Tight gas supply stimulates chemical prices to rise

Affected by the rain and snow weather, there is a shortage of supply in the natural gas market in China, which has stimulated a sharp increase in domestic chemical prices.
To ensure heating, the Chinese government limits the use of natural gas for industrial use during the winter. The domestic natural gas supply is gradually shifting to the heating market, while the supply of natural gas for chemical production such as methanol, melamine and urea is significantly reduced.
The tight supply of raw natural gas supplies chemical products with the power to increase prices. Traders said that last week's domestic domestic methanol price rose sharply by 150 yuan (t price, the same below) from the previous week, reaching 2,180 to 2,250 yuan (the stock price in eastern China); the price of melamine also rose by 200 to 300 yuan, up to 8200 to 8300 yuan. As the price is expected to rise further, most producers are holding up.
A methanol manufacturer in the eastern region said: “The tight supply of natural gas in China this winter has already taken shape, and the price of natural gas-based chemical products is likely to continue to rise.” In addition, due to bad weather, some sent to southern China. The goods have been postponed, resulting in a shortage of supply in the local market and also stimulating sharp increases in prices.
The shortage of natural gas has forced natural gas chemical manufacturers to shut down the plant or cut the operating rate of the plant, so the production of chemicals has dropped. According to the methanol manufacturers in the western region of China, the methanol plant in the region has already cut the operating rate, a methanol manufacturer in Xinjiang has closed down its methanol production plant, and Sichuan Jianfeng Chemical Plant has also closed down since November 17. The 30,000-ton/year melamine plant will undergo a two-month shutdown inspection.