Albertas Sturgeon refinery begins bitumen processing as Canadian runs increase

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Alberta's 80,000 b/d Sturgeon refinery ramped up to full operations in April as it began processing local bitumen to produce ultra low sulfur diesel and other refined products, said S&P Global.

Overall, Canadian refinery runs increased to 1.31 million b/d of 67% of capacity for the week ended May 12, up from the 1.27 million b/d the week earlier, according to National Energy Board data.

As MRC informed earlier, expanding the capacity of Alberta's refining and upgrading sector has long been a focus of the Resource Diversification Council (RDC). Alberta's bitumen has been netting record low prices due to oversupply. The opportunity to refine this low value feedstock into much higher value end products like gasoline and diesel could mean millions of dollars in revenue for the province and thousands of high paying jobs.

As MRC informed before, a new multibillion-dollar petrochemical facility being developed in Alberta will be built by a 50/50 partnership between Fluor Canada Ltd. and Kiewit Construction Services ULC. The partnership is called Canada Kuwait Petrochemical Corporation (CKPC). The deal with Fluor and Kiewit covers construction of the site’s propane dehydrogenation facility. CKPC said in January 2020 the contractor selection process for the polypropylene upgrading facility is still ongoing.

Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp. and Petrochemical Industries Co. K.S.C. of Kuwait have been planning the facility within the Alberta Industrial Heartland development area northeast of Edmonton for nearly four years. Pembina has a 50 per cent interest in the joint venture with Petrochemical Industries, which will own the propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene upgrading plants.

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

As per MRC's DataScope report, April PP imports to Ukraine decreased to 8,100 tonnes under the pressure of quarantine restrictions due to coronavirus against 10,500 tonnes a month earlier.Due to the partial shutdown of capacities, local companies have seriously reduced purchases of all types of propylene polymers. Overall imports of propylene polymers reached 39,100 tonnes in January-April 2020, compared to 45,000 tonnes a year earlier.
Only supplies of stat propylene copolymers (PP random copolymers) increased, while the demand for propylene polymers decreased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem has partnered with M. Holland Co. (Northbrook, IL), a distributor of thermoplastic resins, for the exclusive distribution of Braskem’s new polypropylene (PP) filament for prototype 3D printing applications, said Chemweek.

The deal will help meet an increasing need in the additive manufacturing market for printable PP material with high chemical resistance and hydrophobic properties, according to the distributor. PP has typically not been used until now in the prototyping or production of 3D printed parts due to high failure rates, but Braskem’s PP formula “is highly stable with low warpage, excellent bed adhesion and consistent extrusion, which makes it ideal for prototyping,” it says. Repeatable and dimensionally accurate outcomes were demonstrated during trial tests of Braskem’s PP materials, it adds.

"We are proud to introduce our high-performing polypropylene material to the 3D printing market and explore developing opportunities in this space,” says Jason Vagnozzi, director of North America/new ventures and digital at Braskem.

As MRC informed earlier, Braskem is no longer pursuing a petrochemical project, which would have included an ethane cracker, in West Virginia. And the company is seeking to sell the land that would have housed the cracker. The project, announced in 2013, had been on Braskem's back burner for several years.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF and DiDi, the world’s leading mobile transportation platform, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, where Xiaoju Autocare (Xiaoju Yangche), a subsidiary of DiDi, is headquartered, as per BodyshopBusiness.

According to the agreement, BASF will provide DiDi with sustainable automotive refinish products developed at its research and production site in Jiangmen. These products, designed for the Chinese market, will help reduce VOC emissions and meet the stringent standards implemented in various cities in China. As strategic partners, the two companies are committed to the sustainable development of the carsharing industry in and out of China. Paint-related products under the RODIM brand will be part of the offerings to help body shops enhance workflow and overall performance for automotive refinishing. In addition, a dedicated expert team from BASF will perform timely professional technical services for DiDi, including training for body shop operators.

DiDi currently has 25 body and paint shops in China and will be expanding to more than 200 owned and franchised shops globally by the end of this year.

"Simplification is in our DNA. We focus on simplifying processes and operations while our business is expanding," said Gu Haijie, president of Xiaoju Autocare. "BASF is the one-stop solution provider that can help us standardize the painting process of our new shops. This will help us increase efficiency by integrating the whole value chain of contractors, dealers and repair centers."

Since 2012, DiDi has been a leader of the online hailing business, accounting for 90% of the total carsharing market in China, which reached USD42 billion in 2019. DiDi’s fleet consists of 300,000 cars and is projected to reach one million in 2022. DiDi’s subsidiary, Xiaoju Autocare, is the largest one-stop car-owner service platform, covering around 30 million registered drivers and serving 550 million users. BASF first approached DiDi and Xiaoju Autocare in late 2019 and had already secured first business opportunities by early 2020, when BASF started the conversion of DiDi’s first shops in Shanghai.

"DiDi is a typical unicorn company. One of the factors that connect us is our ability to respond to market needs quickly," said Patrick Zhao, senior vice president, Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific, BASF. "The strategic cooperation will enable us to explore the carsharing market and bring this partnership to a new level. DiDi will offer consumers a preferred choice of carsharing. At the same time, BASF will contribute to the sustainable development of the refinish industry with our global network of presence, comprehensive automotive portfolio and a vast talent pool."

As MRC reported earlier, BASF has recently announced the commercial launch of Fourtune which is a new Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalyst product for gasoil feedstock. Fourtune is the latest product based on BASF’s Multiple Framework Topology (MFT) technology. It has been optimized to deliver superior butylene over propylene selectivity while maintaining catalyst activity and performance.

We remind that 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 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

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 EUR59 billion in 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- More than 2.2 million b/d of US oil production has been shut in response to low prices and weak demand, reported S&P Global with reference to US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette's statement Thursday.

Register Now "We'll probably see that climb a little bit more before we start to see the demand curve pick up again," Brouillette said during a teleconference meeting of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board.

"Hopefully that will allow us to stabilize this recovery and also begin the process of perhaps increasing our production and seeing this industry come back as strong as it was pre-pandemic and hopefully even stronger," he added. "It's very important that we see this energy industry come back to pre-pandemic levels."

US Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday showed US production at 11.5 million b/d last week, down 1.6 million b/d from March 13.

Brouillette said the US' status as the top global oil producer gave President Donald Trump leverage to negotiate a deal to end the March oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

"Had we not been in the position that we were in ... there was no way that he could have engaged in the way that he did," he said.

On the administration's efforts to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve while oil prices are low, Brouillette said DOE may seek to negotiate additional rental contracts with oil producers to store private supplies in the government caverns.

In March, Democrats in Congress blocked DOE's request for USD3 billion to buy US crudes for the SPR. DOE then switched to a rental plan that resulted in nine companies negotiating to store a total of 23 million barrels in the government stockpile. Renters include Chevron, ExxonMobil, Energy Transfer, Vitol, Atlantic Trading, Alon USA, Equinor Marketing & Trading, Mercuria Energy America, and MVP Holdings.

SPR stocks grew 1.9 million barrels last week to 641.6 million barrels, for a total addition of 6.7 million barrels since April 17, according to EIA data. With current authorized capacity of 714 million barrels, the stockpile has room for another 72.4 million barrels.

As MRC informed previously, global oil consumption cut by up to a third. What happens next in the oil market depends on how quickly and completely the global economy emerges from lockdown, and whether the recessionary hit lingers through the rest of this year and into 2021.

Earlier this year, BP said the deadly coronavirus outbreak could cut global oil demand growth by 40 per cent in 2020, putting pressure on Opec producers and Russia to curb supplies to keep prices in check.

We remind that, in September 2019, six world's major petrochemical companies in Flanders, Belgium, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Netherlands (Trilateral Region) announced the creation of a consortium to jointly investigate how naphtha or gas steam crackers could be operated using renewable electricity instead of fossil fuels. The Cracker of the Future consortium, which includes BASF, Borealis, BP, LyondellBasell, SABIC and Total, aims to produce base chemicals while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. The companies agreed to invest in R&D and knowledge sharing as they assess the possibility of transitioning their base chemical production to renewable electricity.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Cepsa (Madrid, Spain), a leading energy and chemicals player, said on Thursday that it is to restructure operations into five business units, exploration & production; refining; chemicals; sales; and trading, gas, power & renewables, said Chemweek.

The new organization will be managed by a team of newly hired executives with extensive international experience in the oil, gas and chemical sectors alongside Cepsa’s existing leadership team, headed by CEO Philippe Boisseau. The new structure kicks in on 1 June 2020 and aims to pursue a strategy that focuses on international expansion and the development of new businesses to drive Cepsa’s transformation and growth in the evolving energy and market environment.

Paloma Alonso will head Cepsa’s chemicals unit after a 23-year career with Dow. She succeeds Jose Manuel Martinez, who will lead a newly created technical and operations department. Alonso will also be responsible for the company’s environmental, social and governance activities. She moves to Cepsa on 15 July. Exploration & production will be led by Alex Archila, who joins Cepsa with 36 years’ experience with BHP and Chevron. Refining will be led by its current director, Antonio Joyanes, who has more than 20 years of experience in engineering, chemicals, trading and refining. Sales will be led by Pierre-Yves Sachet, who joins the company from Total and has 30 years of industry experience. He will also be responsible for the company's strategic growth area. Trading, gas, power & renewables will be managed by the CEO. Juan Vera, currently COO, transitions into overseeing special projects.

The restructuring is part of a reorganization that began in October 2019 after the US private equity firm Carlyle acquired a 37% stake in Cepsa from Mubadala Investment Co., the Abu Dhabi sovereign investment group, and the appointment of the current CEO who came from Total. Mubadala continues to hold a 63% stake in Cepsa. The shuffle follows a previous reorganization in 2018 which created four business segments, exploration & production, refining, marketing, and petrochemicals. Cepsa in 2019 reported revenue of €21.06 billion ($23.08 billion) with petrochemicals accounting for 16.4% and refining for 57% of the total.

“With this new and diverse executive committee, which brings in complementary talents and expertise, and with the support of all our professionals, we aim to meet the challenges of the energy transition, drive Cepsa's international growth, and expand each of our businesses as well as develop new ones. To achieve these goals, we will optimize our integrated business model, enhance our competitiveness and continue to pursue operational excellence, said CEO Philippe Boisseau.

As it was written earlier,Cepsa Quimica has postponed planned maintenance to the turn of Q3/Q4 on unit 3 of its Huelva, Spain, phenol and acetone plant that was initially scheduled from mid May to mid June, according to a market source. Its other phenol and acetone production unit (2) at Huelva will remain operational.

Phenol is one of the main feedstocks for the production of bisphenol A (BPA), which, in its turn, is used for the production of polycarbonate (PC).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of PC granules (excluding imports and exports to/from Belarus) totalled 78,500 tonnes in 2019, up by 15% year on year (68,100 tonnes a year earlier).

Cepsa’s chemicals operations include the production of linear alkyl benzene (LAB), in which it is the world’s leading producer with plants in Spain, Canada and Brazil. The company is also the leading producer of cumene and the second largest in phenol and acetone with plants in Spain and China. Cepsa recently diversified into fatty alcohols through expansion of plants in Indonesia and Germany via its Sinar Mas Cepsa joint venture.
MRC