Sinopec SABIC Tianjin successfully expanded ethylene capacity

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co. (SSTPC), a 50-50 joint venture of Sinopec and SABIC, has completed the debottlenecking of its ethylene cracker on 11 July 2020, adding another 30,000 tons/year output to its current capacity, reported CommoPlast with reference to market sources.

Followed the expansion, the Tianjin based plant become the country's largest compressor unit, producing 1.3 million tons of ethylene annually.

As MRC wrote before, the cracker was shut for maintenance and debottlenecking on May 9, 2020.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise group established in July 1998 on the basis of the former China Petrochemical Corporation. Sinopec Group"s key business activities include the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals and other chemical products, oil refining.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world"s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world"s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC

BP invests USD5 mln in US firm Satelytics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP’s venture affiliate is investing USD5m in Satelytics, a US cloud-based geospatial analytics software company that uses advanced spectral imagery and machine learning to monitor environmental changes such as methane emissions, said the company.

Satelytics collects high resolution spectral imagery from the planet’s surface using satellites, drones, and planes. Its technology combines these images with proprietary algorithms to create unique electromagnetic signatures that can be used to detect environmental changes, including releases or leaks. Its software visualises these data sets on interactive displays that give end-users a clear and actionable picture of operations, and alert them to facility risks, like methane leaks.

Bp’s USD5 million investment will enable Satelytics to develop its technology further and scale its applications throughout the oil and gas sector. Use of the technology has the potential to be part of bp’s aim to install methane measurement at all major oil and gas processing sites by 2023, publish the data and then drive a 50% reduction in methane intensity of its operations.

Morag Watson, bp senior vice president of digital science and engineering, said: "Satelytics is modernising the energy sector by making data about physical assets more accessible and digestible, leading to better decision making. We are excited to work closely alongside their unique team of scientists and technologists to help them evolve their technology and to continue to move the needle on industry digitalisation."

Sean Donegan, chief executive of Satelytics, said: "Bp’s early use of our detection and quantification software has inspired us to expand our capabilities. bp’s investment marks an inflexion point for Satelytics, which will assist us in expanding our technological capabilities and fuel future innovation."

Through its venturing business, bp is making strategic investments in innovative, game-changing technologies and businesses that can help it reimagine the global energy system.

As MRC informed earlier, BP and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have announced the start of their new Indian fuels and mobility joint venture, Reliance BP Mobility Limited (RBML). Following initial agreements in 2019, BP and RIL teams have worked closely over the past few months in a challenging environment to complete the transaction as planned. BP has paid RIL USD1 billion for a 49% stake in the joint venture, with RIL holding 51%.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.
MRC

Sinopec Zhongyuan starts turnaround at MTO plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Zhongyuan Petrochemical, part of Sinopec Group, has taken off-stream its methanol-to-olefins (MTO) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company halted operations at the plant on July 24, 2020 for a maintenance turnaround. The plant is likely to remain off-line till early-November, 2020.

Located at Henan in China, the MTO plant has an ethylene and propylene capacity of 100,000 mt/year each.

As MRC reported earlier, Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co. (SSTPC), a 50-50 joint venture of Sinopec and SABIC, has shut its naphtha cracker in Tianjin on 1 May 2020 for routine maintenance work. The cracker is expected to remain off-line until early July 2020. The naphtha cracker is designed to produce 1 million tons/year of ethylene, which supplies several local buyers in the Tianjin area.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise group established in July 1998 on the basis of the former China Petrochemical Corporation. Sinopec Group"s key business activities include the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals and other chemical products, oil refining.
MRC

Omani OQ begins maiden production of polyethylene

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Omani energy firm OQ has started test runs at its new 880,000 t/yr polyethylene (PE) plant and begun bagging its first batch of polymer resins, said Chemweek.

The closely watched swing PE plant is Oman's first and located at the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC), which also includes a 300,000 t/yr polypropylene (PP) unit.

Tecnimont, a major contractor of LPIC, said on 20 May that the unit achieved a safe start-up and produced its first polymer powder using imported ethylene.

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.

The OQ entity comprises state-owned oil company OOC, refiner Orpic and seven other domestic firms.

German chemicals company Oxea changed its corporate name to OQ Chemicals in mid-May, as it integrated into OQ.
MRC

Natural gas storage facility explodes in Mont Belvieu

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A fire broke out Wednesday following an explosion at the Lone Star NGL facility in Mont Belvieu, where a contractor struck an underground pipeline, reported Houston Chronicle with reference to officials' statement.

No injuries were reported. All facility workers had been accounted for, said Mont Belvieu city spokesman Brian Ligon.

The explosion sparked a large fire around 5 p.m. in the Lone Star NGL facility at 506 W. Winfree St. Firefighters were still working to suppress the flames as of 8 p.m. Wednesday night. The fire had dwindled significantly, and officials expected the fire to burn itself out overnight, according to a Facebook post from the city.

“MBFD and industrial units are continuing with suppression operations while the line bleeds out,” the city said. “We are very thankful that no plant employees or responders were injured during this incident or during the response.”

West Winfree Street and State Highway 146 remained closed late Wednesday.

Lone Star NGL is a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer LP, one of the largest natural gas infrastructure companies in the US Company spokeswoman Lisa Coleman told the Houston Chronicle that a contractor struck an underground pipeline at 4:45 p.m.

In addition to Mont Belvieu firefighters, the company’s own fire team responded to the incident. Coleman said there were no evacuations.

Energy Transfer and the Baytown Fire Department late Wednesday began conducting air monitoring. Results did not show any levels of concern, Coleman said.

“There will be an investigation into the cause of this incident,” Coleman said. “Updates will be provided as information becomes available.”

Ligon added that there was “no public threat” from the fire.

Fractionators separate raw mixed NGLs, also called Y-grade, into purity components: ethane, propane, butane and natural gasoline. The US chemical industry relies predominantly on NGLs as a feedstock.

As MRC informed earlier, Enterprise Products was expected to restart its propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Mont Belvieu, Texas, from maintenance last week. This PDH unit has the capacity of 750,000 mt/y of propylene.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's DataScope report, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.
MRC