Kazakhstan Kashagan oil field producing at reduced rates

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kazakhstan's Kashagan oil field, one of the mainstays of the CPC Blend crude grade, is producing at a reduced rate due to an issue with gas compressors, the operator, reported S&P Global with reference to North Caspian Operating Company's statement Tuesday, adding that such a reduction was "not unusual."

The disruption appears to put in doubt expectations of record-high loadings of CPC crude at Novorossiisk in November and December - schedules had suggested loadings would reach 1.5 million b/d in both months.

In a statement, NCOC said it "continues to produce safely at a reduced rate. We are safely working on correcting a technical issue with the gas compressors. It is not unusual for daily production to be reduced for various reasons, including maintenance and this is factored into production planning."

"Our company is focused on safely returning the unit to normal operation as soon as possible," it added.

Gas compressors play a vital role at Kazakhstan's largest oil fields due to the large amounts of gas produced in the course of oil production, much of which is reinjected to maintain pressure levels.

The Kashagan field came on stream in 2016 after long delays and cost over-runs. Production levels have generally been increasing and it is now the second largest contributor to CPC Blend after the Tengiz field.

Kashagan crude oil production hit a record-high 400,000 b/d on September 4 and overall liquids production from the field averaged 422,000 b/d in the third quarter, NCOC has said. The operator has been focused on improving the reliability of the facilities, according to company executives.

The crude is sent across southern Russia via a dedicated pipeline to Novorossiisk, on the Black Sea coast.

NCOC is a seven-company consortium comprising China's CNPC, Italy's Eni, ExxonMobil, Japan's Inpex, state-owned KazMunaiGaz, Shell and Total.

As MRC wrote previously, in January 2016, South Korea's LG Chem said it had decided to drop a plan to jointly build a USD4.2-billion petrochemical complex in Kazakhstan, citing a prolonged slump in oil prices and a sharp increase in facility investments. In 2011, the chemical company said it would construct the complex near the western Kazakh city of Atyrau as part of a 50-50 joint venture with two Kazakh companies. The plan involved building ethylene and polyethylene (PE) plants with annual capacities of 840,000 tonnes and 800,000 tonnes, respectively. The project was announced in 2013.

Ethylene is a feedstock for producing PE.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,589,580 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, up by 7% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Vietnam’s Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical will import 8-10 million barrels of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Bonny Light crude oil in 2020 for its Dung Quat refinery, reported Reuters with reference to the producer's parent company PetroVietnam.

The company will have imported 4 million barrels of the crude oil by the end of this year, PetroVietnam said.

As MRC informed previously, in the first half of November 2019, the Vietnamese Finance Ministry received several petitions from local companies to adjust the import duties imposed on propane and polypropylene (PP). The Ministry thereafter proposed its plans for the import duties on the mentioned products. For propane, with HS code 2711.12.00, the petition called for a reduction from the current 2% to 0%. However, the Ministry informed that the existing local supply can fulfill up to 45% of the domestic demand and that the duties have been adjusted from 5% to 2% on 1 January 2018, therefore, no changes would be made for the time being.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 976,790 tonnes in January-September 2019, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The on-going price reduction in the Asian market has been putting a downward pressure on the future prices of Russian expandable polystyrene (EPS) market not only in December but also in January, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Russian EPS producers said prices would be adjusted substantially.

At the same time, according to some market participants' preliminary estimates, the capacity of the Russian EPS market will decrease by 1-2% this year.

As reported earlier, SIBUR-Khimprom reduced its EPS prices for November shipments to the Russian market. Thus, the decrease was Rb2,000/tonne. Also, Plastik (Uzlovaya), the Russian producer of ABS plastics and suspension polystyrenes (PS), also reduced its November selling EPS prices for the Russian market to Rb100,500-105,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polycarbonate (PC) granules into Belarus grew in the first nine months of 2019 by 14% year on year to 9,200 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 8,000 tonnes in January-September 2018.

Spain (33%), the Netherlands (24%) and Lithuania (15%) are the main countries-importers of PC into Belarus.

September PC imports to Belarus fell by 39% year on year to 300 tonnes. This figure was at 500 tonnes in September 2018. At the same time, imports of material into the country were 700 tonnes in August 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) to the Belarusian market rose in the first three quarters of 2019 by 8% year on year to 5,400 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 5,000 tonnes in January-September 2018.

September ABS imports to Belarus grew by 28% year on year. Thus, imports of material into the country were 752 tonnes over the stated period versus 533 tonnes in August 2018.

South Korea, Russia and Belgium are the main countries-importers of ABS to Belarus.

Imports of Korean material to the Belarusian market increased in the first three quarters of 2019 by 2 times year on year: from 900 tonnes in January-September 2018 to 2,100 tonnes. The share of ABS imports from South Korea in the total shipments to the country rose significantly in the first three quarters of 2019 to 40% from 18% a year earlier.

Shipments of Korean ABS to the Republic of Belarus were 328 tonnes in September versus 260 tonnes in August, whereas imports of material were only 68 tonnes in September 2018.

Deliveries of Russian material decreased in January-September by 28% year on year: from 2,100 tonnes to 1,500 tonnes. The share of Russian companies' ABS in the overall imports to the country fell in the first nine months of 2019 to 28% from 41% a year earlier. Shipments of Russian material to Belarus were 195 tonnes in September versus 168 tonnes in August, whereas imports of Russian material were 255 tonnes in September 2018.

Imports of material from Belgium also dropped in the first three quarters of 2019. Thus, shipments of Belgian ABS to the country decreased by 23% year on year: from 1,600 tonnes to 1,200 tonnes. However, September ABS imports from Belgium quadrupled compared to August, totalling 176 tonnes.

MRC