Naphtha Crackers Shut for Scheduled Maintenance in Japan, Korea

Tosoh Corp. (4042) plans to shut its 493,000 metric-ton-a-year naphtha cracker in Yokkaichi for scheduled maintenance on March 15.

The Tokyo-based company is among Japanese and South Korean ethylene producers idling capacity for maintenance leading into the second quarter of 2012. Tosoh’s Yokkaichi shutdown is scheduled to last until April 15, Michael Hoover, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail today.

Showa Denko KK (4004) began reducing output by 200,000 tons a year at its ethylene plant in Oita for scheduled maintenance today, Nobuhiro Kato, a company spokesman, said by phone today from Tokyo. The 691,000 ton-a-year unit was scheduled to return to full capacity on March 29, he said.

Asahi Kasei Corp. (3407) shut its 504,000 ton-a-year cracker in Mizushima for scheduled maintenance on March 5, Mio Iwatsuki, a company spokeswoman, said by phone yesterday from Tokyo. The unit was scheduled to restart on April 16, she said.

In South Korea, Yeochun NCC Co. (YENCCZ) plans to shut its 578,000 ton-a-year Yeocheon No. 2 plant for maintenance from March 20 to April 19, according to a company official who asked not to be named because the information was confidential.

Honam Petrochemical Corp. (011170) shut its 750,000 ton-a-year Yeocheon plant on March 1 for maintenance and to expand its capacity to 1 million metric tons a year, said a company official, who also declined to be identified. The closure was scheduled to last until April 10, the official said.

The following is a table of planned maintenance shutdowns at in Asia, excluding plants in China and India:

-------------------------------------------------------------
Company   Plant          Capacity          Period
                     (Metric tons/year)
-------------------------------------------------------------

                       *** SOUTH KOREA ***

Honam Petrochemical Corp.
     Daesan          1.07 million     No maintenance
     Yeocheon        750,000          Shut on March 1.
                                      Shutdown to last until
                                      April 10 for maintenance
                                      and expansion to 1
                                      million tons.

Korea Petrochemical Industry Co.
     Onsan           470,000          No maintenance

LG Chem Ltd.
     Daesan          920,000          No maintenance
     Yeocheon        1 million        No maintenance

Samsung Total Petrochemicals
     Daesan          1 million        No maintenance

SK Innovation Co.
     Ulsan           190,000          No maintenance
     Ulsan           690,000          No maintenance

Yeochun NCC Co.
     Yeocheon No. 1  857,000          No maintenance
     Yeocheon No. 2  578,000          March 20 to April 19
     Yeocheon No. 3  465,000          No maintenance

                          *** JAPAN  ***

Asahi Kasei Corp.
     Mizushima           504,000      Shut on March 5. Restart
                                      scheduled for April 16.

Idemitsu Kosan Co.
     Chiba               374,000      No maintenance
     Tokuyama            623,000      Sept. or Nov.

JX Holdings Inc.
     Kawasaki            443,000      No maintenance

Keiyo Ethylene Co.
     Chiba               690,000      No maintenance

Maruzen Petrochemical Co.
     Chiba               525,000      Mid-May to mid-June

Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.
     Kashima 1           343,000      May 10 to July 4
     Kashima 2           435,000      No maintenance
     Mizushima           437,000      No maintenance

Mitsui Chemicals Inc.
     Ichihara            553,000      No maintenance

Osaka Petrochemical Industries Ltd.
     Sakai               500,000      August, one month

Showa Denko K.K.
     Oita                691,000      Output reduced by 200,000
                                      metric tons a year on
                                      March 7. Return to full
                                      capacity scheduled for
                                      March 29.

Sumitomo Chemical Co.
     Chiba               380,000      No maintenance

Tonen Chemical Corp.
     Kawasaki            540,000      No maintenance

Tosoh Corp.
     Yokkaichi           493,000      March 15 to April 15

                          *** TAIWAN ***

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.
    Mailiao 1          700,000        August, 40-45 days
    Mailiao 2          1.035 million  No maintenance
    Mailiao 3          1.2 million    No maintenance

CPC Corp.
    Kaohsiung No. 6      600,000      Construction to be
                                      completed December 2012
    Kaohsiung No. 5      500,000      No maintenance
    Kaohsiung No. 4      385,000      No maintenance
    Kaohsiung No. 3      230,000      Decommissioned in March
                                      or April**
** Reported by ICIS.

                        *** MALAYSIA ***

Titan Chemicals Corp.
    Pasir Gudang         300,000      No maintenance
    Pasir Gudang         435,000      No maintenance

                        *** SINGAPORE ***

Exxon Mobil Corp.
     Jurong Island       1 million    New plant to start up in
                                      the second half of 2012
     Jurong Island       900,000      Unavailable

Petrochemical Corp. of Singapore
     Jurong Island       465,000      No maintenance
     Jurong Island       635,000      No maintenance

Royal Dutch Shell Plc
     Pulau Bukom         800,000      No maintenance

                        *** INDONESIA ***

Chandra Asri PT
     Cilegon             600,000      No maintenance until
                                      2014 or 2015

                        *** THAILAND ***

IRPC Pcl.
     Map Ta Phut         380,000      No maintenance

PTT Global Chemical Pcl.
     Map Ta Phut I-4/1   515,000      No maintenance
     Map Ta Phut I-4/2   400,000      Feb, 49 days
     Map Ta Phut I-1     461,000      No maintenance. Runs on
                                      LPG.

PTT Polyethylene Co.
     Map Ta Phut         1 million    No maintenance. Runs on
                                      LPG.

Rayong Olefins Co.
     Map Ta Phut         800,000      No maintenance

Map Ta Phut Olefins Co.
     Map Ta Phut         800,000      No maintenance

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To contact the reporter on this story: Jacob Adelman in Tokyo at jadelman1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski at akwiatkowsk2@bloomberg.net