MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's production of basic chemicals has decreased since April, with decrease in May reached 0.9%, as per Rosstat's data.
According to the Federal Service of State Statistics, last month's production of basic chemicals fell by 0.9% in comparison with the April index. Nevertheless, despite the second consecutive month of decrease in chemicals production, the production of basic chemicals increased by 2.2% in January - May of this year.
May production of ethylene in Russia were about 232 ,000 tonnes compared with 216,600 tonnes in April. The growth in output was reached because of the restart of production at Kazanorgsintez after scheduled maintenance works, which had begun in April. Total production of ethylene in Russia exceeded 1.2 m tonnes in January-May 2016, down 0.3% year on year.
May production of benzene grew 97,100 tonnes compared to 91,100 tonnes in April, which was also a result of the restart of Kazanorgsintez. Total benzene production over the first five months of the year exceeded 503,300 tonnes, down 2.6% from the same period in 2015.
Russia's production of xylols in May increased to 48,800 tonnes, compared with 47,700 tonnes in April 2016.
Production of xylols in January-May 2016 totalled 242,100 tonnes, up 1.4% year on year.
May production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) decreased to 85,400 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) against 93,000 tonnes in April. Kaustik Volgograd has been shut for a scheduled maintenances for more than two weeks. Total production of caustic soda in Russia exceeded 459,700 tonnes in January - May of this year, down 2.2% year on year on the back of unscheduled shutdown at SayanskKhimPlast.
May production of mineral fertilizers was 1.569 mln tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients), down 8.3% from the April level. Russia's production of mineral fertilizers in Jan-May 2016 exceeded 8.5 m tonnes, up 0.9% than in the same time a year earlier. All types of fertilizers have grown, the exception was only potash production volumes which declined by 7.7%.
MRC