PE imports to Kazakhstan grew by 17% in January-October 2013

Imports of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) reached 12,100 tonnes and 3,300 tonnes, respectively, in January-October 2013. These figures were 10,100 tonnes and 3,200 tonnes, respectively, in the same period of 2012. Russian producers are the key LDPE suppliers, and producers from South Korea and Uzbekistan are leaders in the supply of LLDPE to Kazakhstan.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has produced its first commercial volumes of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) from renewable raw material, and is offering this product to customers for testing and commercial use, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The production process relies on a patented fermentation technology from Genomatica, based in California. The fermentation process uses dextrose as a renewable feedstock.

The quality of BDO based on renewable raw material is comparable to petrochemical-based BDO, according to the company.

BASF plans to expand its portfolio with selected BDO derivatives based on renewable feedstock, including polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF).

BDO and its derivatives are widely used for producing plastics, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers. The starting materials for the production of conventional BDO are natural gas, butane, butadiene and propylene.

As MRC reported earlier, this year BASF and China-based Xinjiang Markor Chemical unvelied their plans to set up two joint venture companies for the production of butanediol (BDO) and polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF), in Korla, Xinjiang Uygur, China. The JV firms are considering building a new BDO plant, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes, and another facility with a capacity for 50,000 tonnes per annum of PolyTHF. These are expected to be commissioned in 2015.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. As for BDO and BDO-equivalents, BASF currently manufactures these products at its sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Geismar, Louisiana; Chiba, Japan; Kuantan, Malaysia; and Caojing, China, and has an annual capacity of 535,000 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Eastern Petrochemical (Sharq) has shut its No.4 monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant, reported Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Saudi Arabia informed that the plant was shut on November 26, 2013 owing to technical issues. A restart date for the plant could not be ascertained.

Located in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, the plant has a production capacity of 700,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed previously, CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Co (CSPC) shut its MEG plant on 10 November, owing to mechanical issues. A restart date for the plant could not be ascertained. Located in Guangdong province, China, the plant has a production capacity of 320,000 mt/year.

Besides, Xinjiang Tianye Group is in plans to start a new MEG plant in August 2014. To be located in Xinjiang province, China, the plant will have a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., the nation’s biggest refiner known as Sinopec, started pipelines in Qingdao on 26 November that were undamaged after an explosion last week, which killed at least 55 people, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The pipelines resumed operations after inspections, said Zhao Tong, an external Sinopec spokeswoman, who works for Brunswick Group. The Qingdao refinery will return to normal output "soon," she said.

The facility cut operations after the accident on Nov.22 and relied mostly on crude stored in tanks to keep the plant running, Zhao said.

As MRC wrote previously, Qingdao is one of China's largest crude oil import terminals, supplying at least two major Sinopec refineries - the Qingdao plant and Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical Corp - as well as many small, independent refineries. The explosion occurred after an oil leak led to a fire.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) is a large scale integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Sinopec is the worlds seventh biggest company by revenue.
Sinopec is China's largest manufacturer and supplier of major petrochemical products. It is the second largest producer of crude oil in China. Its refining capacity and ethylene capacity rank No.2 and No.4 globally. Sinopec has reported first-half 2013 net income of 30.281 billion yuan (USD4.85 billion), up 23.6% year over year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italian Eni has acquired an operatorship stake in acreage in the Ukrainian sector of the Black Sea that includes the Subbotina oil discovery, said Upstreamonline.

The Milan-headquartered oil major will hold a 50% interest in the block, with partners state oil venture Nadra Ukrainy’s Vody Ukrainy subsidiary (35%), state gas player Naftogaz’s Black Sea arm Chornomornaftogaz (10%) and France’s EDF (5%).

While Eni did not specify the investment involved in the production sharing agreement, Minister of Energy Eduard Stavytsky was earlier quoted by the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN as saying the block would involve an outlay of USD4 billion.

The 1400-square kilometre patch lies off the eastern Crimean peninsula in the north-western Black Sea. It is home to the Subbotina oil discovery uncovered by Chernomornaftogaz in 2006.

Licenses for Abiha, Mayachna and Kavkazka - collectively known as the Pry Kerch block – are also part of the deal, and contain several oil and gas prospects, according to Eni.

The Italian explorer was one of the majors to lose out in bidding on a pair of Ukraine shale blocks last year, which were landed by Shell and Chevron.

US supermajor ExxonMobil and Russia’s TNK-BP also lost out on the USD10 billion deals for the Odessa and Yuzivska blocks.
MRC