SABIC Closing UK Aromatics

With sharp increase in feedstock prices, more companies are forced to temporarily shut down petchem units until prices stabilize. SABIC Europe is planning to close down two UK aromatics units at North Tees, near Seal Sands, and the paraxylene plant at Wilton, near Redcar. The closure is planned in end 2008.

Map Ta Phut Petrochemical Complex Commission in 2010

Map Ta Phut Olefins, a new venture by Thai producer Siam Cement Group which is now in heavy construction of its benzene, toluene and mixed xylenes (BTX) facility will be starting up the petrochemical complex in the second-half of 2010 which is integrated with its new naphtha cracker.

The naphtha cracker has an ethylene capacity of 900,000 tonnes/year and 400,000 tonnes/year of aromatics. This is an addition to its existing facility produces 190,000 tonnes/year of benzene and 90,000 tonnes/year of toluene.

Russia's New Aromatics Unit

Kazakhstan's Atyrau Refinery company is planning to build an aromatics production unit in Atyrau, Russia due to be on stream in 2012. The aromatics unit estimated at $800 million would have a capacity of 500,000 tonnes/year of paraxylene (PX) and 130,000 tonnes/year of benzene situated in the new $5.2bn petrochemicals hub in Atyrau.

The petchem hub has the capability to produce 800,000 tonnes/year for polyethylene (PE) and 400,000 tonnes/year for polypropylene (PP).

Vietnam Expansion - Idemitsu, Mitsui Building Paraxylene Petrochemical Plant

A paraxylene unit will be included in the petrochemical complex jointly developed by Japanese oil refiners Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui Chemicals with a capacity of 480,000 tonne/year paraxylene (PX) and 150,000 tonnes/year of benzene products in the $6 billion joint venture petchem complex in Vietnam.

The JV paraxylene unit will be constructed at Nghi Son, Thanh Hoa province. The complex will also include BTX (benzene, toluene and mixed xylenes) plant of total capacity higher than 500,000 tonnes/year. Aromatics outlet for the products will be sold to Mitsui Chemical’s purified terephthaliac acid (PTA) and phenol businesses as feedstock.

Thai Paraxylene Completing Debottlenecking

Thai Paraxylene, a company owned by Thai Oil will complete its debottlenecking project of paraxylene (PX) at Sri Rancha by this April with an increase in capacity from 348,000 tonnes/year to 490,000 tonnes/year. The paraxylene feedstock is sourced from Thai Oil, which operates a 270,000 bbl/day refinery at the same Sri Racha site.

Jurong Aromatics Corp (JAC) & BP on $10 Billion Petrochemical Deal

British Petroleum (BP) struck a deal with Jurong Aromatics Corp (JAC) worth $10 billion contract for the Jurong island facility with feedstock. Under the agreement, JAC will supply refined products to BP

BP will be supplying a large proportion of feedstock requirements to JAC for the $2bn world-scale petrochemical plant on Jurong island for the 2011 commencement. JAC will then supply refined products for consumption within BP’s own plants and key third parties around the world.

Typical paraxylene chemical structure, an aromatic.

The JAC facility is expected to have a capacity of around 1.5 million tonne per year of aromatics including paraxylene, orthoxylene, benzene and petroleum products.