Roehm plans to build MMA production in the USA

MOSCOW (MRC) - Roehm is considering the construction of a plant for the production of methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the Gulf of Mexico in the United States with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes/year, the company said.

The plant is expected to use Roehm's proprietary Lima ethylene technology. The plant will be launched in 2023 or 2024.

The new plant could potentially replace the existing Fortier plant, located west of New Orleans. These investments will allow the manufacturer to capitalize on the significant advantages of lower ethylene prices.

This is the second investment in the US MMA market in recent years. So, Lucite International, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical (MCC), plans to build in the United States a production capacity of 350 thousand tons of MMA per year with an expected launch date in 2023.

If these two plants are built, the total output may change the global trade flows of MMA, as they will make the United States a net exporter, and Asia will become the target destination.

Following the sale of Advent's Evonik methacrylate business earlier this year and the creation of Roehm as an independent company, the MMA market was awaiting investment announcements.

MMA is used to produce homopolymers and copolymers, the most widely used are casting, molding or extrusion of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or modified polymers.

Acrylonitrile is one of the main raw materials for the production of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

According to the ICIS-MRC Price Report, in November, ABS imports to Russia amounted to 3,300 tonnes against 3,500 tonnes a month earlier and 4,100 tonnes in November last year. Following the results of eleven months, ABS import into the country slightly decreased compared to the same period last year and amounted to 31,300 tonnes. .
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mizushima PX is likely to halt operations at the paraxylene (PX) plant for a turnaround, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the company has scheduled turnaround at the plant in February 2020 for a period of around 6-7 weeks. The exact date of shutdown could not be ascertained

Located at Mizushima, Japan, the PX plant has a production capacity of 350,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, the company conducted scheduled two-month maintenance works at this plant from mid-February, 2019.

PX is a feedstock for the production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA). PTA is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which, in its turn, is used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles, films, packaging containers, in the textile and food industries.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PET consumption decreased by 16% year on year in December 2019. The country's overall estimated PE consumption totalled 696,810 tonnes in 2019, up by 1% year on year (690,130 tonnes in 2018).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Global oil refiners have upgraded processing units and adjusted operations to raise output of low-sulfur residual fuels and marine gasoil (MGO) to prepare for stricter shipping fuel standards that kicked in on Jan. 1, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The new International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules prohibit ships from using fuels containing more than 0.5% sulfur, compared with 3.5% through the end of December, unless they are equipped with exhaust-cleaning "scrubbers".

The shipping industry consumes about 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of marine bunker fuels, and the rule changes will impact more than 50,000 merchant ships globally, opening a significant new market for fuel producers.

Chinese marine fuel suppliers have signed up short-term deals to buy very low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) from companies like oil major Shell, Germany’s Uniper and U.S. commodities trader Freepoint.

While China’s state refiners have pledged to produce a combined 14 million tonnes of the fuel for 2020 that complies with the tighter rules set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Beijing has not yet rolled out much-anticipated tax breaks that will encourage refiners such as Sinopec and PetroChina to ramp up domestic output of VLSFO.

SK Chemicals has started tests on blending its biodiesel with petroleum-based fuels to create low-sulfur marine oil.

At SK Energy’s largest refinery in South Korea, engineers are rushing to complete a new processing unit ahead of schedule.

The unit of SK Innovation started supplying MGO from October and is building a vacuum residue desulphurization (VRDS) unit that can produce 40,000 bpd of LSFO due online in March or April. Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co is increasing production of LSFO and is also blending to produce IMO2020 compliant bunker fuel.

Hyundai Oilbank has said it will sell VLSFO from November.

As MRC informed earlier, SK Global Chemical, one of the largest petrochemical manufacturers in South Korea, increased capacity utilization at cracking plant No. 1 with a capacity of 190,000 tonnes of ethylene and 135,000 tonnes of propylene per year in Ulsan (Ulsan, South Korea) to 100% on 1 January. SKGC also operates the No. 2 cracker in Ulsan with a capacity of 690,000 tonnes of ethylene per year.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,904,410 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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Canada's Imperial Oil Ltd reported a 68% fall in quarterly profit on Friday, as a rise in Canadian crude prices fueled by Alberta's production cuts reduced the company's refining margins, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company, majority-owned by Exxon Mobil Corp, said net income fell to CD271 million (USD206.21 million), or 36 Canadian cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, from CD853 million, or CD1.08, a year earlier.

The company's net production averaged 362,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), down from 383,000 boepd a year earlier.

As MRC informed earlier, Imperial Oil notified local emergency officials of a fire on Monday at its 121-Mbpd refinery in Sarnia, Ontario, according to the city's fire department. The fire started in a refinery sub station, according to a source familiar with the plant's operations. The potential impact to production is not currently known.

As MRC informed before, in September 2019, ExxonMobil announced plans to spend GBP140 million over the next two years in an additional investment program at its Fife ethylene plant, which has a capacity of more than 800,000 t/y.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,904,410 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.

Imperial Oil Limited is a Canadian petroleum company.It is Canada's second-biggest integrated oil company. Exxon Mobil Corp. had a 69.6 percent ownership stake in the company as of December 31, 2012. It is a significant producer of crude oil, diluted bitumen and natural gas, Canada’s major petroleum refiner, a key petrochemical producer and a national marketer with coast-to-coast supply and retail networks.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DOMO Chemicals, a global leading player in engineering nylon materials towards sustainable solutions, has announced its transition plan for the function of Chief Executive Officer, as per the company's press release.

The Board of Directors of DOMO has appointed Yves Bonte to succeed current CEO Alex Segers during February, 2020. Mr. Segers has held the CEO position at DOMO since the Company started its chemical activities in 1994 and will continue to play a key role in the transformation of Solvay’s European Performance Polyamide and DOMO into one company. Closing of the acquisition of Solvay’s European performance Polyamide Business by DOMO took place on January 31st.

Alex Segers commented, "I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to work with the DOMO team over the past twenty-six years, which has really been an incredible journey. We are now entering the next level for the company by integrating very soon the European Performance Polyamides Business from Solvay. In Yves we have found the ideal person to pass the baton to. We look forward to a seamless transition."

Gregory De Clerck, Managing Director of Domo Investment Group and Member of the Board of DOMO Chemicals commented, "I would personally like to thank Alex for his leadership in the successful growth and transformation of DOMO from an upstream nylon 6 specialist into a full integrated engineering materials company developing innovative and sustainable solutions in the Polyamide Industry. We are excited to welcome Yves Bonte to DOMO as the new CEO and Chairman of DOMO Chemicals. We believe he is the ideal person to lead the next chapter of the Company’s growth and transformation process. Alex will continue to significantly contribute to the success of new DOMO."

Yves Bonte joins DOMO from Yara, the leading fertilizer company and a provider of environmental solutions where he held the role of Executive Vice President Industrial recently named New Business since January 2010, and was responsible for a business generating appr. 20% of Yara’s total revenue of 12.9 billion USD. Prior to Yara, he held a variety of business leadership, commercial and operations roles at Lyondell Basel and Exxon Chemicals. Since 2018 Yves is as Board Member of DOMO.

"I have a true passion for innovation and sustainability, and I am thrilled to join DOMO as its next CEO," Yves Bonte commented. "The Company has established itself as a leader in sustainable polyamide based on its strong technology-driven product portfolio with a solid foundation to further build upon. I believe DOMO is uniquely positioned to support its customers’ manufacturing processes in a cost effective and sustainable manner. The recently announced long-term strategy and planned investment will position DOMO to reach new levels of growth and success."

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 in 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