Stavrolen suspended polymers production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Stavrolen (Lukoil Group) Ставролен suspended production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), MRC analysts say.

On 26 September, Stavrolen suspended ethylene production for scheduled maintenance. The works are scheduled for 2 days. Ethylene complex will restart its work on 28 September. On the back of the suspension of the ethylene complex, output of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PP have been suspended.

Annual capacity of HDPE and PP at Stavrolen makes 300 thous. tons and 120 thous. tons correspondingly. Over the eight months total production of PE made about 205 thous. tons, PP - 85 thous. tons.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Suppliers of the North American PVC decreased prices for October supplies to the markets of CIS, according to ICIS-MRC Price reports.

Within seasonal fall of demand, suppliers of the North American PVC are gradually decreasing prices for the markets of CIS. This week the prices for October deliveries of the resin from USA have been announced by USD20-30 per tonne lower than September level.

Deals for deliveries of the North American PVC in October are negotiated within the range of USD1000-1020 per tonne, CFR Saint-Petersburg and CIF Odessa. Many companies still hold back from purchasing PVC in USA - taking into account the logistics, the resin will get to their warehouses in the second half of November when the season actually ends.

When taking a decision about PVC purchases form USA, besides seasonal reduction of demand for PVC products, the Russian companies also take into account a volatility of USD currency rate against Rouble. Separate companies are afraid of currency risks and prefer not to contract North American resin.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In August 2013 growth rate of output of plastic products in Belarus slowed. Summary indicator of the growth made 3,3%, MRC analysts inform. The largest growth of production have been demonstrated by producers of plastics windows and window sills.

According to National statistics committee of Belarus, this August the output of windows and window cases made 54,4 thous. square metres that was 15% more than July indicator. Over the eight months of 2013 overall output of these products exceeded 320 thous. square metres, the growth made about 22% compared to last year period.

Output of plastics doors and door cases last month made 4,6 thous. square metres that was 11% more than in July. Though in January-August overall output of these products fell by 6,4% and made 24,6 thous. square metres.

August output of non-reinforced and non-combined polymer films made about 7,24 thous. tons, the growth made 1,4% compared to July. In January-August 2013, overall production of films exceeded 59 thous. tons, that was by 1,3% less than in January-August 2012.

August output of boxes, cases, pallets made 58 mln pcs, growth compared to July made 13,7%. Over the eight months total output of these products equaled 457,7 mln. pcs., that was by 9,4% more than the same indicator in 2012.

Production of polymer pipes, hoses and fittings last month went down to 1,3 thous. tons (in July - about 1,5 thous. tons). In January-August the production exceeded 9,4 thous. tons, that was 15% more than the same indicator in 2012.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP asked a US court to halt payments from its settlement agreement for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico until the claims administrator improves accounting and anti-fraud controls, said Upstreamonline. The request for an injunction on Monday was the latest in a string of filings by the British oil major to stop or delay payments under the costly settlement programme, Reuters reported.


BP originally expected the payout program to cost USD7.8 billion, but has said the bill has been driven up by excessive fees charged by the administrator, generous payments, and phony claims.


The oil company has sustained about USD42.4 billion in charges from the 20 April 2010 disaster aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that killed 11 workers and triggered the worst offshore oil spill in US history.


BP said all payments should be stopped until the court appointed claims administrator, Patrick Juneau, puts efficiency and accounting controls into place as recommended by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who reviewed the payment program.


BP is awaiting decisions by a federal appeals court on several challenges it has made to the settlement and its payment formula. Barbier on 19 July rejected an earlier BP request to suspend payouts pending Freeh's review.


The trial under Barbier to determine blame and overall damages from the spill is ongoing. Separately, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange on Monday convicted seven people of filing fraudulent claims. Strange's office did not say if those claims were filed before or after the broad settlement agreement from the spill was reached.


BP is one of the world's leading international oil and gas companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total Petrochemical USA, Inc. will pay a fine of USD8.75 ln to the Department of Justice for the Port Arthur refinery’s violations of the Consent Decree signed with the Environmental Protection Agency in July 2007, as per Plastemart.


Between 2007 and 2011, the press release stated, Total violated numerous requirements of the 2007 settlement, including failing to comply with emissions limits for benzene, a harmful air pollutant. The company also failed to perform corrective actions or to analyze the cause of more than 70 incidents involving emissions of hazardous gases through flaring.


EPA discovered the violations through a review of the quarterly compliance reports required by the 2007 settlement. The settlement required that Total pay a USD2.9 mln penalty and make upgrades to its facility that would reduce emissions of harmful air pollution and resolve violations of the Clean Air Act. Total was also required to upgrade leak detection and repair practices and implement programs to minimize flaring. “Companies that settle with the United States must meet their obligations or there will be consequences, as this significant penalty demonstrates,” Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in the press release.


In addition to the penalty, the EPA’s action extends the requirement that Total comply with a lower benzene emissions limit for an additional two years. The enhanced limit for benzene, which is 30 percent lower than the federal limit, was initially required by the 2007 settlement. Additionally, Total must hire a third-party to audit its compliance under the settlement and must implement a company task force to monitor its compliance.
While Total did not increase its benzene levels from previous years, Fuller said, the penalties reflect a delay in satisfying a more stringent limit imposed by the EPA through the Consent Decree, which required new controls to significantly reduce emissions.


“The refinery made significant investments and modifications to comply with the more stringent limit,” Fuller said. “Results show that levels have consistently decreased since July 2007.”


In September 2012, MRC wrote, Total Petrochemicals and Refining USA also reported pollution in excess of permitted levels from a coking unit at the same site in Port Arthur, Texas . The excess emissions resulted from a malfunction on wet gas compressors.


Total, one of the world's leading petrochemicals companies with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. Total has two main product groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.

MRC