Industry News
Chemical Industry News
Plant status: Formosa Point Comfort, Texas, cracker to undergo maintenance in September
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Formosa Plastics USA Location: Point Comfort, Texas, US Product: Ethylene Capacity (tonnes/year): 1.25 million Event start: 1 September (est.)...
CRUDE SUMMARY: Oil prices volatile ahead of US-Ukraine talks
Market awaits outcome of Trump-Zelensky meeting following Moscow’s peace deal overtures US refocusing prospect of secondary sanctions on India which continues to refine Russian crude Ukrainian...
Plant status: Vietnam’s Long Son to restart BD unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Long Son Petrochemical Location: Long Son, Vietnam Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 110,000 Event start: H2 October 2024 Event...
Asia base oils supply outlook: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s heavy-grade base oils price-premium to Singapore gasoil holds firm, especially for Group I base oils. Group II heavy-grade margins stay high despite lower outright prices....
Plant status: Japan’s Tobu Butadiene restarts Chiba BD unit
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Here is a plant status report: Name: Tobu Butadiene Location: Chiba, Japan Product: Butadiene (BD) Capacity (tonnes/year): 130,000 Event start: H2 May 2025 Event finish: Mid-August...
Asia base oils demand outlook: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s base oils demand could get support from pick-up in requirements for replenishment volumes to meet seasonal rise in consumption during final weeks of Q3. Simultaneous rise...
OUTLOOK: INSIGHT: US chems get regulatory relief amid rail setbacks
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US government has slowed down the introduction of new regulations and provided the chemical industry with some significant policy wins, although fostering rail competition had...
Americas/EMEA base oils supply outlook: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--US Group II domestic base oils price-premium to feedstock prices holds steady in narrow range, even if down from year-earlier levels. Source: ICIS Steady margins could get...
Americas/EMEA base oils demand outlook: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--US base oils demand likely to stay lower as seasonally slower consumption adds to caution about outlook. Expectations of healthy availability of supply give buyers flexibility to...
FBMC WEEKLY: Cooler weather to pressure spot prices in week 34, although outlook for Germany mixed
LONDON (ICIS)--Milder temperatures and wetter conditions in France and the Balkans are expected to help support recovery in French nuclear output and boost hydro-availability, likely weighing on spot...
Global base oils arb outlook: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--US Group II base oils export prices weaken versus FOB Asia Group II prices in Q3 2025. Source: ICIS Prices weaken at time of year when FOB Asia Group II prices typically fall versus...
Global base oils margins outlook: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Global base oils prices hold firm or rise compared with feedstock/competing fuel prices. Base oils margins hold firm at a time of year when supply-demand fundamentals are typically...
Global base oils cargo flows: Week of 18 August
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Surge in shipments from Taiwan in early-August 2025 precedes sharp slowdown over following weeks. Cargo loads from South Korea in early-August 2025 before heading to UAE, set to...
Production disruptions could lengthen European HCl
LONDON (ICIS)--A recent fire at an external transformer station at Chempark in Dormagen, Germany, triggered a widespread power outage, leading Covestro to declare force majeure on a range of chemical...
Europe E&P series glycol ethers prices stable, activity low
LONDON (ICIS)--Spot prices for E&P glycol ethers were assessed stable into the latter half of August. Market dynamics were not greatly changed from prior weeks with muted activity ongoing, in...
South Africa’s urea imports decline on higher stocks
LONDON (ICIS)--In South Africa, urea imports declined 37% in the first half of 2025 to 185,034 tonnes, down 37% from 293,366 tonnes in H1 2024, according to customs data, due to higher carry-over...
Europe LPG prices little changed in subdued market
LONDON (ICIS)--Spot prices for large northwest Europe (NWE) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cargoes were little changed into the second half of August with fundamentals similar from prior weeks. The...
Europe VAM August talks ongoing amid long supply
LONDON (ICIS)--August contract price talks continue on the European vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) market, with some early agreements heard between rollovers and low double-digit decreases. Demand...
European naphtha weakens on crude softness despite firming east-west spreads
LONDON (ICIS)--European open-spec naphtha spot prices extended their decline this week, pressured by softer Brent crude values, muted petrochemical demand, and thin physical trading. Market...
French gas flows to Spain to persist in September – PRISMA capacity bookings show
Over 4mcm/day booked at VIP PIRINEOS, driven by short Spanish system and favourable spreads Meanwhile in Germany, 1.1mcm/day booked at VIP TTF-THE, despite narrowing spreads on persistent storage...