Shaanxi Yulin Engery resumes operation at its LLDPE plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shaanxi Yulin Energy & Chemical has restarted its Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit following a maintenance turnaround, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed the company has resumed operations at the units on September 4, 2019. The units were shut for maintenance on August 20, 2019

Located at Shaanxi province of china, the LLDPE unit has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.

The company also operates the polypropylene (PP) plant with a capacity of 330,00 mt/yeat at the same time.

As MRC reported earlier, in July 2017, LyondellBasell granted its Spherizone and Lupotech T Licenses to Shaanxi Coal Yulin Energy and Chemical. Spherizone is the most advanced PP technology and should help expand the company’s product portfolio, while Lupotech T should provide a cost advantage. This technology is used in the Jingbian Chemical Industrial Park in Yulin City, China.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, LLDPE shipments to the Russian market increased in the first seven months of 2019 by 8% year on year to 234,130 tonnes. Local producers increased their production by 24%.

Coal Shaanxi Yulin Energy and Chemical Co., Ltd., is mainly engaged in polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), etc. The company's registered capital is unknown, its office is located in known as "China's Kuwait" in Yulin, Shaanxi Hengshan County Yulin, 1000 employees.
MRC

OMV resumed production at its cracker in Germany

MOSCOW (MRC) -- All petrochemical units at Germany’s Burghausen refinery had gradually restarted following a technical incident and had come back in operation by Sunday, 1 September 2019, according to Hellenic Shipping News with reference to the company's statement.

First deliveries of propylene have also commenced, it said.

Due to the incident on August 24, "no ethylene and butadiene are currently being delivered from the Burghausen refinery," owner OMV said, adding that the facility’s customers have been informed. Then, OMV declared force majeure on supplies from its cracker in Burghausen Refinery, Germany.

According to local media, the glitch occurred at the cooling system of the ethylene plant. During the restart, flaring were expected.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,255,800 tonnes in the first seven months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 796,120 tonnes in January-July 2019, up by 11% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
MRC

Nizhnekamskneftekhim significantly reduced September PS shipments to Ukraine

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNH, part of the TAIF group) reduced quantities of Ukrainian buyers' pre-orders for the current month by 2-3 times, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

On the back of this, the current shortage of polystyrene (PS) is expected to remain in the domestic market. Besides, the deficit might intensify by the end of the month, which can lead to an acute shortage of material.

Stocks at PS sellers' warehouses are expected fall drastically in September. Some traders hold back material in anticipation of the development of the situation in the Ukrainian PS market.

As reported earlier, Nizhnekamskneftekhim announced an increase in PS prices for September deliveries to Ukraine. Nizhnekamskneftekhim shipped general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) to the region at USD1,130/tonne FCA Nizhnekamsk, including VAT, and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) - at USD1,190/tonne FCA Nizhnekamsk, including VAT, this month.
MRC

Stavrolen shut PE and PP production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Stavrolen, Russia's major polyolefins producer, has shut down its high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) production capacities for a scheduled turnaround, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The plant's customers said Stavrolen took off-stream its HDPE and PP production capacities for a long scheduled maintenance on 6 September. The outage will last until 15 October.

It is also worth noting that Kazanorgsintez intends to start a gradual shutdown for a turnaround, which will last until 20 October, at its HDPE production from 14 September. The plant's overall annual capacity is 540,000 tonnes.

As reported earlier, Tomskneftekhim took off-stream its polypropylene (PP) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) production capacities for a two-week maintenance on 5 September.

Stavrolen's (part of Lukoil) annual capacity of PP and HDPE production is 120,000 and 300,000 tonnes, respectively. The plant's output of propylene polymers and HDPE exceeded 99,500 tonnes and 33,800 tonnes, respectively, in the first four months of 2019.
MRC

Tomskneftekhim shut PE and PP production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tomskneftekhim (TNKhK), a subsidiary of SIBUR and one of the largest Russian producers of polymers - polypropylene (PP) and low density polyethylene (LDPE), shut down its production capacities for a scheduled maintenance, according to ICS-MRC Price report.

The plant's customers said Tomskneftekhim took off-stream its LDPE and PP production capacities for the scheduled turnarounds on 5 September. The outage will last for two weeks.

It is also worth noting that this is the first shutdown from a series of outages for maintenance at Russian plants in September. Stavrolen shut its PP production on 6 September, and Ufaorgsintez will take off-stream some of its LDPE production capacities on 17 September.

Tomskneftekhim, LLC, was established in July 2003 on the basis of Tomsk enterprises - CJSC "Metanol", OJSC "Plant Benzol", OJSC "Tomsk Petrochemical Plant", OJSC "Tomsk Petrochemical Enterprise". Tomskneftekhim is a subsidiary of SIBUR and one of the largest Russian producers of polymers - PP and LDPE. The capacity for Tomskneftekhim's production of LDPE is 240,000 tonnes/year and production of PP - 140,000 tonnes/year.
MRC