May 12, 2020 As summer nears, the Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic) market is heating up. For three consecutive months, producers have tabled increases, and they appear to be sticking. Here’s how the COVID-19 virus led to a domino effect for Sodium Hydroxide prices… and how the dominoes fell. Amid the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 virus, […]
US Oil Market Freakishly Trades Negative
April 23, 2020 This week saw a first for the oil industry. Already trading at historically low prices, on Monday the WTI plunged to negative numbers and traded at -40/barrel. Fortunately, the next day saw a return to positive, albeit pitiful, numbers. How can this be possible? COVID-19 lockdowns have caused a sharp decline in […]
COVID-19’s Impact On Chemical Supply Chains
April 8, 2020 The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant impact on chemical supply chains. Here we take a look at some of the chemicals that have been affected: Isopropyl Alcohol (Isopropanol) Sanitization products such as Isopropyl Alcohol have experienced skyrocketing demand. Unfortunately, manufacturers are simultaneously dealing with problems that are preventing them from […]
How Will Coronavirus Affect Chemicals?
February 7, 2020 China, a major player in global economies, is in the throes of health crisis- Coronavirus. As they strive to contain the virus, the government has taken measures such as extending the Chinese Lunar New Year to keep people away from workplaces, and imposing travel bans that have left millions in lockdown. Millions […]
Saudi Arabia Attack: Global Crisis or Weekend Panic?
September 17, 2019 Last weekend, major Saudi Arabian oil processing facilities were attacked in an ongoing feud within the region. Drones and missiles, of disputed origin, shut down half of Saudi Arabia’s production capacity, or approximately 5% of the global daily supply. How much of a disruption to crude oil supply and downstream chemical markets […]
U.S. Becomes a Global Leader in Methanol Production
August 20, 2019 New Methanol plants continue to be fired up in the U.S., despite the oversupply seen in the domestic Methanol market. The global market, for use in applications such as chemicals, plastics, and fuel, is sparking increased export demand for Methanol, and the low cost of the raw material natural gas makes the […]
UPDATE: ITC Deer Park Terminal Resumes Operations
June 6, 2019 A fire at the ITC Deer Park terminal in mid-March affected both supply and price of several commodity chemicals. Following a weeks-long cleanup process, in which over 20 million gallons of oily water were removed from the water and tank farm, the docks at ITC were approved for use in the first […]
U.S. Sodium Hydroxide Flows Into South America
June 4, 2019 U.S. exports of Sodium Hydroxide to Brazil have just increased exponentially. The crumbling Pinheiro neighborhood, and the world’s largest alumina refinery, are the reason why. Petrochemical producer Braskem in Brazil has recently shut down salt mining operations following a governmental report citing the salt mines, combined with heavy rainfall, to be the […]
Tariff Hike Will Affect Chemicals
May 10, 2019 Last night, tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of material imported from China increased from 10% to 25%. The increase does include a number of commodity chemicals, and is likely to affect the global market. A few chemicals that could be potentially impacted are: Sodium Hydroxide Titanium Dioxide Acetic Acid Phosphates For […]
IPA On Hold While Houston Cleans Up
April 30, 2019 A massive clean-up of the Houston Ship Channel has been underway since the fire event last month at the ITC – Deer Park terminal. The Intercontinental Terminals Company is a major storage facility for petrochemicals, located on the Houston Ship Channel. Since the fire, waterways have resumed normal operations. However, according to […]
