Flare at Russia's petrochemical plant in Dzerzhinsk has been put out

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russian petrochemical company Sibur said on Tuesday it suspended production at its plant in the city Dzerzhinsk after fire, said the company.

It said the blaze hit production of ethylene oxide and glycols. "Personnel have been evacuated. There is no threat to the life and health of the population," it said.

A fire at Sibur's petrochemical plant in the Russian city of Dzerzhinsk has been extinguished, emergency services said on Wednesday.

Sibur earlier said that it suspended production of ethylene oxide and glycols after due to fire.

Local emergency service said on social media that the fore had been put out and there were no injuries.

We remind, ZapSibNeftekhim produced the first batches of colored polyethylene pipe grades in Russia — blue HD 03505 RC blue and orange HD 03505 PE orange — for water and gas supply systems. The main feature of pipes from RC grades is their bright color, which makes it easy to identify the intended purpose of the pipeline during installation or repair work. In addition, the presence of a colored layer makes it easier to detect damage to the pipe surface during installation.


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MOSCOW (MRC) -- A fire broke that broke out in the early hours of Wednesday at an oil refinery in the Siberian city of Angarsk has been extinguished, the governor of the Irkutsk region where the city is located, said Reuters.

"Let me say immediately: there were no casualties," the governor, Igor Kobzev, said earlier on the Telegram messaging app. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

We remind, Silleno LLP, a joint venture between Russia's SIBUR Holding and Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company KazMunayGas, will soon start Front End Engineering Design for a polyethylene plant in Kazakhstan, Sergei Komyshan, SIBUR's executive director of marketing and sales.

mrchub.com

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has again been recognized as a Best Supplier for Sharp Electronics Indonesia (SEID)’s refrigerator division 2022, having achieved the highest level of excellence and consistently exceeded SEID’s expectations in quality, delivery, and cost performance, said the company.

“This award reflects BASF’s hard work and dedication in delivering the highest quality products and materials as one of our strategic suppliers,” said Tony Endri Hariandja, General Manager Procurement of SEID. “BASF has been an instrumental partner to us with their commitment to excellence and attention to detail, and we look forward to a continued strong partnership.”

The award was presented to BASF for the second consecutive year at the SEID annual supplier meeting.

“BASF has been a supplier of high-performance polyurethane to SEID for 12 years, providing innovative and sustainable materials for refrigerator insulation. We are proud to receive this recognition from SEID and are committed to continuing our successful collaboration,” said Joshua Lau, BASF Head of Performance Materials Indonesia.

One of the innovative solutions BASF supplies to SEID is Elastocool®, a pentane-based polyurethane rigid foam system for insulating refrigerators and freezers.

We remind, BASF celebrated the opening of Europe’s first co-located center of battery material production and battery recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany. The inauguration of a state-of-the-art production facility for high-performance cathode active materials and the unveiling ceremony for a battery recycling plant for the production of black mass represent important steps toward closing the loop for the European battery value chain – from the collection of used batteries and the recovery of mineral raw materials to their use in the production of new battery materials. Major step in Europe to participate in the rapidly growing global battery market.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Pakistan is negotiating to buy a second shipment of discounted Russian crude oil, the South Asian country's petroleum minister said on Wednesday, said Reuters.

Musadiq Malik told reporters there was no scenario where the country was "not benefiting" from Russian crude and added that Pakistan was "finalizing another cargo".

The first cargo of Russian Urals docked at Karachi port last month and was paid for in China's currency. Islamabad made the first purchase in April.

Pakistan got into Russian the deal in part to save on foreign exchange reserves, which are eaten up mainly by oil imports.

The country has been facing an acute balance of payment crisis, with its central bank reserves barely sufficient to cover a month of controlled imports.

We remind, Shell Plc has decided to exit Pakistan in a setback for the South Asian nation that is going through its worst economic crisis. The oil giant has informed Shell Pakistan Ltd. about its intent to sell its 77.42% stake and also 26% ownership of Pak-Arab Pipeline Co., it said in a statement. It is seeing strong interest from international buyers.

mrchub.com

MOSCOW (MRC) -- North American chemical rail traffic continues to weaken, according to new data from the Association of American Railroads.

During the week ended July 8, chemical railcar volume in North America totaled 40,323 carloads, down 14.6% from the previous week and down 4.6% year over year. The four-week moving average (4wma) came to 43,658 carloads, down 2.3% sequentially and down 4.4% year over year (chart). The increment over the seasonal trendline, as represented by the average for 2014–22, fell to 0.1% — the lowest level since early April and the second lowest since late January, suggesting a weakening trend.

For the year to date, chemical railcar volume is down 2.9%, while total railcar volume is up 2%. In the US, 4wma chemical railcar volume came to 30,194 carloads, down 2.2% sequentially and down 4.4% year over year. For the year to date, US chemical railcar volume is down 4.4%.

In Canada, 4wma chemical railcar volume came to 12,591 carloads, down 2.6% sequentially and down 4.4% year over year. For the year to date, Canadian chemical railcar volume is down 0.9%.

In Mexico, 4wma chemical railcar volume came to 874 carloads, down 1.6% sequentially and down 4.4% year over year. For the year to date, Mexican chemical railcar volume is up 28.8%.

We remind, U.S. railroads originated 903,397 carloads in June 2023, down 0.2 percent, or 1,931 carloads, from June 2022. U.S. railroads also originated 988,766 containers and trailers in June 2023, down 7.0 percent, or 74,306 units, from the same month last year. Combined U.S. carload and intermodal originations in June 2023 were 1,892,163, down 3.9 percent, or 76,237 carloads and intermodal units from June 2022.

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