New Market Report Now Available: United States Petrochemicals Report Q2 2011

New Energy research report from Business Monitor International is now available from Fast Market Research
 
March 29, 2011 - PRLog -- While domestic demand improved in 2010, the recovery is proceeding at a slow pace relative to previous post-recession scenarios. The poor market conditions make it increasingly difficult to justify the continued operation of some petrochemicals capacity, despite improvements in the ethane feedstock outlook.

In the first 11 months of 2010, production of major plastic resins totalled 69.2bn lbs, up 3.6% y-o-y. Sales and captive use of major plastic resins totalled 68.7bn lbs, an increase of 3.3% y-o-y. There were significant variations between polymer segments with PVC and LLDPE reporting strong growth while HDPE and PP markets contracted. Even in segments where sales declined, the weakness of the US dollar prompted an increase in production in the first few months of the year, although the recovery in the exchange rate later in the year reversed the trend. Polymer resins output growth of around 3.4% in 2010 was below BMI's projection of 5.0% with Q410 figures far lower than we had expected. The rebound will moderate further in 2011 and 2012 and output may not return to pre-recession levels until 2012 at the earliest. We have raised our forecast for real GDP growth in 2011 to 2.8% from 2.0% and see modest upside risks in the light of payroll tax cuts and extension of unemployment benefits.

US olefins producers using ethane as feedstock are likely to extend their competitive edge over producers in other developed states over the medium- to long-term. Overall, we see gas production holding its own to 2015, helped by the exploitation of shale gas deposits. The assurance of a long-term source of supply for feedstocks was factored into some companies' decisions to make major investment, including Eastman Chemical's decision to restart the previously idled ethane cracking unit at its Longview, Texas complex ahead of schedule. The restart increases Eastman's olefin capacity by 225,000tpa and brings the total number of active cracking units at Longview to three. Eastman stated that the restart was prompted by an improvement in market conditions for olefin feedstocks which it expected to continue over the next several years. Eastman has four ethylene units at its Longview complex, with ethylene capacity totalling about 840,000tpa. Meanwhile, Bayer is seeking an investor to use its land in West Virginia as a site for a new ethane cracker to take advantage of ethane produced from shale-gas in the Marcellus shale deposits.

The industry had already seen excess capacity removed from the market ahead of the economic crisis, helping to tighten the polymer market and prevent prices from falling to lower levels. However, despite the availability of cheap ethane feedstock for existing cracker capacity, the prospects for further shutdowns are certain as the US struggles to compete with suppliers in the Middle East and Asia and domestic demand growth remains sluggish. Companies dependent on purchasing feedstock on the market, such as US-based Dow Chemical or LyondellBasell, are more vulnerable. BMI believes that producers are continuing to operate some uncompetitive capacity in the hope that competitors will close their plants. The US petrochemicals industry is likely to see a decline in capacity - particularly in commodity products - over the medium-term, but the focus will be on improving added value through technological innovation. BMI expects increased investment in R&D and technology-driven joint ventures (JVs), mergers and acquisitions. A major area for innovation is light-weighting packaging and plastics, which are an alternative to metal in certain products and applications, particularly in the transportation industry.

For more information or to purchase this report, go to:
-  http://www.fastmr.com/prod/128817_united_states_petrochem...


Partial Table of Contents:

SWOT Analysis
- US Political SWOT
- US Economic SWOT
- US Business Environment SWOT
Global Overview
- Petrochemicals Market Overview
- Financial Results
- Global Oil Products Price Outlook
- Table: Oil Product Price Assumptions, Q410-Q411 (US$/bbl)
- Table: Oil Product Price Data And Forecasts, 2008-2015 (US$/bbl)
US Market Overview
Competitive Landscape
- Upstream
- Olefins
- Table: Olefins Production Capacity, 2009 ('000 tpa)
- Aromatics
- Table: Aromatics And Derivatives Capacity, 2009 ('000 tpa)
- Mixed Xylenes
- Table: Xylenes Capacity, 2009 ('000 tpa)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Table: US Polyethylene Manufacturing And Applications, 2009
- Table: PE Chain Capacity, 2009 ('000 tpa)
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
- Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Table: US PP Capacity ('000 tpa)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Table: PVC Chain Capacity, 2009 ('000 tpa)
- Polystyrene (PS)
- Table: PS Chain Capacity, 2009 ('000 tpa)
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
- Table: US Petrochemicals Sector - PET Chain Capacity ('000 tpa)
- Financial Results
Industry Trends and Developments
- Government Policy And Regulations
- Mergers, Acquisitions And Related Developments
- LyondellBasell Bankruptcy
- Collapse Of The PIC-Dow Merger
- Dow's Takeover Of Rohm And Haas
- Impact Of REACH
- Table: Key Elements Of REACH
- Table: REACH And TSCA Comparison
Petrochemicals Business Environment
Industry Forecast Scenario
- Table: US Petrochemicals Industry, 2008-2015
- Macroeconomic Outlook
- Table: United States - Economic Activity; 2006-2015
Company Monitor
- BP
- Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
- Dow Chemical
- ExxonMobil
- Huntsman
- Ineos
- LyondellBasell
- Occidental Chemical
- Shell Chemicals
- Westlake Chemical
Appendix: BP
Glossary Of Terms
- Table: Glossary Of Petrochemicals Terms
BMI Methodology
- How We Generate Our Industry Forecasts
- Chemicals And Petrochemicals Industry
- Cross Checks
- Business Environment Ratings
- Table: Petrochemicals Business Environment Indicators And Rationale

Full Table of Contents is available at:
-- http://www.fastmr.com/catalog/product.aspx?productid=1288...

About Business Monitor International

Business Monitor International (BMI) offers a comprehensive range of products and services designed to help senior executives, analysts and researchers assess and better manage operating risks, and exploit business opportunities, across 175 markets.  BMI offers three main areas of expertise: Country Risk BMI's country risk and macroeconomic forecast portfolio includes weekly financial market reports, monthly regional Monitors, and in-depth quarterly Business Forecast Reports.  Industry Analysis BMI covers a total of 17 industry verticals through a portfolio of services, including in-depth quarterly Country Forecast Reports.  View more research from Business Monitor International at http://www.fastmr.com/catalog/publishers.aspx?pubid=1010

About Fast Market Research

Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.

For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

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Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.
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Tags:Petrochemicals, Tpa, Chemical, Ethane, Polyethylene, Feedstock, Eastman, Olefin, Chain, Pvc
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