Saudi Arabian oil supply fully back online

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Arabia's oil supply is fully back online after weekend attacks halved output and the kingdom will achieve 11 million barrels per day (bpd) capacity by the end of September and 12 million bpd by the end of November, reported Reuters with reference to the energy minister's statement.

Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also told a press conference that oil production in October would be 9.89 million bpd and that the world's top oil exporter would keep full oil supplies to customers this month.

He said Saudi Arabia would keep its role as the secure supplier of global oil markets, adding that the kingdom needed to take strict measures to prevent further attacks.

As MRC reported before, a number of Saudi Arabia's companies, such as Tasnee, Sadara, Advanced Petrochemical and Saudi Kayan, announced a curtailment of feedstock to their petrochemical plants, including polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) facilities, by an average of 30-50% due to the attacks on key Saudi Aramco facilities on Saturday.

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

Total shut its refinery in Gonfreville for scheduled maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total’s Gonfreville refinery near Le Havre, France, started its scheduled maintenance September 4, reported Hellenic Shipping News with reference to the company's statement.

The works will last around two months. The large-scale maintenance, which takes place once every seven years, follows the maintenance at the petrochemical site which took place last year. Preparations for the turnaround have been going on for the last three years.

As MRC informed before, in 2015, Total, Europe’s third-largest oil company, closed its remaining steam cracker in Carling, in the Lorraine region of eastern France. The cracker, which was shut down on 5 Oct., was the second steam cracker closed at the site. The company shut down its first cracker in 2009. Capacities were not available for either cracker. The closure was part of Total's plan to adapt its Carling petrochemical platform with the development of new activities in the growing polymers and hydrocarbon markets.

And in December 2017, Total inaugurated the new units at its Antwerp integrated refining & petrochemicals platform, which had progressively started up in the previous few months. This event marked the completion of the upgrade program launched in 2013 of one of the largest and most efficient integrated refining & petrochemicals platforms in Europe. Thus, the company invested more than EUR1 B to further improve the competitiveness of this major site located in the heart of Europe's main markets.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polyprolypele (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. Meanwhile, 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.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC

Sika acquires Chinese manufacturer of silicone sealants and adhesives

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sika has agreed to acquire Crevo-Hengxin, a Chinese manufacturer of silicone sealants and adhesives used in both industry and construction applications, said European-coatings.

Crevo-Hengxin manufactures a broad range of silicone products used for facades, fenestration, insulated glass, interior finishing and other sealing.

With this takeover, Sika is expanding its Target Markets Industry and Sealing & Bonding presence in China and the Asia Pacific region, and is gaining additional silicone technology plus a production footprint. Crevo-Hengxin generates sales of 45 million Euro, with a workforce of 140 employees.

As MRC informed earlier, Sika has opened a new production plant in Central America, located in Palin in the metropolitan area of Guatemala City.

Crevo-Hengxin is a family-owned manufacturer of a broad range of silicone products used for facades, fenestration, insulated glass, interior finishing and other sealing and bonding applications. In addition, the company holds a leading position as supplier of silicones for the growing solar industry. Crevo-Hengxin is located in Changshu, 50 kilometers north of Suzhou.

Operations comprise a production facility, a state-of-the-art R & D Center, a warehouse, and offices.
MRC

Hanwha Total Petrochemical increases ethylene production capacity by 30%

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Daesan integrated refining and petrochemicals complex in South Korea, owned by Hanwha Total Petrochemical, has started its new ethylene production capacities, said the company.

With a USD450 million investment, the site can now produce 1.4 million tons per year of ethylene, an increase of 30%.

This project was launched in April 2017 and is the first in a series of three at the complex. More than USD300 million are being invested to expand polyethylene production capacity by 50% to 1.1 million tons per year by the end of 2019, and nearly USD500 million are being invested to increase polypropylene production capacity by close to 60% to 1.1 million tons per year by 2021.

The three projects take advantage of abundant, cost-advantaged propane feedstock from the shale gas revolution in the United States. With these investments, the Daesan facility will be in a position to capture margins across the ethylene-polyethylene and propylene-polypropylene value chains. The additional production capacity will help meet rapidly growing Asian demand.

These investments and today’s successful start-up of the first project reflect our strategy of meeting growing global demand for petrochemicals by channeling our investments into our world-class complexes and leveraging cost-advantaged feedstock” said Bernard Pinatel, President, Refining & Chemicals, Total.

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

Hanwha Total Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Hanwha General Chemicals and Total S.Aю Both companies own a 50% partnership in the venture. Founded in 2003 as a joint venture between Samsung General Chemicals and Total (as Samsung Atofina; changed name to Samsung Total in 2004), it was sold to Hanwha in 2015.The company manufactures building block chemicals that go into the making of a host of other chemicals needed to make various consumer products. It starts with a naphtha cracker, yielding propylene and ethylene, which are the raw materials in the production of all manner of polymers. Hanwha Total divides its operations in three: polymer production (polyethylene, polypropylene, high- and low-density polyethylene), base chemicals (selling the ethylene and propylene the company doesn't use itself, as well as aromatics used to make the materials that go into synthetic fibers), and oil products
MRC

Keiyo Ethylene naphtha cracker output affected by typhoon

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japan’s Keiyo Ethylene Co has adjusted the throughout at its naphtha cracker due to a typhoon, a spokesman from co-owner Maruzen Petrochemical Co said on 12 September, reported Reuters.

Keiyo Ethylene, which is 45% owned by Sumitomo Chemical Co and 55% owned by Maruzen Petrochemical (a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings), operates a 768,000 tonnes per year (tpy) cracker in Chiba.

The exact throughput at the cracker was not disclosed.

Eastern Japan has experienced a strong typhoon this week, with power, flights and transportation affected and buildings damaged.

Earlier in the week, Cosmo Oil shut two crude units at its China refinery.

As MRC informed previously, this year, Keiyo Ethylene took its naphtha cracker in Chiba off-stream for a maintenance work on February 15, 2019. The repair works remained in force for around 10-15 days. Located at Ichihara in Chiba prefecture of Japan, the cracker has a production capacity of 740,000 mt/year.

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

Founded in 1991, Keiyo Ethylene Co. Ltd. produces and sells petrochemical products. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, and other petrochemical products.
MRC