Czech official says Unipetrol again not taking Druzhba oil due to contamination

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Czech oil refiner Unipetrol, a unit of Poland’s PKN Orlen, has stopped taking oil from the Druzhba pipeline from Russia due to chloride contamination, reported Reuters with reference to the chief of Czech state strategic reserves' statement on Twitter on Monday.

"Unipetrol has stopped taking oil from the Druzhba pipeline due to detected contamination by chlorides. Further tests of samples are underway," Pavel Svagr said.

A spokesman for Unipetrol was not immediately available for comment.

News agency CTK earlier quoted Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek as saying an increased level of contamination had been measured in the Druzhba pipeline’s southern branch.

As MRC wrote earlier, in April 2019, Unipetrol trusted its engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract to McDermott International for its Litvinov refinery in Czech Republic. Under the contract, McDermott will be responsible to provide EPCM services for the upgrade of a hydrocracking unit at the Litvinov refinery.

Unipetrol , a.s. is a group of companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005 Unipetrol became a part of the PKN ORLEN Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe. The UNIPETROL Group is oriented mostly towards oil processing, fuel distribution and petrochemical production. In all of these business areas the Unipetrol Group is among the key players both in the Czech Republic and on the Central European market. The Group ranks among the leading firms in the Czech Republic in terms of its revenues, and employs almost 4,000 people.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ukraine's polypropylene (PP) imports totalled 56,500 tonnes in the first five months of the year, up 13% year on year.
The greatest increase in imports accounted for homopolymer PP, according to MRC DataScope.

May PP imports into the country fell to 11,500 tonnes from 13,500 tonnes a month earlier, the main decrease in imports were seen in the shipments of homopolymer PP. Overall imports of propylene polymers reached 56,500 tonnes in January-May 2019, compared to 50,000 tonnes a year earlier. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main growth in imports, whereas demand for propylene copolymers subsided.

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

May imports of homopolymers of propylene to the Ukrainian market decreased to 8,000 tonnes from 11,300 tonnes a month earlier, local companies decreased purchasing of homopolymer PP raffia in the Middle East. Overall shipments of homopolymer PP reached 43,900 tonnes in the first five months of 2019 versus 36,300 tonnes a year earlier.

Last month's imports of block propylene copolymers (PP block copolymers) were 1,100 tonnes, compared to 1,400 tonnes in April. Imports of PP block copolymers into the country were about 5,400 tonnes in January-May, compared with about 5,200 tonnes year on year.

May imports of statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymer) were 2,200 tonnes from 700 tonnes a month earlier, local companies significantly reduced their purchasing of pipe PP random copolymer. Overall imports of PP random copolymers exceeded 6,400 tonnes in January-May 2019, whereas this figure was about 7,400 tonnes a year earlier.

Overall imports of other propylene copolymers were about 776 tonnes over the stated period.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Nouryon increased production capacity for dialkyl peroxide at the company’s Ningbo, China site by 25 percent after completing a major expansion project, said Coatingsworld.

The product, branded as Perkadox 14, is essential in the manufacture of many elastomer-based products, ranging from sports goods to industrial wires and cables.

“Demand for Perkadox 14 in Asia and worldwide is on the rise because it has less odor compared to other organic peroxides on the market, which is ideal for consumer products such as athletic shoe soles and yoga mats,” said Markus Majoor, global market segment lead at Nouryon. “We manufacture a significant share of the dialkyl peroxide that is used in the market today, and through this expansion, we are ready to meet growing customer demand and strengthen our leadership position.”

“Since 2018, we have invested more than €100 million to build organic peroxides production capacity across the globe, and as a global leader we’ll continue to invest in expanding our operations to maintain our world-class level of customer service," added Johan Landfors, managing director Polymer Chemistry at Nouryon.

As MRC informed earlier, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) will license its innovative continuous initiator dosing (CiD) technology to Karpatnaftochim, Ukraine’s largest polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer/
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Nghi Son Refinery & Petrochemical has shut its Polypropylene (PP) unit owing to technical issues, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Vietnam informed that the company has undertaken an unplanned shutdown at its unit on June 21, 2019. The exact duration of the shutdown could not be ascertained.

Located at Nghi son, Vietnam, the PP unit has a production capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, Vietnam’s Nghi Son oil refinery officially begun commercial production from 14 November 2018, following months of tests, Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical LLC said in a statement, while a source at the refinery told Reuters the refinery was operating smoothly. The USD9 billion refinery is 35.1 percent owned by Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co, 35.1 percent by Kuwait Petroleum, 25.1 percent by PetroVietnam and 4.7 percent by Mitsui Chemicals Inc.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Greenkote PLC introduced its newest licensee, Elettroplast S.r.l., who will be providing Greenkote coating services and equipment for all of Italy, as per Coatingsworld.

Elettroplast is based in Brescia, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.

“Elettroplast has been providing quality surface enhancement for many years, and they are respected by a significant base of customers across Italy, Europe, and around the world," Greenkote CEO Mark Gore said.

“Elettroplast's connection with Greenkote began through a project we worked on with Cromatura Cassanese and the University of Brescia,” Elettroplast CEO Gian Franco Donina said. “As part of that program, funded by the region of Lombardy, we built a coating system specifically to evaluate Greenkote. And when we saw its performance first-hand, we definitely wanted to add Greenkote to our capabilities at Elettroplast.”

“It is particularly appropriate that a new Greenkote facility should be based in Brescia,” added Gianluca Donina, manager of the Greenkote operation at Elettroplast. “This area has long been known for its iron, steel and rubber industries; and one special Greenkote advantage is the unique microroughness of its surface, which enhances bonding between metal and rubber parts.”

Elettroplast now operates a complete Greenkote coating system, enabling them to provide a range of coating services for customers. The company has already begun accepting orders. In addition to coating services, Elettroplast is also able to supply all the equipment needed by companies who may wish to add Greenkote coating processes within their own facilities.

Greenkote is a proprietary family of high-performance zinc-based anti-corrosion coatings that can be applied to ferrous metals and alloys by a patented thermal diffusion process for a broad range of applications.
MRC