SPVC imports to Ukraine surged by 34% in January 2015

MOSCOW (MRC) -- January imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Ukraine remained at a high level, despite a number of negative factors. SPVC imports increased in January 2015 by 34% year on year, according to MRC DataScope report.

Thus, despite seasonal factors and the severe recession in the economy, Ukrainian companies maintained quite high SPVC imports in January - over 8,000 tonnes, while this figure was about 6,000 tonnes a year earlier. At the same time, SPVC imports into the country dropped by 9% from December 2014 (8,800 tonnes). Local producers of window profiles accounted for large import quantities.

The structure of SPVC imports to Ukraine by countries looks the following way over the stated period.

January SPVC imports from the USA virtually remained at the level of December 2014 and totalled 3,400 tonnes (3,300 tonnes in December), whereas this figure was 3,800 tonnes in January 2014.

January shipments of European PVC to the Ukrainian market totalled 3,600 tonnes versus 2,200 tonnes in January 2014 and 4,200 tonnes in December 2014.

Shipments of Russian PVC to Ukraine have increased significantly in the past few months. The January figure reached 1,000 tonnes, up by almost two-fold from December 2014.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- For the 150th anniversary, BASF Group employees around the world will receive a bonus of EUR100 million. Management is thus recognizing their efforts and contribution to the company’s success, reported BASF on its site.

"Employees are the basis for the long-term success of BASF - and have been for 150 years. On behalf of the Board of Executive Directors, I thank them all sincerely for their dedication and commitment to our company," said Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors Dr. Kurt Bock.

The amount of the anniversary bonus for individual employees will be decided by the local companies by the end of March. The anniversary bonus will, as a rule, be paid out in the anniversary month of April.

As MRC wrote before, in January 2015, BASF announced it had inaugurated a new plant in Yeosu, Korea to strengthen the supply of Ultrason polyarylsulfone, one of the company’s high performance thermoplastics. The new plant, with an annual production capacity of 6,000 metric tons, will better serve the growing market in Asia Pacific. The new plant is the first of its kind to be built outside of Germany and brings the company’s global capacity of Ultrason polyarylsulfone to 18,000 metric tons per year.

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.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Top Asian refiner China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) has denied reported plans of a merger with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) or China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), as per ChinaDaily Europe.

It was reported earlier that the Chinese government was considering a merger of its state-owned oil and gas companies to cut costs and streamline operations.

An industry insider told Xinhua that the Chinese government is now working on structural reform of the oil and gas industry in a bid to transform the country's energy sector. The reform plan will be released as early as H1-2015 and will have significant impact on the current oil and gas system.

As MRC informed before, in November 2013, Sinopec won initial approval last month from China's top economic planner for a plan to build a USD10-billion refinery and petrochemical complex in Shanghai. China, the world's largest net importer of oil, is likely to add 3 million barrels per day, or a quarter of new refining capacity, between 2013 and 2015 to fuel economic growth, industry officials and Chinese media estimate.

Sinopec Corp. is one of the largest scale integrated energy and chemical companies with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Its refining and ethylene capacity ranks No.2 and No.4 globally. The Company has 30,000 sales and distribution networks of oil products and chemical products, its service stations are now ranked third largest in the world.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell Industries N.V., , the world’s biggest maker of polypropylene (PP) plastic, has announced that it priced its public offering of USD1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Notes due 2055, according to the company's statement.

The offering is expected to close on March 5, 2015, subject to customary closing conditions. The proceeds of the offering are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, including repurchases of LyondellBasell Industries' ordinary shares.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are the active joint book-running managers for this offering.

As MRC reported earlier, in November 2014, LyondellBasell Industries said "tight" markets for its products may stall the narrower margins that it expects will ultimately come from lower oil prices. The fundamentals of the US chemical industry have remained "favorable" in October, CEO Jim Gallogly said in the Rotterdam-based company’s third-quarter earnings statement. Competitors’ plant outages are keeping products such as polyethylene in short supply and prices high, he said on a conference call.

LyondellBasell Industries NV is a manufacturing company. The company produces chemicals, fuels, and polymers used for packaging, clean fuels, durable textiles, medical applications, construction materials, and automotive parts. LyondellBasell Industries operates globally and is headquartered in the Netherlands. LyondellBasell is also a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. The more than 250 polyolefin process licenses granted by LyondellBasell are twice that of any other polyolefin technology licensor.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Perstorp, pioneer in formalin chemistry, plastics and surface materials, this year is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its broad Capa portfolio, which comprises grades with varying molecular weights and levels of functionality, as per the company's press release.

Thus, Perstorp's Capa caprolactone polyols range continues to mature and grow.

Perstorp is the world market leader in caprolactone technology, with the greatest capacity and by far the widest range of caprolactone polyester polyols. It has a strong focus on the further development of the caprolactone market.

"We have a strong and long-lasting commitment to the polyurethanes industry through our Capa range," says Stephen Lewis, BU Vice President for Perstorp’s Capa business. "We recently substantially increased our production capacity for caprolactone monomer, and last year we commissioned a new pilot plant. I think that is a forceful indication of our dedication to this product and its derivatives, which find numerous uses in polyurethanes, especially in CASE applications (Coatings/Adhesives/Sealants/Elastomers). In addition, Perstorp is also emphasizing its offer of Tin free caprolactone polyols and thermoplastics as well as the low acid and narrow polydispersity polyols."

Capa caprolactone polyols are easy to process and apply, and can help formulators and processors increase output while reducing their use of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Their low processing temperatures in particular ensure speed and efficiency as well as reduced energy costs. They enhance various properties in polyurethanes, especially resistance to wear and abrasion, to hydrolysis, to oils and solvents, to high and low temperatures, and to weathering.

For polyurethane adhesives, Capa polyols can be used in waterborne, solvent-based and hot melt types. They yield low viscosity adhesives that create strong bonds even to difficult substrates under demanding conditions such as high humidity.

Liquid poly-functional Capa grades for castable elastomers give very high resistance to cold-flex fatigue, as well as improved compression set and tear strength. Linear polycaprolactone diols with consistent and narrow molecular weight distribution, consistent reactivity and low viscosity meet the demands of the thermoplastic polyurethane producers supplying materials for seals, gaskets, and other industrial applications.

As MRC wrote before, in 2013, Perstorp launched Pevalen as a non-phthalate plasticizer meeting market demand in sensitive applications. Pevalen is a plasticizer based on well-proven, reliable chemistry. As a non-phthalate plasticizer alternative it does not compromise performance in any way. In fact performance is equal to or better than other plasticizers used today.

Perstorp is one of the world leaders in various sectors of the specialty chemicals market, it's pioneer in formalin chemistry, plastics and surface materials. Perstorp was founded in 1881 and is controlled by PAI partners,a major European private equity company. The company has around 1,500 employees in with 22 production plants in Europe, Asia and North America.
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