Crude lower after API data reflects build in US gasoline inventories

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Crude oil futures were lower in mid-morning trade in Asia on Aug.19 after American Petroleum Institute data released late Aug.18 showed a surprisingly large build in gasoline inventories even as US commercial crude supplies fell for a consecutive fourth week, said S&P Global.

At 10:32 am Singapore time (0232 GMT), the ICE Brent October crude futures were down 27 cents/b (0.59%) from the Aug.18 settle at $45.19/b, while NYMEX September light sweet crude contract was down by 18 cents/b (0.42%) at USD42.71/b.

"API reported a big build in gasoline inventories, which has somewhat taken the edge off the bullish market sentiment," Stephen Innes, chief global markets strategist at AxiCorp, said in a note Aug.19. "Summertime builds are never received well, but particularly towards the end of this summer as there is some concern the virus could rage again during colder winter months in the northern hemisphere and further crimp gasoline demand," he added.

Meanwhile, US commercial crude inventories were reported to have declined by 4.26 million barrels for the week ending Aug.14, slightly higher than the 3.8 million barrels drawdown estimated on Aug.17.

Notably, it will be the fourth consecutive week of drawdown for US commercial crude inventories if the official weekly US inventory report due for release by the Energy Information Administration later in the day confirms the API industry report on Aug.18.

Meanwhile, the continued spread of COVID-19 worldwide remains the key drag on the short-term demand outlook. Global COVID-19 infections exceeded 22 million case counts while total deaths reached 779,443, latest data from John Hopkins University showed.

A resurgence of infections in major European economies also reignited concerns that global economic recovery will continue to slow as countries tightened pandemic containment restrictions. The number of new cases in Germany reached four-month highs on Aug.17, while Spain registers 16,000 new infections in three days, according to media reports.

Elsewhere, members of the OPEC+ alliance will be meeting to discuss about compliance and compensation cuts through September for members who failed to abide by their output quotas from May to July in the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting.

Earlier this year, BP said the deadly coronavirus outbreak could cut global oil demand growth by 40 per cent in 2020, putting pressure on Opec producers and Russia to curb supplies to keep prices in check.

And in September 2019, six world's major petrochemical companies in Flanders, Belgium, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Netherlands (Trilateral Region) announced the creation of a consortium to jointly investigate how naphtha or gas steam crackers could be operated using renewable electricity instead of fossil fuels. The Cracker of the Future consortium, which includes BASF, Borealis, BP, LyondellBasell, SABIC and Total, aims to produce base chemicals while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. The companies agreed to invest in R&D and knowledge sharing as they assess the possibility of transitioning their base chemical production to renewable electricity.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- US crude oil stockpiles fell in the second week of August even as net imports jumped sharply, while fuel demand dipped as well, reported Reuters with reference to the US Energy Information Administration's statement.

Crude inventories fell by 1.6 million barrels in the week to Aug. 14 to 512.5 million barrels, less than analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 2.7 million-barrel drop.

Net US crude imports rose by 1.1 million barrels per day to 3.6 MMbpd, the EIA said.

Fuel demand dropped by more than 2 MMbpd to 17.2 MMbpd in terms of product supplied. Overall fuel demand is down 14% from the year-ago period over the last four weeks.

As the summer driving season comes to a close, overall fuel demand tends to decline.

Prices rose briefly following the report. U.S. crude futures were down 26 cents, or 0.6%, to USD42.63 a barrel by 11:01 a.m. ET (1501 GMT), while Brent dropped 37 cents to USD45.09 a barrel.

Refinery crude runs fell by 171,000 bpd in the last week, EIA said, while refinery utilization rates fell by 0.1 percentage point.

US gasoline stocks fell by 3.3 million barrels to 243.8 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts’ expectations for a 1.1 million-barrel drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 152,000 barrels, versus expectations for a 557,000-barrel drop. Overall distillate stockpiles sit at 177.8 million barrels, just off a 38-year-high set last month.

“It is concerning that distillate inventories continue to remain at very high levels as refiners blend excess jet fuel supplies into diesel,” said Andrew Lipow, president at Lipow Oil Associates in Houston.

As MRC wrote previously, US crude oil inventories moved sharply lower during the week ended July 24 as exports and refinery demand climbed to multi-month highs, US Energy Information Administration data showed July 29.. Commercial crude stocks fell 10.61 million barrels to 525.97 million barrels last week, EIA data showed. While the draw pushed stockpiles to 14-week lows, they remained more than 17% above the five-year average for this time of year. The inventory draw was concentrated on the US Gulf Coast, where stocks fell 10.46 million barrels to 295.51 million barrels, and on the US West Coast, where stocks fell 1.7 million barrels to 52.75 million barrels, the lowest since mid-March.

Earlier this year, BP said the deadly coronavirus outbreak could cut global oil demand growth by 40 per cent in 2020, putting pressure on Opec producers and Russia to curb supplies to keep prices in check.

And in September 2019, six world's major petrochemical companies in Flanders, Belgium, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Netherlands (Trilateral Region) announced the creation of a consortium to jointly investigate how naphtha or gas steam crackers could be operated using renewable electricity instead of fossil fuels. The Cracker of the Future consortium, which includes BASF, Borealis, BP, LyondellBasell, SABIC and Total, aims to produce base chemicals while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. The companies agreed to invest in R&D and knowledge sharing as they assess the possibility of transitioning their base chemical production to renewable electricity.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The plastics industry requires a paradigm shift towards an absolute decoupling of materials consumption from growth of the economy if it is to achieve sustainability targets, according to new research from research firm Wood Mackenzie, said Canplastics.

"This shift, a term we call the materials transition, is the process through which we account for – and seek to minimise – the costs of extracting and disposing of raw materials consumed in the global economy,” said Guy Bailey, Wood Mackenzie’s head of intermediates and applications. “The materials transition is driven by societal concern, regulatory interventions and technological innovation."

If all plastic packaging companies put the materials transition at the heart of their sustainability strategies, what would this mean in terms of plastic production and waste generation? Wood Mackenzie ran two scenarios focused on the major packaging polymers – polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – to answer this question. A “Current Path” scenario represents the world if it continues as it is today, while a “Sustainable Future” scenario sees more stringent legislation implemented to incentives companies to be ambitious.

Under Wood Mackenzie’s “Current Path” scenario, the global recycling rate for the selected polymers more than doubles between now and 2040, rising from 17% to 38% of polymer produced for packaging applications.

Under Wood Mackenzie’s “Sustainable Future” scenario, there’s a significant increase in volumes of packaging going through mechanical recycling processes, and significant investment in chemical recycling technologies and capacities. Faster growth in the recycling of flexible, multi-material and coloured packaging follows.

The cumulative impact of these changes is another near doubling of the recycling rate for the observed packaging polymers, rising to approximately 67%. In 2040 alone, this results in an additional 53 million tonnes of packaging plastic prevented from going into landfill, energy recovery or unmanaged waste streams in comparison to the ‘Current Path’ scenario. Cumulatively, from 2020 to 2040, this rises to 382 million tonnes.

"It’s clear to see that chemical recycling has the potential to significantly increase recycling levels,” Bailey said. “However, the impact of this on the value chain will depend on how circular the recycling chain is. For instance, how much recycled plastic is ‘downcycled’ into non-circular products – such as reclaimed plastic bottles recycled into polyester fibres – and the precise split between recycling routes."

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Through the acquisition of the Solvay polyamide (PA) business, BASF has enhanced its R&D capabilities in Asia Pacific with new technologies, technical expertise, and upgraded material and part testing services, as per BASF's press release.

BASF is planning to integrate the R&D centers from Solvay into its R&D existing facilities in Shanghai, China, and Seoul, Korea. The enhanced capabilities will boost BASF’s position as a solution provider to develop advanced material solutions for key industries.

“Pursuing innovation in new products and applications is our goal. We will leverage the extensive know-how of the combined business to develop advanced customer-oriented material solutions, as well as to drive more projects with our customers,” said Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President of Performance Materials Asia Pacific, BASF. “Our offering will be further supported by additional production capacity and a more extensive product portfolio, which includes new high-temperature grades.”

With the acquisition of the Solvay polyamide business, BASF now has its first UL certified lab in Asia, adding to BASF’s existing labs, which have an ISO 17025 accreditation. As such, test data obtained from UL accredited labs can be used directly to apply for UL’s Yellow Card which is a globally recognized certification on quality, safety, and performance of plastic products. This UL certified testing capability can significantly shorten the verification process, and thus the time-to-market of flame-retardant products.

The new lab, located in Shanghai, will be part of the company’s comprehensive global R&D network and complement BASF’s existing flame-retardant grade polyamide testing service, mainly for electronic and electrical solutions.

BASF has expanded its part testing capabilities with eight new tests in Shanghai, including electrodynamic shaker, burst, glycol circulation, oil separation, and stone impact. In the future, all related parts can be tested directly in Shanghai, which will make product development more efficient.

Additionally, BASF can now evaluate final parts with its expanded testing expertise. By validating the performance of the final parts with the new testing capabilities, BASF can help increase its customers’ product development success rate and speed-to-market.

The enhanced facilities can enable in-depth analysis and evaluation of some unique features, such as aging resistance to heat, oil, and coolant. BASF’s expertise provides a deep understanding of test specifications, which have a significant impact on the results, empowering material development for the future of the automotive industry.

“The strengthened capabilities in R&D will help us give a quicker response to customers in Asia Pacific, speed up the time to market and be more competitive in the engineering plastics market,” said Postlethwaite.

As MRC reported previously, BASF will increase its alkoxylate capacity in Asia Pacific, with its latest investment in Jinshan, China. The company has acquired land, buildings and assets of SPC, related to alkoxylates production, adjoining the BASF Jinshan site, in order to fulfil the growing demand from customers across Asia Pacific, especially China. With the current alkoxylate line in the Care Chemicals Jinshan plant running at full capacity, this acquisition will help double the capacity at Jinshan from end 2020.

We remind that BASF-YPC, a 50-50 joint venture of BASF and Sinopec, undertook a planned shutdown at its naphtha cracker on 30 April 2020. The company initially planned to start turnaround at the cracker on April 5, 2020. The plant remained under maintenance unitl 18 June, 2020. Located in Jiangsu, China, the cracker has an ethylene capacity of 750,000 mt/year and propylene capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

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.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF generated sales of EUR59 billion in 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- 3M Canada in Brockville, Ont. will produce as many as 100 million N95 masks a year following a roughly USD70-million agreement with the federal and Ontario governments, said Canplastics.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the deal on Aug. 21 at the Brockville facility.
Ottawa and the province will each contribute USD23.3 million to expand manufacturing capabilities at the Brockville plant – where 3M makes tape and other materials – allowing it to produce the increased amount of masks, which are made from synthetic plastic fibres.

The masks are considered a critical piece of protection in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.

The masks made at the expanded facility will be used to meet “private sector, provincial, and North American market demand throughout the pandemic and beyond,” said Robert Gibson, a spokesman for Ontario’s minister of economic development.

"With mask production in Brockville, it increases public confidence in our PPE supply chain. We can count on Canadians making masks for Canadians,” Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MP Michael Barrett said in a statement. “It’s important that Canadians have a secure and reliable source for these important products and our skilled workers here are certainly up to the task."

As MRC informed earlier, SIBUR and 3M have signed an agreement to cooperate in product development and polymer recycling at SIBUR’s PolyLab. Thanks to their durability, strength, eco-friendliness and other advantages, such polymers as polyethylene and polypropylene are some of the most widely used synthetic materials, popular with the construction, utilities, automotive, healthcare, food and other industries.

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