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Braskem Idesa JV sees US ethane

imports hit record high in September

BRASKEM Idesa (BI), the Brazilian-Mexican Ethane is the primary feedstock of the joint
joint venture that owns the Nanchital petro- venture’s polyethylene facility in Coatzacoalcos.
chemical complex in Veracruz State, reported The plant is capable of turning out up to 1.05mn
recently that it had seen ethane import volumes tonnes per year (tpy) of LDPE and HDPE
climb to an all-time high in September 2021. (low-density and high-density polyethylene).
According to an interim report from Bras- In the past, BI has sourced most of its feed-
kem, the Brazilian partner in the joint venture, stock from Pemex. In recent years, though,
BI imported 22,400 barrels per day (bpd) of the NOC has been unable to uphold its com-
ethane from the US in the month of September. mitment under a 20-year agreement signed in
Delivery volumes have climbed as a result of 2010 to supply 66,000 bpd of ethane. The parties
the expansion of the Fast Track project, a new revised that agreement in late September of this
ethane import terminal in Laguna de Pajari- year, and as a result the state-owned firm will
tos, a section of the port of Coatazacoalcos in only be responsible for supplying 30,000 bpd of
Veracruz. ethane until BI finishes its new terminal in the
The Fast Track project is designed to make second half of 2024.
more imported ethane available to BI’s polyeth- Pemex also agreed in September to extend
ylene plant in Coatzacoalcos. The expansion guaranteed ethane deliveries into early 2025,
brought the terminal’s capacity up to 25,000 in the event that BI encounters delays in the
bpd, it added. licensing process. Additionally, it agreed to give
The joint venture widened the scope of the the joint venture the right of first refusal for the
Fast Track project in light of a decline in the vol- purchase of its surplus ethane. ™
ume of ethane delivered by Mexico’s national oil
company (NOC) Pemex, Braskem stated. This
move appears to have borne fruit, as BI is now
on track to see the volume of ethane imported
from the US average 18,600 bpd in the third
quarter of 2021, up by about 113% on the sec-
ond-quarter figure of 8,800 bpd and more than
double the figure reported for the third quarter
of last year.
Deliveries are set to keep rising, Braskem
added, since the joint venture intends to expand
Fast Track again, raising its capacity up to 35,000
bpd by the second quarter of 2022. This second
round of expansion may allow BI to source
around half of its feedstock from the US, with
the remaining half coming from Pemex, it said. BI’s petrochemical plant at Coatzalcoalcos (Image: Braskem Idesa)

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Energy minister says Trinidad and Tobago

sees gas as crucial to energy transition

EVEN as leading experts call for phasing out Speaking at the 23rd Ministerial Meeting of
and replacing natural gas with renewable energy the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF),
sources, Trinidad and Tobago continues to see Young pointed out that gas had many benefits
gas as the main driver toward energy transition, and could support efforts to pursue cleaner
Energy Minister Stuart Young said last week. energy.

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