POLYETHYLENE

PE imports from the US gaining steam / Impact on European producers' margins / Vast majority of new capacity still to come / Noticeable decline in imports to EU since January 2019

SASOL

LLDPE plant starts up in Louisiana / Cracker and LDPE line to follow in 2019

PLASTICS AND ENVIRONMENT

Global alliance of 29 companies aims to help manage plastics waste / Commitments totalling over USD 1 bn

WANHUA

Plans for USD 1 bn MDI complex in Louisiana / Location and capacity not yet disclosed

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Polyolefins: Extensive fire in Durban warehouse / Loss of all PP, LDPE and LLDPE export stocks of Sasol

SASOL

Large PE complex in Louisiana gets go-ahead / First swing line to start up in 2018 / LDPE line to follow in 2019

SHELL

Green light for US shale gas-fed cracker complex in Pennsylvania / Downstream units for 1.6m t/y of PE / Location close to North American plastics customers

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Tom Crotty, group director at Ineos: UK test drills could begin this year / Despite low oil price, fracking still economically viable / Mulling new cracker in Norway / Offshore North Sea assets: Ineos enters the oil business

SASOL

Several units at US Lake Charles cracker delayed to 2019 / Response to volatile oil market

SASOL

US-based upstream plans shelved for now / Commitment to ethane cracker and PE lines reconfirmed

INEOS / SASOL

Work on Texas HDPE joint venture begins

SASOL

South African group finalises US Gulf petchems investment / USD 8 bn cracker will produce 1.5m t/y of ethylene / Two PE plants also part of Louisiana complex

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Work on US Gulf Coast crackers and PE plants gears up / ChevronPhillips and ExxonMobil lead the way / Some 30% of expanded US commodity plastics output to be exported by 2020

INEOS / SASOL

Plans for HDPE joint venture finalised / Debt-financing details being worked out

CHEVRON PHILLIPS

Groundbreaking ceremonies held for 1.5m t/y Cedar Bayou ethane cracker / Ethylene largely for domestic consumption / Two 500,000 t/y PE plants part of USGC project

SASOL

Debottlenecking for ethylene and PE in South Africa

INEOS

Acquisition of Sasol's German solvent business

SASOL

Opts out of Iranian joint venture / Selling all shares to Iranian investor

INEOS

Next steps in HDPE joint venture with Sasol proceed / New 470,000 t/y facility to be ready for start up in 2015

HANWHA CHEMICAL

South Korean chemical producer reportedly looking into building an ethylene plant in the US / Jumping the shale gas bandwagon

POLYETHYLENE

North America: Sasol building swing line / ExxonMobil plans to raise exports / New player eyeing facility in the Appalachians

SASOL

Follow-up: Iranian activities remain contested / Political pressure for a withdrawal from the Islamic Republic rises

SASOL

No plans to quit Iranian petrochemical joint venture, news reports suggest / Activities could prompt international sanctions

SASOL

South African group plans new mega-cracker in the US / Attracted to shale gas light feed

SOUTH AFRICA

Demand for plastics picks up again / Good prospects for insulation materials / Significant increase in imports