Methanol market slowly tightens as Brazil starts soaking up material

Journal Article · Wed Nov 25 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Chemical Week; (United States)

OSTI ID:6417033

Young, I

Although the US methanol market's response to mandated oxygen requirements in reformulated gasoline has been disappointing, the European market has surprisingly been tightening in recent weeks and looks set for a price rise in first-quarter 1993. The tightness is being felt mainly in the Mediterranean market, where the Libyan methanol plant is running at only 70% because of problems with gas feedstock supplies. More significantly, the Brazilian government has now given the go-ahead for a yearlong extension on imports of methanol for use as an ethanol replacement in fuel blending. The new authorization sets a monthly import limit of 48,000 m.t. during that period. Libya is an important supplier of methanol to the Brazilian market and has already shipped about 20,000 m.t. since the authorization was given. Another major supplier to Brazil is Russia, from its two giant 750,000-m.t./year plants at Gubakha and Tomsk. The material is shipped from the terminal at Yuzhnyy on the Black Sea, in Ukrainian territory since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

• OSTI ID: 6417033
• Journal Information: Chemical Week; (United States), Journal Name: Chemical Week; (United States) Vol. 151:21; ISSN CHWKA9; ISSN 0009-272X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
100700* -- Synthetic Fuels-- Economic
Industrial
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AFRICA
ALCOHOLS
ARAB COUNTRIES
BLACK SEA
BRAZIL
CHEMICAL PLANTS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ETHANOL
FUELS
GASOLINE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
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LIBYA
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NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
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SUPPLY AND DEMAND
SURFACE WATERS