Petrobras completes sale of Rlam refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Petrobras concluded the sale of the Landulpho Alves Refinery (Rlam) and its associated logistical assets, in Bahia, for the Mubadala Capital group, with the payment of USD1.8 billion, informed the state oil company in a statement to the market on Tuesday.

Acelen, a company created by Mubadala Capital for the operation, will take over from December 1 the management of Rlam, which will be renamed Refinaria de Mataripe.

Located in the municipality of Sao Francisco do Conde in Bahia, the refinery has the capacity to process 333,000 barrels of oil per day, or 14% of the country’s total capacity.

Its assets include four storage terminals and a set of pipelines that connect the refinery and terminals totaling 669 km in length.

“Petrobras will continue to support Acelen in refinery operations during a transition period. This will happen under a service provision agreement, avoiding any operational interruption”, said the company.

The amount paid reflects the purchase price of USD1.65 billion, preliminary adjusted due to monetary restatement and changes in working capital, net debt and investments until the closing of the transaction.

The contract also provides for a final adjustment to the acquisition price, which is expected to be determined in the coming months, added Petrobras.

Rlam was the first of eight refineries that Petrobras plans to sell to have its divestment completed, as part of a broad plan to open up the refining sector to private investment in the country. The state-owned company wants to keep in its portfolio only its five refineries located in the states of Rio de Janeiro e Sao Paulo.

“This sale operation is an important milestone for Petrobras and the fuel sector in the country,” said the president of Petrobras, Joaquim Silva and Luna.

As MRC informed before, Petrobras said in November it had halted talks with Brazilian conglomerate Ultrapar on the sale of the state-run oil company's Refap refinery, part of its program to sell eight plants. The company said it would relaunch the process of selling Refap in the future but did not provide a date.

We remind that in August 2021, Petrobras hired JPMorgan Chase & Co as an advisor to sell its stake in the petrochemical company Braskem SA.

We also remind that Braskem is no longer pursuing a petrochemical project, which would have included an ethane cracker, in West Virginia. And the company is seeking to sell the land that would have housed the cracker. The project, announced in 2013, had been on Braskem's back burner for several years.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.

Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Petrobras is an integrated energy firm. Petrobras' activities include exploration, exploitation and production of oil from reservoir wells, shale and other rocks as well as refining, processing, trade and transport of oil and oil products, natural gas and other fluid hydrocarbons, in addition to other energy-related activities.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sumitomo Chemical, as an "Eco-First Company" certified by the "Eco-First Program" of the Ministry of the Environment, has updated its "Eco-First Commitments” to reflect its new environmental conservation efforts and presented it as a declaration to Minister of the Environment Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, said the company.

In the "Eco-First Program," established in 2008, companies make a pledge to the Minister of the Environment to take measures to protect the environment, such as climate action and waste management and recycling, and the Minister certifies the company as an environmentally advanced company in the industry that is engaged in "advanced, unique and industry-leading business activities" in the field of the environment. In November 2008, Sumitomo Chemical became the first diversified chemical company to be certified as an "Eco-First Company." The Company has now made the third renewal of the commitments.

In this updated "Eco-First Commitments," the Company has made a commitment to contribute to the circulation of plastic resources, and further deepened the content of commitments related to the realization of a carbon-neutral society and chemical substance management.

As per MRC, Sumitomo Chemical has successfully conducted the first waste-based polyolefin production at its laboratory in Japan earlier this year, by use of the ethylene produced by Axens ethanol-to-ethylene technology Atol. This process value chain is complemented with the upfront “Waste to Ethanol” technology by Sekisui Chemical.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.

Sumitomo Chemical, a leading Japanese chemical company, was founded with a mission to drive societal impact and solve environmental challenges through technology. They have been exploring new opportunities to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Covestro and Ceres Holographics, Scotland, are now expanding their collaboration to make transparent displays with volume holographic optical elements fit for application readiness in the automotive industry in particular, said the company.

The opening of Ceres Holographics' new digital mastering and replication facility in Livingston is another important step for both companies to build and scale this technology.

Looking out of the car onto the road and seeing the speed and navigation instructions displayed on the windshield as if on a screen: this is made possible by a new generation of transparent displays. The technology offers a particularly wide range of design freedom and excellent imaging. In addition, the necessary projection system requires less installation space in the dashboard. In the innovative displays, a volume holographic film is integrated into the windshield or side window.

Covestro and Ceres Holographics, Scotland, are now expanding their collaboration to make transparent displays with volume holographic optical elements fit for application readiness in the automotive industry in particular. The opening of Ceres Holographics'new digital mastering and replication facility in Livingston is another important step for both companies to build and scale this technology.

The technical collaboration will focus on optimizing Covestro’s Bayfol® HX film and Ceres’ HoloFlekt® mastering and replication equipment with respect to the system geometry of various vehicle classes, imaging performance, as well as integration requirements. "By expanding our relationship with our long-time partner Ceres, we are significantly advancing forward-looking display solutions. The interest and exchange with OEMs shows us that a new generation of displays for mobility applications are important," says Moritz Winterstein, Head of Growth Ventures Specialty Films at Covestro.

As MRC informed previously, earlier this month, DSM completed the sale of the resins & functional materials businesses to Covestro for EUR1.6 billion (USD1.9 billion), including EUR1.4 billion in cash.

We remind that Covestro closed the sale of its European polycarbonates (PC) sheets business to the Munich-based Serafin Group effective January 2, 2020. This includes key management and sales functions throughout Europe as well as production sites in Belgium and Italy.

Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) is an independent subgroup within Bayer. It was created as part of the restructuring of Bayer AG from the former business group Bayer Polymers, with certain of its activities being spun off to Lanxess AG. Covestro manufactures and develops materials such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, polycarbonates (CDs, DVDs), polyurethanes (automotive seating, insulation for refrigerating appliances) etc. With 2020 sales of EUR 10.7 billion, Covestro has 33 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Basic Industries (SABIC), the world's fourth-biggest petrochemicals firm, and Malaysia-based plastic recycling company HHI, have announced a new collaboration to create the first certified circular polymers produced through the advanced recycling of recovered mixed and used ocean-bound plastic, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The certified circular polyolefins from ocean-bound plastic, from SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio of circular solutions will be used by SABIC’s customers to announce new products over the coming months.

As well as helping to protect our oceans and waterways, the ocean-bound plastic collection helps to create value for local communities by increasing demand for recycled plastic across the industry. The material is recovered from ocean-feeding waterways and inland areas within a 50 kilometer radius of the ocean by HHI partners predominantly in Malaysia.

The recovered material is then sent to HHI, where they convert the used plastic into pyrolysis oil through an advanced recycling. The pyrolysis oil is then used by SABIC in their production process as an alternative to traditional fossil materials to make new certified circular polymers. The material has been certified under the Zero Plastic Oceans accreditation, and HHI is the first organization to have received certification confirming the materials it recycles qualify as ocean-bound.

HHI created its own model to outline the steps required to facilitate the transition to a circular economy. The model has five stages which are to collect ocean-bound plastic through its extensive network, convert them into high-quality, manufacturable materials, collaborate with partners to create new products, provide customers with the platform to champion their use of more sustainable materials and catalyze a generation of conscientious consumers who will opt for sustainable materials.

The circular polymers produced from ocean-bound plastic form part of SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio and services for circular innovations. Launched in 2019, SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio spans mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from advanced recycling of used plastic and certified renewables products from bio-based feedstock, as well as design for recyclability and closed loop recycling initiatives.

As MRC reported earlier, in October 2021, SABIC announced plans on Saturday to meet carbon neutrality by 2050.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On Tuesday, November 23, the White House announced plans to make 50 MM bbl of crude oil available to the market through a combination of exchanges and accelerating previously announced sale, according to Hydrocarbonprocessings.

With these sales and several other legislated drawdowns, SPR inventories could decline from 618 MM bbl (as of October 1, 2021) to about 314 MM bbl by the start of the 2032 fiscal year, the lowest level since March 1983. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed earlier this month, includes a provision to draw down 87.6 MM bbl of crude oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in fiscal years (FY) 2028 through 2031.

The SPR was established in the 1970s to alleviate the effects of unexpected oil supply reductions. The reserve was designed to hold up to 714 MM bbl of crude oil across four storage sites along the Gulf of Mexico, where much of the U.S. petroleum refining capacity is located.

Crude oil can be released from the SPR under four conditions: emergency drawdowns, test sales, exchange agreements, and nonemergency sales. Emergency drawdowns and test sales are relatively rare. The most recent emergency drawdown occurred in 2011 in response to production disruptions in Libya, and the most recent test sale occurred in 2014. The SPR has released crude oil under exchange agreements 12 times since 1996, most recently after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In these exchange agreements, crude oil is released to private companies and repaid in kind by specified dates with additional bbl, similar to monetary interest on a loan.

Congress has also authorized nonemergency sales of SPR crude oil to respond to lesser supply disruptions or to raise revenue for the US Treasury.

One of the SPR’s core missions is to hold enough oil stocks to fulfill US obligations under the International Energy Program, the 1974 treaty that established the International Energy Agency (IEA). As a member of the IEA, the United States is obligated to maintain stocks of crude oil and petroleum products, both public and private, to provide at least 90 days of US net import protection. The US Department of Energy calculates this value by dividing the SPR inventory level by EIA’s sum for net crude oil and petroleum product imports.

As MRC informed before, US commercial crude stocks fell 3.48 million barrels to 413.96 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 17, to more than 8% below the five-year average, Energy Information Administration data showed. Stocks were last lower Oct. 5, 2018.

We remind that in late August, 2021, US crude stocks dropped sharply while petroleum products supplied by refiners hit an all-time record despite the rise in coronavirus cases nationwide, the Energy Information Administration said. Crude inventories fell by 7.2 million barrels in the week to Aug. 27 to 425.4 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 3.1 million-barrel drop. Product supplied by refineries, a measure of demand, rose to 22.8 million barrels per day in the most recent week. That's a one-week record, and signals strength in consumption for diesel, gasoline and other fuels by consumers and exporters.

We also remind that US crude oil production is expected to fall by 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2021 to 11.12 million bpd, EIA said in a monthly report earlier this year, a smaller decline than its previous forecast for a drop of 210,000 bpd.
MRC