Chemical News
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NE Asia traders mull impact of US steel tariffs on bunker sector, many still assessing Mar 14,2018
Northeast Asian bunker fuel traders this week were still mulling over the implications that US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would have on the bunker fuel market, with most saying it was still too early to tell if regional bunker fuel volumes and trade would be affected on the back of any decrease in trade flows from Northeast Asia to the U...>>>
US Northwest river flow estimates fall to 110% of normal: agency Mar 14,2018
April-through-September Columbia River flows at The Dalles Dam on the Oregon-Washington border will likely be 110% of normal, the Northwest River Forecast Center said Tuesday. The water-supply outlook at The Dalles has risen 10 percentage points since the start of the year, just 2 percentage points below the year-ago forecast, which was about 11...>>>
Gas plant optimization offsets lignite, nuclear margin squeeze for RWE Mar 14,2018
Declining margins in RWE's lignite and nuclear generation business were offset in 2017 by a recovery in supply and trading and an unexpectedly strong European power performance, the German utility said Tuesday in a results presentation. * 38% revenue hit for lignite, nuclear * European power revenue 'above average' * Strategy focused on ga...>>>
Polish JSW's 2017 coking coal output falls 7.8% to 10.676 million mt Mar 14,2018
Polish Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa, Europe's largest coking coal producer, said its coking coal output in 2017 fell 7.8% to 10.676 million mt while external sales dropped 6.7% to 5.937 million mt following the sale of two mines. Thermal coal output and sales fell 22% and 21%, respectively, to 4.093 million mt and 4.168 million mt, JSW said. Th...>>>
ARA toluene, MX spot prices drop below $700/mt amid competitive offering Mar 14,2018
The spot prices of toluene and mixed xylenes in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region have taken a dip to levels below $700/mt as competitive selling interest surfaced this week. The 5-30 day forward prices of toluene and MX were last assessed Monday at $679/mt CIF ARA, down $32.50 and $33 respectively on the day. The bearish moves came as a...>>>
Germany's Vestolit plans VCM shutdown at Marl in March, April: source Mar 14,2018
German petrochemical company Vestolit is planning a shutdown of its vinyl chloride monomer units at Marl in March and April, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. The company could not be reached for comment. The source said different units of the VCM production would have works during March and April. The source added that there woul...>>>
US Gulf Coast LPG on the rise as Mariner East 1 remains offline Mar 14,2018
US Gulf Coast LPG prices climbed Tuesday as the Mariner East 1 pipeline halted LPG flow to the water and Chevron Phillips Chemical started its new Baytown, Texas, ethane cracker. March non-LST ethane rose 75 points to 25.25 cents/gal, a high since February 1. Ethane prices had averaged 24.1 cents/gal in the last month. Propane and butane also...>>>
EU would see quick spike in aluminum imports after US tariff: executive Mar 14,2018
The impact of US President Donald Trump's 10% tariff on aluminum imports would be noticeable in the European Union within three to four months of being implemented, European Aluminium Director General Gerd Gotz said Monday. Speaking during a press conference on the Section 232 tariffs in Brussels, Gotz said primary aluminum displaced from the US...>>>
Iranian steelmakers see big boost in exports Mar 14,2018
Mobarakeh Steel Co (MSC), the largest Iranian steel producer, increased its exports sharply to 172,000 mt in the last Iranian month (to February 19), 80% higher than in the previous month and about nine times more than in the same period last year, according to statistics obtained from Iranian mines and metals group, Imidro, Monday. However, tot...>>>
Brazilian hydrous ethanol price spikes as rain frustrates early start to harvest Mar 14,2018
Rain in Brazil's key Center-South region is frustrating sugar mills who had plans for an early start to the cane harvest, helping to spur domestic hydrous ethanol prices to a fresh high. S&P Global Platts on Tuesday assessed hydrous ethanol ex-mill Ribeirao Preto at Real 2,320/cu m ($771.40/cu m), up Real 20 from Monday, reaching the highest lev...>>>
100 Spot Commodities Price Chart - 13/03/2018 Mar 14,2018
It was assessed by SunSirs that in the tracked 100 spot commodities,16 commodities increased in prices, 30 fell and 54 remained unchanged on 13/03/2018.The largest rises were Acrylic acid (3.61%),Methanol (3.52%),Sulfur (2.37%),while the largest falls ...>>>
China's Jan-Feb raw coal output up 5.7% on year at 520 million mt Mar 15,2018
China mined 520 million mt of raw coal in January and February, up 5.7% year on year, National Bureau of Statistics data released Wednesday showed. Demand for coal also picked up in the first two months of the year in the domestic as well as seaborne markets in light of better industrial performance. China's power generation plants faced ext...>>>
Turkish polymer buyers retreat as lira weakens against the US dollar Mar 15,2018
Buying sentiment in the Turkish polymers markets has been hit be a new drop in the value of the lira against the dollar, market sources said on Wednesday. Although demand in some markets, such as the Turkish low density polyethylene market, has been weak throughout the opening months of 2017, others such as HDPE and PP, which were widely conside...>>>
US EIA says ethanol output slips, stocks up to all-time high on week Mar 15,2018
US ethanol production averaged 1.025 million b/d in the week ended March 9, down 32,000 b/d from the prior week, Energy Information Administration data showed Wednesday. Compared with the same week last year, production was 20,000 b/d, or 1.91%, lower. Production was well below market expectations. Lower production from seasonal turnarounds is not ...>>>
Global steel mill spreads strengthen, aiding raw materials demand Mar 15,2018
Global indicators of operating margins at steel mills remain strong, supporting prices of high grade raw materials and demand for premium grade coking coal, sources said. Global steel spreads so far in March and February rose further from January, as spreads between steel and feedstocks won support on higher steel pricing. The focus is on max...>>>
Japan's Feb ethylene output falls 11% on month; naphtha imports slide 17% Mar 15,2018
Japan's ethylene production in February fell 10.7% from a month earlier to 522,000 mt, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statement Wednesday. Compared to a year earlier, the February production marked a 1.4% increase. Meanwhile, Japan's naphtha imports for ethylene production in February fell 16.7% from a month earlier to...>>>
Spanish union urges 2050 extension for domestic coal power plants Mar 15,2018
One of Spain's largest industry unions, UGT has urged the Spanish government to ensure the survival to 2050 of power plants that burn domestic coal. * 2019 state aid deadline looms for coal mines * EU legislation allows operation until 2050: UGT * Retrofits only ongoing for plants using imported coal With the government due to present ...>>>
US coal carloads again track higher than past two years: AAR Mar 15,2018
US coal carload volumes totaled 83,696 in the week ended March 10, down 1.9% from the previous week, but up 5.2% from the year-ago week, the Association of American Railroads said Wednesday. It was the third straight week US coal carloads have tracked higher than both 2016 and 2017. Year to date, US coal carloads total 833,036, down 3.1% from the s...>>>
ISO New England real-time price spike leads to increase in oil, hydro generation Mar 15,2018
ISO New England real-time power price spikes Wednesday morning led to increased oil and hydro generation usage as an abnormal conditions alert remains in effect due to the nor'easter that slammed the region. Real-time prices spiked above $1,875/MWh at 7:50 am EDT for two five-minute intervals, according to ISO data. Prices quickly fell, before j...>>>
Mexico's energy regulator to publish regional gas price indexes Mar 15,2018
Starting next week, Mexico's Energy Regulatory Commission or CRE will publish monthly reference price indexes across different regions of Mexico. The commission said in a statement Wednesday that these indexes will reflect transactions reported by marketers to CRE. In recent months, CRE has received enough data to enable a breakdown of its mo...>>>