Chemical News
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Steel intensity increaseing in US shale plays Mar 15,2017
The number of active rigs in the US is not likely to reach the highs of the shale revolution, but demand for steel in the energy industry is expected to be higher than it was prior to the collapse of the energy market, Nicole Leonard, project manager for S&P Global Platts Analytics Oil & Gas Consulting, said Monday. "Going forward, by 2019, we p...>>>
Spot Chinese silicon supply sparse as producers start furnace overhauls Mar 15,2017
Spot Chinese silicon metal supply in mainland China has turned sparse in March, as producers begin to overhaul their furnaces, the silicon branch of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said in a report in its website Tuesday. The association said some producers in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Northwest China, are taking turns to o...>>>
Hydrous ethanol's parity at Brazilian pumps improves on weaker ex-mill prices Mar 15,2017
Over the February 26-March 4 period, the price of hydrous ethanol at pumps in the southeast of Brazil averaged 74.1% of gasoline prices, compared with 75.1% the week before and 76.1% four weeks prior, data from the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) showed. Hydrous prices averaged Real 2.759/liter at the pump, compared with Real2.798/liter the week...>>>
Hallador CEO sees higher coal production, sales in 2017 Mar 15,2017
Lower US natural gas inventories in 2017 should translate into higher domestic coal sales and perhaps encourage electric utilities to move off their current "short" coal-buying strategy, Hallador Energy president and CEO Brent Bilsland said Tuesday. On the heels of a mild winter, what could really help domestic coal pricing, though, is a long, h...>>>
Analysis: Ample indications crude futures were prime for a correction Mar 15,2017
Prompt crude futures continued to weaken Friday, with both NYMEX crude and ICE Brent struggling to hold at levels last seen just ahead of the OPEC-led deal in late-November to cut output. In the afternoon, NYMEX April crude was around $48.50/b, while ICE May Brent was $51.30/b, down 8% and 9% from Tuesday, respectively. The recent correction ...>>>
100 Spot Commodities Price Chart - 14/03/2017 Mar 15,2017
It was assessed by SunSirs that in the tracked 100 spot commodities,21 commodities increased in prices, 33 fell and 45 remained unchanged on 14/03/2017.The largest rises were Ethylene glycol (1.14%),Propylene oxide (0.88%),Iron ore (0.82%),while the la...>>>
China's coastal coal freight rates mixed in week to Tuesday Mar 16,2017
Freight rates for shipping coal from northern China's Qinhuangdao port to the other Chinese ports of Zhangjiagang, Shanghai and Guangzhou in eastern and southern China were mixed in the week to Tuesday, putting an end to steady increases seen in recent weeks, port operator Qinhuangdao Port said Tuesday. The freight rate from Qinhuangdao to Zhang...>>>
January Mexican methanol production jumps 66% year on year: data Mar 16,2017
Methanol production in Mexico in January increased by two-thirds year on year and month on month, according to the most recent production data. Methanol output totaled 15,000 mt in January, up 66% from 9,000 mt in December and 9,000 mt in January 2016, data from Mexico's energy ministry showed. Pemex operates a 165,000 mt/year plant in San Ma...>>>
NWE toluene arbitrage to US open on paper, but interest limited Mar 16,2017
The toluene arbitrage from Northwest Europe to the US Gulf Coast area is currently open on paper, S&P Global Platts data shows. Due to volatility in downstream benzene, traders are however reluctant to book cargoes in Europe for discharge in the US, market sources said on Wednesday. The European spot price of toluene was assessed at $620/mt FOB ...>>>
Iran petrochemicals production to expand 50% by 2020: consultant Mar 16,2017
Iranian petrochemical production could increase by more than 50% by 2020, according to industry consultants AmanpourConsult. Iran currently produces 60 million mt of petrochemical products, but this could increase by at least 28 million mt between 2016 and 2020 with about half of the expansion coming through production of methanol. Speaking a...>>>
Analysis: China makes first-ever US SPR crude oil purchase Mar 17,2017
PetroChina International has bought crude oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve -- the first such purchase by a Chinese company -- in a move that further underscores growing Chinese interest in US crude. PetroChina International, the overseas trading arm of state-owned oil giant PetroChina, bought 550,000 barrels from the SPR in the US Dep...>>>
Germany's BASF to start up new Shanghai plastic additives plant by early 2020 Mar 16,2017
Germany's BASF plans to start up a new 42,000 mt/year plastic additives plant in Shanghai, China, by early 2020, the company said late Tuesday. "This world-scale plant ... will produce antioxidants and associated forms and blends. It is expected to be completed in 2019, with commercial production to start by early 2020," the company said. The...>>>
Arch sees 5-6 million st export met coal addition, US demand rise: bank Mar 16,2017
US miner Arch Coal expects US met coal exports to rise 5 million-6 million st and domestic met coal demand to increase 1 million st, analysts at investment bank Seaport Global said. "Arch believes access to capital and labor remain key bottlenecks," Seaport analysts led by Mark Levin said in a report published after a call with Arch CEO John Eav...>>>
Japanese and heavy melting ferrous scrap prices rise in east Asia Mar 16,2017
Japanese ferrous scrap export prices have slightly increased supported by higher international and domestic scrap prices, trading sources said Wednesday. S&P Global Platts assessed that H2 scrap export price at Yen 30,500/mt ($266/mt) FOB Tokyo Bay Wednesday, up Yen 250/mt from the midpoint of last week's assessment at Yen 30,250/mt. South Ko...>>>
European Q2 ferrochrome benchmark down 9 cents at 154 cents/lb: Merafe Mar 16,2017
The European benchmark ferrochrome price has been settled at 154 cents/lb for the second quarter of 2017, down 9 cents/lb or 6.7% from the current quarter, South African ferrochrome producer Merafe Resources said Wednesday. The price is for charge chrome generally of 48%-52% chrome content, produced in South Africa, but is used as the basis for ...>>>
Japan Q2 aluminum premium talks progress as some players revise targets Mar 16,2017
Japan's second quarter aluminum premium negotiations were progressing as a handful of sellers and buyers have indicated they were revising their target levels, market sources said Wednesday. Global producers Rusal, Rio Tinto and South32 have offered at $135/mt plus LME cash CIF Japan for Q2 contract premiums, up 42% from $95/mt plus LME cash CIF...>>>
Israel Electric coal consumption to drop further in 2017 Mar 16,2017
Israel Electric Corp coal consumption is expected to decline by around 10% this year due to the shutdown on Wednesday of a 575 MW unit at the company's Hadera power plant, Israeli energy sources said Wednesday. The sources said coal demand would likely drop by nearly 900,000 mt at the state-owned utility. The IEC said Tuesday it was shutting ...>>>
ExxonMobil plans April North American DINP price rise of 4 cents/lb Mar 17,2017
ExxonMobil Chemical plans to raise its North American DINP sales price by 4 cents/lb ($88/mt) on April 1, the company said in a letter to customers obtained by S&P Global Platts Thursday. Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) is a commonly used plasticizer in PVC applications. "This action is necessary due to the continued elevation in the cost of feed...>>>
European polystyrene spread between net contract and spot widens as buy interest retreats Mar 17,2017
The spread between European polystyrene prices for net contract and spot has widened to Eur110/mt Wednesday from Eur30/mt earlier in the month as spot prices plunged on the back of weak buy interest, S&P Global Platts data showed. Polystyrene spot prices slipped on Wednesday, with the GPPS spot price assessed at Eur1,650/mt ($1,769/mt) FD NWE, d...>>>
China's Sinopec, Saudi Arabia's Sabic sign cooperation agreement Mar 17,2017
China's state-owned Sinopec Group and Saudi Basic Industries Corp signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing on Thursday to look into opportunities for cooperation in both countries, Sinopec said on its website. The agreement covers several strategic projects, including developing joint venture petrochemical projects in China and Saudi ...>>>