Suddenly it’s a good time to be a sulphur producer again. Sulphur prices started 2020 at a low point of $40/t, a level not seen for a decade or more. However, after a slight recovery when the pandemic hit and refineries began reducing production, since August the market trend has been rapidly upwards, now approaching levels of $200/t that have not been seen for a couple of years.
This year’s SulGas conference, covering sulphur recovery and gas treating with a special focus on India and southeast Asia, was run as a virtual event from February 1st to 3rd 2021.
The profound demand shock caused by Covid-related lockdowns has had a major impact upon the refining industry. Run rates have been at low levels in North America and Europe, and a new wave of rationalisation is under way, at the same time that capacity continues to grow in Asia. Will this spur diversification into petrochemicals and low carbon options for Atlantic basin refiners?
Demand for nickel sulphate is expected to rise rapidly this decade to feed increased battery production for electric vehicles. At the same time, diminishing sources of high grade nickel ores are leading to a renewed focus on high pressure acid leaching (HPAL) of laterite ores, with a significant impact on sulphur and sulphuric acid demand.
Fertilizer coatings play an integral role in minimising the degradation of fertilizers during transport, handling and storage. Increasingly, customers also want to know if the coatings they buy are sustainable too. But what exactly is a sustainable fertilizer coating – and how can its sustainability be properly defined and measured? Lucas Moore , director of coatings technology at Arkema-ArrMaz, weighs up these thorny questions and provides some clear-cut answers.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we look ahead at fertilizer industry prospects for the next 12 months, including the key economic and agricultural drivers likely to shape the market during 2021.
No one in this industry should ever need a reminder that commodity markets are cyclical. The corollary of that is – every once in a while – markets can, and will, abruptly change direction.
Natural gas pricing remains the dominant component of ammonia production costs. The fall in global oil and gas prices due to the Covid outbreak and the continued growth in the LNG market is continuing to break the hold of oil indexation on gas pricing. Meanwhile, reform of gas markets continues, in places as diverse as Brazil, China and India.
Continuing rationalisation in China’s phosphate industry has been reducing demand for sulphur and sulphuric acid at the same time that the country is producing more of both.
Corrosion Resistant Alloys, LP, a manufacturer of high-grade corrosion resistant alloy tubes, has appointed Tom W. Slaughter in a business development and advisory role. Based in Houston, Slaughter will be responsible for building relationships with strategic partners, including customers and suppliers. Slaughter’s background is as an industry leader in high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) and deep gas applications with more than 40 years of global industry experience. Most recently, Slaughter served as president of Energy Alloys, Advanced Tubulars beginning in 2007. Prior to this role, he served as president of CRA from 2001 to 2007 where he had full responsibility for global sales and supply chain and worked directly with domestic and international end users of specialty CRA OCTG products.