Celanese raises prices for emulsion polymers in Americas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, will increase list and off-list selling prices for Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (EVA) emulsions and copolymers of Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) and EVA, as per the company's press release.

The price increases below will be effective October 1, 2017, or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to previously announced price increases.

The following price rise will apply for the countries of South America:

- EVA - by USD110/mt;
- VAM Homopolymers (PVAC) - by USD110/mt;
- VAM Copolymers - by USD110/mt;
- Pure Acrylics - by USD110/mt;
- Styrene Acrylics - by USD110/mt.

And the following price increase will apply for the USA and Canada:

- EVA - by USD0.05/lb;
- VAM Homopolymers (PVAC) - by USD0.05/lb;
- VAM Copolymers - by USD0.05/lb;
- Styrene Acrylics - by USD0.05/lb;
- Pure Acrylics - by USD0.05/lb.

As MRC informed before, earlier this month, Celanese Corporation said it would also increase October list and off-list selling VAM prices in the Americas. Thus, VAM prices will be raised, as follows:

- by USD200/mt - for South America;
- by USD0.12/lb - for USA and Canada.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,300 employees worldwide and had 2016 net sales of USD5.4 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) — CB&I announced it has been awarded a contract by Phillips 66 to increase storage capacity at Phillips 66's liquid products terminal in Nederland, Texas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

CB&I's scope of work encompasses the engineering, procurement, fabrication and erection of three large crude oil storage tanks with external steel pontoon type floating roofs.

"This is our third project for Phillips 66 at this terminal, where we are currently building five similar crude storage tanks," said Luke V. Scorsone, Executive Vice President of CB&I's Fabrication Services operating group. "As the industry's most experienced tank builder, we can deliver the safety, quality and schedule performance our customers expect and rely on."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Equate, a global producer of petrochemical products based in Kuwait, has appointed Dr Ramesh Ramachandran, the senior executive vice president of Equate, as the new chief executive officer, while Naser Al Dousari will take over as the new senior vice president of the group, reported TradeArabia.

Dr Ramachandran will be succeeding Mohammad Hussain, who retires after serving as CEO for two consecutive three-year terms and a career in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industry extending over 35 years, said a statement from Equate.

During his tenure, Hussain led the transition of the organization from a single-plant operation to a global leader with manufacturing operations in Kuwait, Europe, and North America, it stated.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Equate Petrochemical, the company is an international joint venture with key shareholders including Petrochemical Industries Company, The Dow Chemical Company, Boubyan Petrochemical Company and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company.

Announcing the changes in senior leadership, Equate said both Dr Ramachandran and Al Dousari will assume their new roles effective November 20 and will complete the transition process with Hussain by the end of the year.

Prior to this, Al Dousari was the manager of Olefins Business Development at Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) and also a board member of Equate and Kuwait Olefin Company (TKOC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and a founding shareholder of Equate.

As MRC informed before, Kuwait-based Equate Petrochemical Company continued its global growth through its wholly owned subsidiary MEGlobal with the launch of work on a new world-scale ethylene glycol (EG) manufacturing facility in Freeport, Texas, US, in August 2016. With this plant, Equate is the first Kuwaiti petrochemical company to invest in the US. The new facility, to be completed during 2019, will increase Equate’s monoethylene glycol (MEG) capacity by 750,000 metric tonnes annually and will enhance the company’s global presence to meet customer needs.

Equate is the world’s second largest EG producer with 12% of the global market share.

Equate Petrochemical Company K.S.C.C., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes petrochemical products. The company produces ethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, styrene monomer, paraxylene, heavy aromatics, and benzene; polyethylene for various applications, including flexible and food packaging, industrial packaging, agricultural films, HIC, and others; and monoethylene and diethylene glycol that are used in polyester fiber for fabrics, water-based adhesive materials, shoe polish, and printer inks, as well as automotive anti-freeze and coolants. The company sells its products in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, North America, Asia, Europe, and internationally. Equate Petrochemical Company K.S.C.C. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Safat, Kuwait.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) — Pembina Pipeline Corporation announced that in order to accommodate incremental volume commitments from customers, the Company is adding additional infrastructure and increasing operational flexibilities to its previously announced Phase V pipeline expansion (Phase V), which included a 20-in pipeline from Lator to Fox Creek, Alberta, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The Company is also revising its capital cost estimate for Phase V by an additional USD135 MM for a total capital cost of USD385 MM.

Since Phase V was originally announced in April 2017, Pembina has secured approximately 30,000 bpd in additional volume commitments.

The Phase V capital cost estimate revision is a result of: USD90 MM towards increased receipt station functionality at Lator by adding 40,000 bbl of operational crude and condensate storage, new tie-ins and site modifications, a new pump station near Dawson Creek, British Columbia and upgrading an existing pump station at Gordondale, Alberta; and USD45 MM due to capital cost refinements, including changes to volume receipt locations.

Through the Phase V project enhancements, the pipeline capacity will be increased by an incremental 45,000 bpd upstream of Laglace, Alberta. In addition to accommodating further customer demand, this will improve operational efficiencies and offer more optionality, which will ultimately provide a better service offering for Pembina's customers.

Phase V is aimed at addressing capacity constraints between Lator and Fox Creek and supporting future growth in the Montney and Deep Basin resource plays. The project is expected to provide additional capacity in this corridor and access to Pembina's downstream capacity at Fox Creek. Clearing and access to the right-of-way is now 90% complete with construction expected to commence shortly. The Company continues to anticipate bringing Phase V into service in late-2018. Once operational, Pembina will have three distinct pipelines between Lator and Fox Creek.

The Company also continues to progress regulatory approvals, design and engineering of the two pump stations for its previously announced Phase IV pipeline expansion. Phase IV will increase capacity between Fox Creek and Namao, Alberta.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total SA expects production soon from its 225,500-bpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, which has been shut since an Aug. 30 power outage during Tropical Storm Harvey, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Gulf Coast market sources said the company was proceeding carefully bringing units up to operating temperatures and beginning to circulate feed. None of the units is producing product.

"The Total Port Arthur Refinery is restarting the plant and anticipates first production soon," said Total spokeswoman Tricia Fuller. "We are preparing for the previously planned turnaround on some process units."

A planned overhaul of the 78,000-bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit and 5,000 bpd alkylation unit began last week and is continuing as planned, the sources said.

The overhaul is planned to last up to two months, according to the sources.

Most of the units not involved in the turnaround are preparing to restart, the sources said.
MRC