Buyer interest in ExxonMobil refinery rises with fuel margins

Record-high refining margins have renewed buyer interest in ExxonMobil Corp’s smallest oil refinery, a 61,500 bpd plant in Billings, Montana, said people familiar with the matter, said Reuters.

Exxon has sought unsuccessfully to sell the Billings refinery for at least four years, according to sources, drawing tire-kickers from major and small refiners. A sale now could bring in between USD300 MM and USD600 MM, one of the people said.

U.S. profit margins for processing crude into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel hit five-year highs this month, reviving the plant's appeal. Rising travel and fewer refineries from pandemic-shutdowns have U.S. gasoline prices headed toward an average USD6 a gallon this summer, say analysts.

At least three companies and a private investment group have shown renewed interest in the refinery this year, which returned to full production this week for the first time since a March 27 fire, the people said. “We don’t comment on rumors,” said Exxon spokesperson Julie King.

The nation’s largest refiner by volume, Marathon Petroleum Corp, along with Par Pacific Holdings and CVR Energy are potential buyers, the people said. Marathon Petroleum spokesperson Jamal Kheiry declined to comment. Par Pacific and CVR did not reply to requests for comment.

At least one interested buyer is said by the sources to be discussing the terms of a deal with Exxon for the refinery and could announce a sale agreement sometime this summer.

Exxon put the facility on the market to reduce its U.S. refining footprint to four plants: a trio of refineries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baytown and Beaumont, Texas, which are among the nation’s largest and have adjoining chemical plants, and a 251,800 barrel-per-day refinery in Joliet, Illinois.

As per MRC, ExxonMobil has made three new discoveries offshore Guyana and increased its estimate of the recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to nearly 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels. The three discoveries are southeast of the Liza and Payara developments and bring to five the discoveries made by ExxonMobil in Guyana in 2022.

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 2,487,450 tonnes in 2021, up by 13% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 1,494.280 tonnes, up by 21% year on year. Deliveries of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whreas, shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
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BASF is seeking a 22 cent/lb (USD485/tonne) increase on its caprolactam and nylon 6 in North America, effective 1 July, said the company.

The company did not provide a reason in the media release for the July increase initiative. US June contracts for upstream benzene settled at a 35% increase from May. Spot benzene last traded at USD6.50/gal.

We remind, in May, BASF increased prices for its Refinery Catalysts portfolio globally. With immediate effect, BASF’s Refinery Catalysts business will increase prices for its portfolio globally. The price adjustment is in response to continuously surging raw material, transportation, and energy costs.

BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. By leveraging our industry-leading R&D platforms, passion for innovation and deep knowledge of precious and base metals, BASF’s Catalysts division develops unique, proprietary solutions that drive customer success.
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Braskem Idesa announced the signing of an investment agreement with Advario for a joint 50% stake in the construction and operation of an ethane import terminal in Mexico, called Puerto Mexico Chemical Terminal, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The project’s total investment will be approximately $400 MM, construction should begin in July 2022, and it is planned to be completed by the end of 2024. The Terminal will be developed in the municipalities of Coatzacoalcos and Nanchital, in the state of Veracruz. The 10-hectare site is in the northern part of the Pajaritos lagoon and will be connected to Braskem Idesa’s complex via an 11-kilometer pipeline.

A new jetty will also be built in the Pajaritos lagoon with an exclusive area for operations with cryogenic ethane This important infrastructure project will be part of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, one of Mexico?s Government main development initiatives. Advario, a recent carve out from Oiltanking, is a Dutch company specialized in designing, building, financing, and operating of storage and logistic infrastructure for bulk liquid products, including cryogenic gases.

Its history and experience spans over 50 years. Advario’s portfolio comprises world-scale storage terminals located strategically in key hubs across the globe. Advario focuses on the individual needs of its customers and provides custom made infrastructure for each project, thereby always with a strong focus on health, safety and the environment, sustainability and reliability of services when operating its facilities.

"This partnership allows Braskem Idesa to work with one of the most distinguished companies in the sector, adding technology, experience, and recognized safety excellence to TQPM's operations. We are delighted with the announcement of this joint venture.", commented Stefan Lepecki, CEO of Braskem Idesa.

As per MRC, Braskem (Sao Paulo, Brazil) said it is supporting the efforts by Danish company Plastix (Lemvig) to market recycled plastics fibre waste of old fishing nets and other marine debris collected at various ports.

As per MRC, Braskem has agreed with Dutch recycler Terra Circular to enter a joint venture for mechanical recycling.
Financial details were not disclosed. Terra Circular, through its subsidiary ER Plastics, operates the production facilities, with nominal capacity for mechanical recycling of 23,000 tonnes/year. The plant is to process mixed plastic waste.
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Oil prices slipped more than USD2 on Monday as a flare-up in COVID-19 cases in Beijing quelled hopes for a rapid pick-up in China's fuel demand, while worries about global inflation and economic growth further depressed the market, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Brent crude futures fell USD2.06, or 1.7%, to USD119.95 a barrel by 0033 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at USD118.54 a barrel, down USD2.13, or 1.8%. Prices tumbled after Chinese officials warned on Sunday of a "ferocious" COVID spread in the capital and announced plans to conduct mass testing in Beijing until Wednesday.

Concerns about further interest rate hikes following a sharp rise in U.S. inflation data on Friday are also weighing on global financial markets. "The stronger greenback and stagflation fears proved to be the bullish market's undoing," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a note.

"China remains the significant near-term downside risk, but most view the gradual normalisation of Chinese demand as a powerful positive for oil despite the potential for lockdown noise in the coming weeks as current demand is far from reflecting normal conditions."

Both global oil benchmarks rose more than 1% last week after data showed robust oil demand in the world's top consumer, the United States, despite inflation concerns and on hopes that consumption in China - global no. 2 consumer - could rebound after lockdown measures were lifted from June 1.

Oil producers and refineries are running full-throttle to meet peak summer demand, while traders are closely watching for a possible impact from labour disputes in Libya, Norway and South Korea on oil exports and consumption. To boost supplies in the West, Saudi Arabia, the world's top exporter, planned to divert some crude to Europe from China in July, traders said.

As per MRC, Saudi Aramco has notified at least five North Asian refiners, mostly Chinese, that it will be supplying less than contracted volumes of crude oil in July. The cuts to Chinese refiners come as more cheap Russian oil heads to the world's top oil importer, which has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Chinese oil demand has also been depressed by COVID-19 restrictions in the past two months. In addition, demand for Saudi crude has been climbing in Europe where the European Union has moved to phase out Russian crude and European buyers are racing to find other suppliers.
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Solvay’s Changshu site has significantly increased production capacity for Solef® PVDF, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to meeting the needs of customers worldwide, said the company.

Solvay continues to extend its leadership position in the global lithium-ion battery market with the early completion of its PVDF capacity increase in Changshu, China. The Group has now more than doubled the onsite production volume of its high-performance polymer Solef® polyvinylidene fluoride since mid-May 2022.

The rapid growth of electric and hybrid vehicles is driving record demand for PVDF. This thermoplastic fluoropolymer is used both as a binder and a separator coating in lithium-ion batteries. It plays an essential role in ensuring that batteries perform better, last longer and operate safely. Developed using Solvay’s research and innovation expertise in fluorinated chemistry and polymerization technology, Solef® PVDF is an industry-leading product, inspiring the continuous development of new solutions that will help meet customers’ needs both now and in the future.

Solvay also recently announced significant investment in Solef® PVDF production at its site in Tavaux, France, which will turn it into the largest PVDF production site in Europe. The increased production capacity in China serves as further evidence of the Group’s deep commitment to ensuring that material is readily available to customers worldwide.

As per MRC, Solvay has started works related to expansion plans that include installing equipment to increase sulfone polymers capacity at its plant in Marietta, Ohio, according to a mid-May publication by the USW Oil Workers union.

We also remind that in August, 2020, through the acquisition of the Solvay polyamide (PA) business, BASF enhanced its R&D capabilities in Asia Pacific with new technologies, technical expertise, and upgraded material and part testing services. 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.

Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 24,100 employees in 64 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet plan crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities.
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