EQUATE curtails production rates on feedstock dearth

09-Apr-09

EQUATE Petrochemical Company, a major polyethylene and ethylene glycol producing joint venture in which Dow Chemical Company (US) and Petrochemical Industries Company (Kuwait) holds majority stake, recently informed that it had curtailed production rates at its Shuaiba Industrial Area complex. The company issued a statement saying it was 'experiencing a feedstock shortage due to the recent incident at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)'. Additional details were not disclosed. However, the company thoroughly expects to resume its normal capacity shortly. The company's ethane cracker produces 800,000 tpa of ethylene utilizing feedstock supplied by National Petroleum Company's LPG plant, located close to the industrial complex. This ethylene in turn supplies three plants including 600,000 tpa polyethylene unit, 400,000 tpa ethylene glycol unit and PIC owned polypropylene plant, operated by EQUATE.