GPPS and HIPS to Russian market grew by 22% in Jan-Sep 2019

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) to Russia rose in the first nine months of 2019 by 22% year on year to 37,400 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 30,800 tonnes in January-September 2018.

European materials of Styrolution, Versalis and Trinseo accounted for over 90% of HIPS shipments and 60% of GPPS deliveries. Iranian GPPS of Petropaak and Artan Petro accounted for about 22% of the total imports.

At the same time, GPPS and HIPS imports to the Russian market almost doubled in September, totalling 5,100 tonnes versus 2,700 tonnes in September 2018.

August imports of material into the country were 5,000 tonnes.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Kazakhstan rose in the first eight months of 2019 by 26% year on year to 40,600 tonnes, reported MRC analysts.

Demand for PVC remained strong from local companies in August, with imports of unmixed PVC being at 8,200 tonnes over the stated month versus 8,800 tonnes in July. Thus, overall imports of resin reached 40,600 tonnes in January-August 2019, compared to 32,300 tonnes a year earlier. At the same time, it is worth noting that such a substantial increase in imports was caused by the further resale of resin to Russia.

Due to the geographical position, Chinese producers with the share of about 96% of the local market over the stated period were the main PVC suppliers to Kazakhstan. Russia was the second largest PVC supplier, shipments of Russian resin reached 1,800 tonnes over the stated period.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Zhong An United Coal Chemical Co has restarted its linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit following an unplanned outage, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company resumed operations at this unit on October 15, 2019. The unit was shut owing to technical issues on October 6, 2019.

Located at Huainan, Anhui province, China, the LLDPE unit has a production capacity of 145,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, Zhong An United Coal Chemical Co restarted its LLDPE unit following an unplanned outage on August 24, 2019. The plant was shut owing to technical issues on August 10, 2019.

According to MRC's DataScrope report, September LLDPE imports to Russia rose to 15,400 tonnes from 13,100 tonnes a month earlier, with LLDPE imports from the USA showing a significant rise. Overall LLDPE imports to the Russian market reached 127,100 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, down by 7% year on year.

Zhongan United Coal Industry Chemical Co. Ltd. mines, processes, manufactures, and distributes coal products. The company produces brown coal products, bituminous coal products, hard coal products, coking coal products, and other related products. Zhongan United Coal Industry Chemical markets its products throughout China.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mr. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya has taken over as the Director (Refineries) of IndianOil - India's highest ranked Public Sector Enterprise in 'Fortune 500' global listing, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

He is also a Director on the board of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (CPCL) & the 60 MMTPA West Coast Refinery and Petrochemicals Project, the world's largest grass root refinery project, coming up in Maharashtra.

Mr. Vaidya now spearheads the business & operations of nine refineries & petrochemical plants of IndianOil. With a robust Refineries Division, IndianOil (including its group companies) remains the nation's top refiner with a group refining capacity of 80.7 million tonnes per annum/161.4 million barrels per day.

A Chemical Engineer from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Mr. SM Vaidya has 33 years of extensive experience in refining & petrochemicals operations. Mr. Vaidya has had a decade-long association with India's largest Cracker Plant-the Panipat Naphtha Cracker Complex-right from its commissioning stage, which is one of the major drivers of IOC's petrochemicals business. He is among the select technocrats in the Indian oil & gas industry, who is proficient in all the facets of refinery-petrochemicals integration, desirable for the sustainability of the oil & gas industry in the long-term.

Prior to his elevation, Mr. Vaidya was heading the Operations Dept. of the Refineries Division, ensuring healthy gross refining margins, smooth supply of products and eco-friendly business operations. During his tenure, the Refineries Division registered a record performance on all major physical parameters. He also steered the timely roll-out of BS-VI grade auto fuels in NCR, and has expanded green energy options with bio-fuel & ethanol-blended fuel related projects in refineries. Mr. S M Vaidya has also led IndianOil's 8 MMTPA Mathura Refinery, and his dynamic tenure saw the introduction of innovative initiatives for greater sustainability and profitability.

With a strong technological prowess, business acumen and people-centric leadership style, Mr. Vaidya nurtures a strong vision of leveraging technology, innovative & sustainable solutions for the company's transformation into an integrated energy major.

As MRC informed earlier, Indian Oil Corp in September completed turnaround in early-October, 2019. The cracker was shut in early-September, 2019 for a maintenance turnaround. Located in Panipat, in the northern Indian state of Haryana, the cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 857,000 mt/year and propylene capacity of 425,000 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.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters in New Delhi, India.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lindsey Oil Refinery is one of the biggest producers of crude oil in the UK, producing around 10 million tons per year. In 2018 the facility celebrated its 50th year of production and has continued to look to the future. Over the last two decades, the refinery has been improving its capability to produce ultra-low-sulfur fuels so that it can become a cleaner and more efficient operation, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Installation was planned as part of wider maintenance and upgrades during a plant turnaround. Such turnarounds require large investment and are planned in detail, so it was vital that the project was kept on track.

ALE was tasked with lifting and transporting the new sulfur storage facility, which consisted of a concrete pit, weighing 304t, and its lid, weighing 90t. The new pit had been cast into the ground so had to be lifted with a large degree of precision. At 17m long and 4.1m wide, the pit’s size would also make it challenging to transport.

To lift the sulfur pit, ALE mobilized its Lift ‘N’ Lock gantry lifting system. The system’s jacking points can all operate in unison to maintain optimum control and safety.

The Lift ‘N’ Lock system was rigged with a bespoke rigging arrangement to lift the sulfur pit, then ALE maneuvered specialist 3 file SPT axles beneath it. The pit was transported almost two miles to its final location along public and site roads.

The lifting and lowering process was then repeated for the pit’s lid. Its different dimensions meant ALE had to design a second bespoke rigging arrangement. Due to its smaller size, ALE was able to transport the lid on a much shorter and more direct route.

With the concrete sulfur pit ready for installation, the refinery’s schedule was kept on track, ensuring it could continue to supply the market throughout the turnaround. The new pit will enable Lindsey Oil Refinery to store more extracted sulfur at the refinery before it is removed to be used in a variety of industrial applications.

We remind that, as MRC informed before, Exxon Mobil Corp is planning to spend more than 500 million pounds (USD650 million) to upgrade the UK’s largest oil refinery, Fawley, on England’s south coast. The project at the 270,000 barrel per day refinery - representing a fifth of British refining capacity - still needs a final investment decision which is not expected before the second quarter of next 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 1,436,390 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, the PP consumption in the Russian market was 909,260 tonnes in January-August 2019, up by 10% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
MRC