Explosion at ExxonMobil site hurts three

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Investigations are continuing into an explosion that injured three people at an ExxonMobil-operated oilfield in North Texas over the weekend, according to Upstreamonline.

The explosion occurred in Gregg County, east of Dallas, at around 12:50pm on Saturday, according to local reports.

Details were unclear, but the Tyler Morning Telegraph quoted local law enforcement officials as saying the explosion was triggered when workers were welding a pipe that was thought to be clear of hydrocarbons.

Kenneth Shahan, 54, Brent Ellison, 26, and 25-year-old Antonio Exner were injured in the blast, according to the newspaper.

The Gregg County Fire Department and the Operational Safety & Health Administration are investigating.

As MRC wrote earlier, on 5 October 2012, ExxonMobil Corp. confined a fire that broke out at its Baytown, Texas refinery to a process unit. The complex has a 584,000 bbl/day refinery and two chemical plants that make butyl rubber and polypropylene (PP), making it the largest operating refinery in the US and one of the largest in the world.

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.
mrcpalst.com

ThyssenKrupp awarded FEED contract for polypropylene plant in Russia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ThyssenKrupp Uhde has won a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for a single-train polypropylene (PP) plant based on LyondellBasell's Spheripol process technology for ZapSibNeftekhim L.L.C, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sibur, as per Plastemart.

SIBUR is in terms of revenue the largest integrated gas processing and petrochemicals company in Russia, the CIS and Central and Eastern Europe.

The 500,000 tpa plant is planned to be constructed in Tobolsk, Tyumen Region, in West Siberia. LyondellBasell’s Spheripol process technology, which will be used at the plant, is the most widely used technology for the production of polypropylene.

The plant will produce a wide range of high-quality polypropylene brands for use, for example, in textile and packaging applications as well as in the production of automotive body parts and consumer goods.

As MRC reported earlier, in March 2013, LyondellBasel, one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies,announced that OAO Nizhnekamskneftekhim, the largest petrochemical company in Russia, had selected the company's Spheripol process technology for a new 400,000 tonne per year single-line polypropylene (PP) plant to be built in Nizhnekamsk, Russia Federation. The start-up of the new facility is projected after 2015.
MRC

ExxonMobil declares Q3 dividend

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Board of Directors of Exxon Mobil Corporation has declared a cash dividend of 63 cents per share on the Common Stock, payable on September 10, 2013 to shareholders of record of Common Stock at the close of business on August 13, 2013, according to the company's press release.

This third quarter dividend is at the same level as the dividend paid in the second quarter of 2013.

Through its dividends, the corporation has shared its success with its shareholders for more than 100 years and has increased its annual dividend payment to shareholders for 31 consecutive years.

As MRC informed earlier, Exxon Mobil's first quarter 2013 earnings were USD9.5 billion, up 1% from the first quarter of 2012. Capital and exploration expenditures for the first quarter were USD11.8 billion, including USD3.1 billion for the acquisition of Celtic Exploration Ltd. The corporation distributed USD7.6 billion to shareholders in the first quarter through dividends and share purchases to reduce shares outstanding.

ExxonMobil Chemical Company manufactures and markets petrochemical products. It offers chemicals, such as aliphatic fluids, aromatic fluids, olefins, synthetic fluids and lubricants, higher alcohols, plasticizers, oxygenated fluids, neo acids, and polymer modifiers. The company also provides polymers, including butyl polymers, EPDM rubbers, santoprene TPEs, polyethylene, polypropylene, plastomers, hydrocarbon tackifier resins, styrenic block copolymers, and functionalized polymers, as well as specialty elastomers for elastic films and fabrics.
MRC

Prices of Russian PET grew by Rb1000/tonne

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spot prices of Russian PET increased by Rb1000/tonne on tight supply and rising prices of imported material, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Thus, Russian bottle PET prices were Rb66,000-67,000/tonne FCA, including VAT. SIBUR was the initiator of the price increase, having raised prices at its plants in Tver (SIBUR-PETF) and in Ufa (Polief). SIBUR's PET prices rose to Rb67,000/tonne FCA, including VAT, whereas last week's deals were made at Rb66,000/tonne FCA, including VAT.

Prices of Kaliningrad PET in the Central region were heard at Rb66,000-66,500/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.

Given the lack of quantities, Solnechnogorsky Senezh did not carry out spot PET shipments. The plant's sources said ROSPET grades were unlikely to be available for spot shipments in August.

The situation with market sales was ambiguous. The first producer reported a noticeable drop in buying activity in the spot market in the last days of July-early August. Demand has declined significantly, but still remains quite strong. The second producer reported strong demand and shortage in the market.

According to MRC's estimates, demand for Russian material in the spot market will grow again in the remaining weeks of August. Rising price of Chinese PET, as well as the expected shortage of Russian material, will contribute to this.

Prices of Russian bottle PET in early August 2013 were Rb60,000-61,500/tonne EXW, including VAT.
MRC

Export prices of Belarusian LDPE rose by EUR10-35/tonne

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On Tuesday, high-density polyethylene (LDPE) rose by EUR10-35/tonne in the Belarusian export trades, while in the domestic trades, prices remained stable, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

LDPE prices grew by EUR10-35/tonne from the second-half-of-July's level, despite low buying activity. Bids for shipments to the domestic market did not exceed the starting prices on Wednesday, 7 August.

Bids for LDPE 158 from Russian companies were heard in the range of Rb45,700-45,900/tonne FCA Novopolotsk, excluding VAT. Bids for shrinkable films PE ranged between Rb49,800-50,000/tonne FCA Novopolotsk, excluding VAT.

Bids from Ukrainian consumers were in the range of EUR1,115-1,120/tonne FCA Novopolotsk and EUR1,140-1,145/tonne FCA Novopolotsk for LDPE 158 and 102, respectively.

Deals for LDPE 158 in the domestic trades were concluded at Rb12,350/tonne FCA Novopolotsk, excluding VAT.
MRC