Saudi petrochemical producer Tasnee will conduct a 27-day planned turnaround at its subsidiary Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene (SEPC) in Jubail from 23 May, according to an announcement on the domestic Tadawul stock exchange.
The turnaround is planned at SEPC's 1mn t/yr ethylene cracker, 400,000 t/yr high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant and 400,000 t/yr low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit. Tasnee, which has a 45.34pc stake in SEPC, estimates the financial impact of the turnaround at around 90mn Saudi riyal ($24mn).
Turnarounds and unplanned shutdowns in polymer markets have been a concern for Middle East participants because of tight supplies in the weeks leading up to the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The markets are expected to be muted this month as both upstream and downstream operating rates fall on shorter working hours during the fasting month.
Saudi Arabia-based petrochemical producer Sadara Chemical recently completed an unplanned maintenance on its 1.5mn t/yr ethylene cracker and 400,000 t/yr propylene cracker at its petrochemical complex in Jubail. Production at its 220,000 t/yr LDPE plant was temporarily halted because of low feedstock availability, according to market participants, although it was unclear when. But production at the entire complex was restarted this week, according to market participants.
Advanced Petrochemical, another Saudi petrochemical producer, has also completed turnarounds at its 455,000 t/yr propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and 450,000 t/yr polypropylene (PP) plants in Jubail, it said on 11 April. Advanced recently signed contracts with Samsung and Tecnimont to construct PDH and PP plants for its planned Advanced Polyolefins facility in Jubail.
LDPE film prices were assessed at $1,468-1,518/t on a fob China main ports basis yesterday, according to latest Argus data. HDPE film was assessed at $1,078-1,138/t on the same basis. PP raffia and PP co-polymer were assessed at $1,208-1,258/t and $1,258-1,339/t, respectively, on the same basis.
