HOUSTON (ICIS)–More than 4 million outages were reported in the southeastern US on Friday after Hurricane Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm in northwestern Florida. The southeastern US does not have a lot of chemical production. But such widespread power outages, in addition to disruptions caused by flooding, will lower demand for plastics and chemicals more broadly. The power outages are concentrated in the US states of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, according to the website poweroutage.us. Among the few chemical plants near Helene’s landfall site are a crude sulphate turpentine refinery and a crude tall oil (CTO) refinery that Kraton owns in Panama City, Florida. Tall oil is a feedstock fatty acids, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Kraton has not returned requests for comment in regard to its preparations for Helene. Since Helene made landfall, it has weakened into a tropical storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 miles/hour (75 km/hour), according to the National Hurricane Center. The following map shows its projected path. Source: National Hurricane Center PORT CLOSURESInbound and outbound traffic at Port Tampa Bay ceased ahead of the storm, and the port’s shipping channels were closed. Tampa is an important hub for the US fertilizer industry, hosting corporate offices, trading, product storage, shipping and other logistical operations. Other port closures include Panama City, St Joe, St Petersburg, Manatee and Key West on Florida’s west coast, as well as Fernandina, Jacksonville and Canaveral on Florida’s east coast. ENERGY DISRUPTIONS The following table shows the disruptions to US Gulf production that were caused by Helene, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Total % of US Gulf Oil, bbl/day 441,923 25.25% Gas, million cubic feet/day 363.39 19.81% Source: BSEE Total % of US Gulf Platforms evacuated 27 7.28% Rigs evacuated 1 20% Source: BSEE The Gulf of Mexico accounts for 14% of US production of crude oil and 5% of total dry gas production, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). RAIL DISRUPTIONS Railroad company CSX planned to close its TRANSFLO terminals in Tampa and Tampa Port on Thursday. Railroad company Norfolk Southern said that customers with shipments moving through the southeast and mid-Atlantic should prepare for delays. RECONSTRUCTION AND CHEM DEMANDHurricane Helene’s current path could put $5.64 billion worth of housing at risk to storm surge flooding, an insurance data company said on Wednesday. Nearly 25,000 residential properties in the Tallahassee and Homosassa Springs metropolitan areas are at risk, said CoreLogic. “Helene has the potential to become a once-in-a-generation storm,” said Jon Porter, chief meteorologist for the meteorology firm AccuWeather. It estimates that most of Florida and much of the southeastern US will be exposed to winds reaching 40-60 miles/hour. AccuWeather expects that most of Florida and all of the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are at risk for tornados. For hurricanes in general, reconstruction can translate to increased demand for many chemicals and polymers. The white pigment titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in paints. Solvents used in paints and coatings include butyl acetate (butac), butyl acrylate (butyl-A), ethyl acetate (etac), glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and isopropanol (IPA). Blends of aliphatic and aromatic solvents are also used to make paints and coatings. For polymers, expandable polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane (PU) foam are used in insulation. Polyurethanes are made of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and polyols. High density polyethylene (HDPE) is used in pipe. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used to make cladding, window frames, wires and cables, flooring and roofing membranes. Unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) are used to make coatings and composites. Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is used to make paints and adhesives. Thumbnail shows Helene before it made landfall. Image by National Hurricane Center.

LONDON (ICIS)–Senior Editor for Recycling, Matt Tudball, discusses the latest developments in the European recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) market, including: October price talks underway, but some different views emerging Flake and food-grade pellet demand still flat ahead of October Market divided over views for Q4 and Q1 demand

LONDON (ICIS)–The economic outlook in the EU and eurozone was stable in September, as higher construction and consumer confidence was offset by a decrease in industry. The European Commission’s Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) was flat in the EU at 96.7 points and fell by 0.3 points in the eurozone to 96.2, according to official data on Friday. “The steadiness of the ESI in the EU resulted from improved confidence in construction and among consumers, offset by a decrease in industry confidence. Confidence in services and retail trade remained broadly stable,” the Commission said in a statement. For the largest EU economies, the ESI worsened in France (-1.4) and Germany (-1.2), while it improved in Poland (+2.0), Spain (+1.9), Italy (+1.2) and the Netherlands (+0.5). Employment prospects for September were also broadly unchanged, with the Commission’s Employment Expectations Indicator (EEI) up 0.3 points to 100.0 in the EU and higher by 0.1 points to 99.5 in the eurozone.

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 storm in the northwestern part of the US state of Florida. The storm made landfall in the Big Bend region just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River, according to the National Hurricane Center at 23:20 Eastern time (3:20 GMT Friday). Maximum sustained winds were around 140 miles/hour. Helene was moving north-northeast, with a hurricane warning in effect for Anclote River to Mexico Beach. Big Bend is a sparsely populated region of Florida. However, a storm surge warning includes Tampa Bay, an important hub for the US fertilizer industry. Nearly 1 million customers in Florida were without power, according to tracker PowerOutage.us. PORT CLOSURESInbound and outbound traffic to Port Tampa Bay ceased ahead of the storm, and the port’s shipping channels were closed. Port Tampa Bay is an energy products gateway for oil and gas, jet fuel and petroleum products, as well as fertilizers. It is also a gateway for construction and building materials. Other port closures include Panama City, St Joe, St Petersburg, Manatee and Key West on Florida’s west coast, as well as Fernandina, Jacksonville and Canaveral on Florida’s east coast. RAIL DISRUPTIONS Railroad company CSX planned to close its TRANSFLO terminals in Tampa and Tampa Port on Thursday. Railroad company Norfolk Southern said that customers with shipments moving through the southeast and mid-Atlantic should prepare for delays. RECONSTRUCTION AND CHEM DEMANDHurricane Helene’s current path could put $5.64 billion worth of housing at risk to storm surge flooding, insurance data company CoreLogic said on Wednesday. Reconstruction following hurricanes can increase demand for many chemicals and polymers. Additional reporting by Al Greenwood

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Australian BCI Minerals announced it has commenced operations at its Mardie salt and potash project after receiving all necessary Western Australian and Commonwealth government environmental approvals. It has begun filling evaporation ponds 1, 2, and 3 with BCI Minerals set to update and resubmit its groundwater monitoring and management plan (GMMP) for further approval before filling evaporations ponds 4 through 9. Construction of the salt-first component of the project is over halfway completed with it expected the company will achieve first salt on ship in Q2 2027. Located 80km south of Karratha, in the Pilbara region, Mardie is anticipated to produce 5.35 million tonnes/year of high-quality industrial salt for export and 140,000 tonnes/year of sulphate of potash (SOP). It has an operating life expected to exceed 60 years. “Australia hasn’t developed a salt project of this significance in 25 years, and the Mardie Project will be Australia’s largest solar salt project and the third largest globally,” said David Boshoff, BCI Minerals managing director. “With the projected growth in demand for high grade industrial salt in our target Asian markets, BCI Minerals is strongly positioned to supply global markets with Mardie salt for generations.”

HOUSTON (ICIS)–A quarter of US oil production in the Gulf of Mexico remains shut in as Helene becomes close to becoming a major hurricane. The following table shows the disruptions to US Gulf production that were caused by Helene, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Total % of US Gulf Oil, bbl/day 441,923 25.25% Gas, million cubic feet/day 363.39 19.81% Source: BSEE Total % of US Gulf Platforms evacuated 27 7.28% Rigs evacuated 1 20% Source: BSEE Hurricane Helene has maximum sustained wind speeds of nearly 110 miles/hour (175 km/hour), which is 1 mile/hour below becoming a major hurricane. It is on track to make landfall in the Big Bend, a sparsely populated region of northwestern Florida. The following map shows the forecasted path of Helene. Source: National Hurricane Center FLORIDA CHEMS AT RISKHelene could threaten Panama City, Florida, where Kraton operates a crude sulphate turpentine refinery and a crude tall oil (CTO) refinery. Tall oil is a feedstock for the production of fatty acids, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Helene’s path is too far east to threaten Pensacola, which is home to some nylon and thermoset resin plants. Helene is moving on the opposite side of Texas and Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Those two states are home to most of the refineries, petrochemical plants and LNG capacity of the US. Operations at those plants will not be threatened by Helene. Helene will not make landfall near Tampa Bay, an important hub for the US fertilizer industry. Tampa hosts corporate offices, trading, product storage, shipping and other logistical operations. Nonetheless, Helene will disrupt operations at the port of Tampa Bay. PORTS CLOSED TO TRAFFIC ALONG EASTERN GULF COASTInbound and outbound traffic has ceased among numerous ports along Florida’s Gulf Coast, including Port Tampa Bay, an important entrepot. Tampa is in the region that could see a peak storm surge of 5-8 feet (1.5-2.4 meters), as shown in the following map. Source: National Hurricane Center The following table shows some of the other ports in Florida that are closed. Panama City, Florida Port St Joe, Florida St Petersburg, Florida Manatee, Florida Source: US Coast Guard The following ports are open with restrictions. Pensacola, Florida Mobile, Alabama Source: US Coast Guard RAIL DISRUPTIONS Railroad company CSX plans to close its TRANSFLO terminals in Tampa and Tampa Port on Thursday. Railroad company Norfolk Southern said that customers with shipments moving through the southeast and mid-Atlantic should prepare for delays. RECONSTRUCTION AND CHEM DEMANDHurricane Helene’s current path could put $5.64 billion worth of housing at risk to storm surge flooding, an insurance data company said on Wednesday. Nearly 25,000 residential properties in the Tallahassee and Homosassa Springs metropolitan areas are at risk, said CoreLogic. “Helene has the potential to become a once-in-a-generation storm,” said Jon Porter, chief meteorologist for the meteorology firm AccuWeather. It estimates that most of Florida and much of the southeastern US will be exposed to winds reaching 40-60 miles/hour. AccuWeather expects that most of Florida and all of the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are at risk for tornados. For hurricanes in general, reconstruction can translate to increased demand for many chemicals and polymers. The white pigment titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in paints. Solvents used in paints and coatings include butyl acetate (butac), butyl acrylate (butyl-A), ethyl acetate (etac), glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and isopropanol (IPA). Blends of aliphatic and aromatic solvents are also used to make paints and coatings. For polymers, expandable polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane (PU) foam are used in insulation. Polyurethanes are made of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and polyols. High density polyethylene (HDPE) is used in pipe. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used to make cladding, window frames, wires and cables, flooring and roofing membranes. Unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) are used to make coatings and composites. Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is used to make paints and adhesives. Thumbnail photo: Helene. (By the National Hurricane Center) (adds missing world “Gulf” in headline)

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Canadian fertilizer developer Karnalyte Resources announced it will begin a review of its development strategy to evaluate the economic potential of increasing magnesium chloride production at their Wynyard project in Saskatchewan. This effort will be undertaken by developing the magnesium assets at the same time as the development of the potash project. The company said the carnallite, also known as hydrated potassium magnesium chloride, is abundant within their mineral deposit so they need to determine the economic balance of developing carnallite for the co-production of magnesium chloride and potassium chloride. The aim is to significantly increase magnesium chloride production through the application of advanced solution mining technologies. The Government of Canada lists magnesium as one of the nation’s 34 critical minerals and it also appears on the lists in other countries including the US, the EU and Australia. Magnesium is a key mineral in the clean technologies and advanced manufacturing value chain while magnesium chloride serves as a key raw material in the production of various chemicals used in high-tech applications such as semiconductor manufacturing and in industries including agriculture and pharmaceuticals. “In light of the increasing importance of magnesium as one of the building blocks for the green and digital economy, we are reevaluating our strategy and we believe we should review the inclusion of concurrent and optimized magnesium and potash deposit development in our plans for the benefit of all stakeholders,” said Danielle Favreau, Karnalyte Resources CEO. The company said it plans to make progress on its technical report through the remainder of the year, which is a key precursor to any mine construction. It expects to complete the study on the review of its development strategy by the first quarter of 2025. Wynyard is one of two projects Karnalyte Resources is advancing with planned phase 1 production calculated at 625,000 tonnes/year of high-grade granular potash with two subsequent phases of 750,000 tonnes/year from each phase. The company noted that all environmental permits remain valid with preliminary detailed engineering complete and that the existing offtake agreement with Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited remains in effect.

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Companies have shut in nearly 30% of US oil production in the Gulf of Mexico because of Hurricane Helene, which meteorologists expect will strengthen into a powerful Category 4 storm before making landfall in a sparsely populated region in northwestern Florida on Thursday. The following table summarizes the disruptions to US Gulf production that were caused by Helene, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Total % of US Gulf Oil, bbl/day 511,000 29.18% Gas, million cubic feet/day 313 16.85% Source: BSEE Total % of US Gulf Platforms evacuated 17 4.58% Rigs evacuated 1 20% Source: BSEE Given Helene’s eastern path, Shell said it is ramping up production at Appomattox to normal levels. Shell has started restoring production at Stones. On Monday, bp said it had started to shut in production at its Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms. It is curtailing production its Argos and Atlantis platforms. The meteorological firm AccuWeather is warning that Helene could strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in the Big Bend region in northwestern Florida. A Category 4 storm qualifies as a major hurricane and has maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 130 miles/hour (209 km/hour) under the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. “The impacts from Helene will be widespread – not just confined to locations near landfall in the Florida Panhandle,” said Jon Porter, AccuWeather chief meteorologist. “The storm surge will be life-threatening across the Florida Panhandle and southward to near Tampa.” Based on the current forecast, Helene will not make landfall near Tampa Bay, an important hub for the US fertilizer industry. Tampa hosts corporate offices, trading, product storage, shipping and other logistical operations. Nonetheless, Helene will disrupt operations at the port of Tampa Bay. The US Coast Guard set port condition YANKEE, under which gale-force winds could disrupt maritime operations in the next 24 hours. Railroad company CSX plans to close its TRANSFLO terminals in Tampa and Tampa Port on Thursday. Railroad company Norfolk Southern said that customers with shipments moving through the southeast and mid-Atlantic should prepare for delays. Helene could threaten Panama City, Florida, where Kraton operates a crude sulphate turpentine refinery and a crude tall oil (CTO) refinery. Tall oil is a feedstock for the production of fatty acids, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Helene’s path is too far east to threaten Pensacola, which is home to some nylon and thermoset resin plants. Helene is moving on the opposite side of Texas and Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Those two states are home to most of the refineries, petrochemical plants and LNG capacity of the US. Operations at those plants will not be threatened by Helene. The following map shows the forecasts path of Helene. Source: National Hurricane Center THREATS FROM THE STORMAccuWeather is warning of catastrophic inland flooding from northern Georgia to western North Carolina. Strong winds could knock down power lines and cause outages that could last for days or even weeks. The major city of Atlanta, Georgia, is at risk of significant power outages and flooding. Much of Florida, Georgia and eastern Alabama are at risk of tornados on Thursday. On Friday, the threat shifts to the Carolinas, southern Virginia, eastern Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky. Thumbnail shows Hurricane Helene. Image by the National Hurricane Center.

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Helene strengthened into a hurricane on Wednesday while maintaining its course to make landfall in a sparsely populated region of northwestern Florida later in the week, meteorologists said. By the time Helene makes landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida, it should be a major hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 111 miles/hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. Based on the current forecast, Helene will not make landfall near Tampa Bay, an important hub for the US fertilizer industry. Tampa hosts corporate offices, trading, product storage, shipping and other logistical operations. Nonetheless, Helene will disrupt operations at the port of Tampa Bay. The US Coast Guard set port condition YANKEE, under which gale-force winds could disrupt maritime operations in the next 24 hours. Railroad company CSX plans to close its TRANSFLO terminals in Tampa and Tampa Port on Thursday. Railroad company Norfolk Southern said that customers with shipments moving through the southeast and mid-Atlantic should prepare for delays. If Helene veers farther west, it could threaten Panama City, Florida, where Kraton operates a crude sulphate turpentine refinery and a crude tall oil (CTO) refinery. Helene’s path is too far east to threaten Pensacola, which is home to some nylon and thermoset resin plants. Helene is moving on the opposite side of Texas and Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Those two states are home to most of the refineries, petrochemical plants and LNG capacity of the US. Operations at those plants will not be threatened by Helene. FIRMS SHUT IN OIL OUTPUT IN GULFDespite Helene’s eastern path, oil companies have still shut in production in the Gulf of Mexico. The following table summarizes the disruptions to US Gulf production that were caused by Helene, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Total % of US Gulf Oil, bbl/day 284,000 16.21% Gas, million cubic feet/day 208 11.20% Source: BSEE Total % of US Gulf Platforms evacuated 4 1.08% Rigs evacuated 0 0 Source: BSEE Given Helene’s eastern path, Shell said it is ramping up production at Appomattox to normal levels. Shell has started restoring production at Stones. On Monday, bp said it had started to shut in production at its Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms. It is curtailing production its Argos and Atlantis platforms. THREATS OF STRONG WINDS, FLOODS IN SOUTHEASTERN USHurricane force winds could extend up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center of Helene, the National Hurricane Center said. Tropical storm force winds could extend up to 275 miles. The meteorological firm AccuWeather warned that a storm surge of 6-10 feet (1.8-3.0 meters) could threaten the Florida coast, beginning from the north of Tampa Bay to the east of Apalachicola. A storm surge of 10-15 feet is expected just east of the Big Bend region of Florida. AccuWeather warned that winds of 40-60 miles/hour could extend north across much of the southeastern US as Helene moves north on Friday. Flash floods could strike northeastern Georgia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. Thumbnail shows forecasted path of Hurricane Helene. Image by the National Hurricane Center.