Industry: Methanol & ammonia

Chemical industry summary Reflecting a lower cost basis, global commodity chemical prices continue to wilt as the global chemical industry adjusts to lower crude oil prices. Spot ethylene in Asia has recently traded near US$800 per MT, down from US$1,400 in July. Margins have eased for producers in all regions. The Asian ethylene/naphtha spread has […]

Chemical industry summary US and global commodity chemical companies generally reported favorable financial results in the Q2 earnings season, with several companies reporting record results. Commodity chemical prices proved to be relatively stable despite ongoing feedstock price erosion. Demand for polyolefins in all regions was relatively firm and producers’ inventories at the end of Q2 […]

Low natural gas prices have helped in driving new attention and interest to natural gas monetization options, which will play an important role in spurring natural gas demand. One promising gas monetization option is the production of methanol using small-scale plants.  Conceptually, small-scale methanol plants offer a number of advantages. The first advantage is that […]

Abundant, low-cost North American natural gas is incentivizing its monetization as LNG for marine fuel, driven by price advantages over diesel and the benefit of meeting environmental regulations.

At the Methanol Conference in 2015, the presentation “Natural Gas Utilization via Small-Scale Methanol Technologies” explored growing interest in North American natural gas monetization. An abundant supply of cheap natural gas drives this interest. It highlights key factors. Gas flaring, favorable pricing, mature product markets, and diverse end-uses propel interest in small-scale methanol. The discussion […]

AMERICAS Dunkin’ Donuts seeking replacement of EPS cup Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. has looked for alternatives to expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam cups for its coffee cups. Currently, polypropylene foam cups from Berry Plastics Group have been considered the best alternative to EPS foam cups. Dunkin’ Donuts also seeks a new and recyclable lid to be […]

Stricter marine emissions regulations drive interest in cleaner fuels; abundant North American shale gas offers LNG and methanol as lower-emission alternatives to traditional fuels.

Ammonia production, a mature and widely practiced method, provides established natural gas monetization.

AMERICAS   Shintech to build new ethylene unit at Iberville Parish facility   Shintech, the largest PVC producer in North America, will invest USD 1.4 billion for a new ethane cracker installed at its facility in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, as well as infrastructures that connect ethylene output to VCM and PVC units. The new plant […]

AMERICAS   Nova Chemicals evaluating new PE plant   Canada-headquartered Nova Chemicals is considering building a new PE plant and might have a final decision within 12-18 months. If this PE project realizes, the PE plant would benefit from its expansion project of cracker in Corunna, Canada which is due on stream in 2017. In […]

MTG projects offer higher returns than GTL due to lower capital costs and infrastructure compatibility, making them attractive in North America’s shale gas market.

We are blogging regularly on various oil and gas, energy, and chemical industry topics. Read our recent views on North American methanol projects.