PP imports to Russia grew almost by a quarter in Jan-Jul

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polypropylene (PP) into Russia rose in the first seven months of 2018 by 24% year on year to 114,900 tonnes. Shipments of all grades of propylene polymers increased, according to MRC's DataScope report.


Russian companies reduced slightly their PP imports in July, which were 17,100 tonnes versus 17,600 tonnes a month earlier; shipments of propylene homopolymers (homopolymer PP) and block copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymer) decreased. Overall, 114,900 tonnes of propylene polymers were imported into Russia in January-July 2018, compared to 92,600 tonnes a year earlier. Imports of all grades of propylene polymers increased, with homopolymer PP accounting for the greatest increase in deliveries.

Overall, the structure of PP imports to Russia by grades looked the following way over the stated period.


July imports of homopolymer PP dropped to 5,900 tonnes from 6,500 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of homopolymer PP raffia from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan decreased. Overall imports of this PP grade reached 41,600 tonnes in January-July 2018, compared to 33,300 a year earlier.

Last month's imports of PP block copolymers were 3,800 tonnes, compared to 4,200 tonnes in June. Local companies reduced their purchasing of PP block copolymer for injection moulding in Europe. Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia rose to 28,200 tonnes in the first seven months of 2018, compared to 23,600 tonnes a year earlier.

July imports of statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) were 4,300 tonnes, compared to 3,200 tonnes a month earlier, purchases from films and pressure pipes producers increased. Overall imports of this grade of propylene copolymers were 21,200 tonnes in the first seven months of 2018, compared to 16,300 tonnes a year earlier, with imports of pipe grade propylene copolymers accounting for more than a two-fold increase.

Imports of other propylene polymers totalled 23,900 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 19,200 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

SayanskKhimPlast resumed PVC production

MOSCOW (Market Report) -- SayanskKhimplast (Irkutsk region), Russia's second largest polyvinyl chrolide (PVC) producer, resumed its PVC production capacities after a scheduled turnaround, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The plant's representative said SayanskKhimPlast had fully resumed its PVC production by Thursday, 15 August, after the scheduled maintenance works. The outage was quite long and lasted for about 30 days. The plant's annual production capacity is 300,000 tonnes.

As reported earlier, this is the second and last shutdown for maintenance at Russian PVC plants this year. RusVinyl with the annual capacity of 330,000 tonnes/year was the first plant, which shut down its production capacities in late April - early May. Bashkir Soda Company and Kaustik Volgograd do not intend to take off-stream their production capacities for turnarounds this year.

JSC "Sayanskkhimplast" (Irkutsk region), established in 1998, is a complex of large-capacity chlororganic production facilities connected in a single production cycle. SayanskKhimPlast produces PVC, caustic soda and bleach. After commissioning of RusVinyl's PVC production (Nizhny Novgorod region), SayanskKhimPlast became Russia's second largest PVC producer.
MRC

SATORP awards Jacobs general engineering services contract

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has received a two-year contract renewal from Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company (SATORP) for its subsidiary in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jacobs Zamel and Turbag Consulting Engineers (Jacobs ZATE), to provide general engineering services at SATORP's facilities in Jubail Industrial City 2 on the Arabian Gulf coast, as per Yourpetrochemicalnews.

Jacobs continues to provide a range of services, from basic engineering to Front End Engineering Design (FEED), detailed design, procurement through to construction management, commissioning support and handover of small to medium sized capital investments to sustain the operations of the SATORP Jubail II refinery. The services are led by a dedicated team from Jacobs ZATE in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

"SATORP's continued trust in our proven capabilities as a world-class engineering and construction management company is a testament of our commitment as a valued partner in the region," said Jacobs Energy, Chemicals and Resources Senior Vice President and General Manager EMEA David Zelinski. "This contract renewal reaffirms our strong relationship with SATORP and our long-standing position in the Kingdom."

Jacobs has operated in Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years, developing strong partnerships with the Kingdom's industrial leaders including, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden). Examples of the company's work in the Middle East include BP Khazzan Oman Gas Field, Sinnovate Smart Technology Hub, Zuluf Gas/Oil Separation Plant FEED, King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport, Sadara Chemical Company, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Ma'aden Wa'ad Al-Shamal Phosphate Company and numerous infrastructure projects with the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON).

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With USD15 billion in fiscal 2017 revenue when combined with full-year CH2M revenues and a talent force of more than 77,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors.

As MRC informed earlier, SATORP (Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemicals Company) has selected Axens to evaluate, develop, and implement an Advanced Process Control (APC) system for its aromatics complex ParamaX producing high purity paraxylene and benzene.

SATORP, located in Jubail, includes a 400,000-bpd refinery and petrochemicals units with a combined total of 1 MMtpy.
MRC

Equinor says effort to restart Mongstad refinery continues

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Work to restart Norway's Mongstad oil refinery continued, following a power outage that shut the facility earlier in the day, as per Reuters.

The unexpected outage happened during routine maintenance on the site's power supply, triggering an evacuation of most workers.

As it was said earlier, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has been awarded a feasibility study contract from Equinor Energy AS to evaluate the possibilities for building a hydrogen production plant, including CO2 capture and export facilities, in Eemshaven.

Equinor ASA operates as an energy company. The Company develops oil, gas, wind, and solar energy projects, as well as focuses on offshore operations and exploration services. Equinor serves customers worldwide.
MRC

Parts of Norwegian Mongstad oil refinery up and running

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Equinor's oil and cogeneration plants at Norway's Mongstad refinery are up and running, with more parts of the facility expected to restart during Thursday, reported Reuters with reference to the firm's statement.

"The crude oil plant and cogeneration plant (are) up and running. We expect more parts of (the) Mongstad refinery to be re-started today as work is currently ongoing to prepare for start-up," said Equinor spokeswoman Elin Isaksen.

An unexpected outage at Mongstad occurred on Wednesday during routine maintenance on the site's power supply, triggering an evacuation of most workers.

All workers who had been evacuated were now back at work, added Isaksen, declining to give an estimate on current output.

Equinor's largest refinery, on the western coast of Norway, was built in 1975 and has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 226,000 barrels per day, according to the company. Last October Mongstad sustained an unexpected outage that lasted two weeks when a naphtha leak shut down the plant.

As MRC wrote previously, in April 2018, Wood has won new contract to provide front-end engineering design (FEED) for Statoil’s Mongstad refinery near Bergen, Norway.
MRC