PVC imports to Kazakhstan up by 38% in Jan-Oct 2019

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Kazakhstan rose in the first ten months of 2019 by 38% year on year to 51,800 tonnes, reported MRC analysts.

Demand for PVC increased from local companies in October, which was mostly caused by the further re-sale of polymer to Russia, and imports totalled 6,600 tonnes over the stated month versus 4,600 tonnes in September. Thus, overall imports of resin reached 51,800 tonnes in January-October 2019, compared to 37,500 tonnes a year earlier. It is also worth adding that such a significant increase in imports this year was caused by the further resale of resin to Russia.

Due to the geographical position, Chinese producers with the share of about 92% 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 3,900 tonnes over the stated period.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo, following an evaluation of strategic alternatives for its polycarbonate production facility in Stade, Germany decided to continue operating the site for the "foreseeable" future, as per Petrochemical-news.

In the company's 3Q 2019 financial results, President and Chief Executive Frank Bozich noted that structural and raw material cost savings from the review of the Stade facility are expected to result in a "more sustainable"
economic future for the site.

The decision to save the plant, made after a study announced in May, was driven by the economics of supplying of PC to Trinseo’s high-yield compound processing business.

PC production at Stade is 145,000 tonne/year. About 40% of the production goes to the production of compounds.

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, last week, Russian market participants were waiting for information from Nizhnekamskneftekhim on next month's prices. Amid lower prices of material in foreign markets, Nizhnekamskneftekhim took a non-traditional approach to this month's pricing. December prices will decrease by Rb3,000/tonne and will roll over for January for those buyers that will contract PS quantities for two months in advance. For those buyers that will contract only December quantities, next month's prices will be reduced by only Rb1,000/tonne.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo's technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015. Trinseo had approximately USD4.6 billion in net sales in 2018, with 16 manufacturing sites around the world, and approximately 2,500 employees.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - RusVinyl, the largest Russian producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC, Nizhny Novgorod region, a joint venture of SIBUR holding and the Belgian Solvay group), reduced the prices of emulsion PVC for deliveries in December by Rb2,000/tonne, as per ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Thus, the prices of emulsion PVC from the producer for deliveries in December were reduced to the level of Rb106,000-107,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.

It was earlier said, negotiations over December shipments of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) began in the Russian market in the middle of last week. A seasonal decrease in demand for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the domestic market and large imports forced domestic producers to reduce November prices by Rb2,500-4,000/tonne from October.

December deals for Russian resin with K64/67 PVC were negotiated in the range of Rb71,000-74,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT, for quantities of less than 500 tonnes. Prices for resin with K70 were by an average of Rb1,000/tonnes higher.

RusVinyl is one of the largest polyvinyl chloride production facilities in Russia and the world. RusVinyl's design capacity is 300,000 tonnes/year of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) and 30,000 tonnes/year of emulsion polyvinyl chloride (EPVC). Its caustic soda production capacity is 225,000 tonnes/year. Ethylene on RusVinyl is shipped from the SIBUR-Kstovo complex. Rock salt is delivered by water transport from the Astrakhan region and rail from Belarus.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shenchi Petrochemical has undertaken an unplanned shutdown at No.1 propylene unit, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has halted operations at the unit on December 1, 2019 owing to technical issues. The unit is likely to remain shut for about 10 days.

Located at Shandong province of China, the No.1 propylene units has a production capacity of 200,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed earlier, the company conducted maintenance works at its No. 1 PDH unit in Shandong province from 30 June to 10 July, 2019.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market in January-October 2019 totalled 1,066,520 tonnes, up by 7% year on year. Supply of block copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymer) and homopolymer of propylene (homopolymer PP) increased, demand for statistical copolymers (PP random copolymer) decreased.

Shandong Shenchi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. is based in China. The head office is in Dongying. The enterprise currently operates in the Basic Chemical Manufacturing sector. The company was established on April 06, 2011. 371 (2018) employees currently work for Shandong Shenchi Petrochemical Co., Ltd.. From the latest financial highlights, Shandong Shenchi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. reported a net sales revenue increase of 59.05% in 2018. Its’ total assets recorded a growth of 65.93%. In, 2018, the company’s net profit margin increased by 7.68%.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Staff at seven of France's eight refineries joined a general strike Thursday, affecting oil product deliveries, reported S&P Global with reference to companies and media reports.

French labor unions including the CGT, FO and FSU had called on employees in all sectors to take part in industrial action against the government's pension reforms.

Total reported difficulties in accessing its terminals at the Gonfreville, Grandpuits, Donges and Feyzin refineries and La Mede biofuels plant Thursday morning, the company said. In addition, access had been difficult to the terminals at Portes-les-Valence and Puget-sur-Argens.

Total said, with 200 oil terminals in France, supply to its retail stations had not been affected, despite the blockades.

Employees at Petroineos' Lavera refinery in the south of the country also joined the strike Thursday morning, according to media reports. This was expected to severely disrupt operations at the major Mediterranean refined products hub that could cause up to 10 days' delay for loadings, traders said. The company declined to comment.

The refineries will continue to operate, albeit at reduced rates, a union source said.

ExxonMobil, which operates the Gravenchon refinery near Le Havre and the Fos-sur-Mer plant in the south, said Gravenchon had not been hit by the strike, but there had been a minor impact on road traffic due to external blockades around the site.

At Fos, "a limited number of employees" had joined the protest and as a consequence truck and rail loadings were disrupted, while the refinery continued to operate at normal throughput, the company said.

Rail transport in France was particularly affected, with a strike at national train company SNCF as well as at RATP, the operator of Paris' public transport system. Around 90% of high speed trains are affected, with many flightsalso cancelled.

Ports around France were also halting work for 24 hours Thursday, the Federation of Ports and Docks, part of the CGT union, said in a statement.

Shipping sources said operations at ports are not disrupted significantly because not too many vessels are loading, but concerns are mounting that the strike might be extended into Friday.

As MRC informed before, France's Feyzin refinery was in the process of halting units and the steam cracker was running at reduced rates on 9 October, 2019. Local media had reported earlier that the refinery had been halting operations since Monday, 7 October, due to a strike. The company said it regrets the decision by labor unions to call a strike while discussions were ongoing with refinery staff about a planned indefinite closure of a unit due to lower product demand.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,724,670 tonnes in the first ten months of 2019, up by 7% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market in January-October 2019 totalled 1,066,520 tonnes, up by 7% year on year. Supply of block copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymer) and homopolymer of propylene (homopolymer PP) increased, demand for statistical copolymers (PP random copolymer) decreased.
MRC