be a partner in its first propylene unit

(plastemart) -- Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), which is setting up its first propylene unit in Kochi (as MRC reported earlier), said it was ready to offer 51% stake in the Rs 6,000 crore project to its Korean joint venture partner LG Chemicals.

"We have already inked an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with LG Chemicals for this project. They are looking at 51 per cent stake in the JV (joint venture) and we are open to that. The JV company will be in place by December or January and the plant will be commissioned by the end of financial year 2017," BPCL Finance Director S Varadarajan said.

He said the propylene plant is part of the company’s proposed petrochemicals complex planned at Ambalamugal near Kochi, where it also has a 9.5 mln tonne oil refinery.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is an Indian state-controlled oil and gas company headquartered in Mumbai, India. Bharat Petroleum owns refineries at Mumbai, Maharashtra and Kochi, Kerala (Kochi Refineries) with a capacity of 12 and 9.5 million metric tonnes per year.
MRC

Sinopec Tianjin Petrochemical to restart its ethylene cracker

(С1Energy) -- Sinopec Tianjin Petrochemical is expected to restart its units from 28 September with all its facilities back into operation in early October, according to the source.

Tianjin Petrochemical has a 13m tonne/year refinery in north China’s Tianjin city. It is equipped with a 1m tonne/year ethylene cracker which was shut for a 45-days maintenance in mid-August, as MRC informed earlier.

The company set its crude throughput target for the fourth quarter of 2012 at 3.3m tonnes, with daily throughput up by 114% from the third quarter, a company source said.

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise group established in July 1998 on the basis of the former China Petrochemical Corporation. Sinopec Group's key business activities include the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals and other chemical products, oil refining.
MRC

Loyal and Xingda slash EPS output on high styrene prices

(guidechem) -- Taiwan's Loyal Group shut down its largest EPS plant in Jiangyin, China on Monday with the capacity of 450,000 tpa for two-three days due to the fast rising price of styrene monomer in the east of China. However, its other plants in China are running at full capacity. Loyal has a total production capacity of over 1.5 million mt/year of EPS in China. Loyal is not buying SM at the moment, but still has an inventory of EPS to sell, a source close to the company said.

Another large EPS producer, China's Xingda Group, lowered its overall operating rates from full to 70% last week, also due to the price increases in SM, a source close to the company said. The source added that some of its plants were shut down, but did not provide further details. Xingdas plants can make over 1.2 million mt/year of EPS.

Loyal Group - is the largest manufacturer of expanded polystyrene in Asia and one of the world leaders. The first plant was started in 1976 and today the group has 12 plants located in different regions of China, five of which produce polystyrene.

Xingda Group was established in January 1992 by a group of large private plastic chemical enterprises specializing in the production of expandable polystyrene (EPS). After 15 years of sustained development, the group has become a national high-tech enterprise.
MRC

HDPE import to Russia grew by 17% in August

MOSCOW (MRC) – In August, Russian traders increased import volumes of HDPE to 37,800 tonnes, up 17% from July. Over the past eight months HDPE import to Russia rose almost by a quarter, report MRC analysts.

Last month, the total HDPE import by Russian traders expectedly grew by 17% from July and made 37,800 tonnes. The main growth of import volumes accounted for film and pipe HDPE.

Russian PE pipes producers significantly increased the purchasing volumes in the foreign markets on the back of a series of outages at local HDPE plants for maintenance. Also, quite a low price level of HDPE in Europe and Asia in July added to the growth of purchases in the foreign markets. In August, pipe PE import rose to the record levels and made about 14,200 tonnes. Shipments of the Middle-Eastern Sabic’s PE100 grew more than twofold. Korea Petrochemical and SCG Chemicals’ HDPE import also rose considerably.

Film HDPE import made about 8,300 tonnes in August, up 33% from July. In recent months shipments of South Korean PE have increased dramatically. Export shipments of blow moulding HDPE slashed almost by half last month to 2,400 tonnes. The main reason is the restriction of export quotas by Shurtansk GHK and European makers.

In general, in January-August, the total import of HDPE to the Russian market made about 248,000 tonnes, up 24% year-on-year. The largest increase in imports in over the first eight months accounts for the film and blow moulding HDPE. Export of PE to this sectors grew by 124% and 121%, respectively, year-on-year.

MRC