Chemicals
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Rhine oil traffic stops as water still dropping: Update
Rhine oil traffic stops as water still dropping: Update
Updates throughout Hamburg, 10 August (Argus) — Barge traffic along the River Rhine has largely come to a standstill, disrupting oil product supply in western Germany, barge operators said. Several terminals on the Lower Rhine will be cut off from barge traffic towards the end of the week. The gauge at the key Kaub bottleneck reached a new record low over the weekend, at 17cm. The federal waterways and shipping administration expects it to fall to as little as 4cm by 14 August, making Kaub practically impassable. Historically low levels have already slashed the number of barges able to pass Kaub, and the loads they can carry without running aground. A German shipowner said last week when levels had reached 23cm that a vessel with a maximum capacity of 1,200t can only carry 180t, and that the voyage to Karlsruhe from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub now takes five days instead of two. Specialised vessels, which are wider and longer but draw less water, can carry a maximum of 700t. The federal waterways and shipping administration also said the water level in Cologne stood at just under 60cm today. Most inland vessel fleets require water levels of around 1m to reach the loading terminals at Cologne Molenkopf, Cologne-Niehl, Godorf and Wesseling, shipping companies said. This threshold was breached at the end of July, and water levels are forecast to fall further to as low as 40cm by mid-month. Loading terminals in western Germany, including Neuss, Duisburg and nearby Bendorf, may also become inaccessible during the week ending 14 August, shipowners said. German policymakers have introduced emergency measures to ease growing logistical constraints along the river. The federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony and Saarland have temporarily lifted restrictions on truck traffic on Sundays and public holidays. But it remains unclear whether the oil product sector will benefit from these steps. Replacing a fully loaded barge carrying 2,400t of diesel would require almost 89 road tankers, each with a capacity of 32m³. Fuel traders also report that their tanker fleets are already running above normal utilisation levels because of longer hauls to more competitively priced loading terminals. Product availability in western Germany, especially for road fuels, has tightened in recent weeks, traders said. Many traders that usually buy at tank farms along the Rhine are diverting to the Miro consortium's 310,000 b/d Karlsruhe refinery in southwestern Germany. But supply in southern Germany has also fallen after a leak at a mild hydrocracker at the Bayernoil consortium's 207,000 b/d Vohburg-Neustadt refinery prompted two local suppliers to pull supply from the spot market on 7 August. The restrictions are likely to last a week. By Natalie Müller and Johannes Guhlke Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Rhine barge traffic almost halted, water to drop again
Rhine barge traffic almost halted, water to drop again
Hamburg, 10 August (Argus) — Barge traffic along the River Rhine has largely come to a standstill, disrupting oil product supply in western Germany, barge operators said. The gauge at the key Kaub bottleneck again reached a record low over the weekend, at 17cm, and the federal waterways and shipping administration expects this to fall to as little as 4cm by 14 August. The historically low level has slashed the number of barges able to pass Kaub, and the loads they can carry without running aground. A German shipowner said a vessel with a maximum capacity of 1,200t is moving carrying just 180t, and the voyage to Karlsruhe from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub now takes five days instead of two. Specialised vessels, which are wider and longer but draw less water, can carry a maximum of 700t. Several states have suspended a law that forbids truck traffic on Sundays and holidays. Product availability in western Germany, especially for road fuels, has tightened in recent weeks, traders said. Many traders that usually buy at tank farms along the Rhine are diverting to the Miro consortium's 310,000 b/d Karlsruhe refinery in southwestern Germany. But supply in southern Germany has also fallen after a leak at a mild hydrocracker at the Bayernoil consortium's 207,000 b/d Vohburg-Neustadt refinery prompted two local suppliers to pull supply from the spot market on 7 August. The restrictions are likely to last a week. By Natalie Müller Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US/Canada July PE contracts settle down 10¢/lb
US/Canada July PE contracts settle down 10¢/lb
Houston, 7 August (Argus) — July contracts in the US/Canada polyethylene (PE) market are largely settling down by 10¢/lb, even as export prices rose during the month, as the gap between domestic and export prices remained too wide for producers to ignore. A few producers had attempted to hold the decline to 5¢/lb, but after extended negotiations, most producers were expected to meet competitive offers at a decline of 10¢/lb or lose sales volumes, sources said. Combined with June's 15¢/lb decline, domestic contract prices have fallen by 25¢/lb over two months, but remained up by 15¢/lb since the beginning of the US-Iran war and up by 20¢/lb since the beginning of the year. Spot export prices rose on average by between 5¢/lb and 10¢/lb, depending upon grade, in the second half of July, tracking increases in global PE prices caused by a run-up in crude oil. Producers tried to argue that with export prices rising, there was no reason to lower domestic contract prices. However, buyers argued that the gap between domestic and export prices was still too wide, and was allowing imported finished goods to come into the US market and steal market share from domestic converters. One stretch film converter said their stretch film business is down by as much as 30pc from normal levels due to imported film coming into the US from Asia at much lower prices. "Producers are wrongly trying to hold onto margins that should have been given away in July," said one buyer active in the North America market. Most producers this month have announced a 5¢/lb increase for August, although LyondellBasell announced a 10¢/lb increase. Market participants have said the success of any price increase proposal will depend on what happens with export prices in the coming weeks. Further increases in the export price could help to support a domestic price increase, but if prices stabilize, it will be harder to push through higher prices, buyers said. One US producer said order books are looking strong for August and September, with several advance orders from China and other parts of Asia. "We will have high exports in August and September," the producer said. "Asia and other regions are willing to place orders and take long lead times." The producer said strong exports will help to support higher domestic prices later in the third quarter. By Michelle Klump Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Higher PVC, soda prices boost Unipar Q2 results
Higher PVC, soda prices boost Unipar Q2 results
Sao Paulo, 7 August (Argus) — Brazilian chlor-alkali and PVC producer Unipar Carbocloro posted stronger second-quarter 2026 results supported by the ramp-up of its Cubatão plant, higher international soda and PVC prices, and increased sales volumes, it said during its earnings call. Sales volumes increased quarter on quarter, with soda up 9pc, PVC up 6pc and chlorinated products up 4pc. Unipar highlighted chlorinated products as a strategic segment because it is less exposed to petrochemical cycles than PVC. The improvement in Brazil was driven by Cubatão reaching full operating capacity in April, while operations in Argentina remained stable, chief financial officer Alexandre Jerussalmy said. Higher international soda and PVC prices driven by the ongoing conflict between US and Iran supported revenue and helped to offset higher ethylene and natural gas costs, although an appreciation of the Brazilian real against the US dollar had a negative effect on results. The company also reported progress in its chlorine liquefaction project in Camaçari, Bahia state, aimed at increasing purification and expanding higher-value product sales. In Santo André, Unipar is advancing an expansion project that will add 28,000 t/yr of PVC capacity through the installation of an additional electrolyzer. By Isabela Mendes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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