SABIC and Sinopec Launch Joint Project in Tianjin

FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser/File Photo
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SABIC and Sinopec Launch Joint Project in Tianjin

FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser/File Photo

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and China's Sinopec have announced the start of the commercial operation of their new polycarbonate plant, located within their equally-owned joint venture Sinopec-SABIC-Tianjin Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co., Ltd. was established in 2009 and is a vast petrochemical complex consisting of nine world-class manufacturing units designed to produce chemicals, polyethylene and polypropylene.

The production capacity of the new polycarbonate factory, a vital element in SABIC's strategy for growth in the field of polycarbonate production in China, is 260,000 tons per year, allowing the company to further cooperate with global and local customers, as the operation of the polycarbonate factory represents a new stage in the progress of the joint project between SABIC and Sinopec, and enhances the partners' ability to meet the requirements of the regional polycarbonate market.

SABIC CEO Eng. Abdul Rahman Al-Fageeh said that his company and Sinopec are opening up tremendous and mutual growth opportunities that achieve the goals of the national programs of Saudi Arabia and China.

“Based on our position as one of the largest leading companies in the field of manufacturing Polycarbonate in the world, our first-ever factory in Asia confirms our commitment to operating in markets close to our customers, enabling us to increase the level of service, speed of work and reliability of supplies,” he added.



Oil Heads for Weekly Gains on Anxiety over Intensifying Ukraine War

Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
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Oil Heads for Weekly Gains on Anxiety over Intensifying Ukraine War

Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo

Oil prices extended gains on Friday, heading for a weekly uptick of more than 4%, as the Ukraine war intensified with Russian President Vladimir Putin warning of a global conflict.
Brent crude futures gained 10 cents, or 0.1%, to $74.33 a barrel by 0448 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $70.23 per barrel.
Both contracts jumped 2% on Thursday and are set to cap gains of more than 4% this week, the strongest weekly performance since late September, as Moscow stepped up its offensive against Ukraine after the US and Britain allowed Kyiv to strike Russia with their weapons.
Putin said on Thursday it had fired a ballistic missile at Ukraine and warned of a global conflict, raising the risk of oil supply disruption from one of the world's largest producers.
Russia this month said it produced about 9 million barrels of oil a day, even with output declines following import bans tied to its invasion of Ukraine and supply curbs by producer group OPEC+.
Ukraine has used drones to target Russian oil infrastructure, including in June, when it used long-range attack drones to strike four Russian refineries.
Swelling US crude and gasoline stocks and forecasts of surplus supply next year limited price gains.
"Our base case is that Brent stays in a $70-85 range, with high spare capacity limiting price upside, and the price elasticity of OPEC and shale supply limiting price downside," Goldman Sachs analysts led by Daan Struyven said in a note.
"However, the risks of breaking out are growing," they said, adding that Brent could rise to about $85 a barrel in the first half of 2025 if Iran supply drops by 1 million barrels per day on tighter sanctions enforcement under US President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
Some analysts forecast another jump in US oil inventories in next week's data.
"We will be expecting a rebound in production as well as US refinery activity next week that will carry negative implications for both crude and key products," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates in Florida.
The world's top crude importer, China, meanwhile on Thursday announced policy measures to boost trade, including support for energy product imports, amid worries over Trump's threats to impose tariffs.