Idemitsu SM Malaysia restarted SM plant after maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Idemitsu SM Malaysia has restarted its styrene monomer (SM) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Malaysia informed that the plant restarted in end-June 2015. It was shut on June 1, 2015 for maintenance turnaround.

Located at Pasir Gudang in Malaysia, the plant has a production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, Idemitsu Kosan also shut its refinery in Japan for maintenance turnaround in April 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month. Located at Chiba in Japan, the refinery has a crude processing capacity of 220,000 bpd.

Idemitsu Kosan is a Japanese petroleum company. It owns and operates oil platforms, refineries and produces and sells petroleum, oils and petrochemical products. The company runs two petrochemical plants in Chiba and Tokuyama. The two naphtha crackers can produce up to 997,000 tonnes of ethylene per year.
MRC

JX Nippon Oil and Energy restarted PX plant in Japan

MOSCOW (MRC) -- JX Nippon Oil and Energy has restarted a paraxylene (PX) plant, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant restarted on July 1, 2015. It was shut for maintenance turnaround.

Located at Kashima in Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 177,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote previously, on June 27, 2015, JX Nippon Oil and Energy restarted the No.1 189,000 bpd crude distillation unit (CDU) at its Kashima refinery in Japan, as per Apic-online. It was shut on May 29, 2015 following a fire at the Kashima refinery. The Kashima refinery of JX Nippon has a crude processing capacity of 252,000 bpd.

Besides, on January 6, 2015, Japan's JX Nippon Oil and Energy shut its olefins conversion unit (OCU) in Kawasaki indefinitely. The shutdown has been attributed to compressed margins in the wake of low propylene prices as compared to prices of ethylene.

The Nippon Oil Corporation, or NOC or Shin-Nisseki is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include the exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including olefines (ethylene, propylene) and aromatics.
MRC

FCFC to shut SM plant in Taiwan for maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Chemical and Fibre Corp (FCFC), a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, is likely to take off-stream a styrene monomer plant, reported Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the plant is planned to be shut on September 1, 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around 40 days.

Located in Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 600,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote previously, in early January 2015, FCFC has restarted its No. 1 SM plant. It was shut in mid-December 2014 on account of weak market conditions. Located at Mailiao in Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.

Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation (FCFC) is a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, the largest private owned enterprise in Taiwan, with annual revenue of USD13.5 billion.

Formosa Plastics Corporation is a Taiwanese company based in Taiwan that primarily produces polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins and other intermediate plastic products.
MRC

July prices will rise for Russian PS buyers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Buyers of Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Penoplex's general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) reported an increase in prices, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Buyers of Nizhnekamskneftekhim's polystyrene (PS) in the market reported an increase of Rb2,300-2,500/tonne, including VAT, in prices for July shipments.

Spot prices of Kirishi GPPS rose by Rb1,000/tone, including VAT. Penoplex reduced shipments to the spot market.

Market players said they also expected Gazprom neftekhim Salavat's GPPS and HIPS prices to go up. At the same time, some buyers reported a shortage of GPPS in the spot market. Demand for HIPS was stable.

Some market players predict an even greater shortage of GPPS in the second half of July. Producers said they also anticipate a deficit in the styrene monomer (SM) market, which will be caused by scheduled outages at SM and PS plants in Russia. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat shut down its SM production on 23 June. Maintenance works at the Salavat plant's SM production will last until 23 July. Then the plant will shut donw its GPPS production. SIBUR-Khimprom is expected to shut down its SM production in August. The turnaround will last for a month.
MRC

Export prices of Russian EPS rolled over for July

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Export prices of SIBUR's expandable polystyrene (EPS) for July shipments remained unchanged, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

New prices were announced to customers this week. EPS consumers also reported the availability of material at the producer's warehouse and no shortage. Like export prices, SIBUR did not change its prices for the Russian domestic market.

At the same time, importers to the CIS countries reported a decrease in prices of Chinese EPS. EPS prices, including delivery to the St Petersburg's port, were at USD1,620-1,650/tonne CIF, excluding VAT. Prices for the Ukrainian market were at USD1,590-1,610/tonne CIF Odessa, excluding VAT.
MRC