ICIS Americas Podcast

US phenol/acetone producer Haverhill Chemicals said on Thursday that it is safe to assume the company will suspend operations at its Ohio plant, though a final decision has yet to be made. ICIS Americas phenol/acetone reporter Dustin Hall discusses the possible closure with senior editor John Dietrich in this podcast. Haverhill has recently faced challenges on several fronts, including weak margins on phenol following a drop in benzene prices and a catastrophic operational failure at its BPA unit in which an employee lost his life. Hall and Dietrich explain the impact Haverhill’s closure could have on phenol/acetone as well as upstream and downstream markets, and examine how the company reached this point.

US ethylene contracts reached a double-month settlement the week of 1 June. ICIS Americas Senior Editor John Dietrich discusses factors behind the combined April and May settlement with Senior Editor Bobbie Clark in this podcast recorded on 4 June.

Dietrich also explains the wide spread between ethylene spot prices in Texas and Louisiana, and examines the outlook for exports of ethylene derivatives given US feedstock cost advantages.

US phenol/acetone producer Haverhill Chemicals said on Thursday that it is safe to assume the company will suspend operations at its Ohio plant, though a final decision has yet to be made. ICIS Americas phenol/acetone reporter Dustin Hall discusses the possible closure with senior editor John Dietrich in this podcast.

Haverhill has recently faced challenges on several fronts, including weak margins on phenol following a drop in benzene prices and a catastrophic operational failure at its BPA unit in which an employee lost his life. Hall and Dietrich explain the impact Haverhill’s closure could have on phenol/acetone as well as upstream and downstream markets, and examine how the company reached this point.

Third quarter contract talks for US fatty alcohols are expected to begin next week. ICIS Americas Senior Editor Judith Taylor discusses factors likely to affect the negotiations with pricing reporter Dustin Hall in this podcast recorded on Wednesday.

With new overseas production capacity and concerns about oversupply, the quarterly contract discussions are expected to be heated. Taylor provides an outlook for fatty alcohols and explains why some producers may find the fatty acid market to be more appealing.

With US propylene inventory levels near record highs, May contracts settled down slightly this week. ICIS Americas Senior Editor John Dietrich discusses the factors behind the surge in supply with Senior Editor Bobbie Clark in this podcast recorded on Thursday.

Dietrich explains why crackers continue to run hard despite the high inventory levels, and examines the possibility of low prices opening an arbitrage window for export of propylene derivatives.

US polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producers hoped to implement price increases in the second quarter, but their efforts were largely unsuccessful. ICIS Americas Senior Editor Bill Bowen explains the dynamics of the PVC market with reporter Dustin Hall in this podcast recorded on Wednesday.

Bowen also discusses how the PVC outlook could affect pricing for co-product caustic soda and explains how cutbacks in US hydraulic fracturing have affected the market for hydrochloric acid.

ICIS Americas polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Market Editor Andrew Guy Jr. discusses takeaways from the Feiplastic 2015 conference with reporter Dustin Hall in this podcast recorded on Wednesday.

Held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feiplastic is the largest plastics conference in South America. Guy examines the outlook for PET in Brazil given the country’s economic troubles, and looks at the plastics markets in the rest of the region.

ICIS Americas Senior Editor Ignacio Sotolongo discusses the rebound in crude oil prices with Senior Editor Bobbie Clark in this podcast recorded on Thursday.

WTI and Brent traded at yearly highs this week as the market responded to news of a draw down in inventories, despite continued oversupply conditions. Sotolongo explains the disconnect between investor perception and the physical market. He also looks at expectations for next month’s OPEC meeting, which will provide direction for the months ahead.

ICIS Americas Senior John Dietrich discusses recent developments in the ethylene market with Senior Editor Bobbie Clark in this podcast recorded on Wednesday.

With increased seasonal demand but ample supply, ethylene spot prices have moved up very slowly in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the April ethylene contract has yet to settle as participants await direction from crude, raising the possibility of a two-month settlement in June. Dietrich explains other factors behind the delayed settlement and provides an ethylene outlook for the months ahead.

ICIS Americas Senior Editor Judith Taylor discusses the base oils market with reporter Dustin Hall.

With the overall base oils market having stabilised following a period of oversupply, heavy grades including brightstock are now seen as tight. Taylor explains the factors behind this tightness and provides an update on other market developments including an increase in export activity.