Released April 09, 2020 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Industrial Info's daily COVID-19 Impact Report gives you the latest inside intelligence on outages, derates, shutdowns, closures, delays and more caused by the pandemic, across the global energy and industrial landscape.
PETROLEUM REFINING HIGHLIGHTS
Asia Pacific oil refineries are finding that processing cuts are not keeping pace with sharp drops in fuel margins, which hit record lows this month, caused by the demand decline from the economic dislocations of the COVID-19 outbreak. Some estimate that Asian refineries will cut their processing by between 2 million to 4 million barrels per day (BBL/d) in April. Industrial Info has the details of each cut by unit.
Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Company resumed normal operations on Wednesday at its 60,000-BBL/d Weifang Luqing Refinery in China. Refinery ran at 50% capacity from February 15 to March 30 due to poor margins caused by COVID-19. The run rate was then increased to 65% until Wednesday, when full operations resumed.
LyondellBasell's Houston Refining LP has reduced rates by 20% at its 265,000-BBL/d Houston, Texas, refinery due to lower product demand.
SAPREF shut down the CDU 3 Complex on April 2 at its 180,000-BBL/d Durban Refinery in South Africa due to low demand. All units are tentatively expected to resume normal operations by April 30.
POWER HIGHLIGHTS
U.S. electricity demand last week plunged to a 16-year low as offices shut and industrial activity slowed sharply with government travel and work restrictions to slow the coronavirus spread, according to a Reuters report that cited analysts and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) trade group. EEI said power output fell to 64,896 gigawatt-hours during the week ended April 4. That was down 5.7% from the same week in 2019 and was the lowest in a week since April 2004.
PETROCHEMICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Construction of Bayport Polymers' ethylene unit in Port Arthur, Texas, remains on schedule. Bayport Polymers plans to achieve mechanical completion by August 20, and has begun some pre-commissioning activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused work shifts to be rearranged, however.
In Victoria, Texas, LyondellBasell's management/office personnel and non-essential employees are working from home.
In Richmond, Virginia, all of DuPont's capital projects have been delayed or put on hold. Only essential workers are allowed in and out. They are prepping for a possible lockdown.
All maintenance and capital activity at Ashland's operations in Calvert City, Kentucky, has been delayed for 12 months.
Egyptian Propylene & Polypropylene faces a delay in funding approval for its propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene Phase 2 projects due to the outbreak.
Maroc Phosphore 3&4 has restricted outside contractors in its Jorf Lasfar Chemical Complex in Morocco amid COVID-19, which resulted in the delay of its wastewater treatment unit revamp project.
Protea Chemicals has postponed a 15-day annual turnaround at its sodium hypochlorite unit located in South Africa due to the outbreak. The turnaround now is expected to take place in the last week of April.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS HIGHLIGHTS
In Malaysia, KLK Bioenergy Sdn Bhd ceased ethanol production effective March 18, with no timetable to resume operations.
PULP, PAPER & WOOD HIGHLIGHTS
The Packaging Corporation of America mill in Jackson, Alabama, will suspend operations for two months as the coronavirus pandemic keeps schools and businesses closed. The company said it will idle its two paper machines and the converting operation beginning next month. The company anticipates restarting the machines in early July.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Cargill Incorporated closed its 900-employee, case-ready protein facility in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, until further notice. The facility produces meat for retail food customers, include ground beef, steaks, beef roasts and pork products that are sold at grocery stores across the country.
Smithfield Foods will close its Sioux City, South Dakota, facility for three days after dozens of workers there tested positive for COVID-19. The company will partially suspend operations at the plant on April 11 and completely close the facility on April 12-13 to clean and sanitize equipment as well as install additional physical barriers to enhance social distancing.
PHARMACEUTICAL & BIOTECH
The FDA and the FTC are identifying and warning those companies making fraudulent claims regarding their COVID-19 projects. The companies include Genesis II Church of Health and Healing for claiming that its chlorine dioxide products, known as "Miracle Mineral Solution," are safe and/or effective in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Warning letters also were sent to Savvy Holistic Health, doing business as Holistic Healthy Pet and CBD Online Store, saying it had made similar misleading claims regarding its products.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.
PETROLEUM REFINING HIGHLIGHTS
Asia Pacific oil refineries are finding that processing cuts are not keeping pace with sharp drops in fuel margins, which hit record lows this month, caused by the demand decline from the economic dislocations of the COVID-19 outbreak. Some estimate that Asian refineries will cut their processing by between 2 million to 4 million barrels per day (BBL/d) in April. Industrial Info has the details of each cut by unit.
Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Company resumed normal operations on Wednesday at its 60,000-BBL/d Weifang Luqing Refinery in China. Refinery ran at 50% capacity from February 15 to March 30 due to poor margins caused by COVID-19. The run rate was then increased to 65% until Wednesday, when full operations resumed.
LyondellBasell's Houston Refining LP has reduced rates by 20% at its 265,000-BBL/d Houston, Texas, refinery due to lower product demand.
SAPREF shut down the CDU 3 Complex on April 2 at its 180,000-BBL/d Durban Refinery in South Africa due to low demand. All units are tentatively expected to resume normal operations by April 30.
POWER HIGHLIGHTS
U.S. electricity demand last week plunged to a 16-year low as offices shut and industrial activity slowed sharply with government travel and work restrictions to slow the coronavirus spread, according to a Reuters report that cited analysts and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) trade group. EEI said power output fell to 64,896 gigawatt-hours during the week ended April 4. That was down 5.7% from the same week in 2019 and was the lowest in a week since April 2004.
PETROCHEMICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Construction of Bayport Polymers' ethylene unit in Port Arthur, Texas, remains on schedule. Bayport Polymers plans to achieve mechanical completion by August 20, and has begun some pre-commissioning activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused work shifts to be rearranged, however.
In Victoria, Texas, LyondellBasell's management/office personnel and non-essential employees are working from home.
In Richmond, Virginia, all of DuPont's capital projects have been delayed or put on hold. Only essential workers are allowed in and out. They are prepping for a possible lockdown.
All maintenance and capital activity at Ashland's operations in Calvert City, Kentucky, has been delayed for 12 months.
Egyptian Propylene & Polypropylene faces a delay in funding approval for its propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene Phase 2 projects due to the outbreak.
Maroc Phosphore 3&4 has restricted outside contractors in its Jorf Lasfar Chemical Complex in Morocco amid COVID-19, which resulted in the delay of its wastewater treatment unit revamp project.
Protea Chemicals has postponed a 15-day annual turnaround at its sodium hypochlorite unit located in South Africa due to the outbreak. The turnaround now is expected to take place in the last week of April.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS HIGHLIGHTS
In Malaysia, KLK Bioenergy Sdn Bhd ceased ethanol production effective March 18, with no timetable to resume operations.
PULP, PAPER & WOOD HIGHLIGHTS
The Packaging Corporation of America mill in Jackson, Alabama, will suspend operations for two months as the coronavirus pandemic keeps schools and businesses closed. The company said it will idle its two paper machines and the converting operation beginning next month. The company anticipates restarting the machines in early July.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Cargill Incorporated closed its 900-employee, case-ready protein facility in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, until further notice. The facility produces meat for retail food customers, include ground beef, steaks, beef roasts and pork products that are sold at grocery stores across the country.
Smithfield Foods will close its Sioux City, South Dakota, facility for three days after dozens of workers there tested positive for COVID-19. The company will partially suspend operations at the plant on April 11 and completely close the facility on April 12-13 to clean and sanitize equipment as well as install additional physical barriers to enhance social distancing.
PHARMACEUTICAL & BIOTECH
The FDA and the FTC are identifying and warning those companies making fraudulent claims regarding their COVID-19 projects. The companies include Genesis II Church of Health and Healing for claiming that its chlorine dioxide products, known as "Miracle Mineral Solution," are safe and/or effective in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. Warning letters also were sent to Savvy Holistic Health, doing business as Holistic Healthy Pet and CBD Online Store, saying it had made similar misleading claims regarding its products.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.
