Eni may list more than 30% of its retail-renewables unit

Eni may list more than 30% of its retail-renewables unit

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Energy group Eni could list more than 30% of its new retail and renewables business in what is likely to be one of Italy's biggest initial public offerings next year, reported Reuters with reference to sources' statement.

The company said last month it had opted to list a minority stake in the unit to help it fund its shift away from oil and gas.

It will present its plans for the business, which includes renewable power generation and energy sales to customers, later on Monday.

Eni is looking to float between 25% and 30% but it could sell a bit more if market demand is there, one of the sources said.

Eni declined to comment.

Sources have previously said the unit, created earlier this year as part of Eni's broader plans to decarbonize its business, could be worth around EUR10 B (USD11.3 B).

In April the group's finance head Francesco Gattei said merging its renewable energy and retail operations could create a vehicle with double-digit multiples.

As MRC wrote earlier, Eni is evaluating conversion of its Livorno refinery in northwest Italy into a biorefinery, as part of the Italian company's wider strategy to make its activities more environmentally sustainable. Eni has already converted two of its Italian refineries and is looking to almost double its biorefining capacity to around 2 million mt/year by 2024, and expand this to at least five times by 2050, as part of its pledge to achieve complete carbon neutrality by 2050.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

Eni, abbreviation of Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi, in full Eni SpA, Italian energy company operating primarily in petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemicals. Established in 1953, it is one of Europe's largest oil companies in terms of sales.
MRC

Air Liquide and BASF to develop world largest cross-border CCS value chain

Air Liquide and BASF to develop world largest cross-border CCS value chain

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Liquide and BASF plan to develop world largest cross-border CCS value chain. The goal is to significantly reduce CO2 emissions at the industrial cluster in the port of Antwerp, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The joint project Kairos@C has been selected for funding by the European Commission through its Innovation Fund, as one of the seven large-scale projects out of more than 300 applications.

Kairos@C will be jointly developed by Air Liquide and BASF at its Antwerp chemical site. By avoiding 14.2 MMt of CO2 over the first 10 years of operation, it will significantly contribute to the EU’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.

Besides combining CO2 capture, liquefaction, transportation and storage on a large scale in the North Sea, the project includes several innovative technologies. Notably, for capturing the CO2 from production plants, Air Liquide will use its patented Cryocap technology and, for drying the CO2, BASF will apply its Sorbead solution.

The project is planned to be operational in 2025.

Kairos@C is paving the way for the next phases of carbon abatement in the port of Antwerp. The project will also be connected to shared CO2 transport and export infrastructures, including a first-of-its-kind CO2 liquefaction and export terminal, which will be built under the framework of Antwerp@C, a consortium that aims to halve CO2 emissions in the Port of Antwerp by 2030. Air Liquide and BASF are founding members of Antwerp@C.

As MRC informed earlier, BASF is strengthening its global catalyst development and helping customers to bring new products faster to the market. As part of this strategy, BASF is building a new pilot plant center at its Ludwigshafen site. The new Catalyst Development and Solids Processing Center will serve as a global hub for pilot-scale production and process innovations of chemical catalysts. The new building is scheduled for completion by mid-2024.

We remind that BASF aims is to electrify its production processes for basic chemicals, which are currently based on fossil fuels.

We also remind that in mid-February, BASF said it was restarting one of its steam crackers at its Ludwigshafen complex in Germany after operations were halted earlier that month due to a technical issue. The naphtha cracker produces ethylene and propylene, and is one of two crackers on the site. One has a production capacity of 420,000 metric tons/year, with the other"s capacity at 240,000 metric tons/year.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

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.
MRC

Reliance re-evaluates stake sale in oil-to-chemicals unit to Aramco

Reliance re-evaluates stake sale in oil-to-chemicals unit to Aramco

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Reliance Industries and Saudi Aramco have decided to re-evaluate their agreement for the Middle Eastern producer to buy a stake in the refining and petrochemical business of India's biggest private refiner, and both companies would look at broader areas of cooperation due to the changing energy scenario, said S&P.

Register Now Reliance said in a statement over the weekend that following this mutual decision by both companies, it would drop its plan to create a separate oil-to-chemicals unit, which was proposed to be named Reliance O2C.
"Due to evolving nature of Reliance's business portfolio, Reliance and Saudi Aramco have mutually determined that it would be beneficial for both parties to re-evaluate the proposed investment in O2C business in light of the changed context. Consequently, the current application with National Company Law Tribunal for segregating the O2C business from Reliance is being withdrawn," the statement said.

Reliance and Aramco signed a non-binding letter of intent in August 2019 for a potential 20% stake acquisition by Saudi Aramco in the O2C business of Reliance. Over the past two years, both the teams made significant efforts in the process of due diligence, despite COVID-19 restrictions.

The decision to re-evaluate the USD15 billion proposed sale of a 20% stake sale in its oil to chemicals business to Saudi Aramco comes at a time when Reliance is stepping up efforts to embrace renewable energy business amid plans to be carbon neutral by 2035.

The oil to chemicals deal was supposed to gain momentum following the appointment of Aramco chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan as an independent director to the board of Reliance Industries. Aramco wasn't immediately available for comment.

Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced plans in June to build a giga factory in Jamnagar for the storage of intermittent energy as part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex project.

Four giga factories will be part of the Jamnagar complex, which will include an integrated solar photovoltaic module factory; an advanced energy storage battery factory for storage of intermittent energy; an electrolyzer factory for production of green hydrogen; and a fuel cell factory for converting hydrogen into motive & stationary power.

As per MRC, Reliance Industries (RIL) has taken off-stream one of its polypropylene (PP) plants in Jamnagar, India for a scheduled maintenance. Thus, this unit with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons/year of PP was shut on 5 August 2021 and will remain idle for approximately one month. The local supply is expected to take a hit from the shutdown, especially when demand is recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.
MRC

Pertamina petrochemical plants in Cilacap continue operating normally after fire

Pertamina petrochemical plants in Cilacap continue operating normally after fire

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The fire, which broke out at one of Pertamina’s fuel storage tanks in the Cilacap refinery and petrochemical complex on 13 November 2021, did not affect operations at any other plants at the same complex, according to CommoPlast with reference to the company's statement.

In fact, all other production lines were operating normally during the incident.

The fire was completely extinguished after about 12 hours.

“We are in mid of the investigation on the causes of the fire, but there is no need for any panic buying because the fuel stocks are very safe,” said, Chief Executive of Pertamina’s refinery and petrochemical said.

In addition, the incident does not affect propylene supply to Polytama’s PP plant at difference location RU VI Indramayu-Balongan.

As MRC reported earlier, the fire started around 7:20 p.m. (1220 GMT) on Saturday at a fuel storage unit. Amateur videos broadcast by local media showed a large blaze colouring the sky orange.

Cilacap is one of Pertamina’s biggest refining facilities and supplies around 34% of Indonesia’s fuel demand, Pertamina said on its website.

As MRC informed before, PT Pertamina resumed operations at its sole polypropylene (PP) plant in Plaju, South Sumatera in mid-October, 2021, after a scheduled maintenance. The outage at the company's 47,000 mt/year of PP plant began on 16 September and was to last for about 17 days. Thus, this plant was initially scheduled to resume operations on 3 October, 2021.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.

Pertamina is an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation based in Jakarta. It was created in August 1968 by the merger of Pertamin (established 1961) and Permina (established 1957). Pertamina is the world's largest producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
MRC

COVID-19 - News digest as of 22.11.2021

1. Gazprom Neft to boost hydrocarbons output over 100 mln mt in 2021

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's Gazprom Neft said Nov. 18 it would hit its long-standing goal of reaching annual hydrocarbons output of over 100 million mt of oil equivalent in 2021, reported S&P Global. The company was seeking to reach this target despite oil production limitations under the OPEC + pact by diversifying gas and condensate portfolio. The company's output of hydrocarbons totaled 96.1 million mt in 2020, or 1.95 million b/d of oil equivalent. "For the full year, the company is expected to produce over 100 million mt of oil equivalent for the first time in its history, with further growth potential next year," CEO Alexander Dyukov said in a release. Gazprom Neft "proactively" boosted hydrocarbons production in the third quarter, he added, amid recovering demand for oil.


MRC