Spot EPS prices dropped in Kazakhstan

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spot prices of expandable polystyrene (EPS) have falled by Tenge 16,000-20,000/tonne in the Kazakh domestic market since early 2015, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Traders reduced prices because of lower purchase prices of material in China. A trader said spot prices will drop further in the domestic market in the near future. Old stocks are coming to an end, and new quantities, purchased at lower prices, have been arriving at the warehouse.

Prices of Chinese EPS of Loyal were at Tenge 380,000-390,000/tonne CPT, including VAT, in the Kazakh domestic market.

Buying activity remaind good in the Kazakh EPS market in January. Traders said they expect demand to traditionally subside in February.

Strengthening of the tenge against the Russian rouble affected demand for Russian polystyrene (PS), which became stronger. The tenge exchange rate against the rouble strengthened to Tenge 2.83 per Rb 1 since the beginning of the year (as per 01.20.2015) from Tenge 3.17 per Rb1 (as of 31.12.2014). Prices of Russian high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) were announced in roubles. Stronger demand for Russian PS grades has been registered since December 2014.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Plastics Corp (FPC) has shut its acrylonitrile (ACN) plant for maintenance turnaround, said Apic-online.

A source in Taiwan informed that the plant shut on January 16, 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located at Mailiao in Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 280,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, FPC shut its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant for maintenance turnaround in September 2014 in Ningbo in Zhejiang province of China. The plant has a production capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dairen Chemical Corporation is likely to shut its No.2 vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant for maintenance turnaround, said Apic-online.

A source in Taiwan informed that the plant is planned to be shut on March 1, 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located in Mailiao, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC informed previously, Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in EVA emulsions, increased November prices of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in the Americas. Thus, PVAc homopolymer, vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) and vinyl acrylic emulsions rose by up to USD0.05/wet pound effective November 1, 2014.

Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) is a joint venture between Chang Chun Group (Chang Chun Petrochemical and Chang Chun Plastics) and Nan Pao Resins in 1979. The main function of DCC is to manufacture and supply VAM, a main raw material for production of PVA and PVAc, to parent companies. The first VAM plant with an annual capacity of 85,000 MTY was licensed by Bayer AG (Germany).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Effective January 1st, 2015, Reifenhauser Kiefel Extrusion, the leading manufacturer of blown film extrusion lines has changed its name to Reifenhauser Blown Film, sid the company in its press release.

Since 2009, the company belongs to the Troisdorf/North Rhine-Westphalia-based Reifenhauser Group that underlines again the full integration of the company acquired in 2009 in the Group by changing its name. At the same time, the change in name marks the strategic expansion of the Business Unit Blown Film that clearly enhances the Worms site, safeguards jobs and supports further growth.

Reifenhauser is investing over 2 million euro in the Worms site to further expand the in-house manufacture of know-how components. New machining centers and a new 3D measuring machine were bought and installed in new buildings. "These investments enable us to further optimize the material flow, expand capacities, and sustainably ensure the quality for demands in the future", says Bernd Reifenhauser, CEO of the Reifenhauser Group. "The changes not only mean a further step forward for the Worms site, but for the complete Reifenhauser Group: We are advancing the strengths of the Group in a purposeful way, and are networking even more closely to position our products and services on the global marketplaces in the most targeted manner."

CEO of Reifenhauser Blown Film is Dr. Fritz Dorner. Already on 01.10.2014, he had assumed this position from Bernd Reifenhauser who will now concentrate again on his role as CEO of Reifenhauser Group. Graduated plastics engineer Dorner (51) holds a diploma in business administration and a doctorate at the faculty for mechanical enginering of RWTH Aachen university. In the past, he held various leading positions in the field of international machine construction. With his comprehensive experience he will consistently continue to pursue the course of growth of Reifenhauser Blown Film. He can start this task with a full order book.

As MRC wrote before, Germany-based plastics processing equipment maker the Reifenhauser Group has purchased injection molding and extrusion screw and barrel manufacturer Westland Corporation.

Reifenhauser Blown Film is one of the globally leading providers of blown film lines. With our technologies, innovative spirit and know-how along the entire value chain, we enable our customers worldwide to produce blown films of high quality. That's what we proved in more than 7,000 projects.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Asia remains a key driver of growth for Qatar’s petrochemicals sector, with demand from the region fuelling investment and expansion projects, said Global Arab Network.

However, the long-term outlook is less certain after the cancellation of the USD6 bn Al Sejeel petrochemicals plant, one of the megaprojects targeted to come on line by the end of the decade.

Qatar, the world's largest liquefied natural gas producer, is diversifying its exports away from the oil and gas sector and is already the second largest exporter of chemicals in the Gulf, representing 17% of total Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) chemical exports, according to the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association.

Plans are afoot to invest USD25 bn in petrochemical capacity to produce 23 m tonnes by 2020 from 16.8 m tonnes in 2012, according to state-owned energy distributor Muntajat, which holds the rights to market, sell and distribute Qatar's chemical and polymer products globally. As well as raising production capacity, investments are aimed at broadening the range of petrochemical products on offer.

However Industries Qatar (IQ), the state-controlled petrochemicals and steel producer, revealed in September that it was putting on hold the Al Sejeel plant, construction of which was due to start by early next year. The venture, between QAPCO and state energy company Qatar Petroleum, was one of two petrochemical plants scheduled to be constructed before the end of the decade.

The petrochemicals industry has embarked on a long-term expansion plan based on the assumption that demand from China and other emerging markets such as India will continue to grow, according to a recent report by corporate consultants Dun & Bradstreet.

The second major expansion process is the USD6.5 bn Al Karaana plant, an 80:20 joint venture between state-owned Qatar Petroleum and Shell due to come on line in 2018. The facility will have a 2m tonne production capacity, which will add 25% to Qatar’s petrochemicals output. Officials have said the bulk of this new production is likely to be directed toward the Asian market.

Offshore production is seen as another route for expansion. Qatar Petroleum International (QPI), a subsidiary of Qatar Petroleum, has struck a series of agreements over the past few years to develop petrochemicals production projects in Vietnam and Singapore, among others. These projects will see Qatar provide feedstock for other offshore developments and help the country expand its profile along the Asian supply chain.

The rise in demand for high-density polyethylene, the most commonly-used plastic in packaging and bottles, has been consistently above global GDP growth for some time, a trend that is expected to continue, Al Subaey told OBG.

As part of the push into Asia, Muntajat announced in mid October the opening of offices in eight Asian hubs, along with an office in Morocco to serve the North African market. Two of the new Asian offices will be in China – located in the industrial centres of Guangzhou and Shanghai – and one in India’s Mumbai. The others will be in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

As MRC wrote before, Qatar Petroleum and Shell have decided not to proceed with the proposed Al Karaana petrochemicals project, and to stop further work on the project. The decision came after a careful and thorough evaluation of commercial quotations from EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) bidders, which showed high capital costs rendering it commercially unfeasible, particularly in the current economic climate prevailing in the energy industry.
MRC