Index of chemical production in Russia grew by 5.5% in January - August 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall output of chemicals increased in the first eight months of 2017 by 5.5% year on year, despite lower production in May,June and August, according to Rosstat.

According to the Federal Service of State Statistics, last month's production of basic chemicals decreased by 1.6% year on year. However, the high growth rates in the previous months of the year provided for the increase of 5.5% in the output of basic chemicals in January-August 2017.

August output of ethylene was 228,000 tonnes, compared to 219,000 tonnes a month earlier, lower production in July was caused by a scheduled shutdown for maintenance at Gazprom neftekhim Salavat. Overall, over 1.97 m tonnes of this olefin were manufactured in the first eight month of 2017, up by 7.6% year on year.

Last month's production of benzene grew to 110,000 tonnes from 99,600 tonnes in July on the back of shutdown at Gazprom neftekhim Salavat. Overall output of this product exceeded 912,400 tonnes over the stated period, up by 9.1% year on year.

August production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) were 96,500 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) versus 87,700 tonnes a month earlier. Low production volumes in the last two months of the summer was a result of the planned shutdown for the maintenance works of Bashkir Soda Company and SayanskKhimPlast. Overall output of caustic soda grew to 802,000 tonnes in January-August 2017, up by 8% year on year.

Last month's production of mineral fertilizers was 1.86 mln tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients) versus 1.77 mln tonnes in July. Nevertheless, Russian plants produced 14.6 mln tonnes of fertilizers in January-August 2017, up by 9.8% year on year. Production of all types of fertilizers increased, with potash fertilizers, the output of which grew by 15%, accounted for the greatest increase.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ClearSign Combustion Corporation, a leading of industrial combustion technologies that deliver unmatched reduction of pollutant emissions while improving operational costs, announced that it had successfully completed the first installation of the Duplex Plug and Play, for industrial process heaters at a refinery in Texas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Unlike traditional burners, the company stated in a press release, Plug and Play uses patented Duplex technology to enhance the combustion process ensuring best available, ultra-low emissions while enhancing operational efficiency by increasing the mean time between heater maintenance cycles that require furnace shutdowns.

The six-burner test heater was chosen by the Texas refinery to demonstrate the Plug & Play's ability to control flame impingement and improve emission performance. Starting with one burner, and incrementally adding subsequent burners as the customer's maintenance schedule allows, the first installation of Plug & Play has achieved the project goals.

ClearSign is coordinating the subsequent roll out of the follow-on order to conform with the refinery's maintenance schedule and expects to finish the project by years' end.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Taiwan has suspended refined oil and LNG exports to North Korea, as well as clothing and textile imports, to comply with United Nations resolutions, a largely symbolic move by the island to show it is a responsible member of the international community, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Self-ruled Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, due to Beijing's position that it is simply a Chinese province and so not able to have its own official diplomatic ties with anyone.

But proudly democratic Taiwan likes to show that it follows international norms, despite its lack of U.N. membership. On Sept. 11, the United Nations Security Council unanimously stepped up sanctions against North Korea over its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3, imposing a ban on the isolated nation's textile exports and capping imports of crude oil.

To complement the UN measures, Taiwan said it would suspend LNG, crude oil, and refined oil product exports to North Korea with effect from Tuesday, the economics ministry said in a statement. Taiwan will suspend clothing and related textile good imports from North Korea, it added, adding that written pacts made before Sept. 11 would prevail for imports until Dec. 10, so long as a special permit is obtained from the trade office.

Taiwan's measure is aimed at "denouncing North Korea's recent successive nuclear tests and actions that jeopardize regional security," the economics ministry said in a statement. Taiwan and North Korea have only a minuscule trading relationship. Taiwan says its exports to North Korea in the first six months of this year were worth just $36,575, an annual decrease of more than 90%.

Last week, North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan's northern Hokkaido region far out into the Pacific Ocean, shortly after its biggest nuclear test this month.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) — India’s Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd (BORL) has bought, via tender, its first crude cargo from the United States, which will be delivered in November, said Reuters.

Trafigura will deliver 1 MMbbl of Mars crude from the US Gulf of Mexico to BORL on Nov. 16 to 25, they said.

BORL is likely the third Indian oil refiner, after Indian Oil Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp, to import US crude.

Hindustan Petroleum Corp has also said it plans to buy US crude in the next few months.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Jorge Nogueira took over as Chief Executive Officer of rubber specialist ARLANXEO, Lanxess and Saudi Aramco's joint venture, with effect from September 9, 2017, as per the company's press release.

The Argentinian succeeds Jan Paul de Vries, who is leaving the company to seek a new professional challenge.

A joint venture between the Cologne-based specialty chemicals company Lanxess and Saudi Arabian oil producer Saudi Aramco, ARLANXEO is one of the world’s leading suppliers of synthetic rubber. "In Jorge Nogueira, a recognized industry and market expert is taking over as CEO," said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Shareholders’ Committee of ARLANXEO. "He will drive the company forward in a persisting difficult market environment." Until now, Nogueira has headed up the Tire & Specialty Rubbers (TSR) business unit of ARLANXEO. He has served as a member of the Executive Board since the company was founded in April 2016.

At the same time, Zachert thanked the current CEO: "Jan Paul de Vries outstandingly positioned ARLANXEO in its establishment phase and was instrumental in ensuring that it has become one of the strongest players in the rubber sector. I wish him all the best for the future, both professionally and personally."

Jorge Nogueira was born in Argentina. His career began in Brazil with the U.S. company Dow Chemical. After holding various managerial positions at the French chemical company Rhone-Poulenc in Brazil, China, the United States and France, he became CEO of the Brazilian company Petroflex S.A. in 2007. After Petroflex was acquired by Lanxess, Nogueira served in various leadership positions with the specialty chemicals company beginning in 2008. He has been in charge of the Tire & Specialty Rubbers business unit since January 2015.

Christian Widdershoven will join the four-member Executive Board of ARLANXEO on behalf of Lanxess. He is currently Managing Director of ARLANXEO Netherlands B.V. and head of the Keltan EPDM business. Born in the Netherlands, Widdershoven previously held leadership positions in the rubber sector at DSM and Lanxess.

As MRC wrote before, ARLANXEO is showcasing its product portfolio for adhesive applications and innovative solutions for the industry at this year’s FEICA, the most important European trade fair and conference for the adhesives industry.

Arlanxeo was established in April 2016 as a joint venture of Lanxess - a world-leading specialty chemicals company based in Cologne, Germany - and Saudi Aramco - a major global energy and chemicals enterprise headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The two partners each hold a 50-percent interest in the joint venture. The business operations of ARLANXEO are assigned to the High Performance Elastomers and Tire & Specialty Rubbers business units. As MRC wrote before, in September 2015, Lanxess was in talks to put its main synthetic rubber business into a joint venture with petrochemicals group Ineos. Lanxess also held talks with Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Russia's NKNK and Sibur.
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