CPC Corp took off-stream its RFCC in Taiwan

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corp has shut a residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) for a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the company has started maintenance at its unit on 31 March. The unit is slated to remain shut for a period of around 60-70 days.

Located in Taoyuan, Taiwan, the RFCC has a propylene production capacity of 100,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, on 13 January 2016, CPC Corp restarted its No. 6 cracker after being shut for a minor turnaround the previous day. And No. 4 cracker restarted on Jan 31.

All its crackers in Linyuan have a combined capacity of 1.08 million mt/year of ethylene as well as 500,000 mt/year of propylene.

The RFCC unit has a nameplate capacity of 450,000 mt/year of propylene.

CPC Corporation, Taiwan, is engaged in the exploration, production, refining, procurement, transportation, storage, and marketing of oil and gas. The company provides fuel oil, including automotive unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel, low-sulfur fuel oil, marine distillate fuels, marine residual fuels, and aviation fuel; petrochemicals, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, para-xylene, and ortho-xylene; liquefied petroleum gas products comprising liquefied petroleum gas, propane, butane, and a propane/butane mixture; lubricants, motor oil, industrial oil, grease, and marilube oil; SNC products, including petroleum ether, naphtha, toluene, xylene, crude octene, methyl alcohol, normal paraffin, viscosity-graded asphalt cement, and sulfur; and natural gas.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) have signed a framework agreement to explore possible joint opportunities for investment and cooperation in future oil, gas, trading and petrochemicals ventures, said BP in its press-release.

Signed by BP chief executive officer Bob Dudley and KPC chief executive officer Nizar Mohammad Al-Adsani, the agreement paves the way for both companies to jointly invest and cooperate in oil and gas projects in Kuwait and globally.

"BP’s commitment to Kuwait dates back to our participation in the discovery of the giant Burgan oil field in the 1930s and we are there today extending the life of the field," Dudley said. "We look forward to working with KPC to help the people of Kuwait realize the full potential of their nation’s oil and gas resources and exploring new opportunities globally."

In addition to enhancing oil and gas recovery from Kuwait’s existing resource base, the agreement also includes the intention to study opportunities for joint investment in future oil and gas exploration both inside Kuwait and globally. Other elements of the agreement cover possible future oil and gas trading deals including LNG trading and related ventures.

Opportunities for cooperation and investment in midstream and petrochemical projects globally will also be considered under the agreement, including potentially deploying BP’s proprietary paraxylene technology as part of KPC’s petrochemicals projects.

As MRC informed earlier, BP PLC is selling its petrochemical complex in Decatur, Alabama, to Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL.TH), for an undisclosed sum, as part BP's plan to restructure its global petrochemicals business.

BP is a leading producer of oil and gas and produces enough energy annually to light nearly the entire country for a year. Employing about 17,000 people across the country, BP supports more than 170,000 additional jobs through all of its business activities.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Plastiblends India Ltd has begun commercial production at its new materbatch production plant in Palsana, Surat (Gujarat), said Plastics-technology.

"The company have successfully commenced commercial production in the new manufacturing unit at Palsana, Surat (Gujarat) with effective from March 25, 2016," said Plastiblends in a BSE filing on March 28, 2016.

Early this month, the company announced its plans to build a plant in West Bengal to tap the Eastern region.

As MRC informed earlier, LyondellBasell, one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of SJS Plastiblends Pvt. Ltd. (SJS), a polypropylene compounds (PPC) manufacturer, located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India.

Plastiblends, one of the leading manufacturers of colour & additive masterbatches and thermoplastic compounds for the plastic processing industry in India, has been augmenting the manufacturing capacity to meet the demand of masterbatches, a key ingredient used for making plastic products.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polyethylene (PE) into Kazakhstan dropped to about 12,500 tonnes in January-February 2016, down 48% compared with the same time a year earlier, according to MRC analysts.

February PE imports into Kazakhstan seasonally increased to 8,100 tonnes, compared with 4,400 tonnes in January. The main growth in PE deliveries provided local producers of PE pipes, which built up stocks ahead of seasonal surge in demand and low prices in foreign markets.
In general, January - February PE imports into the country declined to 12,500 tonnes against 24,000 tonnes year on year.

Structure of PE imports into the country in the reporting period was as follows.

February imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Kazakhstan increased to 6,400 tonnes, compared with 1,800 tonnes in January. The main increase occurred for the local producers of pipes, with increased volumes of purchases in Russia and Asia. Local companies actively built up stock inventories before the start of the season and taking into account low prices.

Imports of HDPE into Kazakhstan was about 8,200 tonnes in the first two months of this year, compared with 20,800 tonnes year on year.
A somewhat different situation was in the market of low density polyethylene (LDPE). February imports of LDPE dropped to 1,500 tonnes, compared with 2,300 tonnes in January. Active procurement of LDPE were in January, some local companies tried to minimise the negative effects for tenge devaluation. Imports of LDPE into Kazakhstan were about 3,800 tonnes in the first two months of the year, compared with 3,000 year on year.

Purchases of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) from local companies were relatively stable and not affected by seasonal factors.
February LLDPE imports into the country were about 207 tonnes compared with 312 tonnes in January. Total imports of LLDPE into Kazakhstan were 519 tonnes in the first two months of the year, compared with 507 tonnes year on year.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Suppliers of North American polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have announced price increases of up to USD100/tonne from March for April shipments to the CIS markets, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Negotiations over April shipments from the US to the CIS countries began last week. Suppliers of North American PVC announced a rise of USD100/tonne from March in export prices, with export quotas of most suppliers being limited.

The growth of US PVC prices was caused by several factors. Firstly, demand for resin increased significantly from the markets of India and China in the past few weeks. The second factor that put pressure on prices were scheduled shutdowns for maintenance at the US and European plants, which tightened the polymer supply in the market.

This week's deals for April shipments from the US to Russia and Ukraine were negotiated in the range of USD820-840/tonne CFR St-Petersburg and Odessa, whereas deals for March deliveries were still done at USD720-740/tonne CFR St-Petersburg and Odessa.

Some companies said they had been in no hurry to confirm deals at higher prices so far, hoping to negotiate more acceptable PVC prices in Europe.
MRC