MOSCOW (MRC) - Production of basic chemicals in Russia for the first three months of the year increased by 1.6%.
The largest increase in the output occurred for the caustic soda and xylol, as per the Federal State Statistics Service.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, Russia's ethylene production in March was 233,000 tonnes, compared with 203,000 tonnes in February. Total production of ethylene in the first three months of the year was 666,000 tonnes, down 1.3% year on year.
Production of benzene in March decreased to 108,000 tonnes, up 8.2% compared with the February level. Total benzene production over the first three months of the year was 313,400 tonnes, up only 0.4% from the same period in 2014.
Russia's production of xylol in March increased to 54,700 tonnes, compared with 48,000 tonnes in February 2015.
Production of xylol in January-March 2015 totalled 153,900 tonnes, up 12.1% year on year.
March production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) exceeded 113,000 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) against 98,600 tonnes in February. Russia's production of caustic soda grew to 297,200 tonnes in the first three months of the year, up 16.7% year on year.
March production of mineral fertilizers was 1.6 mln tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients), which was close to the February level. Russia's production of mineral fertilizers in the first three months of the year was about 4.8 mln tonnes, which was 5.3% lower than in the same time a year earlier.
MRC