Belarus gets oil offer from US in growing list of alternatives to Russia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US is ready to supply Belarus with all of its oil needs at competitive prices, adding to a growing list of potential new energy suppliers after years of dealing almost exclusively with Russia, reported S&P Global.

"The United States wants to help Belarus build its own sovereign country. Our energy producers stand ready to deliver 100 percent of the oil you need at competitive prices," Pompeo said Saturday during his visit to Minsk, the country's capital, as quoted by the US Department of State.

Pompeo is the first secretary of state to visit Belarus in 26 years, and during his stay he held talks with both foreign minister Vladimir Makei and President Alexander Lukashenko.

"All you have to do is call us," Pompeo said.

Pompeo's offer comes as Minsk continues to search for alternative crude supplies. Lukashenko named the US, along with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as potential suppliers of oil to diversify sourcing of crude for Belarusian refineries, which traditionally sourced wholly from Russia. That reliance came into question recently as Russia briefly suspended supplies in early January amid crude supply talks for 2020. Russia has since restored supplies to Belarus.

Belarus is also in talks with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Baltic states with the aim of limiting Russian oil deliveries to just 30%-40% of total imports, according to Lukashenko.

Last week, a delegation from Belarusian state-owned Belneftekhim was to visit Kazakhstan to hold talks on crude supplies.

Last week, as MRC wrote before, the country's Naftan refinery received 80,000 mt of Norwegian oil to test out new routes and compare losses with the current price of Russian oil.

Lukashenko said in mid-December that Russia had agreed in principle to supply 20-22 Bcm of gas and 24 million-25 million mt of oil in 2020 to Belarus.

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, lower capacity utilisation at Polymir (part of Naftan) did not affect the balance of the local low density polyethylene (LDPE) market, there was no shortage of polyethylene (PE). Local companies partially compensated for the absence of domestic PE by higher shipments from Russia.

Polymir (part of Naftan) is Belarus' largest petrochemical company, producing a wide range of chemical products, such as LDPE, acrylic fibers, products of organic synthesis, hydrocarbon fractions, etc. Polymir was founded in 1968. The producer uses technologies of the largest foreign companies from Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy (Courtaulds, Asahi Chemical Co. Ltd, Kanematsu Gosho, SNIA BPD, etc.), as well as the developments of scientific research institutes and design institutes of the CIS countries. The plant"s annual production capacity is 130,000 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co., Ltd (Hengli) has launched its new steam cracker unit, reported S&P Global with reference to an industry source.

Thus, the cracker can produce 1.5 million of ethylene per year started up last week.

As MRC informed before, INVISTA’s technology and licensing group, INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT) and Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co., Ltd (Hengli) has announced the successful start-up of Hengli’s fourth purified terephthalic acid (PTA) line. This 2.5 million tons per annum capacity plant, located in Changxing Island, Dalian City, Liaoning Province, utilizes INVISTA’s P8 PTA technology with industry leading variable cost, capital productivity, energy usage, water usage, effluent generation and footprint, came online on January 8th, 2020.

A fifth PTA line, identical to the fourth PTA line is currently under construction and is expected to start-up around the middle of 2020.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).

Hengli Petrochemical Co., Ltd. manufactures chemical fibers. The Company researches, produces, and sells polyester filament and chips for consumer and industry products. Hengli Petrochemical markets it products worldwide.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DOMO Chemicals has completed its acquisition of Solvay’s Performance Polyamides Business in Europe, reported Chemical Engineering.

This Business includes Engineering Plastics operations in France and Poland; High Performance Fibers in France; Polymer and Intermediates operations in France, Spain and Poland. The Business comprises Production, Sales, Technical Support, R&D and Innovation services in France, Spain, Poland, Germany and Italy that currently have a combined headcount of approximately 1,100 employees. The agreement also involves a joint venture between BASF and DOMO in France for the production of Adipic Acid.

Yves Bonte, DOMO Chemicals CEO, says: "This acquisition is a significant milestone on our path to strengthen DOMO Chemicals’ nylon-based engineering materials business. It is an important step in delivering on our sustainable growth strategy by combining and leveraging on the unique technology, development and design capabilities of our combined teams to become a major global service provider to our customers in our key markets Transportation, Electrical & Electronics and Consumer goods."

Mr. Bonte added: "As a final step in the acquisition, we will now start our process of exploring and integrating the complementary strengths of the diverse teams and talents. Our prime focus will continue to be serving our customers’ needs and meeting their requirements as we set out to become a unique integrated Nylon (6 and 6.6) solution provider".

"New and existing customers of both Domo Chemicals and the acquired Business will now be able to access even more high quality, innovative and sustainable solutions for their development of processes, products and applications in the ongoing very dynamic market environment", summarizes Mr. Bonte.

As MRC informed earlier, on January 31, 2020, BASF, the world's petrochemical major, closed the acquisition of Solvay's polyamide (PA 6.6) business. The transaction broadens BASF's polyamide capabilities with innovative and well-known products such as Technyl. This will allow BASF to support its customers with even better engineering plastics solutions, e.g., for autonomous driving and e-mobility. The transaction also enhances the company's access to growth markets in Asia as well as in North and South America.

We remind that, as MRC wrote earlier, BASF has restarted its No. 1 steam cracker following a maintenance turnaorund. Thus, the company resumed operations at the plant on September 30, 2019. The plant was shut for maintenance in mid-August, 2019. Located at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the No. 1 cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 235,000 mt/year and a propylene production capacity of 125,000 mt/year.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes шт 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).

Domo Chemicals, based in Leuna, Germany, is a leading highly integrated Caprolactam/nylon6 company serving a global and broad customer base with high quality products in the field of nylon intermediates (Phenol, Cyclohexanone, Caprolactam), nylon 6 polymers, engineering plastics, fertilizers, nylon 6 packaging film and distribution of petrochemical products.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Independent US refiner Valero Energy Corp plans for its 15 refineries to operate up to 91% of their combined capacity of 3.13 million barrels per day (bpd), said Homer Bhullar, reported Reuters with reference to vice president of investor relations.

Valero’s eight US Gulf Coast refineries will set the pace for the company with plans to operate between 89% and 91% of their combined crude oil throughput capacity of 1.8 million bpd, Bhullar said during the conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss earnings for the fourth quarter of 2019.

As MRC informed earlier, Valero Energy Corp restarted the small CDU at its Port Arthur refinery after repairing a valve on 25 September 2019.

And in late October 2019, Valero Energy Corp shut the small crude distillation unit (CDU) at its Port Arthur refinery. The 75,000-bpd AVU 147 CDU was shut to repair a heat exchanger.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On January 31, 2020, BASF, the world's petrochemical major, closed the acquisition of Solvay's polyamide (PA 6.6) business, reported MarketScreener.

The transaction broadens BASF's polyamide capabilities with innovative and well-known products such as Technyl. This will allow BASF to support its customers with even better engineering plastics solutions, e.g., for autonomous driving and e-mobility. The transaction also enhances the company's access to growth markets in Asia as well as in North and South America. Through the backward integration into the key raw material adiponitrile (ADN), BASF will now be present along the entire value chain for polyamide 6.6 and improve its supply reliability. The purchase price for the polyamide business acquired by BASF on a cash and debt-free basis amounts to EUR1.3 billion; sales generated in 2018 were about EUR1.0 billion. The business will be integrated into the Performance Materials and Monomers divisions of BASF.

'With a broader portfolio, a stronger regional presence and improved supply reliability BASF will deliver significant benefits to our customers,' said Wayne T. Smith, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE. 'The acquisition stands for our strong commitment to the polyamide business globally.'

The transaction between Solvay and BASF includes eight production sites in Germany, France, China, India, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico as well as research and development centers and technical consultation centers in Asia, North and South America. In addition, it encompasses shares in two joint ventures (JV) in France: Solvay's 50% share in the Butachimie JV with Invista to produce ADN and hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and a 51% share in the new Alsachimie JV between BASF and DOMO Chemicals to produce adipic acid.

At closing, approximately 700 Solvay employees join BASF. The Alsachimie JV between BASF and DOMO Chemicals in France employs approximately 650 employees, the Butachimie JV between BASF and Invista has approximately 400 employees.

In September 2017, BASF signed an agreement with Solvay on the acquisition of Solvay's global polyamide business, subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities. The EU Commission approved the acquisition of the polyamide business, subject to certain conditions, on January 18, 2019. These conditions required the sale of parts of the original transaction scope to a third party, specifically Solvay's production plants and innovation competencies in the engineering plastics field in Europe. DOMO Chemicals, Leuna, Germany, was approved by the EU Commission as the buyer. The transaction between Solvay and DOMO Chemicals also closed on January 31, 2020.

We remind that, as MRC wrote earlier, BASF has restarted its No. 1 steam cracker following a maintenance turnaorund. Thus, the company resumed operations at the plant on September 30, 2019. The plant was shut for maintenance in mid-August, 2019. Located at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the No. 1 cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 235,000 mt/year and a propylene production capacity of 125,000 mt/year.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,904,410 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments increased from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,161,830 tonnes in January-November 2019, up by 7% year on year. Deliveries of all grades of propylene polymers increased, with the homopolymer PP segment accounting for the largest increase.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF generated sales of around EUR63 billion in 2018.
MRC