Fuel markets to stay tight till mid-2020s as refining shrinks

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Crude oil refining capacity has shrunk by a record 3.8 MM barrels per day from March 2020 to mid-2022 as demand expanded, setting the stage for fuel markets to remain very tight until at least mid-decade, said Reuters.

The fall in capacity comes as oil demand rose by 5.6 MMbpd over the same period, the report released on Tuesday said. At the same time, about 2 MMbpd of net capacity is expected to come online by the end of 2023, with delays to these timeline likely to arise, the report said.

"This puts pressure on all available refining capacity to run at high utilization levels to keep up with demand." Oil product markets experienced sharp upheaval since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020.

While the pandemic decimated demand globally and killed profit margins, the post-pandemic recovery and Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine have tightened fuel markets sharply, leading to record profit margins earlier this year. Record profits for refiners are unlikely to lead to new investment in expanding global refining capacity, however, according to the report, amid "the expectation that the energy transition could make refineries stranded assets has deterred investment".

A sharp rise plug-in electric vehicle sales, which are expected to grow from 6.6 MM last year to 35.7 MM at the end of the decade, will likely displace 4 MMbpd of gasoline and diesel demand. The falling refining capacity comes at a time when global fuel inventories are tight and as Russian and Chinese exports of fuels are being constrained, the report said.

Sanctions and embargoes have displaced nearly 3 MMbpd of Russian products that are not easily rerouted. And Chinese product exports are down 30% from 2019 levels as the government has strategically shifted to prioritising domestic markets.

As per MRC, Saudi Aramco has notified at least three North Asian buyers that it will supply full contractual volumes of crude in October. The world's top oil exporter has slashed its official selling prices (OSPs) to Asian buyers for the month, the first reduction in four months. The price cut was overall in line with the market expectation as the spot premiums for the Middle Eastern crude dipped since mid-August amid an increasing number of arbitrage cargoes flowing into Asia.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Circularise announced a pioneering joint project with the certification scheme ISCC, material suppliers Neste, Asahi Kasei, Borealis, Trinseo and Shell, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), brands Arcelik, Philips Domestic Appliances and EVBox, as well as trading companies Marubeni and Itochu, in which partners tested a blockchain system to complement the ISCC Plus certification, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

These parties were brought together by Circularise and Marubeni. This is the first time that 10 chemical industry players and appliance companies got together to test a blockchain-based digital system as a complement to a sustainability certification process of complex value chains.

Circularise’s blockchain-based digital system was tested with the ISCC Plus certification to make auditing of certified parties more efficient, and to strengthen integrity of certified data. Participants utilized a public blockchain enabling authentication, decentralization and encryption of data verifying material flows and related sustainability attributes. This innovative approach differs from other blockchain projects where companies use a private blockchain operated by pre-selected participants, such as members of a consortium. Instead, Circularise and project partners used a public blockchain, making it virtually impossible for companies to appear more sustainable than they really are by reusing the proof of a sustainability claim across assets. This principle forms the foundation of trust in data integrity.

Material traceability and verification of data at individual sites and across the value chain were guaranteed by ISCC Plus certification of each site of the operators, requiring site-specific audits, certification and mass balance calculations to provide reassurance about the sustainable content. The data was uploaded to the Circularise software system to improve mass balance bookkeeping and reporting.

Currently, the chemical sector is engaged in significant sustainability transformation efforts, including rethinking of the use of raw materials, circularity, and climate impact of operations and entire value chains. This transformation is largely built upon sourcing new, more sustainable feedstocks, while maintaining efficient processes, a viable economy and high credibility.

Certification schemes providing an option to use the mass balance system can facilitate a gradual switch towards increasing the replacement of fossil feedstock and materials with renewable and recycled raw materials, while enabling the use of existing infrastructure and equipment instead of constructing parallel plants and value chains. In the mass balance system, data storage and data integrity are key elements in verifying sustainability and compliance to the certification requirements.

One of the greatest challenges the mass balance approach faces in the plastics and chemicals industries is awareness and understanding. Through this project, the collaborating partners managed to deepen their knowledge on the topic, align internal processes with ISCC Plus requirements, and test a new futureproof way for bookkeeping of mass balance credits, while easily sharing them across organizations. Overall, this allowed value chain actors to better substantiate sustainability claims and improve collaboration. Beyond this project, blockchain technology will play a critical role in complementing supply chain certification to enable certification schemes to simplify the auditing process of supply chain actors, reduce the risk of mistakes and accelerate the sustainable transition.

We remind, Technip Energies has been awarded a significant contract by Neste for the expansion of their renewable products production capacity in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as part of the existing Partnership Agreement between Technip Energies and Neste. The contract covers Engineering, Procurement services and Construction management (EPsCm) for the expansion of Neste’s existing renewables refinery in Rotterdam which will increase Neste’s overall renewable product capacity by 1.3 MMtpy.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Liquide has sold its Industrial Merchant Business in Saudi Arabia to Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment, said Process-Worldwide.

With this deal, the company plans to focus on large industries and emerging new opportunities in clean hydrogen and energy transition in the GCC region especially Saudi Arabia.

Air Liquide has announced the sale of its Industrial Merchant business in Saudi Arabia to Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment Co., Air Products’ Merchant Industrial Gas Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia. This transaction includes Air Liquide’s share in Air Liquide Khafra Industrial Gases.

This divestment, which complements the sale announced in April of Air Liquide’s Industrial Merchant business in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to Air Products group, is immaterial with regards to the overall portfolio of Air Liquide in the Africa Middle East and India region. It is part of the Group’s strategy to regularly review its asset portfolio and focus on selected fast developing areas and activities.

As a consequence of this divestiture, the 228 employees of this activity are now integrated within the Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment Co. organization.

Air Liquide is well-positioned to further grow its already strong presence in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, in particular in Saudi Arabia, in Large Industries and Healthcare businesses, and pursue the many opportunities emerging with clean hydrogen and energy transition.

We remind, Air Liquide confirms its intention to withdraw from Russia. Taking a responsible and orderly approach, the Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the local management team with the objective to transfer its activities in Russia in the framework of an MBO (Management Buy Out). This project is notably subject to Russian regulatory approvals. In parallel, as a consequence of the evolution of the geopolitical context, the activities of the Group in Russia will no longer be consolidated starting September 1, 2022.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (Likat) have discovered a new type of hydroformylation said Process-Worldwide.

The research team revealed that the important reaction can also work at low pressures with a stable catalyst. The discovery can also lead to the cost effective and sustainable production of aldehydes and alcohols.

Marl/Germany – A research team involving Evonik and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (Likat), has made another breakthrough in the field of hydroformylation. Hydroformylation is one of the most important reactions in industrial organic chemistry. Unsaturated compounds are converted into aldehydes and alcohols using synthesis gas.

Until recently, the scientific consensus was that this reaction, if catalyzed with cobalt, could only be carried out under high pressure conditions without the catalyst decomposing. This was disproved by Professor Dr. Robert Franke, head of hydroformylation research at Evonik, together with research partners from Likat, Dr. Baoxin Zhang and Dr. Christoph Kubis. "With this discovery, we have identified new process options for hydroformylation," said Dr. Franke, who is also a professor of chemistry at Ruhr University in Bochum. "In the future, it may be possible to make this large-scale reaction much more economical and environmentally friendly. Developing these processes will be our task for the next few years."

We remind, business line Coating Additives of Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany) is expanding production capacity of ACEMATT precipitated matting agents at its Taiwan manufacturing facility. The significant capacity increase will help meet growing demand for matting agents in Asia, with the capacity expansion expected to be completed by the second half of 2023.

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of EUR12.2 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of EUR1.91 billion in 2020. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Eastman Chemical Company provided an update on its third-quarter 2022 financial results, said the company.

Third-quarter 2022 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) are expected to be approximately USD2.00. Previous expectations were for solid growth compared to third-quarter 2021 adjusted EPS of USD2.46.

“There are three main factors negatively impacting our volume and product mix in the third quarter,” said Mark Costa, Board Chair and CEO. “While demand across some end markets, including agriculture and personal care, is demonstrating resilience, demand has slowed more than expected in August and September, in particular in the consumer durables and building and construction end markets and the European and Asian regions. At the same time, logistics have been challenged by an acceleration of marine logistics issues on the U.S. East Coast, particularly impacting high-value specialty products in Advanced Materials bound for other regions. Operational issues have also impacted volume and product mix, as recovery of our polymer lines from an electricity outage in July at our Kingsport facility took longer than expected,” Costa added.

Commenting on higher costs in the quarter, Costa said, “Certain costs have trended higher than expected and are impacting third-quarter performance, particularly for natural gas in the U.S., which reached a 14-year high during the quarter. A stronger U.S. dollar against a number of currencies, including the euro and the yen, is also negatively impacting results.

“In response to these accelerating challenges and continued uncertainty, we are raising prices where appropriate to offset higher costs and implementing measures to control costs across the company,” Costa said. “As we close a challenging third quarter, our commitment to our growth programs is unwavering. Our investments have us well positioned as a leading specialty materials company, underpinned by our leadership position in the circular economy,” Costa concluded.

This update to our outlook does not include any impact from the recent rail embargo or the potential for a rail worker strike in the U.S. later this month. Eastman will announce third-quarter 2022 financial results after the close of U.S. equities markets on Thursday, October 27, and conduct a public teleconference to discuss results at 8:00 a.m. ET on Friday, October 28. Eastman expects to provide a fourth-quarter financial outlook at that time.

As per MRC, Eastman announced a planned increase of its Therminol 66 heat transfer fluid manufacturing capacity in Anniston, USA. The plant expansion is expected to be complete in 2024. With the expansion of its capacity for Therminol 66, Eastman increases its production volume for this heat transfer fluid in the US by 50?%. The expansion of the company’s plant in Annistion, USA, is expected to be completed in 2024.

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2021 revenue of approximately USD10.5 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA.
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