benzene

Feb 18th, 2010

Phthalic Anhydride (PA): 2010 World Market Outlook and Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com

LONDON – World Phthalic Anhydride (PA) market faces the consequences of global economy downturn. Many producers had been reducing operating rates since the beginning of 2009 to bring the production more in line with demand. In 2010-2015, the majority of countries and regions will cease the production or have negative growth, with an exception of...

Feb 16th, 2010

Bisphenol A (BPA): 2010 World Market Outlook And Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com

LONDON – Bisphenol A (BPA) is expected to post a global growth of 0-3%/y from 2010 to 2015 with Asia, particularly China, accounting for the strongest performance at 5%/y. European growth is forecast to remain unchanged to 1%. BPA is primarily used in the manufacture of polycarbonate resins, with such application accounting for around 75%...

Jul 16th, 2009

Asia phenol/acetone makers mull output cut on margin squeeze

Asian phenol and acetone makers are keen on cutting production next month as recent spikes in costs of feedstock benzene and propylene have been eroding their margins, industry sources said on Thursday. Operating rates at the plants would likely average 70-80% in August from near full capacity currently, the producers said. Final decisions on production cutbacks would...

Jul 9th, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

CRUDE OIL Bleak unemployment figures from USA and Europe have sunk oil prices to US$66/barrel. Weak jobs figures suggest tepid consumption that will dampen crude demand. A Labor Department report indicated 467,000 jobs were lost in June - a larger than expected drop that has pushed up unemployment rate to 9.5% at 26 year highs. Unemployment...

Jul 1st, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

CRUDE OIL For the second consecutive week, crude oil prices have finished in the red, settling below US$70 in the week of June 29, 2009. Light sweet crude oil for August delivery settled at US$69.1, down by over one dollar for the week amid rough trading. The Energy Information Administration data indicated a 3.8 mln barrel...

Jun 25th, 2009

Phthalic Anhydride Capacity Utilization Rates will Go Down to 50-70% in Addition to Plants Closures

LONDON-World Phthalic Anhydride Market faces the consequences of the global economy downturn. Profits had been decreasing since the beginning of the year resulting from low consumption. Many producers reduced operating rates to bring production more in line with demand. Prices were increasing due to proportionately higher fixed costs. The market was in over-supply. There is no...

Jun 24th, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

CRUDE OIL Crude oil prices dipped by over a dollar to US$71 per barrel in the week of June 22, 2009. Weak fuel demand despite data indicating a recovery in the global economy has kept crude oil pegged at US$71 per barrel. This marks a stop to four consecutive weeks of oil price hike. The weakening...

Jun 15th, 2009

Benzene-toluene Spread Turns Negative after Short Positive Run

The Asian benzene-toluene spread was negative again Friday after being in positive terrain since June 9, despite benzene climbing more than $100/mt over Tuesday and Wednesday. This was because feedstock toluene gained nearly $70/mt over Wednesday and Thursday, enough to overtake the benzene benchmark by $1.50/mt Friday morning. Feedstock toluene prices caught up with benzene...

Jun 12th, 2009

Korean Refiner to More than Double Paraxylene, Benzene Capacity by 2011

S-OIL Corporation, one of the leading oil refiners in Korea, has announced plans to invest 1.4 trillion won to complete its Onsan refinery expansion project in Ulsan by June 2011. Under the project, the company will construct facilities for producing 900,000 tpa of paraxylene and 280,000 tpa of benzene. The facilities are built on an...

Jun 11th, 2009

Styrene Price Still Stuck at 38¢/lb

Styrene prices have averaged 38¢/lb for the past three months and have been unchanged at that level, according to subscription newsletter ICISpricing.com, even though styrene producers wanted a 5¢-6¢ increase to offset cost increases for benzene, a key feedstock, which has risen in price by 69% since January. Market insiders say styrene prices are staying depressed...

Jun 10th, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

CRUDE OIL At the end of the week of June 8, 2009, crude futures have retreated to US$68, after surging past US$70 midweek- to 6 month highs after release of a report indicating better-than-expected improvement in US jobs scenario. The latest employment report is an indication of the improving health of the US economy. The loss...

Jun 4th, 2009

NWE Benzene Prices Threatened by Imminent US and Asian Imports

The Northwest European spot benzene market looked set to weaken through June and July as a combination of US and Asian imports and a relaxation of prompt supply shortages has created a steep June to July backwardation of $30/mt. According to market sources Tuesday morning, bids for June were seen potentially as high as $760/mt for...

May 27th, 2009

Samsung Petrochemical Wants to Invest US$500 mln in East Java

South Korea’s Samsung Petrochemical wants to build a US$500 million petrochemical project in East Java in cooperation with PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI). The two partners plan to establish a joint venture company to handle the project which will have an annual production capacity of 250,000 tons of aromatics. The new factory will be built in...

May 26th, 2009

New Coke-oven Gas to Methanol Production Line Runs in Shanxi

China’s first set of devices that can produce 300,000 tons of methanol with coke-oven gas annually just completed construction and started operation on May 25, 2009 in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, the largest coke production base in China. Tianji Coal Chemical Industry Group Co., Ltd., formerly known as Shanxi Chemical Fertilizer Plant, and Shanxi Lu’an Environmental...

May 20th, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

CRUDE OIL Crude oil settled at US$59 at the end of the week of May 18, 2009, as Nigerian militants threatened to block waterways used for energy exports and an explosion and fire affected production at Sunoco Inc. refinery. Mid week, prices dipped as the US Labor Department reported that new jobless claims rose to a...

May 13th, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

NAPHTHA Naphtha prices in Asia have risen in line with rising crude oil prices and a buoyant crude oil market outlook in the week of May 11, 2009. Open-spec naphtha values for H2-June shipment settled at US$475/MT CFR Japan, with a persistent bullish trend. ETHYLENE Bouyant feedstock movement has not had a major impact on ethylene prices in...

May 7th, 2009

Asian Phenol-acetone Supplies to Tighten May-June on Turnarounds

Phenol-acetone supplies in Asia will tighten over May and June as Japanese, South Korean and Chinese producers take their plants offline for scheduled maintenance this month. South Korea’s Kumho P&B Chemicals will shut its three phenol-acetone lines in Yeosu from May 8 to May 22. The company was operating its lines at 85% of production capacity...

May 7th, 2009

Asian Benzene, Styrene Monomer Prices Rise for Third Day

Asian prices for benzene and styrene monomer were rising for the third day in a row Wednesday, chalking up double-digit gains as petrochemical prices firmed overnight, shrugging off a dip in Western crude futures. NYMEX June crude futures settled 63 cents lower at $53.84/barrel in the US Tuesday. However, FOB US Gulf benzene prices for May,...

May 6th, 2009

Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia

NAPHTHA Naphtha prices in Asia rose to US$465/MT in the week of May 4, 2009 in line with rising crude values. However, rising supplies from India and Europe are keeping market outlook muted in the region. This week, H2-June delivery open spec naphtha rose to US$465/MT CFR Japan. ETHYLENE Ethylene prices dipped to US$675/MT in Asia in the...

May 4th, 2009

ExxonMobil Shuts Singapore Chemical Plant Units for Turnaround

ExxonMobil has shut several petrochemical units at its Singapore Chemical Plant on Sunday for scheduled maintenance, the company said. The turnaround is expected to last about eight weeks, the company said in a statement, but did not specify which units of the SCP were shut. The SCP is integrated with the US company’s 605,000 b/d refinery at...