ExxonMobil to hire more temporary workers as lockout continues at its Beaumont refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil will begin hiring additional temporary operators of its Beaumont, Texas refinery as a lockout of 650 union-represented workers runs into its 11th week, reported Reuters.

Exxon said it took the decision to hire the new workers after four meetings with the United Steelworkers (USW) union local 13-243 failed to yield the results the company expected.

"It is also worth clarifying that our USW represented employees remain employed by the company while locked-out and we look forward to welcoming them back when there is a ratified contract," Exxon said in a statement posted to its website.

Hoot Landry, USW International staff representative, said Exxon's hiring another group of temporary workers was meant to frighten the locked-out employees.

Exxon said in its statement the refinery is being run by superviors while the temporary workers, called contractor operators, "will help us to maintain headcount."

As MRC reported earlier, Exxon locked out the union-represented workers at the 369,024 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery and adjoining lubricant oil plant on May 1 to avoid a strike as a 75-day labor peace period came to an end following the expiration of the contract.

The USW has said the company's last proposal, made in April, requires its members to give up long-standing seniority and would create a separate contract for workers in the lube oil plant from that for workers in the refinery. Exxon has said the proposal would give it flexibility to be profitable in low-margin environments.

We also remind that ExxonMobil's Beaumont, Texas refinery is operating at about 60% of its 369,024-bpd capacity because of the lockout of union workers.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High denisty polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC

Axens acquires company specialized in nitrogen oxides reduction solutions

Axens acquires company specialized in nitrogen oxides reduction solutions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Axens announced the signature of a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of Flowvision (Denmark, Odense), an engineering company specialized in emission abatement systems for the reduction of nitrogen oxides in flue gas from industry, said the company.

Flowvision provides design and equipment for the entire scope of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) systems, which have been installed throughout the world in a variety of sectors.

Flowvision has a wide range of references within Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG), Biomass boilers, Waste to Energy, Circulating Fluidized Bed Boilers, Gas turbines offshore, Refining, Heaters and steam reformers within Petrochemical plants.

"The acquisition of Flowvision’s DeNOx business will strengthen our offer in the area of Air Pollution Control and will help us better serve our customers providing them with sustainable solutions, integrated with our processes and equipment, to support their environmental and energy transition challenges. Axens is very pleased to welcome on board the Flowvision’s team," said Jean Sentenac, Chairman and CEO of Axens Group.

As MRC informed previously, earlier this month, Axens and Sulzer Chemtech (GTC Technology) formed an alliance to license an advanced process for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) naphtha processing.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased.
MRC

PE imports to Ukraine down by 11% in H1 2021

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall polyethylene (PE) imports into the Ukrainian market reached 121,800 tonnes in the first six months of 2021, down by 11% year on year. The decrease in imports accounted for high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE), according to the Datascope report.

Last month's PE imports grew to 18,500 tonnes from 19,800 tons in May, local companies increased their purchasing of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE). Thus, overall PE imports reached 121,800 tonnes in January-June 2021, compared to 136,400 tonnes a year earlier. HDPE and LDPE imports decreased, whereas imports of other PE grades increased.

The supply structure by PE grades looked the following way over the stated period.

Last month's HDPE imports were 6,600 tonnes, which corresponded to the May figure. Overall HDPE imports totalled 39,700 tonnes in the first six months of 2021 versus 54,300 tonnes a year earlier.

June low density polyethylene (LDPE) imports were 5,000 tonnes versus 5,400 tonnes a month earlier, Ukrainian companies reduced their purchases in Belarus. Overall LDPE imports reached 36,500 tonnes over the stated period, up by 7% year on year.

Last month's imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) were 5,300 tonnes, compared to 6,000 tonnes in May, shipments of film grade LLDPE from Saudi Arabia increased. However, overall LLDPE imports reached 31,700 tonnes in the first six months of 2021, compared to 36,400 tonnes a year earlier.


Imports of other PE grades, including ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), totalled about 8,500 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 6,500 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

SayanskKhimPlast shut PVC production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SayanskKhimPlast (Irkutsk region) has shut its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production for a scheduled turnaround, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

According to a representative of the enterprise, the production of polyvinyl chloride was stopped for scheduled preventive maintenance from 12 July. The shutdown will be short and will last for about 10 days. PVC production capacity at the plant will be 350,000 tonnes/year.

According to MRC ScanPlast , SayanskKhimPlast reduced its capacity utilisation last month and produced 23,400 tonnes of suspension PVC (SPVC), compared to 26,500 tonnes in May. The Sayansk plant managed to produce 156,900 tonnes of PVC in the fist six months of 2021, compared to 164,3000 tonnes a year earlier.

JSC "Sayanskkhimplast" (Irkutsk region), established in 1998, is a complex of large-capacity chlororganic production facilities connected in a single production cycle. SayanskKhimPlast produces PVC, caustic soda and bleach.
After commissioning of RusVinyl's PVC production (Nizhny Novgorod region), SayanskKhimPlast became Russia's second largest PVC producer.

MRC

BSK shut PVC production

BSK shut PVC production

MOSCOW (MRC) - The Bashkir Soda Company (BSK, Sterlitamak) has stopped the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for scheduled preventive maintenance, according to the ICIS-MRC Price Report.

According to a company representative, the scheduled preventive maintenance shutdown started on the weekend from 10 July. The outage will be short and will last 14 days. The plant's annual production capacity is 240,000 tonnes.

It is also worth noting that SayanskKhimPlast intends to stop PVC production from 14 July for maintenance works for 10 days. The plant's annual production capacity is 350,000 tonnes.

According to the ScanPlast, Baskhir Soda Company produced 23,300 tonnes of SPVC in June versus 23,800 tonnes a month earlier. The Baskhir plant's overall production of resin reached 140,500 tonnes in January-June 2021, up by 8% year on year.

JSC "Bashkir Soda Company" was founded in April 2013 by the takeover of JSC "Soda" to JSC "Kaustik". Today "BSK" is one of the largest chemical complexes in the country. The company ranks first in Russia in the production of soda ash and baking soda, and is also one of the leaders in the production of PVC, caustic soda and cable compounds.

MRC