Guar Gum Exports From India to Drop on Halliburton Stocks

India’s exports of guar gum, a thickening agent used for oil and gas extraction, are poised to drop 20 percent this year as high inventory and a slump in prices cool demand among users including Halliburton Co.

Shipments may total 400,000 metric tons in the year that began on April 1, compared with 500,000 tons a year earlier, said P.K. Hissaria, president of the Indian Guar Gum Manufacturers Association. Prices plunged 69 percent to about 30,000 rupees ($539) per 100 kilograms from a record 95,920 rupees in March after India banned futures trading, he said.