South Korea's KPIC still trying to achieve on-spec production

According to market sources, Korea Petrochemical Industry Co (KPIC) is facing difficulties to achieve on-spec production from its sole naphtha-fed steam cracker after restart since 6 June 2017.

Based in Onsan, South Korea, the cracker has been shut since mid of April for scheduled turnaround and debottlenecking, whereby upon the expansion, the production capacity of ethylene will increase from 470,000 tons/year to 800,000 tons/year, while propylene capacity from 230,000 tons/year to 500,000 tons/year. It is still uncertain about when the plant is able to achieve on-spec production.