LDPE unit brought on-stream by Sinopec Maoming

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Maoming Petrochemical has restarted its No. 1 low density polyethylene (LDPE) unit following a brief maintenance, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has resumed operations at the unit over the weekend. The unit was shut for a maintenance turnaround on August 30, 2018.

Located at Guangdong in China, the No. 1 unit has a production capacity of 120,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote earlier, Sinopec Maoming Petrochemical shut its No. 2 LDPE unit for a brief maintenance on July 14, 2018. It resumed production on July 19, 2018. Located at Guangdong in China, the No. 2 unit has a production capacity of 280,000 mt/year.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec Limited is a Chinese oil and gas company based in Beijing, China. It is listed in Hong Kong and also trades in Shanghai and New York . Sinopec is the worlds fifth biggest company by revenue.
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Qatargas agrees on 22-year LNG supply deal with China

MOSCOW (MRC) - Qatargas said on Monday it had agreed on a 22-year deal with PetroChina International Co, a unit of PetroChina Co, to supply China with around 3.4 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually, as the nation stepped up efforts to combat air pollution, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The Qatari state-owned company will supply LNG from the Qatargas 2 project - a venture between Qatar Petroleum, Exxon Mobil Corp and Total - to receiving terminals across China, with the first cargo to be delivered this month.

The deal allows flexibility in delivering LNG to Chinese terminals including those in Dalian, Jiangsu, Tangshan and Shenzhen, using the Qatargas fleet of 70 conventional, Q-Flex and Q-Max vessels, the company said.

China requires LNG for its push to replace coal with cleaner burning natural gas, a way to reduce air pollution. After Beijing started the programme last year, China has overtaken South Korea as the world's second-biggest buyer of LNG.

China's LNG imports may surge 70 percent to 65 million tonnes by 2020, according to consultancy SIA Energy. Last year, China imported a record 38.1 million tonnes, 46 percent more than the previous year.

Meanwhile Qatar, the world's biggest LNG producer, is seeking buyers for a planned expansion of its output.
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EU antitrust regulators raided Clariant, Celanese, others

MOSCOW (MRC) -- EU antitrust regulators raided several ethylene purchasing companies in May, including Swiss chemicals maker Clariant and U.S. rival Celanese, over concerns the firms may have participated in a cartel, as per Reuters.

Clariant confirmed the EU investigation while Celanese said some of its units were being investigated. Ethylene is used to make various chemical and plastic products.

The European Commission said on Wednesday the raids occurred on May 16 in several European Union countries. It did not name the companies involved.

"The companies concerned may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices," the EU competition enforcer said in a statement.

Companies face fines up to 10 percent of their global turnover for breaching EU antitrust rules.
MRC

Force majeure declared on supplies after German refinery fire

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Varo Energy has declared force majeure on fuel deliveries to its customers after a fire on Saturday at its Bayernoil refining complex in Germany, a spokeswoman said, as per Reuters.

The fire affected the 120,000 barrel per day (bpd) plant in Vohburg. The plant is expected to be out of action for several weeks.

The Bayernoil complex is comprised of two plants, Vohburg and Neustadt, with total capacity of 215,000 bpd.

“Varo has declared force majeure because the fulfillment of our deliveries to our customers is significantly influenced by the production of Bayernoil,” the spokeswoman said.

Varo Energy owns 45 percent of Bayernoil. Italy’s Eni owns 20 percent, while BP and Rosneft are also shareholders.

Varo is a European downstream company that has refineries and storage assets in Western Europe and is owned by oil trading giant Vitol, U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group and Dutch firm Reggeborgh Invest.
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Dow announces investment plans to meet silicones demand growth and drive innovation

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Dow Chemical Company has announced new low capital intensity, high return investments in its upstream and downstream silicones franchise to accelerate innovation and support global customers’ demand in high growth markets, such as high performance building, home and personal care, electrical and industrial, consumer goods and components assembly, as per MarketWatch.

A series of incremental siloxane debottleneck and efficiency improvement projects over the next three years to further increase capacity and efficiency in Dow’s siloxane manufacturing facilities around the world.

A new hydroxyl functional siloxane polymer plant in Carrollton, Kentucky, which will increase Dow’s polymer capacity in the Americas by 65%, providing the latest technology to accelerate innovation with customers.

Additional expansion projects to increase capacity in Dow’s high-value performance silicones products and intermediates. This includes a new specialty resin plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China, which will provide resin intermediates for high value silicone products, including home and personal care, pressure sensitive adhesives, antifoams, and moldable optics for lighting.

"The projects we are announcing today support our ability to continue to meet strong global demand for Dow’s silicones materials, enabling us to grow and innovate more quickly with customers and advancing our leading positions in our targeted end-markets," said Jim Fitterling, chief executive officer of The Dow Chemical Company and chief operating officer for the Materials Science Division of DowDuPont. "Further, these targeted investments are expected to deliver fast paybacks and higher return on invested capital for Dow, contributing to greater earnings and cash generation."

In addition, the company also announced the start of a feasibility study for the construction of a new, world-scale siloxane plant. The geographic location of the new proposed siloxane facility will be determined as an outcome of the feasibility study.

"Dow is committed to our ongoing investment in both upstream and downstream assets to bring a reliable supply to our customers," said Mauro Gregorio, business president, Dow Consumer Solutions. "As an essential addition to Dow’s global silicones manufacturing footprint, the proposed new siloxane plant will expand our access to differentiated monomers and intermediates around the world, while strengthening our capabilities to accelerate and execute our strong innovation pipeline."

As a global leader in innovation and silicone-based technology, Dow already operates nearly twenty silicones manufacturing facilities globally, including three world-scale siloxane manufacturing facilities, located in Carrollton, Kentucky, USA, Barry, Wales, United Kingdom and Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, China.

As MRC reported earlier, in June 2018, Dow announced its plan to invest in an alkoxylation facility on the US Gulf Coast. Upon completion, this new facility will support global growth in Dow’s core end-markets related to infrastructure and home and personal care, as well as additional end-markets where Dow continues to strengthen its position for the TRITON, TERGITOL, ECOSURF and CARBOWAX SENTRY brands.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
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