PTBA, Chandra Asri, Pertamina & Pupuk begin Indonesian coal gasification project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PT Bukit Asam (PTBA), Chandra Asri Petrochemical (CAP), Pertamina and Pupuk Indonesia have launched a new coal gasification project in the Bukit Asam Coal Based Special Economic Zone, Tanjung Enim, Indonesia, as per Apic-online.

The project will include four new plants based on gasification technology, a coal to syngas unit, a 500,000-t/y urea plant, a 450,000-t/y polypropylene facility and a 400,000-t/y dimethyl ether unit.

Operations are scheduled to begin in November 2022.

As MRC informed before, Indonesian state energy company PT Pertamina signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to upgrade Balikpapan refinery in December, 2018. Balikpapan refinery upgrade was expected to start construction in early 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Russia totalled about 37,900 tonnes in the first two months of 2019, up 5% year on year. Whereas import volumes fell five times, according to MRC DataScope.

Russian producers have been maintaining fairly high export volumes since the end of last year amid low demand for SPVC. February SPVC exports from the country (excluding exports to the Customs Union) were about 19,900 tonnes, compared with 18,000 tonnes in January.

Thus, overall exports of PVC to Russia totalled about 37,900 tonnes in the first two months of 2019, compared to 36,000 tonnes a year earlier.
But since March, some producers have reduced export volumes. The main foreign importers of Russian PVC this year were buyers from India.

Sufficient supply of PVC from domestic producers and low demand from converters led to a multiple decrease in import volumes. February SPVC imports were slightly less than 766 tonnes, against 26 tonnes in January. Total SPVC imports in Russia were less than 800 tonnes in January-February 2019 against 4,100 tonnes year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) totalled 155,800 tonnes in the first two months of 2019, up by 1% year on year. Only two producers out of four increased their output, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

February total HDPE production in Russia decreased to 70,200 tonnes, whereas this figure was 85,600 tonnes a month earlier. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat and Stavrolen shut down their production capacities for short maintenance works. However, overall HDPE output reached 155,800 tonnes in the first two months of 2019, compared to 154,600 tonnes a year earlier. Only Gazprom neftekhim Salavat and Kazanorgsintez raised their output.

The structure of polyethylene (PE) production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.

Kazanorgsintez's total HDPE production dropped to 42,000 tonnes in February from 44,000 tonnes a month earlier. The Kazan plant's overall HDPE output reached 90,600 tonnes in January-February 2019, up by 5% year on year.

Stavrolen produced 18,200 tonnes last month versus 26,800 tonnes in January, the plant shut its production capacities for a one-week turnaround in early February. The plant's overall output reached 45,100 tonnes over the stated period, up by 9% year on year.

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat also took off-stream its production for a short period of time in February, the plant produced 9,300 tonnes versus 10,800 tonnes a month earlier. The Baskhir plant's total HDPE output exceeded 20,100 tonnes in the first two months of 2019, up 4% year on year.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced exclusively linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) over the stated period.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DowDuPont announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has declared effective the Registration Statement on Form 10 filed by Dow Inc., said the company.

The Form 10 includes information regarding Dow’s business and strategy as well as details on the spin-off, which is expected to be completed on April 1, 2019.

"Today’s announcement of the Form 10 effectiveness marks the final regulatory milestone in our process to spin. Dow is separating as an independent, publicly traded company in a position of strength and with a clear roadmap to deliver long-term value for our shareholders," said Jim Fitterling, chief operating officer of the Materials Science Division of DowDuPont and chief executive officer elect of Dow.

As previously announced, on March 7, 2019, the DowDuPont board of directors approved the spin-off of DowDuPont’s Materials Science Division and declared a pro rata dividend of Dow’s common stock. The dividend is expected to be paid after the close of business on April 1, 2019 to DowDuPont stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 21, 2019, the record date. DowDuPont stockholders will receive one share of Dow common stock for every three shares of DowDuPont common stock they held on the record date, plus cash in lieu of any fractional shares.

The New York Stock Exchange has authorized Dow’s common stock for listing and has advised that "when-issued" trading in Dow common stock on the NYSE will begin on March 20, 2019, under the symbol “DOW WI”. Following the spin-off, on April 2, 2019, Dow common stock will begin "regular way" trading on the NYSE under the symbol "DOW" and DowDuPont will continue trading under "DWDP".

Beginning on March 20, 2019 and continuing through April 1, 2019, it is expected that there will be two markets in DowDuPont common stock on the NYSE: a “regular-way” market under the symbol “DWDP,” in which DowDuPont shares will trade with the right to receive shares of Dow common stock in the spin-off, and an “ex distribution market” under the symbol “DWDP WI” in which DowDuPont shares will trade without the right to receive shares of Dow common stock in the spin-off. If you sell your shares in the “regular-way” market prior on or prior to the distribution date, you will be selling your right to receive Dow common stock in the distribution.

The distribution of Dow common stock is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary conditions, which DowDuPont expects will be satisfied by the distribution date.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Polychem Indonesia plans to shut its 96,000 mt/year monoethylene glycol (MEG) line at Serang in Java next week, without a confirmed restart timeline, in response to poor margins, as per Apic-online.

The company has another 145,000 mt/year MEG line at Serang that is currently running well.

We also remind that, as MRC informed before, in January 2019, Toyo Engineering Group (TOYO) was awarded a contract of acrylic acid production plant with capacity of 100,000 tons/year in Cilegon, Banten, on the western tip of Java, Indonesia from PT. NIPPON SHOKUBAI INDONESIA (NSI), Indonesian subsidiary of NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.

PT. Polychem Indonesia Tbk engages in the chemical, polyester, and nylon businesses. The company operates through Polyester, Petrochemical, and Fishing Net Yarn segments. It offers mono ethylene glycol for polyester synthetic fiber manufacturers and polyester terephtalate resin producers; and di ethylene glycol, tri ethylene glycol, ethoxylate products, and petrochemicals. The company also provides polyester chips, partially oriented yarn, polyester staple fibers, and drawn textured yarn; nylon yarn for the production of tire cords, nets, ropes, fabrics, and reinforcing materials in fan belts and hoses; and nylon-6 chips that is used as a raw material in yarn, mono filament, and various other plastic industries. The company markets its products in Asia, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Canada, and Africa. PT. Polychem Indonesia Tbk was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia.
MRC