LDPE films production in Ukraine will grow by 15%

In 2010 Ukrainian companies increased the volumes of LDPE films production having reached the level of 2008. While in 2009 when the industrial output in Ukraine decreased on one third compared to 2008, LDPE films production fell only by 6%.

This year the volumes of LDPE films production are growing. Over the period from January to November film producers' demand for stock material in the Ukrainian market exceeded 71 KT which is 9 KT more than the index over the same period in 2009.

MRC analysts forecast the growth of LDPE films production in Ukraine on the level of 15% at the end of 2010.

MRC

13 December 2010 06:00 [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is Monday's mid-day Asia oil and chemical market summary from ICIS.

CRUDE: Jan WTI $88.19/bbl, up 40 cents/bbl ; Jan BRENT $91.07/bbl, up 59 cents/bbl
Crude futures firmed in morning trade, regaining lost ground in the previous session, supported by OPEC's decision over the weekend to leave output levels unchanged. However, growing expectations that China would hike interest rates tempered crude's gains.

NAPHTHA: $847-850/tonne CFR Japan, down $5-7/tonne
The second-half January naphtha contract drifted lower on Monday because of global crude losses on Friday. The spread between the second-half January and second-half February contract was steady at a backwardation of $8/tonne.

BENZENE: $975-980/tonne FOB Korea, stable
Prices were largely stable despite an increase in crude futures and amid lacklustre trading activities. Offers for any-February lifting cargoes were heard at $990-1,000/tonne FOB Korea, against bids at $985-987/tonne FOB Korea.

TOLUENE: $920-935/tonne FOB Korea, up $5/tonne
Prices edged up by $5/tonne, supported by firmer crude prices amid thin trading. Buy-sell indications for February shipments were at $933-938/tonne FOB Korea.

ETHYLENE: $1,170-1,200/tonne CFR NE Asia, stable
Ethylene prices were range-bound in quiet trade. China's tight supplies could ease if state-owned refiner Sinopec resumed normal ethylene production next month. Selling indications were at $1,200-1,250/tonne CFR NE Asia, against buying ideas at the mid-$1,100/tonne CFR NE Asia levels.

PROPYLENE: $1,300-1,315/tonne CFR NE Asia, stable
Discussions were thin amid a wide gap in buy-sell ideas. Bids were capped at $1,300/tonne CFR China, against offers at the low $1,300/tonne CFR China level for end-December/January shipment.

For more pricing intelligence, please visit ICIS pricing

16 December 2010 19:36 [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--Here is Thursdays end of day European oil and chemical market summary from ICIS.

CRUDE: January WTI: $88.40/bbl, down $0.22/bbl. January BRENT: $92.15/bbl, down $0.05/bbl
A firmer US dollar, bolstered by optimistic US jobs and housing data, put downward pressure on crude prices, but forecasts of further freezing weather across the northern hemisphere limited the losses.

NAPHTHA: $836-843/tonne, up $6/tonne
Cargo prices gained on the back of two firmer trades, namely at $839/tonne and $840/tonne. January swaps were at $834-835/tonne.

BENZENE: $1,020-1,030/tonne, up $10/tonne
December bids and offers moved up this afternoon, while January remained in contango at $1,045-1,055/tonne.

STYRENE: $1,250-1,265/tonne, steady
There was an unconfirmed January deal at $1,290/tonne this afternoon, and the range moved up in line with firmer upstream values. There were no firm December bids or offers, and the range was unchanged.

TOLUENE: $910-950/tonne, steady
The market was quiet, with no firm bids or offers. The range for December was unchanged at $910-950/tonne FOB Rotterdam.

MTBE: $866-885/tonne, just down on the low-side
No trades were done and sentiment was softer, with offers coming in at Wednesday's trade level while bids were much lower. Gasoline traded at $808-827/tonne, putting the MTBE factor against cash barges at 1.07-1.09, compared with 1.07-1.11 on Wednesday.

PARAXYLENE: $1,300-1,330/tonne, steady
The European PX spot market was void of any buying or selling interest and the range was steady at $1,300-1,330/tonne FOB Rotterdam.

NOON SNAPSHOT - Asia Markets Summary

17 December 2010 04:00 [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is Friday's mid-day Asia oil and chemical market summary from ICIS.

CRUDE: Jan WTI $88.26/bbl, up 56 cents/bbl ; Jan BRENT $92.03/bbl, up 43 cents/bbl
Crude futures firmed on Friday, regaining much of the ground lost in the previous session amid a softening of the US dollar. Further support was generated by the unusually colder winter in Europe and the US northeast.

NAPHTHA: $854.25-857.25/tonne CFR Japan, steady
The first-half February naphtha contract was stable on Friday morning, as global crude futures bounced higher towards $89/bbl.

BENZENE: $980-990/tonne FOB Korea, steady
Trading was lacklustre. A sole offer for February loading was heard at $995/tonne FOB Korea, which met a bid of $985/tonne FOB Korea.

TOLUENE: $915-925/tonne FOB Korea, steady
Discussions for January loading cargoes were thin on Friday morning. Offers for February lifting were heard at $934/tonne FOB Korea against bids at $930/tonne FOB Korea.

ETHYLENE: $1,150-1,200/tonne CFR NE Asia, up $30/tonne
A 3,000 tonne cargo for mid- to H2 January arrival was heard traded at around $1,200/tonne CFR China. But a majority of buyers in northeast Asia were still unwilling to book cargoes at such a level due to uncertain market outlook.

PROPYLENE: $1,290-1,315/tonne CFR NE Asia, stable
Buyers in the key China market kept a cautious stance amid uncertainty in price outlook. Buying ideas lingered in the high $1,200/tonne CFR China for end December/early January shipment. Discussions were thin amid a lack of firm offers.

(Plastics Today) -- Announced today, the merger of the two will create one of Europe's top 2-3 processors of rigid plastics packaging, and its largest injection molder of packaging. The acquisition, which is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, is priced at $319.7 million, making it one of the largest plastics packaging deals of 2010.

The acquisition is expected to be completed at or around the end of January 2011. According to this report from Dow Jones, Swedish private equity firms Ratos AB, which owns 33% of Superfos, will take a loss of 70 million Swedish kronor ($10.3 million) on the sale. The remaining share of Superfos are owned by another Swedish equity firm, IK Investment Partners AB; the two acquired the processor in 1999 and since then have invested almost $70 million in it.

Superfos (Taastrup, Denmark) injection molds packaging for food products, as well as pails and buckets for non-food packaging. It has nine processing facilities across Europe and employs more than 1300.

The buyer, RPC Group Plc, is a publicly listed company, and in fact its shares jumped more than 11% in the hours following the announcement. RPC employs almost 6000 at 40 facilities across Europe and at one in the U.S. It runs injection molding, thermoforming and blow molding operations. Almost 60% of its sales are into the food packaging sector.

MRC