Saudi’s JUPC to keep Jubail No 2 MEG unit shut for two months

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Saudi Arabia’s Jubail United Petrochemical Co (JUPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Middle East Petrochemical major SABIC, will keep its 640,000 tonne/year No 2 monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant shut for two months from mid-May, market sources said on Thursday.

The plant, which was not due to undergo maintenance this year, was shut after problems related to its processing technology were discovered, they said.

The company’s 700,000 tonne/year MEG No 1 plant had the same problem that this unit’s turnaround was extended for two months, they said.

The No 1 MEG plant was taken off line for a 10 days of maintenance in the first half of April, but problems at its reactor prompted JUPC to prolong its shutdown. It is now is expected to be restarted in mid-June, market sources said.

“It could be the result of long-time overloading operation,” one of the sources said.

For most of 2011, JUPC had been running the No 1 MEG plant at above the unit’s nameplate capacity, a second source said.

The two MEG plants in Jubail use the processing technology of Scientific Design, according to a third market source.

Scientific Design Company, acquired jointly by SABIC and Sud-Chemie in 2003 is a major licensor of EO/EG technology.

Other MEG plants using the same technology include Taiwan Nan Ya’s 720,000 tonne/year No 4 MEG unit at Mailiao and Eastern Petrochemical Co (SHARQ)’s 700,000 tonne/year No 4 plant at Jubail in Saudi Arabia.