Repsol markets its first certified circular polyolefins

MOCOW (MRC) -- Repsol achieves another important milestone in its commitment to boost the circular economy and stands as a pioneer in the production of certified circular polyolefins, which use plastic waste as raw material, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

In 2015, Repsol experimentally began to feed oil from chemically recycled plastic waste, leading the implementation of plastic waste chemical recycling on an industrial scale. Repsol has obtained ISCC PLUS certification for its complex in Puertollano for the first tons of circular polyethylene and polypropylene that are already commercially available to its customers in Europe.

Repsol’s circular polyolefins are produced by feeding, as an alternative raw material, oils obtained from plastic waste not suitable for mechanical recycling. This waste would otherwise go to landfill. This new raw material is fed alongside conventional raw material at its refinery, reducing the consumption of non-renewable resources. By ISCC Plus certification, Repsol can allocate these savings on a specific share to the polyolefins produced in the complex.

These certified materials ensure the traceability of the plastic waste used at the source and at the same time, offer the same quality and functionality as virgin polyolefins. The new portfolio of circular polyolefins grants Repsol and its value chain a new portfolio of products

made from recycled material for applications that demand high standards of hygiene and safety, making them ideal for food packaging.

This certification proves Repsol's commitment to innovation, to the excellence of its processes, and collaboration with third parties. The company anticipates significant trends, offering leading products that help its customers meet the consumers' demand for more sustainable products and to promote the transition towards a new circular economy.

As MRC informed earlier, Spain’s Repsol will shut down its cracker in Tarragona (Spain) for maintenance in the fourth quarter of 2019. The turnaround at this steam cracker, which produces 702,000 mt/year of ethylene and 372,000 mt/year of propylene, was pushed back from Q3 2019. The exact dates of maintenance works are not disclosed.

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.

Repsol S.A is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 28 countries. The bulk of its assets are located in Spain.
MRC

Celanese raises October VAM prices in Europe, Middle East and Africa

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, has increased its October list and off-list selling prices for Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as per the company's press release.

The price rise below is for orders shipped on or after 24 October, 2019 , or as contracts otherwise allow, and is incremental to any previously announced increases.

Thus, VAM prices rose by EUR70/mt for Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As MRC reported earlier, Celanese last raised its VAM prices for the stated above regions and Asia on 18 September, 2019, by EUR50/mt.

According to MRC's DataScope report, September EVA imports to Russia fell by 22,7% year on year to 3,420 tonnes from 4,430 tonnes in September 2018, and overall imports of this grade of ethylene copolymer into the Russian Federation decreased in January-September 2019 by 18,2% year on year to 29,190 tonnes (35,690 tonnes in the first nine months of 2018).

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,700 employees worldwide and had 2018 net sales of USD7.2 billion.
MRC

Explosion happened at Chinese Inner Mongolia PVC plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Inner Mongolia Sanlian Chemical Co Ltd has experienced explosion on its carbide-based PVC polymerization unit around 3am midnight, reported CommoPlast with reference to market sources.

Based in Inner Mongolia, China, the carbide-based PVC plant has a production capacity of 400,000 tons/year. It has remain off-stream until further information. The cause of fire and details on the casualties was still under investigation and pending for further notice.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall PVC production exceeded 720,500 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, up by 3% year on year. At the same time, not all Russian producers raised their output.

Inner Mongolia Sanlian Chemical Corporation Ltd. manufactures and distributes chemical products. The Company produces polyvinyl chloride, trichlorethylene, caustic soda, and other chemicals.
MRC

Saudi Aramco runs local refineries at full capacity, eyes new projects: executive

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Aramco, which temporarily lost half of its oil production following the September 14 attacks on two key oil facilities, is running its local refineries at full capacity and is forging ahead with plans to start up new refineries, reported S&P Global with reference to the company's senior vice president for downstream Abdulaziz al-Judaimi's statement.

"Domestic refineries are operating at full capacity," Judaimi told reporters at the company's headquarters in Dhahran.

"We met every customer requirement (after the attacks)," he said, adding that Aramco did not buy crude to meet demand.

The attack on Abqaiq, the world's biggest oil processing capacity and Khurais, the country's second largest oil field, cut the company's output by some 5.7 million b/d.

Saudi Arabia's wellhead crude production stands at 9.9 million b/d, with production capacity of 11.3 million b/d, the country's oil minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said earlier this month.

The country intends to return to full oil production capacity of 12 million b/d by the end of November.

Aramco has five domestic refineries with total processing capacity of 1.9 million b/d.

Aramco is on track to start up by the end of this year a new 400,000 b/d domestic refinery and petrochemical project in Jazan, Judaimi said.

The company is also starting up a joint venture refinery in Malaysia next year, he added. According to Aramco's bond prospectus released in April, the refining and petrochemical joint venture with Petronas - the Malaysian national oil company - collectively known as PRefChem, was supposed to start this year.

The PRefChem joint venture includes a 300,000 b/d refinery, an integrated steam cracker with capacity to produce 1.3 million mt of ethylene located in Johor, Malaysia. Aramco was supposed to provide a significant portion of PRefChem's crude supply under a long-term supply agreement. Jazan and PrefChem will help Aramco reach a gross refining capacity of 5.6 million b/d, it said in the prospectus.

The company currently owns and has stakes in four refineries abroad with a total refining capacity exceeding 2 million b/d.

Aramco also expects to close by 2021 a deal to buy a 20% stake in the oil-to-chemicals business of India's Reliance Industries, a deal that will add another 1.4 million b/d of refining capacity to the Saudi company's portfolio, Judaimi said.

Aramco's long term goal is to have up to 10 million b/d of refining capacity, he added.

Aramco has been scouring the globe for opportunities to set up refining and petrochemical projects.

In April, Saudi Aramco acquired a 17% stake in South Korea's Hyundai Oilbank from Hyundai Heavy Industries. Oilbank has a processing capacity of 650,000 b/d.

This deal makes Saudi Aramco the second-largest shareholder of Hyundai Oilbank, following Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings with a 74.1% stake in Hyundai Oilbank.

In September, Aramco signed a memorandum of understanding that facilitates its planned acquisition of a 9% stake in the Zhejiang integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in China.

In February, Aramco signed an agreement to form a joint venture with NORINCO Group and Panjin Sincen to develop an integrated refining and petrochemical complex located in China as well.

Aramco is also in the process of finalizing the acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC, the Middle East's biggest petrochemical company, as the state-run firm forges ahead with beefing up its petrochemicals portfolio, Judaimi said.

"We are near the finish line on the SABIC acquisition," he said.

Aramco officials had said the company partly delayed its initial public offering of up to a 5% stake last year due to its acquisition of SABIC for USD69 billion.

As MRC informed previously, India’s planned giant refinery and petrochemical project, which is being built with Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC), will cost more than the originally planned USD45 billion. The 1.2 million barrels-per-day (bpd) giant coastal project is part of India’s plans to raise its refining capacity by 77% to 8.8 million bpd by 2030. It is being built at Roha, around 100 km (62 miles) south of Mumbai.

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.

Saudi Aramco is an integrated oil and chemicals company, a global leader in hydrocarbon production, refining processes and distribution, as well as one of the largest global oil exporters. It manages proven reserves of crude oil and condensate estimated at 261.1bn barrels, and produces 9.54 million bbl daily. Headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the company employs over 61,000 staff in 77 countries.
MRC

Air Liquide Q3 revenue rises by 3.5%

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The French industrial gas giant said group revenue totalled EUR5.5bn, up 3.5% on a comparable basis and in spite of a softening economic environment, Gas & Services posted robust comparable sales growth up 3.5%, said Gasworld.

In Engineering & Construction, sales to third-party customers were stable compared with the second quarter, with resources mainly attributed to internal Large Industries and Electronics projects.

Within its Large Industries business, Air Liquide highlighted the signature of three long-term contracts in Q3, in the US Gulf Coast with Methanex, in Canada with Shell Chemicals and in the Philippines with Pilipinas Shell.

Global Markets & Technologies continued its strong development with growth of 29.7%.

Commenting on the Q3 results, Benoit Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide, said, “Growth was driven by all Gas & Services activities, which represent 96% of the Group’s sales, as well as our Global Markets & Technologies business. Positive currency and significant scope impacts offset lower energy prices."

As MRC informed earlier, Air Liquide signs new long term contract with Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI) to build, own and operate a new nitrogen unit in the growing chemical basin of Karabatan, close to the Atyrau refinery.

As MRC informed earlier, Air Liquide in 2018 signed a new long-term agreement with LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies, to supply oxygen to LyondellBasell’s new large-scale petrochemical plant which will be constructed in Channelview, Texas. LyondellBasell’s new propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol plant (PO/TBA), is expected to be the largest of its kind plant in the world when completed.

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