MOSCOW (MRC) -- As the world continues to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic, the protective equipment is being utilized by both healthcare professionals and citizens alike. A range of products including respirators, surgical & respiratory masks, gloves, protective gowns, face shields, syringes, shoes, and many others has been vital to the fight against a hyperactive contagion. And Saudi Aramco has joined an array of industry players in supporting the effort to combat the Covid virus, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.
In regions around the world, Aramco has donated medical supplies, protective masks, gloves, PPE suits, and sanitizers, and has provided both remote and in-person medical services.
In addition to providing material support, the company's downstream chemicals business continues to manufacture and supply the products that constitute the plastics used to produce the protective equipment being used by so many.
The company's production of ethylene, polypropylene (PP), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in locations ranging from North America to the GCC to East Asia, and marketed around the world through the Aramco Chemicals Company, is an important part of the end-products used in the struggle with the virus.
Unfortunately, the role being played by Aramco - along with many others - is simply not enough. Based on World Health Organization (WHO) modelling, Covid-19 responders require an estimated 89 million masks, 76 million examination gloves, and 1.6 million goggles each month. And at what is arguably the most critical time in recent memory for ample supplies of such materials to be readily available, PPE is vastly undersupplied all over the world.
In response to the rapid rise in the number of cases, hospitals, caregivers, and the medical supply chain have been completely overwhelmed. The WHO has cautioned that the shortage of PPE is endangering the health of workers worldwide and has called on industry and governments to increase manufacturing by 40% to meet rising global demand.
The surge in demand for PPE across the globe translates into higher demand for the plastic used to manufacture it. This will not change any time soon; therefore, how humanity goes about handling and properly disposing of it, must.
Covid-19 will change the way the world views and deals with public health and hygiene. The public will be more cautious, government health policies will be more stringent, and the preparedness of the medical industry will continue to be a priority. As a result, a significant increase in demand for PPE is likely to remain.
The benefits of plastic are as undeniable as the challenges related to its proper use and treatment. Better waste management practices, including the recycling of plastics into energy and fuels; mechanical and chemical recycling; and converting recycled plastic into material used in paving roads and producing concrete are but a few examples of steps that must be permanently incorporated into the downstream value chain.
The current battle against Covid-19 is highlighting many of the vital uses of plastic. While its versatility, physical flexibility, and cost-effectiveness are unparalleled, we must continue to be responsible stewards of this essential material by disposing of it in an environmentally responsible manner. This will ensure society can continue to enjoy the benefits of plastic and be confident that it will be sufficiently available when needed to protect us.
As MRC reported earlier, state-owned Saudi Aramco bought 2.1 billion shares of Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC) on the stock market last Sunday as it completed its deal agreed last year to buy 70% of the petrochemical giant.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 721,290 tonnes in the first four month of 2020, up by 4% year on year. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments grew partially because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 347,440 tonnes in January-April 2020 (calculated by the formula production minus export plus import). Supply exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.
Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco"s value has been estimated at up to USD10 trillion in the Financial Times, making it the world"s most valuable company. Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 260 billion barrels, and largest daily oil production.
MRC