Japanese ethylene production rose 0.1% in March

(Reuters) -- Japanese ethylene production rose 0.1% in March from the same month a year earlier, although some plants were shut after the March 11 earthquake, government data showed on Thursday. Ethylene output totalled 514.8 KT last month compared with 514.1 KT a year earlier, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. March output was down 15.0 percent from 605.3 KT in February, when no plants were shut for maintenance.

There was one maintenance-related plant shutdown in Japan in March, while three plants were shut in the same month last year, METI said.

Maruzen Petrochemical Co Ltd and JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp, an oil refining unit of JX Holdings , have restarted their quake-shut naphtha crackers, leaving two crackers still shut at the Kashima plant operated by Mitsubishi Chemical Corp, with a total ethylene making capacity of 828 KTa.

MRC

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) is set to start a two-month scheduled maintenance for its integrated complex located in Rabigh, on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, the company said in a statement. ⌠The maintenance work will start from the 21st April, and will last 60 days, the company statement said. ⌠We will start the operation gradually after 45 days."

The company also revealed that it has inventories to last it for 30 days. ⌠We expect a reduction of our sales during the second half due to this maintenance period, as our inventories covers only 30 days, it added in the statement published on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

The company has also announced the stopping of production from its two polyethylene units on April 5 due to a technical issue. ⌠We decide to start the maintenance at the units due to this technical issue, and we don't expect this to affect the company's financial revenues, the company statement read.

MRC

(Braskem) -- Braskem held a ceremony to launch the cornerstone of its new PVC plant located in Marechal Deodoro in the state of Alagoas. Construction of the new plant has already begun and should create around 2.500 direct jobs until completed. With investment estimated at R$ 1 bln, which is the highest ever made by Braskem in a single project, the new industrial unit is scheduled to start operations in the first half of 2012.

The new plant will have annual production capacity of 200 KTa. Braskem already has a PVC unit in Alagoas, and this project will bring its annual PVC production capacity in the state to 460 KT. The new plant will make Alagoas the largest producer of PVC in Latin America, which should help strengthen the PVC manufacturing complex that already exists in the state. In addition to Alagoas, Braskem also has annual PVC production capacity of 250 KTat its plant in Camacari in the state of Bahia.

The installation of the new unit reflects the robust growth in the construction industry in Brazil, with growing demand for PVC, which is used in pipes and fittings and in profiles and frames. In 2010, the construction and sanitation sector drove growth of 18% in domestic PVC demand.

MRC

(Styron) -- Styron announced plans to expand its latex capacity at its Zhangjiagang, China production facility. The projected additional capacity of latex will help to better serve the growing demand for latex in China's paper and paper board industry, which is projected to grow significantly over the next few years.

⌠The China market continues to show tremendous growth, and this expansion reinforces our leadership in meeting customer needs, said Chris Pappas, President and CEO of Styron LLC. ⌠Zhangjiagang is the ideal location for Styron to expand our latex production and offerings. We've built and operated a plant on this site since 2002 and will continue to benefit from its strategic location, local resources, employees and community support.

The new unit, expected to commence production in Q4 2012, will be adjacent to Styron's existing latex manufacturing units at Zhangjiagang, and will complement Styron's other latex production facilities located in Korea, Indonesia and Australia. The expanded latex production facility will significantly enhance Styron's ability to help regional customers move to optimised product formulations with higher value in use'.

MRC

(Central Asia Newswire) -- A South Korean company hopes to invest up to USD 1.3 bln in a new Kazakh factory. Leading South Korean chemical manufacturer LG Chem is seeking to invest up to USD 1.3 bln in a Kazakhstan facility to produce polypropylene, a material used in laboratory equipment, textiles and packaging. Kazakh energy officials are also looking for another partner in the venture located in the Western Caspian Sea province of Atyrau.

International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), headquartered in the Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi, tops their list of potential investors, the news agency reported Kazakh Vice-Minister of Oil and Gas Aset Magauov as saying.

Total investment in the integrated chemical complex is expected to reach USD 4 bln. South Korean banks will provide USD 2.7 bln toward the project, while the remaining USD 1.3 bln will be invested by the participants.

The Atyrau chemical plant will initially produce 551 KTa of polypropylene. Output will be ramped up to 882 KTa with launch of the facility's second phase.

MRC