Japan's JX ramps up cracker, butadiene units to 100% capacity

Chemical News: Japan's JX ramps up cracker, butadiene units to 100% capacity

https://www.chemnet.com Jul 23,2010
Japan's JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation has been running its sole
naphtha-fed steam cracker and butadiene unit at 100% of capacity since early
July, from around 80% in late June, as the company has cleared out clogging
from its water pipes, a company source said Thursday.

The steam cracker is able to produce 404,000 mt/year of ethylene and
260,000 mt/year of propylene, while the butadiene unit is able to produce
70,000 mt/year.

The operating rates of the cracker and butadiene unit were cut to 80% in
late June as jellyfish clogged sea water pipes which are used to cool the
cracking unit.

The company is now trying to get back to butadiene spot market with
selling interest stated in the late-$1,800s/mt CFR Taiwan/China early
Thursday, according to the source.

Platts assessed butadiene CFR Taiwan and butadiene CFR China at $1,825/mt
and $1,760/mt respectively on July 16.

JX Nippon Oil & Energy was established on July 1 as a refining and
petrochemical subsidiary of JX Holdings. JX Holdings was formed on July 1
after a merger of two Japanese energy companies -- Nippon Oil and Nippon
Mining Holdings. Nippon Mining was the parent company of Japan Energy.
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