Imports of injection moulding PET chips into Belarus grew by 27% in January-July

MOSCOW (MRC) - Import deliveries of injection moulded PET chips to the Belarusian market increased by 27% in seven months of this year and reached 14,250 tonnes compared to 11,240 tonnes in January-July last year, said MRC DataScope.

July imports of material into Belarus decreased by 6% and amounted to 2,040 tonnes compared to 2,180 tonnes in July last year, in June of the current supply amounted to 1,760 tonnes.

The share of Russian imports for this period was 85% (12,150 tonnes) compared with 9% (10,680 tonnes) for the same period last year.
July imports of material from Russian increased by 13% to 2,000 tonnes against 1,760 tonnes in June.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, has increased its September list and off-list selling prices for Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as per the company's press release.

The price rise below is for orders shipped on or after 18 September, 2019 , or as contracts otherwise allow, and is incremental to any previously announced increases.

Thus, VAM prices rose by EUR50/mt for Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

As MRC reported earlier, Celanese last raised its VAM prices for the stated above regions and Asia on 30 July, 2019, by EUR125/mt.

According to MRC's DataScope report, July EVA imports to Russia increased by 4% year on year to 3,490 tonnes from 3,350 tonnes in July 2018, and overall imports of this grade of ethylene copolymer into the Russian Federation decreased in January-July 2019 by 14, 3% year on year to 22,440 tonnes (26,170 tonnes in the first seven months of 2018).

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 7,700 employees worldwide and had 2018 net sales of USD7.2 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The global market for polypropylene (PP) is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% to reach USD115 bln until 2022, according to Plastemart with reference to Beroe Inc.

The key-driving end-use applications of the PP market are the CPG segment (food/non-food containers, caps-closures, films) and auto components (internal structures, bumpers, dashboard carriers, door panels).

Matured markets such as the U.S. and few European countries have a dominant automotive segment and possess a greater demand for the molding grade of PP. Rise in disposable income, increasing demand from CPG, and the medical industry is likely to drive the growth in emerging markets such as Brazil and Asia.

One of the principal industry drivers for PP is the automobile industry, which has been a major consumer of PP due to its weight properties. Over a third of the plastics utilized in the automotive industry are PP and its alloys. Thus, the demand from the automotive industry is expected to rise globally. However, a major constraint for the PP market is the threat of substitutes. With certain regions concentrating on promoting environment-friendly products in the packaging sector, rPET and PET are attractive options as compared to PP due to their recyclable properties. The market trends in MEA infer that the demand for PP is expected to increase at a steady rate of 4.1 percent until 2022 from the CPG industry. Additionally, the food and beverage industry, followed by the health and hygiene industry, will drive the demand for PP across the African region. Key Findings include:

- Demand from the film and packaging industry is a growth driver for the PP market as almost 50% of PP is used in the packaging segment.
- In the long run, PP supplies are likely to strengthen in the European market after the arrival of new plants by existing manufacturers.
- The raw material is the major cost driver of PP; hence North America and the Middle East have greater control over its pricing due to their self-sufficiency.
- The top 10 suppliers contribute to nearly 50% of the overall PP production in the world. TOTAL Petrochemicals has the largest polypropylene plant across the globe with a capacity of 1.224 mln mtpa.
- Capacity additions of almost 18 mln mtpa in the PP market are expected to be supplemented by 2022, primarily from Asia, the Middle East, and Russia.
- A hybrid sourcing strategy is being adopted by companies to capitalize on the advantages of both regional and global sourcing strategies, which is ideal for the procurement of PP resins.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 796,120 tonnes in January-July 2019, up by 11% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Export deliveries of injection moulded PET chips from Belarus in January-July increased by 28% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 9,940 tonnes against 7,760 tonnes year on year, according to MRC DataScope.
At the same time, export of injection moulded PET from the country in in July almost doubled - from 1,010 tonnes to 1,840 tonnes. In July of the previous year, exports shipments of PET chips were 710 tonnes.

Deliveries to Russia in January-July amounted to 41% (4,010 tonnes) of total exports against a share of 67% (5,170 tonnes) in the same period last year.

The share of exports to Russia from Belarus in July significantly decreased and amounted to 28% against 94% in July last year and 50% in June 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Energy companies Total of France and Italy's Eni have teamed up to expand their search for natural gas off southern coast, signing a licensing agreement Wednesday, reported EconomicTimes.

Cypriot Energy Minister Georgios Lakkotrypis said the companies will have an equal share in a new block into which a gas deposit that Eni discovered in an adjacent block last year is believed to extend.

Lakkotrypis said Total also gains a 20-40% share in four of Eni's concessions inside Cyprus' exclusive economic zone. Korea's Kogas is also a partner with a 20% share in three of the four concessions.

With Wednesday's signing, Eni and Total now hold exploration licenses for seven of Cyprus' 13 blocks. ExxonMobil and a partnership between Texas-based Noble Energy, Dutch Shell and Israeli Delek hold licenses for one block each.

The two companies are expected to drill six wells in their blocks over the next two years.

Earlier this year, ExxonMobil and partners Qatar Petroleum announced the discovery of a gas field in their concession estimated to contain 5-8 trillion square feet of gas.

Noble Energy discovered a field of its own estimated to hold 4.1 trillion cubic feet of gas back in 2011.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told The Associated Press on Tuesday that there are "sufficient quantities" of gas in Cypriot waters for exploitation.

As MRC reported earlier, in February 2018, Eni and Total discovered a promising natural gas field off Cyprus.

ENI is an Italian multinational oil and gas company headquartered in Rome. It has operations in in 79 countries, and is currently Italy's largest industrial company with a market capitalization of EUR68 billion (USD 90 billion), as of August 14, 2013. The Italian government owns a 30.3% golden share in the company, 3.93% held through the state Treasury and 26.37% held through the Cassa depositi e prestiti. Another 39.40% of the shares are held by BNP Paribas.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC