Outlook on Indian petrochemical industry

In the year 2013, Indian petrochemical industry was significantly affected by an economic slowdown and the depreciation of the Indian currency. The Indian petrochemical producers are optimistic about the outlook of Indian petrochemical industry in near future. A number of investments are begin made by various state-owned energy companies to boost their petrochemical activities and are also expecting to become a major players in the petrochemical industry.

Indian petrochemical industry

Several petrochemical producers have scheduled to expand their production capacity at their plants, which will slow and steadily fill the gap between domestic and supply. However, as per the industry sources, comparatively, limited new domestic capacity is projected to come on-stream and as a result, import threats from Mideast and East Asian producers remain noteworthy for Indian producers.

According to the market experts, in the recent year the overall outlook petrochemical industry in India is somewhat more positive as the augmentation in GDP and industrial output is anticipated to be higher in year 2014 in compare to the previous year. Since November 2013 the market condition had been buoyant and double digit growth is expected to grow in the ending of the FY15.

The Indian petrochemical and downstream industries were drastically affected by the fall of the Indian currency. This fall in Indian currency were directly impacted on the converter industry in India, as the values of majority of petrochemical products in India were based on an import parity price. In the fiscal year 2012, one of major petrochemical producers Indian Oil had reported revenue of almost USD 2.5 billion in compare to the previous fiscal year. Currently the total revenue of petrochemical business of Indian Oil accounts for about 3.5% and in the next few year the company is planning to increase the share of petrochemicals in the overall revenue.

During past three year, the economic growth in India is once again increasing after a slowdown and as per the estimates done by the research analyst, in the fiscal year ending 31st March 2014, the GDP growth rate of India will increase from 4.6% to 5.4% and 6.3% in the fiscal 2015. According to the market experts, the long term growth outlook of Indian petrochemical industry is likely to remain optimistic and during 2013, the demand growth in India was low in compare to the prior year. As the manufacturing sector is struggling the market experts do not expect the single digit growth rate to considerably improve in the near future.

Nearly few major petrochemical manufactures have scheduled to build up new petrochemical plants at their units. Indian Oil and BP which is one of the major petrochemical manufactures are planning to start a new Acetic Acid plant in Gujarat. The plant will be having production capacity of 1 million mt/year and will be one of the largest Acetic acid plants in Gujarat, India. This plant is a joint venture between Indian Oil and BP and the firm would be investing nearly USD 1 billion for setting up the facility near Koyali refinery of IOC. The acetic acid facility which is located in Vadodara city is expected to begin its operational in 2017. Indian Oil is also studying a number of projects based on refinery propylene at Koyali.

Another petrochemical major ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd. is building an aromatics complex in the 

Mangalore special economic zone (SEZ). The OMPL is promoted by ONGC and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. is a subsidiary of ONGC. The Aromatics complex will be producing Paraxylene with production capacity of 900,000 mt/year, Benzene with about 300,000 mt/year and the plant is expected to starts its operational in the fiscal year ending March 2015.

Two major petrochemical industry Ineos and Sinopec have signed a joint venture agreement and the Articles of Association to form a 50-50 joint venture company at Nanjing on Tuesday. The joint venture will be called Ineos YPC Phenol Nanjing Co. which will set to build the largest Phenol-Acetone plant in China and will have a total investment of approximately USD 0.5 billion (RMB 3.15 billion) and is expected to start its operation by the end of 2016. The plant will be located Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park and the annual capacity of the new plant will be at least 400,000 tonnes of Phenol and 250,000 tonnes of Acetone. The complex will also include 550,000 mt/year of cumene capacity. This joint venture is the largest investment of Ineos in China and the eighth joint venture of Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical Company.

Global Petrochemical manufacturer – Reliance to expand its production capacity at two major petrochemical plants based in Dahej and Jamnagar. The company will commission PTA plant located at Dahej around 1.1 million mt/year in the third quarter of 2014 which is followed by another plant of the same capacity within six months. However, the total production capacity of PTA will be 4.3 million mt/year, which will make the company the fifth largest producer of PTA in the world. In the year 2015, the company is likely to build Ethylene plant at Jamnagar. The commercial start up of the plant is expected to start in the second half of 2015. The plant situated at Jamnagar will have a production capacity of 1.5 million mt/year.

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Syria’s oil and gas production may take years to recover

The ongoing hostilities between the Syrian government and the rebels have made it impossible for the nation’s oil and gas production to recover in the near term. Oil production in Syria has dropped drastically since March 2011 primarily due to the conflict and also due to the imposition of Western sanctions, which has led to loss of oil export revenues.

Even Syria’s natural gas production has been adversely affected, although not as significantly as oil, but dry gas production has declined by nearly 30 per cent compared with pre-conflict production levels.

Analysts estimate that Syria’s oil and gas production may take months even years to recover. Even when the fighting subsides, it would probably take a while for the Syrian domestic energy system to reach pre-conflict levels. Production and export of crude oil has fallen dramatically. Syria is also facing supply shortages for some refined products.

Syria’s proven oil reserves are estimated to stand at 2.5 billion bbl, larger than all of Syria’s neighbours except for Iraq.

During 2008-10 Syria’s oil production was more than 400,000 bpd. However, in January the country’s oil production was estimated at less than 25,000 bpd. In 2014, production also included production outside control of the Syrian government. In late 2013, the Syrian government lost control of nearly all of the nation’s key oil fields. Rebels had managed to seize control of Syria’s oil and gas resources.

Majority of the international oil firms involved in Syria’s energy sector have terminated operations. The oil companies currently operating in Syria are Hayan Petroleum and the Elba Petroleum Co. However, these firms are operating without their IOC partners. In December 2013, the Syrian government and the Russian company SoyuzNefeGaz signed a 25-year exploration agreement in Block 2 offshore.

Although the oil fields have escaped damage from the violence and clashes, oil production has been stopped because of insufficient export opportunities and limited refining capacity.

Syria is facing serious issues in importing petroleum products and is also experiencing shortage of heating oil and diesel fuel. The shortfalls are expected to continue.

Currently, Syrian refineries are being operated at reduced rates. Syria has refineries in Hams and Banias and the combined capacity of both the refineries has fallen to half of their pre-conflict production levels.

Plans to set up new refineries are either on hold or have been cancelled. For instance, the proposed 100,000 bpd facility at Abu Khashab was cancelled due to widespread anarchy in the country.

In 2012, Syria’s consumption of products was below 260,000bpd. Experts believe that consumption in 2013 will be even lower.

The Syrian government continues to subsidize domestic use of petroleum products. The government spent over $1 billion on petroleum subsidies in the first half of 2013.

Thus, the future of Syrian energy sector appears rather bleak at the moment.

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Perfumes laced with chemicals?

A recent study has worried numerous perfume lovers, including me. The report revealed that fragrances often consist of hormone-disrupting chemicals and chemicals that could cause allergic reactions. Major perfume brands have not even bothered to mention the ingredients they use in their products. Consumers take into consideration only the brand, reading the product label is deemed unnecessary.

Perfume brands are allowed to use any chemical to manufacture fragrances, with no required safety assessments, and are not even obligated to reveal the ingredients. Cosmetics can reach consumers without pre-approval. Public awareness on how hazardous low-level toxins are is extremely low. Experts have found nearly 14 hidden chemicals in several popular fragrances, including American Eagle’s Seventy-Seven, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Coco Mademoiselle Chanel and Calvin Klein Eternity. Majority of these chemicals are unstudied and unregulated.

The products that were tested comprised of 10 sensitizers, which are chemicals that can cause allergic reactions such as wheezing, asthma, headaches etc. These products also consisted of 12 hormone-disrupting chemicals. Low-dose exposure to toxic chemicals can lead to long-term health issues.
The commonly found chemicals in perfumes are:-

ACETONE – found in cologne, dishwashing liquid and detergent, nail enamel remover etc. Long-term exposure to this chemical can cause coma, dryness of the mouth and throat, dizziness, nausea, slurred speech etc. It acts as a central nervous system depressant.

BENZALDEHYDE – found in perfume, cologne, hairspray, laundry bleach, deodorants, detergent, Vaseline lotion, shaving cream, shampoo, bar soap, dishwasher detergent etc. This chemical can cause kidney damage, irritation to the throat, mouth, eyes, skin, lungs etc.

BENZYL ACETATE- found in perfume, cologne, shampoo, fabric softener, stickup air freshener, dishwashing liquid and detergent, soap, hairspray, bleach, after shave, deodorants. It is carcinogenic and can cause irritation to respiratory passages, eyes, skin etc.

BENZYL ALCOHOL - found in perfume, cologne, soap, shampoo, nail enamel remover, air freshener, laundry bleach and detergent, Vaseline lotion, deodorants, fabric softener.  Exposure to this chemical may lead to headache, nausea, dizziness, drop in blood pressure and respiratory failure.

CAMPHOR – found in perfume, shaving cream, nail enamel, fabric softener, dishwasher detergent, nail colour, stickup air freshener.  It is a central nervous system depressant and is readily absorbed through body tissues. It may cause irritation of eyes, throat, dizziness, nausea, convulsions etc.

ETHANOL –found in perfume, hairspray, shampoo, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid and detergent, laundry detergent, shaving cream, soap, Vaseline lotion, air fresheners, nail colour and remover, paint and varnish remover. Inhalation of ethanol vapours may lead to drowsiness, impaired vision, ataxia, CNS disorder, fatigue etc.

ETHYL ACETATE – found in after shave, cologne, perfume, shampoo, nail colour, nail enamel remover, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid. It can cause irritation to the eyes and the respiratory tract. It may also cause headache, anaemia, damage to liver and kidneys.

LIMONENE –found in perfume, cologne, disinfectant spray, bar soap, shaving cream, deodorants, nail colour and remover, fabric softener, dishwashing liquid, air fresheners, after shave, bleach, paint and varnish remover. It is carcinogenic and can cause irritation to eyes and skin.

LINALOOL –found in perfume, cologne, bar soap, shampoo, hand lotion, nail enamel remover, hairspray, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, Vaseline lotion, air fresheners, bleach powder, fabric softener, shaving cream, after shave, solid deodorant. Exposure to this chemical can lead to CNS disorder.

METHYLENE CHLORIDE – found in shampoo, cologne, paint and varnish remover. This chemical has been banned by the FDA. It is carcinogenic and can lead to headache, giddiness, irritability, CNS disorder etc.   

a-PINENE – found in bar and liquid soap, cologne, perfume, shaving cream, deodorants, dishwashing liquid, air freshener. This chemical is damaging to the immune system.

g-TERPINENE – found in cologne, perfume, soap, shaving cream, deodorant, air freshener. It may cause asthma and CNS disorder.

a-TERPINEOL – found in perfume, cologne, laundry detergent, bleach powder, laundry bleach, fabric softener, stickup air freshener, Vaseline lotion, cologne, soap, hairspray, after shave, roll-on deodorant. It can cause irritation to mucous membranes, hypothermia, ataxia, CNS and respiratory depression and headache.
Manufacturers need to divulge what’s in their products, eliminate use of hazardous chemicals and ensure safety of chemicals before putting them into their products.

The need for legislations that would overhaul outdated cosmetics oversight and regulation has become absolutely essential. Consumers have a right to know that the products they use are as safe as possible. 

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Global Chemical Price – Pricing assessment methodology

A very own price assessment methodology has been developed by GCP, which has taken into account as per the existing market standards. A well defined procedure is followed to ensure accuracy, reliability & consistency of the prices. After collecting recent information from active participants of the market like brokers, traders, distributors & consumers the daily price assessments are made. Our team collects the market data through emails, telephone calls, electronic transfer & instant messaging. 

methodology

Opening market prices based upon the transaction size are taken from the key brokers & producers in the market by our team of analysts who regularly communicate with them. A detailed price assessment followed by scrutiny is made at every level. Current market scenario, strong reason for fluctuations in prices, demand supply ratio, variation in upstream & downstream products, disparity in feedstock prices are various factors on the basis of which examination is done The prices are published only after thorough analysis, and these chemical prices are or bulk quantity.

We currently follow the above said methodology for nearly 30 organic chemicals & petrochemicals.

 Acetic Acid Methodology

 Acetone Methodology

 Acrylonitrile Methodology

 Butyl Acetate Methodology

 Butyl Acrylate Monomer Methodology

 Base Oil Methodology

 C9 Methodology

 Cyclohexanone Methodology

 Ethylene Dichloride Methodology

 Formaldehyde Methodology

 ISO Propanol Methodology

 Maleic Anhydride Methodology

 Melamine Methodology

 Methanol Methodology

 Methyl Ethyl Ketone Methodology

 Methyl Isobutyl Ketone Methodology

 Methylene Di Chloride Methodology

 Mixed Xylene Methodology

 Mono Ethylene Glycol Methodology

 N - Butanol Methodology

 N - Hexane Methodology

 N - Propanol Methodology

 Ortho Xylene Methodology

 Phenol Methodology

 Phthalic Anhydride Methodology

 Styrene Monomers Methodology

 Toluene Methodology

 Vinyl Acetate Monomers Methodology

 For more info about :Methodology

How chemically driven drugs affect the human body!

Drugs are chemicals that make changes to the structure of the human body and can only react chemically as it is the only action which drugs are competent. Due to the chemical structures of different drugs can affect the human body in various ways, however, few drugs make necessary changes that is, if a person needs an insulin for diabetes or chemotherapy for cancer. Most of the harmful drugs directly or indirectly target the reward system of the brain by tormenting the circuit with dopa mine which is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.

How chemically driven drugs affect the human body!

Drugs can affect the brain

When drugs get into the bloodstream, it concedes to all parts of the body and few particles reach the brain which can affect the brain functionality. As brain is known as the master control center of the body, it sends messages to the rest of the body based on the signals that it gets from the drugs. The most easiest and dangerous way of getting drugs into the brain is to inject it intravenously or injecting it into the vein.

Few of the experiments done on animals have shown that certain drugs like ecstasy can damage brain cells, but experts do not agree on whether such thing happens with humans. By in taking a wide range of drugs such as ecstasy, LSD and solvents, there have been chances about damage to the brain. However, undue and long term use of alcohol can also lead to possible brain damage.

Drugs can affect the heart

Drugs can also have a consequence on the heart directly and aggravate heart disease. The drugs that are taken enter the bloodstream and the heart pumps blood containing the drug to the brain where it affects the human body. Taking customary and high doses of tonic drugs like amphetamine, cocaine/crack, ecstasy, anabolic steroids and even possibly caffeine may increase the risk of heart attacks, especially for people who are already suffering from heart problems or high blood pressure.

Heavy drinking of alcohol and regularly consuming of tobacco may lead to a greater risk of heart problems. Consuming alcohol on a regular basis may result in weakening the ability of the heart to pump blood, which might cause heart failure. Similarly, nicotine which is found in tobacco is a kind of stimulant which increases the workload of the heart and at the same time carbon monoxide takes away the oxygen of the heart which is needed.

Drugs can affect liver and lungs

Most of the drugs can cause damage to the liver and lungs of a human body, which will make the body powerless to fight off infection. Lungs which are one of the most important organs of a human body, helps inhaling oxygen directly and very effectively to the body, however anything that is inhaled will enter the blood and very quickly to the brain. Drugs such as solvents and poppers/nitrites can also be inhaled, whereas, drugs like solvents are directly absorbed into the lungs.

Gradually neutralizing the affects of the drug, the liver alters the chemical structure of the drugs and slowly but surely stops working. Drugs such as ecstasy and drinking of alcohol constantly can impairment the liver of a human body.

Thus while using drugs, many possible risks and dangers might rise and can even cause side effects. For an instant, a person whose stimulants are high may experience an augment in energy which is caused by intake of drugs may speed up the metabolism of the body and the heart rate. Hence intake of excessive drugs can risk ones health and over a long period, taking drugs on regular basis might slowly lose its result.

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