Ukrainian HDPE production down by 12% in Jan-Jul 2019

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ukraine's overall production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) fell in the first seven months of 2019 by 12% year on year, totalling 50,800 tonnes, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

July HDPE output rose in Ukraine by 9.3% from the previous month to 9,400 tonnes. This figure was at around 8,600 tonnes in June.

Meanwhile, in August, Karpatneftekhim reduced its capacity utilisation by 20% from July, the same level of utilisation is also planned for September.

As reported earlier, Karpatneftekhim announced a reduction of USD48/tonne from August in its HDPE prices for September shipments to the domestic market.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The September contract price of propylene was settled in Europe down by EUR50/tonne from the previous month. Therefore, all European producers announced a reduction in export polypropylene (PP) prices for September shipments to the CIS markets, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Negotiations over September prices of European PP have begun at the beginning of this week. All market participants said European producers reduced their export prices of propylene polymers for this month's shipments, but in some cases, the price decrease was less than the cut in prices of European propylene.

Deals for September shipments of propylene homopolymers (homopolymer PP) were discussed in the range of EUR1,005-1,055/tonne FCA, down by EUR30-50/tonne from August. Deals for block copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) were negotiated in the range of EUR1,090-1,130/tonne FCA, also down by an average of EUR30-50/tonne from the previous month.

Some European producers had restrictions for export shipments, but they were not critical for most buyers. Consumers partially met their needs for PP due to deliveries from the Middle East.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Plant of New Polymers 'Senege", one of the Russian producers of PET chips, plans to stop production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for scheduled repairs in October, according to the ICIS-MRC Price Report.

According to a source in the company, the shutdown will take about a month. The exact dates of the beginning and completion of the repair were not reported.

Spot prices of PET from the producer in August were at the level of Rb94,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
Last week, the producer left prices unchanged.

Senege (part of the Europlast group) is one of four Russian food PET plants. The total capacity of the plant is 100,000 tonnes/year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Novak told reporters that the energy ministry was discussing the aftermath of a major oil contamination with oil giant Rosneft and pipeline monopoly, reported Reuters.

Russian oil output this month will be lower than it was in August, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday.

Speaking at an economic forum in Russia's Far East, Novak also told reporters that the energy ministry was discussing the aftermath of a major oil contamination with oil giant Rosneft and pipeline monopoly Transneft.

As MRC informed earlier, in May 2019, a government official said that Russia’s state pipeline monopoly Transneft will compensate all parties for losses incurred from contaminated oil, but they must prove the damage, as the first European refinery declared force majeure.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Badly hit after ONGC plant fire on Tuesday, CNG supply to pumps in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai has been competeley restored, said Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) officials on Wednesday, reported The Times of India.

The supply was badly hit on Tuesday following a fire at ONGC in Mumbai. The fire also affected public transport, with more than 40% autos off roads and equal number of Kaali Peeli taxis. The cut in supply had also affected buses, app-based cabs and private cars which run on green fuel.

"The services were gradually restored by Tuesday evening as the supply restarted from ONGC to the Mahanagar Gas Limited's City Gate station at Wadala. On Wednesday morning, the situation got completely back to normal and all pumps are getting sufficient supply," said an official.

As MRC wrote before, four people have been killed and three seriously injured in a fire at an oil and gas processing plant on the outskirts of Mumbai run by India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp. The fire broke out in the morning, on 3 September. ONGC supplies crude oil from the plant to the Mumbai-based refineries of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum as well as natural gas to city gas distribution company Mahanagar Gas Ltd in Mumbai.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is an Indian multinational oil and gas company. Its registered office is now at New Delhi, India. It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It is India's largest oil and gas exploration and production company. It produces around 70% of India's crude oil (equivalent to around 30% of the country's total demand) and around 62% of its natural gas.
MRC