Ineos shale gas sites: Anti-fracking protest injunctions continued

MOSCOW (MRC) -- An injunction prohibiting trespass and obstruction at an energy firm's shale gas exploration sites has been continued by a High Court judge, said BBC.

Anti-fracking groups had challenged orders granted in July covering activities at Ineos's sites. Mr Justice Morgan said an order was needed as the sites faced an "imminent and real" risk of interference.

However, he said the firm had not "demonstrated a need" to make a specific order against harassment. Ineos is the biggest owner of shale gas licences in the UK with exploration rights in Cheshire, Merseyside, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and Scotland.

The injunctions, which were previously extended in September, were originally brought to stop protest tactics such as walking and lying in front of lorries. Speaking at a hearing in October, the energy firm's representative Alan Maclean QC said shale gas extraction was "a contentious issue", but its merits were not for a court to determine.

However, arguing for one of the protesters, lawyer Rosa Curling said a "right to protest" was a "fundamental aspect of peaceful political action in our society".

Delivering his judgement, Mr Justice Morgan said the firm's activities were "lawful" and the protesters' "means of putting pressure on Ineos involve unlawful behaviour on their part, including criminal acts".

He added if such activities were "restrained, as I hold that they can be, by an order which is clear and precise", there was not a need to make a requested order against harassment.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polyethylene (PE) into Belarus decreased in the first nine months of 2017 by 2.9% year on year, reaching 93,000 tonnes. Local companies increased their purchasing of all PE grades, except for linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), as per MRC's DataScope report.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, September 2017 PE imports to Belarus grew to 11,000 tonnes from 9,600 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies increased significantly their purchasing of Russian high density polyethylene (HDPE). Overall PE imports reached 93,000 tonnes in January-September 2017, compared to 95,800 tonnes a year earlier. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) accounted for the greatest increase in shipments, whereas LLDPE imports decreased.

The structure of PE imports to Belarus by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

September LDPE imports fell to 2,800 tonnes from 3,600 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies reduced their PE purchasing in Russia. Overall imports of this PE grade into Belarus totalled 28,600 tonnes in January-September 2017, compared to 21,200 tonnes a year earlier.

September LLDPE imports were 2,200 tonnes versus 1,600 tonnes a month earlier, local companies significantly raised their purchasing of Middle Eastern film grade PE. Thus, overall LLDPE imports to Belarus exceeded 28,000 tonnes in January-September 2017, whereas this figure was 40,800 tonnes a year earlier.

September HDPE imports rose to 6,000 tonnes from 4,300 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies almost doubled their purchasing of PE from Russian producers, shipments from Ukraine also increased. Thus, HDPE imports totalled 36,400 tonnes in January-September 2017, up by 7.8% year on year.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- CPC Corp, Taiwan has restarted its residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) unit in Dalin, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the company has resumed operations at the unit on November 23, 2017. The unit was shut for maintenance on September 13, 2017.

Initially, the plant was scheduled to be taken off-stream on 8 September, 2017.

Located at Dalin in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the RFCC has a production capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

CPC Corporation, Taiwan, is engaged in the exploration, production, refining, procurement, transportation, storage, and marketing of oil and gas. The company provides fuel oil, including automotive unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel, low-sulfur fuel oil, marine distillate fuels, marine residual fuels, and aviation fuel; petrochemicals, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, para-xylene, and ortho-xylene; liquefied petroleum gas products comprising liquefied petroleum gas, propane, butane, and a propane/butane mixture; lubricants, motor oil, industrial oil, grease, and marilube oil; SNC products, including petroleum ether, naphtha, toluene, xylene, crude octene, methyl alcohol, normal paraffin, viscosity-graded asphalt cement, and sulfur; and natural gas.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) — Oil extended gains on Wednesday, with US crude hitting USD58/bbl for the first time since July 2015 as a major pipeline cut Canadian crude flows to the United States, where inventories are expected to have fallen further, said Reuters.

The Keystone pipeline will cut deliveries by 85% or more through the end of November, sources said. A report from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed a big drop in US crude stocks, ahead of Wednesday's official inventory data. "There is a shortage of crude oil into the United States. Hence the rally in the prices," PVM Oil Associates strategist Tamas Varga said.

US crude rose to USD58.05/bbl, the highest since July 2015, before easing to USD57.78, up 95 cents, by 1216 GMT. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up 57 cents at USD63.14. Keystone, which carries 590,000 bpd of crude from Alberta's oil sands to markets in the United States, was shut last week after a 5,000-bbl spill in South Dakota.

This adds to a picture of tighter US supplies. The API said on Tuesday that crude stocks dropped by 6.4 MMbbl in the week to Nov. 17, far above analysts' expectations. The latest official US production and inventory data is due on Wednesday at 1530 GMT.

"If we see the US Energy Information Administration ... confirming the big draw in crude oil stocks reported by the API last night, I think we will see the market going higher," Varga said. Oil has also been supported by an effort led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to end a global supply overhang by restraining output.

The deal to curb production expires in March, but is widely expected to be extended at a Nov. 30 meeting. "There is growing consensus that OPEC will extend their production cut deal at the end of the month. This confidence along with the current geopolitical environment has kept ICE Brent trading firmly above USD60 /bbl," Dutch bank ING said.

"However, an outcome at the OPEC meeting which falls short of market expectations, will likely lead to a selloff, and given the large speculative long in Brent, this could be fairly severe," it added.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS UK SNS Limited has agreed to take a majority share in two exploration licenses in the Northern Gas Fields West of Shetland which contains the Lyon prospect, from Siccar Point Energy E&P Limited, said the company on its website.

The deal complements the significant INEOS portfolio of producing assets and discoveries West of Shetland, recently acquired from DONG E&P. Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary regulatory consents.

A significant opportunity now exists for INEOS to unlock gas from the most northerly licenced area of the UKCS, 150 km north of the Shetland Islands.

In particular Lyon, a material prospect that is thought to contain of 1-3 trillion cubic feet recoverable gas. If successful it could be large enough to form a new gas-hub development similar to the Laggan-Tormore fields, which have been developed with sub-sea infrastructure and pipelines to the Shetland Gas Plant. Existing gas discoveries in the Lyon area such as Tobermory, Bunnehaven and Cragganmore would all be suitable tie-back candidates into a Lyon gas hub.

Geir Tuft INEOS Oil & Gas CEO said "INEOS intends to become a significant player in this area. This deal confirms our aim to take a leading role to develop the Northern Gas Fields using the significant infrastructure investments already made West of Shetland."

"With the purchase of the DONG E&P business earlier in the year, INEOS took over a significant portfolio of producing assets and discoveries West of Shetland. It is clear that the Northern Gas Area holds further opportunities that could help unlock the development of those discoveries. The deal with Siccar compliments our assets."

Siccar Point Energy’s CEO Jonathan Roger commented "As licence operator we are excited to be moving forward in conjunction with INEOS to drill the Lyon prospect. This represents an opportunity to unlock the material gas potential of the most northerly licenced area of the UKCS. We look forward to working with INEOS in this new exploration partnership and to operating our first exploration well."
MRC