Argaam Petrochemical Index adds 0.6 pts as MEG rebounds

08/06/2015 Argaam - Exclusive

Argaam Petrochemical Index, which measures the average change in prices for a basket of petrochemicals produced in the Gulf, added 0.6 points to 246.1 points by the end of last week, as the prices of several chemicals in the region were mixed and MEG rebounded. 

 

Argaam Petrochemical Index

241.6

Argaam Index (June 7)

+ 0.2 %

Weekly change

+ 6.3 %

6 months change

( 14.1 % )

1-year change

 

 

Naphtha feedstock decreased $10 to $550 a ton last week.

 

The prices of Saudi natural gas liquids (NGL) such as propane and butane are set at 28 percent below the Japanese Naphtha benchmark, excluding freight costs.

 

Prices of Naphtha ​​including shipping costs to Japan (June 7)

1-year change

6 months change

Weekly change

Price

Product

( 42 % )

( 7 % )

( 2 % )

550

Naphtha *

( 42 % )

( 7 % )

( 2 % )

396

Propane **

*CFR Japan.

**Approximate price in Saudi Arabia (28% discount for Naphtha)

 

Prices of polymers were either unchanged or dropped throughout the week amid low trading.

 

Polyethylene lost $15 to $1,340 a ton and polypropylene was unchanged at $1,285.

 

MEG price rebounded after three weeks of decline, adding $50 a ton in correlation with PTA, which rose sharply in the spot market because of technical outages in plants in Japan, South Korea, and China. MEG and PTA are used in manufacturing polyesters.  

 

Basic Petrochemicals (June 7) - Asian markets

1-year change

6 months change

Weekly change

Price

Product

+ 1 %

+ 33 %

--

1385

Ethylene*

( 30 % )

+ 11 %

+ 2 %

945

Propylene*

( 41 % )

( 13 % )

( 1 % )

765

Benzene*

( 19 % )

+ 23 %

+ 1 %

1275

Styrene*

( 9 % )

( 6 % )

--

390

Methanol  (Methanex)**

( 6 % )

( 5 % )

( 2 % )

315

Methanol (China)***

( 26 % )

+ 6 %

( 2 % )

790

MTBE****

*FOB-East Asia (Japan, Taiwan and Korea).

**ACP "Methanex"

***Methanol prices in China.

****Spot – Singapore.

 

Polymers Prices (June 7) - Asian markets

1-year change

6 months change

Weekly change

Price

Product

( 15 % )

( 2 % )

( 1 % )

1340

Polyethylene*

( 16 % )

--

--

1285

Polypropylene

( 15 % )

+ 8 %

( 3 % )

1440

Poly Styrene

( 18 % )

( 2 % )

( 1 % )

860

PVC

+ 3 %

--

--

2575

PCB

*High-density polyethylene

 

Intermediates (June 7) - Asian markets

1-year change

6 months change

Weekly change

Price

Product

( 1 % )

+ 14 %

+ 6 %

955

Spot MEG - china

+ 3 %

+ 12 %

--

1120

MEG (SABIC)

( 23 % )

( 2 % )

+ 6 %

730

PTA

 

Fertilizers (June 7) - Gulf Arab Countries

1-year change

6 months change

Weekly change

Price

Product

+ 7 %

( 2 % )

--

310

Urea

( 18 % )

( 37 % )

--

390

Ammonia

+ 7 %

--

--

480

DAP*

*Export price from Saudi Arabia

 

Titanium Dioxide (June 7)

1-year change

6 months change

Weekly change

Price

Product

( 9 % )

( 7 % )

--

2550

Tio2 (Asia)

( 25 % )

( 15 % )

--

2420

Tio2 (Europe)

( 11 % )

( 11 % )

--

3080

Tio2 (America)

 

End Products for Saudi Petrochemical Companies

Finished Products

Company

Polyethylene , polypropylene , poly styrene , ethylene glycol (MEG), methyl tert- butyl ether (MTBE), benzene , urea , ammonia , PVC, and PTA

SABIC

Urea, ammonia.

SAFCO

Polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene glycol (MEG), methyl tert- butyl ether (MTBE), benzene.

YANSAB

Polyethylene, polypropylene, propylene. (TiO2)

Tasnee

Polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene glycol (MEG), polycarbonate, and bisphenol A.

Saudi Kayan

Polyethylene, polypropylene, propylene oxide, and refined petroleum products.

Petro Rabigh

Polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene.

Petrochem

Polyethylene, polypropylene.

Sahara Petrochemicals

Styrene, benzene, Cyclohexene, propylene.

Saudi Group

Methanol, Butanol, acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer.

Sipchem

Polypropylene

Advanced

Polypropylene

Alujain

Formaldehyde - improvers concrete

CHEMANOL

Epoxy resin, hydrochloric acid, liquid caustic soda, soda granules.

NAMA

Ammonia and DAP

MAADEN

 

About Argaam Petrochemical Index:

 

Argaam Petrochemical Index is the only index that provides weekly capacity-weighted measures for the average changes of international prices of several petrochemical products manufactured in the Gulf Arab countries. 

 

Internally consumed products, which are used as feedstock for producing other petrochemicals, represent smaller weights on the index. These products— such as ethylene, propylene and ammonia— are not sold regularly in the international market.

 

Final products sold in international markets such as polyethylene, polypropylene, MTBE, MEG, and urea represent the biggest weights on the index.

 

Naphtha prices, the main feedstock benchmark, correlate negatively with the index. The weights of products on the index are reviewed periodically.

 

As of January 1, 2002 the index started at 100 points.

 

 

Argaam Reports

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