Shinkong Synthetic Fibers expanding Asian engineering plastics capacity

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shin-kong Synthetic Fibers Corp. is scheduled to begin operations at several new engineering plastics production lines in Taiwan in the first quarter of 2018, the Taipei Times reported, as per Apic-online.

The new engineering plastics lines "would help boost the company's annual production capacity from 50,000 tons now to 110,000 tons next year," said the report citing Shinkong Synthetic Fibers President Samson Luo.

In addition, the company is considering increasing engineering plastics capacity in the next three years at its facility in Thailand. No other details were given.
MRC

Vopak and JV Partners plan expansion of liquid storage terminal in Malaysia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal Vopak and its joint venture partners, Dialog and the state government of Johor Darul Ta'zim, plan to expand their independent liquid storage terminal in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia, said Apic-online.

The terminal, Pengerang Independent Terminals Sdn Bhd (PITSB), will be expanded by 430,000 cu m to a total capacity of 1.7-million cu m. Subject to final formalities, the expansion is expected to be commissioned progressively from the first quarter of 2019.

PITSB provides storage, blending and distribution services for crude oil and clean petroleum products. The expansion relates to the storage of clean petroleum products.

A total of 24 new tanks will be built, ranging from 10,000 cu m to 25,000 cu m. In addition, an extra berth will be taken into operation, bringing the total number of operating berths to six.

The terminal is connected via pipelines to the Pengerang Terminals (Two) Sdn Bhd (PT2SB), which will be serving Petronas' Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project currently being built within the Pengerang Integrated complex.

PITSB is owned 45.9% by Dialog, 44.1% by Vopak and 10% by the state government of Johor Darul Ta'Zim. Vopak also owns a 25% stake in PT2SB.
MRC

Russia remains China top oil supplier for 5th month in a row in July

MOSCOW (MRC) — Russia held its spot as China's top crude oil supplier for a fifth month in a row in July, with shipments up 54% over a year earlier, data showed on Wednesday, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Russian shipments last month came in at 4.97 MMt, or about 1.17 MMbpd, the General Administration of Customs said in a more a detailed breakdown of commodity trade data released on Aug. 8. For the first seven months of the year, Russia's volumes to China grew nearly 16% year-on-year to 34.22 MMt, or 1.18 MMbpd.

China bought a total of 34.74 MMt of crude oil in July, or about 8.18 MMbpd, down from June but still up about 12% from a year earlier. Imports in the first seven months grew 13.6% year-on-year to 247 MMt, or 8.51 MMbpd.

Saudi Arabia was China's second biggest supplier in July, with volumes at 3.99 MMt, or about 940,000 bpd, down 0.8% from a year earlier. Supplies from the Kingdom rose only 0.4% in January–July from the same period a year earlier to 30.59 MMt, or 1.05 MMbpd.

Shipments from Angola, China's third-largest supplier in July, fell 17.1% from a year earlier to 3.91 MMt, or 921,520 bpd. Year-to-date, Angola maintained its second-ranking for the third month in a row, with January-July supplies up 15%.

Chinese refineries have taken more Brent-related, sweet West African crudes in recent months, scaling back on sour Middle East grades because of the narrowing price differentials that make West African supplies more attractive.

Russian crude exports to China grew this year after independent refiners expanded their diet to include the Urals grade exported from the Mediterranean. China also snapped up almost all of the ESPO blend exports from the Pacific port of Kozmino.

Chinese imports of US crude, which started last year, were about 174,000 bpd in July and amounted to 3.8 MMt for the first seven months of the year, or 1.5% of the country's total imports. Chinese buyers have over the period also ramped up imports of Brazilian oil, with first-seven month shipments up 41% on year.

Imports from Iran inched up 0.45% on year in July at 568,720 bpd while supplies from Iraq shot up 16% at 857,020 bpd, customs data showed.
MRC

Chinas July gasoline exports rose to third-highest level since 2000

MOSCOW (MRC) — China's gasoline exports in July rose 5.9% from a year ago to the third-highest monthly level since at least 2000 while diesel exports remained high, customs data showed on Wednesday, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

China's July gasoline exports rose to 1.02 MMt, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. That is a third higher than exports in June and near to the 1.1 MMt exported in June 2016 that was the highest since at least 2000.

China's diesel exports in July fell 8.8 percent from a year ago to 1.4 MMt, the data showed, but they increased from 1.31 MMt in June.

Analysts have forecast China's diesel demand to increase slightly this year after a rare decline last year, thanks to the country's recovering foreign trade.

Kerosene exports last month fell 3.1% to 1.06 MMt, the data showed. Chinese refineries in July operated at their lowest daily rates since September 2016 to cope with brimming stocks and as state refiners faced off against independents in an unprecedented price war at retail fuel stations.
MRC

PE imports into Belarus increased by 7.4% in Q1

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polyethylene (PE) into Belarus rose in the first six months of 2017 by 7.4% year on year, exceeding 61,900 tonnes. Local companies have increased the volume of purchases of all PE grades, as per MRC DataScope.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, June 2017 PE imports to Belarus grew to 11,700 tonnes from 8,800 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies have increased the volume of purchases of all PE grades on a seasonal factor. Overall PE imports reached 61,900 tonnes in January-June 2017, compared to 57,600 tonnes a year earlier. The greatest increase in external supplies accounted for low density polyethylene (LDPE).

The structure of PE imports to Belarus by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

June LDPE imports grew to 3,900 tonnes from 2,800 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies increased their PE purchasing in Russia because of scheduled maintenance works at Polymir. Overall imports of this PE grade into Belarus totalled about 18,000 tonnes in the first six months of 2017, compared to 15,100 tonnes a year earlier.

An accident at the local producer's ethylene unit and, as a result, a major fall in capacity utilisation at LDPE production in the second half of the year was the main reason for such a great increase in imports. June LLDPE imports were about 4,300 tonnes versus 2,900 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, overall LLDPE imports to Belarus exceeded 21,700 tonnes in January-June 2017, whereas this figure was 24,400 tonnes a year earlier.

June HDPE imports grew to 3,500 tonnes from 2,300 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies decreased significantly their purchasing of PE from Russian producers. Overall HDPE imports into the country were about 22,100 tonnes in January-June 2017, up by 7.1% year on year.

MRC