Singapore-based petrochemical producer Shell experienced flaring at its Pulau Bukom's cracker on 1 November because of technical issues and has notified some ethylene and propylene buyers of a reduction in supplies.
It cannot be confirmed if the cracker is shut, but market participants said that the cracker is now off line and this will last for a week.
The cracker has a nameplate capacity of 1mn t/yr of ethylene and 500,000 t/yr of propylene. Production from the cracker will go to its derivatives plants, including a 250,000/550,000 t/yr propylene oxide/styrene monomer unit, a 70,000 t/yr isopropyl alcohol plant that restarted in May 2020 and its 750,000 t/yr ethylene glycol plant.
Its ethylene downstream takers include Dairen's Chemical 350,000 t/yr vinyl acetate monomer plant and Prime Evolue's 300,000 t/yr liner low density polyethylene line. Its propylene production goes to Changchun's 194,000 t/yr cumene unit and Mitsui Phenol's 151,000 t/yr cumene line.
The Shell Bukom complex also houses a 186,000 t/yr butadiene extraction unit but its offtakers have not received notification of any supply cut so far.
