Chemical News
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USGC gasoline prices reach multi-month highs on strong domestic, export demand Mar 31,2017
Substantial demand and bullish data propped up US Gulf Coast gasoline prices Wednesday, lifting primary grade outright values to their highest levels in months. Conventional 9 RVP gasoline (M2) for Colonial Pipeline loading in Pasadena, Texas, rose 5.2 cents compared with Tuesday to $1.6159/gal, the highest outright price since January 13's $1.6...>>>
Stronger US reformate pricing crunches aromatics extraction margins Nov 23,2020
Rising reformate dents aromatics extraction economics Recent gains in US reformate prices have crimped extraction economics for US aromatics premiums for products like toluene and mixed xylenes, S&P Global Platts data showed Nov. 20. Reformate barge pricing on a DAP basis has risen over 20% since the beginning of November, closing Nov. 20 at 15...>>>
100 Spot Commodities Price Chart - 30/03/2017 Mar 31,2017
It was assessed by SunSirs that in the tracked 100 spot commodities,18 commodities increased in prices, 30 fell and 51 remained unchanged on 30/03/2017.The largest rises were Zinc (1.45%),Fuel Oil (0.94%),Sulfuric acid (0.68%),while the largest falls w...>>>
China's coal-fired generation strong despite renewables push: Citi Apr 01,2017
China's coal-fired power generation as a percentage of the total energy mix is on the rise for the second year, despite the push towards renewable capacity additions in the country, Citi analysts said Friday. The share of thermal power in the generation mix declined to 73% in 2015 from 83% in 2011. Thermal has since grown to 74% of the mix ...>>>
LyondellBasell undergoing turnaround at Texas methanol plant in April: sources Apr 01,2017
LyondellBasell will start a maintenance turnaround in April at a methanol plant in Channelview, Texas, market sources said Friday. The Channelview plant has a capacity of 780,000 mt/year. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Market sources said the turnaround was planned but were unclear on the expected duratio...>>>
European styrene prices rise prior to contract settlement Apr 01,2017
European styrene prices recovered from their year-to-date low at the end of the week, prior to the contract price settlement on Monday, tracking higher feedstock prices, sources said. The European styrene spot price plummeted to a year-to-date low last Friday and trended even lower Monday-Wednesday, sliding to $1,144/mt on Tuesday, the lowest le...>>>
US steel wire rod prices move up for April Apr 01,2017
US steel wire rod prices have moved up for April shipments on previously announced mill increases, sources said Friday, but it was unclear what impact a new trade case, filed by domestic producers this week, will have on pricing. Four US mills on Tuesday petitioned for antidumping duties on carbon and alloy wire rod imports from 10 countries: Be...>>>
UK's South Crofty tin mine project moves closer to full permitting Apr 01,2017
Strongbow Exploration has successfully completed water treatment trials at its South Crofty tin project in Cornwall, the UK, and is now working on an application to the the Environment Agency for a mine waste permit, the Canadian miner said Friday. The application was expected to be filed within one month, and permits were anticipated to be issu...>>>
European ferromolybdenum firm, oxide slips in Asia Apr 01,2017
European ferromolybdenum prices rose Friday on firm demand, while a lack of activity put pressure on molybdenum oxide prices in Asia. A sale in Busan was reported concluded at $8.70/lb, while others reported similar offer levels. "It's not that Asia lacks confidence in oxide it's a two tier market with US levels not repeatable in Busan," a Europ...>>>
Platts assesses Q2 Japan aluminum premiums at $128/mt plus LME, CIF Apr 01,2017
Platts Friday assessed the premium for imported primary aluminum in the second quarter of 2017 at $128/mt plus London Metal Exchange cash, CIF main Japanese ports, up 35% from Q1. The Q2 assessment was on the basis of 12 settlements at $128/mt plus LME cash CIF Japan for seaborne P1020/P1020A ingot loading over April to June, for a volume highe...>>>
Illinois Basin coal producer Armstrong restructuring to avoid Chapter 11: filing Apr 01,2017
Illinois Basin high sulfur coal producer Armstrong Energy could be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection or liquidate if it cannot restructure about $207 million in long-term debts with its bondholders, the company said in a quarterly and year-end earnings release Friday. An auditor placed "substantial doubt" on the St. Louis-base...>>>
Blackwater coal rail system in Australia's Queensland to reopen Friday: Aurizon Apr 01,2017
The Blackwater coal system in Australia's Queensland state is expected to reopen Friday at 2 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (0400 GMT) following its closure earlier in the week due to the effects of Tropical Cyclone Debbie, operator Aurizon said Friday. All four of Aurizon's Central Queensland Coal Network systems -- Newlands, Goonyella, B...>>>
Turkey Feb thermal coal imports slip 8.5% on-year to 2.20 mil mt Apr 01,2017
Turkey's February bituminous thermal coal imports dropped 8.5% year on year, but rose 0.2% from January's five-month low to 2.28 million mt, according to data from the Turkish statistical Institute (TUIK) Friday. Colombia continued to be the largest shipper of thermal coal to Turkey in February at 1.13 million mt, down 15% year on year and month...>>>
Tankers: WAF-China VLCC crude oil route hits six-month low Apr 05,2017
The cost of sending crude oil from West Africa to China on VLCCs has dropped to a six-month low due to weak export demand and a rising number of VLCC vessels, sources said. The WAF-China VLCC route, basis 260,000 mt, was assessed at $11.42/mt on March 28, a six-month low since the route was assessed at $11.30/mt on September 13 last year, accord...>>>
Toluene arbitrage from Europe to the US attracting attention: sources Apr 05,2017
European traders are keeping a close eye on the potential toluene arbitrage from Europe to the US in April, sources said Monday. A strengthening gasoline market coupled with depressed toluene prices in Europe are expected to facilitate westbound movement of cargoes across the Atlantic. The European spot price of toluene was assessed $9.50/mt ...>>>
EU April styrene premium over feedstock costs down 20%, but remains at firm level Apr 05,2017
European styrene's premium over its feedstock costs has declined 20% on the month for April, but the outright level remains at a high level, according to S&P Global Platts data Monday. The April styrene barge contract price was fully settled Monday at Eur1,375/mt ($1,467/mt), declining Eur275/mt or 17% on the month. Feedstock costs saw a smaller...>>>
Asia: The week in petrochemicals Apr 05,2017
Sentiment in the Asian petrochemicals markets is likely to remain bearish this week as most buyers take a wait-and-see approach. Trading activity could be slower as China is closed for a national holiday till Tuesday. Lackluster demand for most commodities in China amid ample stocks is likely to affect spot trading as well. But while the olef...>>>
Escondida's return to pre-strike levels unclear as copper output ramps up: exec Apr 05,2017
BHP Billiton is ramping up operations at the Escondida copper mine in Chile after a crippling six-week strike, but still has no date for a resumption of normal production levels, a senior executive said Tuesday. "We are producing now and our equipment is operating, but not at full capacity," Daniel Malchuk, president of Americas minerals operati...>>>
Mexican rebar prices slide on lower demand Apr 05,2017
Mexican steel rebar producers gave up on higher prices for April shipments and instead prices have slid due to a slowdown in demand, market sources said Tuesday, but noted that a new round of price hikes was expected soon. "Demand in March slipped and the mills were forced to reduce prices," a mill source said. Another mill source likewise sa...>>>
Chile's Antofagasta sticks to plan despite looming copper deficit Apr 05,2017
The global copper market is moving towards deficit faster than expected, but Chilean copper producer Antofagasta plc is sticking to its cautious investment plans, CEO Ivan Arriagada said ahead of the World Copper Conference in Santiago. With China, the world's largest consumer of copper, demanding more metal than expected and a lack of new major...>>>