TiO2 imports to Russia grew by 2% from January to November 2014

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of titanium dioxide (TiO2) into the Russian market increased from January to November 2014 by 2% year on year, according to MRC DataScope report.

TiO2 importers to Russia increased their purchasing in foreign markets, despite the devaluation of the national currency. Overall, 72,600 tonnes of TiO2 arrived in the Russian market from January to November 2014.

DuPont is the largest TiO2 supplier for Russian paints and coatings producers, as well as for polymer converters and paper producers. The company raised its imports by 500 tonnes over the stated period to 15,200 tonnes.

Crimean Titan shipped to Russia 12,600 tonnes of titanium dioxide from January to November 2014, up by 1,100 tonnes year on year. Ukrainian SumyKhimprom reduced its exports to Russia by 2,600 tonnes to 8,800 tonnes.

Overall, the Russian market imported 4,150 tonnes of TiO2 in November.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The output of finished goods from polymers in Russia increased by 11% over the first eleven months. Producers of polymer films are industry leaders this year, reported MRC analysts.

November production of main products from polymers in Russia dropped by 8% from October under the pressure of seasonal factors.

According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, the November output of unreinforced and non-combined films rose to 110,000 tonnes from 83,200 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, production of these products in Russia totalled 1.02 million tonnes from January to November 2014, up by 30.7% year on year.

Last month's production of plates and sheets dropped to 18,100 tonnes from 18,500 tonnes in October. The output of these products by Russian companies exceeded 200,000 tonnes over the stated period, down by 0.7% year on year.

November production of plastic pipes, hoses and fittings fell to 54,200 tonnes versus 69,800 tonnes in October. The overall production of these products totalled about 500,000 tonnes over the first eleven months of 2014, up by 0.2% year on year.

Last month's production of plastic windows and their frames and sills virtually fell to 2 million square meters, while in October, this figure was 2.6 million square meters. The output of plastic windows and window sills totalled about 23.3 million square meters from January to November 2014, down by 11.1% year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), India's largest refiner and oil marketing company, is establishing a refinery with the capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum at Paradip, Odisha, at an estimated cost of Rs.34,162 crore, reported Dishadiary with reference to the Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, which informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on 17 December.

IOCL has reported that a detailed feasibility study for setting up of a polypropylene (PP) plant which is a part of proposed petrochemical complex attached to the refinery, has been completed. The PP plant is planned to be commissioned during 2017-18.

The PP plant will produce 700,000 metric ton per annum. The investment decision for PP plant has been taken by IOCL Board in March, 2014. Total estimated cost of the polypropylene project is Rs.3150 crore.

The company has also plans to set up units ethylene derivative project (ethylene glycol); paraxylene & PTA; and petcoke gasification based derivative.

As MRC wrote before, IOCL is conducting feasibility studies to set up a petrochemical complex at Paradip in Odisha for Rs 20,000 crore. The petrochemical complex would be built in the vicinity of the company’s to-be-commissioned 15-mln tpa greenfield refinery at Paradip.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters in New Delhi, India.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Large flames and a cloud of smoke can be seen over the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, California. Company and fire officials say the flare is no cause for alarm.

The blaze, which is visible for miles, has caused uncertainty within the local community. Many citizens took to social networks to try and find out more information about whether the refinery was on fire.

Local residents said the smell coming from the refinery was not pleasant.

Contra Costa County health officials said in a statement on Twitter that a hazardous materials team is on scene monitoring, but that residents were not being advised to shelter in place.

Chevron, which owns the refinery, says the flames were caused by flaring and that the situation was under control. The oil company released a statement saying:

“We had a process unit that needed to be depressurized, creating a visible flare. The flare is part of our safety system which enables to safely shut down a unit,” CBS reports.

The refinery in the Bay Area has been the scene of multiple fires in the past. In 2012, local residents were told to stay indoors after hazardous material was released into the atmosphere following a blaze at the oil facility.

One local resident, Julius Bailey, said his throat had started burning and his eyes began itching. After seeing a doctor, he said, "They told me I'm not going to die, but it sure feels pretty serious,” according to CBS.

There were no fatalities following that fire in 2012, though one worker required medical treatment for burns to his wrist.

In August 2013, the city of Richmond filed a law suit against Chevron for alleged negligence as a result of the 2012 fire. They said the oil company was guilty of “willful and conscious disregard of public safety.”

The local authority also said that the fire at the facility was the result of "years of neglect, lax oversight and corporate indifference to necessary safety inspection and repairs," as reported by CBS.

The Chevron refinery is particularly big and important to the West Coast market, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at Oil Price Information Service.

It produces about 150,000 barrels of gasoline a day – 16 percent of the region's daily gasoline consumption of 963,000 barrels, he said, AP reported.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF and Gazprom has agreed that they will not complete the asset swap, which was planned for the end of the year, reported BASF on its site.

"We regret that the asset swap will not be concluded. We will continue our cooperation of over 20 years with Gazprom in our existing joint ventures," said Dr. Kurt Bock, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE. "Our strategy in the oil and gas business remains unchanged: we will continue focusing on profitable growth at the source in our targeted oil and gas-rich regions in Europe, North Africa, Russia, South America, and the Middle East."

The natural gas trading business will continue to operate as a 50-50 joint venture between Gazprom and BASF Group company Wintershall. Wintershall Noordzee B.V. will remain a 100% BASF Group company.

In the asset swap, it was originally planned that two additional blocks of the Achimov formation of the Urengoi natural gas and condensate field in western Siberia would be jointly developed by Gazprom and Wintershall, a 100% subsidiary of BASF. In return, Wintershall would have transferred the jointly operated natural gas trading and storage business to Gazprom. Gazprom would have also received a 50% share in the activities of Wintershall Noordzee B.V., which is active in the exploration and production of oil and gas in the southern North Sea (Netherlands, UK and Denmark). Together the activities that would have been divested contributed around EUR12 billion to sales and about EUR500 million to EBITDA of the BASF Group in 2013.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. BASF had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.

Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas and one of the largest companies in the world.
MRC