LyondellBasell refinery production still 14% below capacity

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lyondell Basell Industries Houston refinery's production continues to run at about 14% below its 263,776 barrel-per-day capacity due to shipping limitations on the Houston Ship Channel, reported Reuters with reference to Hysaid Gulf Coast market sources.

The lack of shipping prevents Lyondell from removing sulfur made as a byproduct of gasoline production at the refinery, the sources said. The refinery has limited storage capacity on-site.

As MRC wrote previously, in September 2016, LyondellBasell selected its La Porte, Texas, manufacturing complex as the site for a new high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant. The plant will be the first commercial plant to employ LyondellBasell's new proprietary Hyperzone PE technology and will have an annual capacity of 1.1 billion pounds (500,000 metric tons). Construction began in early 2017 with start-up planned for 2019.

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies. The company manufactures products at 57 sites in 18 countries. LyondellBasell products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive parts, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- French speciality chemicals supplier Arkema SA has started up a poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK) production plant at its existing site near Mobile, Alabama, where it already produces acrylic polymers and plastics additives, said Plasticsnewseurope.

The move follows Arkema’s doubling of its PEKK resin capacities in France in 2017 and supports the strong demand for carbon fibre-reinforced composites and 3D materials, the company said 25 March.

The company statement did not provide further details on the investment size or production capacity of the plant. Sold under the brand name Kepstan, Arkem’as PEKK is the latest addition to the PAEK (poly-aryl-ether-ketone) family.

The material, according to the French company, “significantly increases” the number of applications suitable for very high-performance polymers by offering a wider range of processing techniques and thermo-mechanical properties.

Applications include in aeronautics, oil & gas, electronics and automotive industries, where lightweight materials are increasingly in demand.

The polymer range also features “excellent mechanical, chemical, fire and abrasion resistance”, making it suitable particularly for 3D printing, Arkema added.

"This new capacity… will enable our customers and their customers to better meet the future demand for ever more efficient materials," said Christophe Andre, vice president, advanced materials for Arkema.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Phillips 66 said it had contained a fire at its Los Angeles refinery. Officials said there were no injuries during the incident, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Phillips 66 said the fire occurred at the Carson facility, which is part of the Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The refinery processes mainly heavy, high-sulfur crude oil, according to the company’s website.

A plume of thick black smoke was visible when the facility was ablaze, however, the company said that the community air monitoring readings have shown no offsite impact.

Separately, the Los Angeles County Fire Department told Reuters that there are no known casualties and no evacuations.

As MRC wrote previously, US-based Phillips 66 remains open to developing another ethane cracker for its Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem) joint venture, the refiner's CEO said in March 2018.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell Industries, one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies, said its 263,776 barrel-per-day refinery was operational, but shipping was affected by a shutdown of the Houston Ship Channel, reported Reuters.

"Lyondell Basell’s Houston refinery remains operational; however, we are experiencing constrained barge and vessel logistics capabilities," company spokeswoman Chevalier Gray said.

As MRC informed before, in September 2016, LyondellBasell selected its La Porte, Texas, manufacturing complex as the site for a new high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant. The plant will be the first commercial plant to employ LyondellBasell's new proprietary Hyperzone PE technology and will have an annual capacity of 1.1 billion pounds (500,000 metric tons). Construction began in early 2017 with start-up planned for 2019.

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies. The company manufactures products at 57 sites in 18 countries. LyondellBasell products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive parts, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japanese refiners will unlikely continue to import oil from Iran in April unless Japan gets a sanctions waivers extension from the US government, reported Reuters with reference to Takashi Tsukioka, president of the Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ).

The PAJ head said he believes the government is negotiating with the United States to get such a waiver and that PAJ would support this effort.

Japanese refiners have been asking the government to seek an extension of the U.S. sanctions waivers after the initial 180-day exemption period is over in early May.

Japanese officials and their U.S. counterparts met last week in Washington to discuss the U.S. sanctions on Iran, according to a statement from Japan’s foreign ministry.

"Japan has told the US that the sanctions should not negatively affect Japan’s stable supply of energy and Japanese companies’ operations," an official at Japan’s industry ministry said, although declining to comment on the result of the talks.

Asked if Japan will extend sovereign ship insurance to import Iranian oil to the financial year that starts on April 1, PAJ’s Tsukioka said: "We understand the insurance is due to roll-over. We are just waiting for an announcement."

Tsukioka had said in November, shortly after the U.S. sanctions waivers had been granted, that it was unclear whether the government would extend sovereign ship insurance into the new financial year.
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