Wood providing EPC services to proposed world-class ethylene project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wood has been awarded a major contract to deliver engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services on a reimbursable basis for a world-class plastics manufacturing facility along the US Gulf Coast, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The actual construction of the plant is contingent on receipt of environmental permits.

The five-year contract will see Wood deliver EPC services for key infrastructure to support the plastics facility, including a world-class ethane steam cracker unit, feeding a monoethylene glycol unit and two polyethylene units.

Andrew Stewart, CEO of Wood’s Asset Solutions Americas business, said: "This is a strategic and significant contract to Wood. We have invested significantly in establishing best in class EPC services and in developing our chemicals expertise. This contract serves to underline the return on that investment. We understand the needs of our client on this mega project and are committed to delivering excellence."

The contract, which is already underway, is one of the largest contracts in Wood’s Americas business, and will see around 1100 employees deployed during peak construction. Wood’s project team has already achieved one million safe man hours on the project.

Pending receipt of environmental permits, anticipated work completion is scheduled for late 2021.

As MRC reported earlier, in October 2017, Wood was awarded a new multi-million dollar contract by Total, supporting their Lindsey Oil Refinery located in North Killinghome, Lincolnshire, UK. The 5-yr contract is to provide onshore maintenance services and includes the option to be extended up to 2 yr.
MRC

Clariant and Saudi Kayan to evaluate alkoxylates joint venture

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi Kayan, a Saudi joint stock company leading in the field of chemicals, polymers and specialty products, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

As defined by the MoU, both parties have agreed to evaluate the formation of a joint venture with the aim of establishing a manufacturing facility for alkoxylates. This facility is planned to combine Clariant’s alkoxylates production technology with Saudi Kayan’s raw materials and would, therefore, be based within Saudi Kayan’s Petrochemical Company complex in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia.

Alkoxylates are a downstream product of ethylene oxide and are used in a variety of specialty applications in Clariant’s home care, personal care and industrial applications segments.

Saudi Kayan is an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). SABIC is also Clariant’s largest strategic anchor shareholder with a 24.99% stake. This MoU between Clariant and Saudi Kayan is a part of the further evaluation of additional collaborative businesses opportunities between Clariant and SABIC, as previously communicated by both parties.

As MRC informed previously, Saudi Kayan conducted maintenance at its cracker at Al-Jubail from mid-November to end-December 2017. Located at Al-Jubail in Saudi Arabia, the cracker has a production capacity of 1.5 million mt/year.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company is a manufacturing affiliate of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic). Saudi Kayan is the fifth-largest petrochemical manufacturer by market value in Saudi Arabia.
MRC

Shell Louisiana refinery hydrocracker back in production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal Dutch Shell Plc brought the hydrocracker at its at its 209,787-barrel-per-day (bpd) Convent, Louisiana, refinery back into production after fixing a malfunction on Tuesday, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.

Shell on Tuesday afternoon was raising the production level on the 45,000 bpd heavy oil hydrocracker called the H-Oil Unit after unplugging a valve that led Shell early on Tuesday to begin bringing the unit down, the sources said.

As MRC wrote before, in May 2018, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Shell Nanhai B.V. (part of Shell) announced the official start-up of the second ethylene cracker at their Nanhai petrochemicals complex in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC

PP imports to Belarus up 5.6% in January-October 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polypropylene (PP) into Belarus increased to about 82,900 tonnes in first ten months of this year, up 5.6% year on year, compared to the same period of 2017. The greatest increase in imports accounted for homopolymer PP, according to MRC DataScope.

October PP imports into Belarus were about 7,600 tonnes, compared to 8,000 tonnes a month earlier, local companies reduced their purchasing of Russian propylene copolymers. Total PP imports into the country reached 82,900 tonnes in January - October, compared with 78,500 tonnes year on year. The demand for homopolymer PP increased, but demand for propylene copolymers decreased.

The structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

October imports of homopolymer PP to the Belarusian market rose to 5,900 tonnes from 5,500 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of homopolymer PP from Russia increased. Overall imports of homopolymer PP reached 57,200 tonnes in the first ten months of 2018, up by 8.8% year on year. Russian producers with the share of about 89% of the total shipments were the key suppliers.

October imports of propylene copolymers to Belarus were 1,800 tonnes versus 2,500 tonnes a month earlier, local companies decreased their procurement of injection moulding statistical copolymers (PP random copolymers) in Russia. Total imports of propylene copolymers in the counrty reached 25,700 tonnes in January-October 2018, which practically corresponded to the last year's figure.
MRC

PVC imports to Belarus down 0.7% in Jan-Oct 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus decreased in the first ten months of 2018 by 0.7% year on year, totalling 28,300 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.


According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters virtually maintained September PVC purchasing volumes - about 2,600 tonnes.

Thus, imports of unmixed PVC rose in the first ten months of 2018 to 28,300 tonnes from 28,500 tonnes a year earlier, with local windows producers accounting for a slight decrease in demand.

Russian producers with the share of about 88% of the Belarusian market were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus over the stated period. Producers from Ukraine and Germany with the share of 6% and 4% were the second and third largest suppliers, respectively.
MRC