MOSCOW (MRC) - Russian companies managed to further increase the production of basic chemicals in August, with output growth reached 6.9%. Total index of production of basic chemicals increased by 2.4% in the first eight months of the year, as per Rosstat's data.
According to the Federal Service of State Statistics, last month's production of basic chemicals grew by 6.9% in comparison with the July index, while in July this index was 0.5% compared with the June level. In April - June, the index of production of basic chemicals was negative. Thus, the growth of the production of basic chemicals was 2.4% in January - August of the current year.
August production of ethylene was 251,000 tonnes versus 193,000 tonnes a month earlier. Low production of ethylene in July was a result of scheduled maintenance works at Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Tomskneftekhim, as well as a small power outage due to technical problems at the Angarsk ZP. Total production of ethylene in Russia in January-August 2016 exceeded 1,869 m tonnes, up 0.8% year on year.
August production of benzene grew 104,000 tonnes compared to 92,000 tonnes in July, which was also a result of the restart of production at Nizhnekamsk and Angarsk. Total benzene production over the first eight months of the year reached 794,800 tonnes, down 0.9% from the same period in 2015.
Russia's production of xylols in August increased to 47,900 tonnes, compared with 46,100 tonnes in July 2016.
Production of xylols in January-August 2016 totalled 384,400 tonnes, up 3.8% year on year.
August production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) increased to 96,800 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) against 93,300 tonnes in July. SayanskKhimPlast provided this growth in production. Total production of caustic soda in Russia exceeded 738,700 tonnes in January - August of this year, up 0.2% year on year.
August production of mineral fertilizers was 1.708 m tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients), up 3.9% from the July's level. Russia's production of mineral fertilizers in Jan-August 2016 exceeded 13.511 m tonnes, up 0.7% than in the same time a year earlier. Production of all types of fertilizers had grown, the exception was only potash production which decreased by 7.5%.
MRC