Asia/Pacific

Asian petrochemical producers chase ethane gains as margins dwindle

Several petrochemical producers in Asia plan to reconfigure their crackers to process more ethane to reduce costs and capitalize on rising U.S. supplies as they face thin margins and global oversupply.

China's April refinery output fell 1.4% year-on-year

China's crude oil throughput fell in April from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday, due to maintenance at state-owned refineries and as independent plants curbed output amid poor margins.

Malaysia's Prefchem restarts gasoline unit after repairs since January

Malaysia's Pengerang Refining Co. (Prefchem) has restarted one of its two residue fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) units in the past week after shutting it for repairs early this year.

Insight: Lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran could crush China’s 'teapot' oil refineries

The possible lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil exports could deal a fatal blow to independent Chinese refineries that have thrived by processing Tehran’s discounted crude, while also putting further downward pressure on oil prices.

Mitsui Chemicals studying use of ethanol to make petrochemicals

Mitsui Chemicals is studying the use of ethanol as a feedstock in its naphtha crackers to improve competitiveness amid oversupply in the global petrochemical sector

Lotte Chemical to start operating Indonesia cracker in H2 2025

The new cracker which has the capacity to produce 1 MMtpy of ethylene is part of a $3.95 billion project at Cilegon, in Indonesia's Banten province.

hte, Mitsubishi Chemical partner to screen MMA oxidation catalysts

hte signed a contract with Mitsubishi Chemical to provide research services for the screening of MMA oxidation catalysts. The research project included an accelerated aging study, with the aim to qualify a catalyst with extended lifetime properties for the commercial operations.

With U.S. trade war, China now top buyer for Canadian crude on Trans Mountain pipeline

China has emerged as the top customer for Canadian oil shipped on the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, ship tracking data showed, as a U.S. trade war has shifted crude flows in the year since the pipeline started operating.

Topsoe’s technology chosen by Zhongneng Yida for 400,000-tpy SAF plant in China

Asia's refined fuel imports drop, but margins still hold

Asia's imports of key refined fuels such as gasoline and diesel fell to the lowest in four years in April, driven by a combination of refinery maintenance and weaker demand in the top-importing region.