Qatar is on track for 23 million tonnes petrochemical exports a year by 2020 - Muntajat CEO

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Qatar’s chemical and petrochemical industry’s planned investments will further increase the country’s export portfolio to 23 million tonnes per year by 2020, from 10 million tonnes in 2013, reported GV with reference to Muntajat CEO Abdulrahman Ali Al-Abdulla's statement.

As demand for chemicals and petrochemicals continues to rise, the Gulf petrochemicals industry continues to be the largest producer and exporter in the world, accounting for 11% of the USD 600 billion global market, he said as Qatar participated at the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA) annual forum in Dubai recently.

"Following the positive global outlook on market demand and consumption patterns, Muntajat plans to expand its portfolio of products that will better serve the needs of customers worldwide. Our developing global network of offices and advanced supply chain programme will ensure that we offer world-class logistical support as well as high-quality products," al-Abdulla said.

Muntajat recently decided to set up its international marketing company at The Hague in The Netherlands. Muntajat has now entered a new phase of expansion as the company is currently implementing its supply chain programme and building a global network of offices and warehouses, the company said.

Since starting its operations on 1 February this year, Muntajat has shipped more than 4.6 million tonnes of chemicals, polymers and fertilisers to more than 120 countries across the world.

As MRC wrote previously, in early 2013 , Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company (Muntajat) has taken over the marketing and distribution responsibilities for Qatar’s globally recognised Lotrene brand of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). This marks the company’s entry to the polymers sector, Muntajat’s third area of operations after the "successful transition" earlier this year of the marketing and distribution activities of the chemicals and fertilisers produced in Qatar.
MRC

Clariant expands its ethoxylation site in Texas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, announced the second expansion of its ethoxylation site at Clear Lake in Pasadena, Texas (USA), said the producer.

Following the first expansion in 2012, now already fully utilized, the investment will provide the necessary further capacity to continue profitable growth of the Business Unit Industrial & Consumer Care (ICS) in North America and Latin America.

The expansion includes new reactors and additional storage facilities, bringing the overall ethoxylation capacity to more than 125 000 metric tons from 95 thousand metric tons at present. Products manufactured include High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Glycols (PEGs), alcohol ethoxylates, sodium isethionates and ethoxylated specialties. The current expansion brings the total investment over the last five years to CHF 65 million. The new plant will go online in mid-2015.

"The investment is another important step in the implementation of our business strategy focussing on profitable growth. With the expansion, we can increase our market share in markets with good growth potential", said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO.

Michael Willome, Head of the Business Unit ICS emphazises: "Ethoxylated products including Polyetylene Glycols are a cornerstone of our growth strategy, especially for the fast growing markets in the Americas with their greater demand for personal and home care products. "

Located in the southeast part of Houston’s metro area near Galveston Bay, the Clear Lake site is home to production of a variety of products, including Genapol surfactants that are used in such applications as crop-protection, detergents, home and personal care, as well as metalworking. The focus of the Clear Lake site is on ethoxylation. The facility uses large quantities of ethylene oxide that is added to such raw materials as alcohols to produce the surfactants that go into such products as soaps and shampoos. The plant, built in 1994, is a former Hoechst Specialty Chemicals facility that sits on a larger site now owned by Celanese. From 1997-2008, Celanese manufactured products for Clariant at the plant.

Clariant is an internationally active specialty chemical company, based in Muttenz near Basel. The group owns over 100 companies worldwide. Clariant is divided into eleven business units: Additives; Catalysis & Energy; Emulsions, Detergents & Intermediates; Functional Materials; Industrial & Consumer Specialties; Leather Services; Masterbatches; Oil & Mining Services; Paper Specialties; Pigments; Textile Chemicals.
MRC

Belarus will not produce PET in December

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The only producer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Belarus, Mogilevkhimvolokno will not resume production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in December, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

The producer had shut its PET production in early November. Seasonal drop in demand and decrease in PET price in external markets made an unfavourable situation for the resumption of production in December. In connection with this the company plans to restart its PET capacities in 2014.

The producer has not announced its PET contract prices for December shipment. Stock inventories from the warehouse were sold at the November price. The company has stopped spot sales for the Ukrainian and Russian markets.

The producer plans to cover its concluded earlier contracts, using the stock inventories.

Mogilevkhimvolokno, based in the Mogilev region of eastern Belarus, is the only Belarusian producer of dimethyl terephthalate, PET chips, including food grade, polyester fibers and yarns.
MRC

PS were not produced in November in Ukraine

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Concern Stirol, the only polystyrene (PS) producer in Ukraine, has not resumed production of styrene polymers after an outage in October, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

A shortage of the main feedstock component - styrene monomer (SM) - was the cause of the plant's shutdown. SM shipments to the plant were not resumed in sufficient quantities in November and, consequently, PS were not produced.

Since the outage was not scheduled, large inventories of material were not built up at the plant's warehouse. Therefore, PS stocks at the warehouse have already run out. According to unconfirmed information, the plant might restart operations in mid-December.

PS production in Ukraine fell in January-November by 17% year on year to 14,700 tonnes.

Concern Stirol is the only producer of styrene polymers in Ukraine. The plant produces such PS grades, as expandable polystyrene (EPS), general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS).
MRC

European December PVC price dropped by EUR10-20/tonne for CIS countries

Moscow (MRC) - European producers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) had to reduce December export prices for CIS markets despite the rising prices of ethylene, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Growing oil prices in the last week of November led to an increase in prices of ethylene in Europe. December contracts for ethylene in Europe were agreed up by EUR30/tonne, from the November's level. However, because of some reasons, European PVC producers had to cut export prices by EUR10-20/tonne for December delivery to the CIS markets.

Negotiations on European PVC prices for December have begun this week. Offer price from many European producers were heard in the range of EUR740-800/tonne FCA, while in November the deals were done in the range of EUR760-810/tonne FCA.

Decline in European PVC export prices resulted from significant weakening in demand in the CIS markets, as well as lower prices from North American producers (deals for November and December shipment were done at USD950-985/tonne CFR).
MRC