CNPC progresses elastomers, olefins project

Beijing – China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) on 16 Oct posted details of a media report* on its project to establish a major complex for the production of ‘high-end polyolefin’ materials at Nantong City.

Citing an update from subsidiary Blue Ocean New Materials (Tongzhou Bay) Co., CNPC said four main units were in trial operation phase with ‘production conditions’ expected to begin in November.

These facilities include a 100 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) polyolefin elastomers (POEs) unit, two 5ktpa ethylene-propylene rubber plants, a 100ktpa 1-hexene/1-octene unit, and 200ktpa ‘full-density polyethylene’ (FDPE) unit

All four facilities were stated to be based on proprietary technology supplied by PetroChina, CNPC’s publicly traded subsidiary,

Core equipment, such as the 1-hexene/1-octene reactor, FDPE reactor, degasification extruder and POE unit devolatilisation extruder are being used for the first time in China, noted state-owned CNCP.

Among other targets, the project is intended to address China's POE import dependence, which was estimated at about 76% in 2025, according to the report.

The project site in Tongzhou Bay, Nantong City is adjacent to downstream industrial clusters in the Yangtze River Delta such as photovoltaic modules and EVs.

*Source: China National Petroleum Network/ China Petroleum News