Ukraine reduced imports of injection moulded PET-chips from China in August almost two-fold

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of Chinese bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine in August have almost halved to the lowest level since the beginning of the year, according to MRC DataScope.

August imports of Chinese bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine were 5,700 tonnes, compared to 10,900 tonnes a month earlier. In August of the previous year, shipments of PET chips were 10,400 tonnes.

Deliveries of Chinese bottle grade PET in August accounted for 52% from total imports against a share of 75% in July and 71% in August last year.
Import deliveries of bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine decreased by 2% in January-August compared to the same period last year and amounted to 102,200 tonnes.

Imports of injection moulding PET chips in January-August last year amounted to 104,700 tonnes.

August imports of injection moulding PET chips to the country decreased by a quarter and amounted to 10,900 tonnes against 14,700 tonnes a month earlier. In August of the previous year, shipments of PET chips were 14,600 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Arabia's state-owned producer Sabic informed customers in Asia-Pacific and Middle East last week, of its inability to meet existing polyethlene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) orders for September because of a feedstock shortage, as reported by Plastemart.

Sabic on 15 September said petrochemical feedstock supplies will be curbed for its subsidiaries in the aftermath of attacks on two key oil installations in Saudi Arabia. The weekend attacks at the Abqaiq plant, the world's largest crude processing facility, and the Khurais oil field infrastructure forced state-owned Saudi Aramco to shut in 5.7mln b/d of crude output.

Customers in Asia are now weighing their options to meet their October requirements and making various enquiries to PE and PP producers in southeast Asia, South Korea, India and the US.

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 PE and 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.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world's market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) to Kazakhstan remained in January-July 2019 at the last year's level, totalling 4,000 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

July EPS imports into the country slumped by 52% from June to 400 tonnes.

This figure was at 900 tonnes in June.

Whereas imports of material to Kazakhstan were 700 tonnes in July 2018.

Russian and Chine with the share of 65% and 33% in the total imports, respectively, were the main EPS importers to Kazakhstan.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) to Kazakhstan decreased in the first seven months of 2019 by 28% year on year to 3,780 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 5,100 tonnes in January-July 2019.

July imports of material into the country grew by 12% to 700 tonnes from 600 tonnes a month earlier. HIPS and GPPS imports into Kazakhstan were 1,100 tonnes in July 2018.

HIPS and GPPS are shipped to Kazakhstan mainly from Russia. Russia accounted for 61% or 2,700 tonnes in the total imports.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total SA cut production on the coker at its 225,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery on 19 September because of heavy lightning, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.

Total cannot operate the crane that clears coke dumped from the 60,000 bpd coker during heavy lightning, the sources said. Running one train instead of two won’t overwhelm the coke pit.

As MRC informed before, in June 2019, Total started up a biodiesel refinery in La Mede in southern France using palm oil. The start-up of the 500,000 tons-per-year refinery was delayed several times.

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.

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