HMC Polymers to resume full PP production from August

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Thailand's HMC Polymers, owned by PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (PTTGC), LyondellBasell and Thai investors, will resume full polypropylene (PP) production at Map Ta Phut in August, as per Apic-online with reference to a company source.

The company has three lines which were each shut for around 10 days, the source added. The No. 1 PP line has a nameplate capacity of 200,000 mt/year, No. 2 PP unit with a capacity of 250,000 mt/year and No. 3 PP line has a 300,000 mt/year capacity.

As MRC wrote previously, in 2010, HMC Polymers increased the production capacity of its PP plant by 300,000 tonnes from 450,000 tonnes in a bid to serve growing demand for polypropylene both domestically and internationally.

HMC Polymers is one of the leading companies in the manufacturing and marketing of polypropylene (PP) for Asia and worldwide. HMC Polymers is the first PP manufacturer in Thailand with its first PP production facility to have been established in Rayong Province, Thailand in 1987. The company's PP production facilities output is over 750,000 metric tons per year and comprise two Spheripol lines and a latest technology Spherizone line from LyondellBasell. HMC Polymers produces a wide range of Moplen polypropylene grades including homopolymer, heterophasic and random copolymer resins, as well as specialty polypropylene resins such as Adstif, Clyrell and Purell. In addition, a strategic investment in upstream integration was made in parallel with the construction of a Propane Dehydrogenation plant (PDH) at a site adjacent to our Map Ta Phut plant.
MRC

Motiva Port Arthur refinery repairs gasoline

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Motiva Enterprises completed repairs to the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at its 603,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery over the weekend, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.

Motiva may cancel a July 23 shutdown of the 81 Mbpd Fluidic Catalytic Cracking Unit 3 the company began planning after a July 4 malfunction on the unit, the sources said.

Motiva on Thursday began planning the shutdown of the 81 Mbpd gasoline-producing Fluidic Catalytic Cracking Unit 3 (FCCU 3) at its 603 Mbpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery due to excessive catalyst loss, the sources said.

If Motiva puts off the Monday, July 23 shutdown, it would be the second time this month the refinery has avoided shutting FCCU 3, the sources said.

The problems with catalyst clogging and loss began on Wednesday and Motiva planned to shut the catcracker on Thursday, but was able to keep the unit running at reduced production levels.

While keeping FCCU 3 operating, Motiva also began preparing to take the unit out of production on July 23 for a period that could be measured in weeks.

Within the refinery's FCCU 3, the fine powder catalyst breaks down gas oil into gasoline and other products.

As MRC informed previously, in March 2018, Motiva Enterprises' new Chief Executive Officer Brian Coffman said that no decision had been made on how to spend USD18 billion corporate parent Saudi Aramco has pledged for expansion. Aramco said in May 2017 it wanted to spend USD18 billion in the next five years and was interested in adding petrochemicalproduction capacity. The company's 603,000 barrel per day plant at Port Arthur, Texas, is the largest refinery in the United States.
MRC

PVC imports to Ukraine fell by 19% in H1 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Ukraine decreased in the first six months of 2018 by 19% year on year, totalling 38,800 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Last month's SPVC imports to the Ukrainian market dropped to 5,900 tonnes from 6,400 tonnes in May, with US resin accounting for the main decrease. Overall SPVC imports totalled 38,800 tonnes in January-June 2018, compared to 48,000 tonnes a year earlier, at the same time, shipments of resin from the USA increased significantly. Higher domestic production was the main reason for lower total imports.

The structure of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) imports into Ukraine by countries looked the following way over the stated period.


Last month's imports of US SPVC shrank to 3,500 tonnes from 4,000 tonnes in May. Thus, imports of US resin totalled 26,100 tonnes in the first six months of 2018, compared to 17,400 tonnes a year earlier. February-March accounted for the peak of imports.

June imports of European PVC into the Ukrainian market were 2,400 tonnes, which equalled the May figure. Overall imports of European PVC to Ukraine totalled 11,400 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 21,300 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

BASF to expand production capacity for Irganox 1010 globally

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF plans to increase the global production capacity for its antioxidant Irganox 1010 by 40% with production expansion projects at its sites in Jurong, Singapore, and Kaisten, Switzerland, as per the company's press release.

With production in Kaisten coming online in 2019 and in Singapore in early 2021, BASF aims to better serve the increasing demand from customers in Asia and Europe, Middle East and Africa from its regional supply points. In addition, BASF is investing in its McIntosh, Alabama facility in the US to improve asset reliability and further expand capacity to meet growing customer demand.

"By expanding our production capacities, we respond to the increase in demand. With the investment in Singapore, we underline our position as one of the leading suppliers of phenolic antioxidants," said Hermann Althoff, Senior Vice President, BASF Performance Chemicals Asia Pacific.

In Singapore, the company will double its capacity for Irganox 1010 by adding an additional production line that will be integrated into the existing production facilities.

"At the same time, we will add 30% to our existing capacity for Irganox" 1010 at our Kaisten plant in Switzerland by debottlenecking operations. This significant and timely expansion, planned for 2019, reinforces our commitment to accelerating business growth in the region," added Alberto Giovanzana, Vice President, Plastic Additives EMEA, BASF.

"Increasing our manufacturing capacity shows our commitment to plastic additives, which greatly benefits our global customer base,” said Deon Carter, Senior Vice President, BASF Performance Chemicals North America. “By investing in our McIntosh, Alabama site, we’ll further improve our supply reliability and expand our capacity of Irganox® 1010 and associated antioxidants to meet growing demand in the region."

Irganox 1010 is a sterically hindered phenolic primary antioxidant. It provides protection against thermo-oxidative degradation, mainly applied in polyolefins and also recommended for polyacetals, polyamides and polyurethanes, polyesters, PVC, ABS and elastomers such as butyl rubber and synthetic rubbers.

As MRC wrote before, within the next five years, BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) plans to invest globally more than EUR200 million in its plastic additives business, approximately half of which in Asia, focusing on capacity expansions and operational excellence, announced the company in November 2016.

BASF is a leading supplier, manufacturer and innovation partner of plastic additives. Its comprehensive and innovative product portfolio includes stabilizers which provide ease in processing, heat and light resistance to a variety of polymers and applications including molded articles, films, fibers, sheets and extruded profiles.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF generated sales of EUR64.5 billion in 2017.
MRC

Exxon Baytown refinery hydrocracker remains shut after upset

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The hydrocracking unit at Exxon Mobil Corp’s 560,500 barrel per day (bpd) Baytown, Texas, refinery remains shut following a power interruption on Saturday, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.

Exxon spokeswoman Sarah Nordin said the Baytown refinery was experiencing an operational issue resulting in safety flaring.

"We are working diligently to minimize the safety flaring. There is minimal impact to production,” Nordin said. “We expect to meet our contractual commitments."

The 25,000 bpd hydrocracker was shut after a brief power interruption at the refinery early on Saturday morning, according to a notice filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

As MRC informed earlier, in October 2017, ExxonMobil Chemical Company commenced production on the first of two new 650,000 tons-per-year high-performance polyethylene (PE) lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC