Category: Outlook & Reviews

Meena Chauhan , Head of Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid Research, Argus Media, assesses price trends and the market outlook for sulphur.

Commodity markets are often volatile, and sulphur and sulphuric acid can be more so than most, with much of their supply coming from involuntary production, and sulphur supply in particular often dependent on the timing of large scale oil and gas projects. Even so, this year’s price rises, in some cases tripling in just over a year, have been especially eye-catching.

Sulphur ’s annual listing of new or recently completed sulphur forming projects worldwide covers both new sour gas and refinery sulphur forming projects as well as upgrades at existing units.

Significant capacity additions in the Middle East are still awaited. The more positive outlook for fuel demand is providing support to seeing these projects ramp up in the coming months. New supply is expected from Saudi Arabia following the commissioning of a gas project in 2020, sulphur availability is likely to improve from the country through the second half of 2021 and into 2022 as a result.

Are the three “T”s (temperature, turbulence, time) of Claus unit ammonia destruction still meaningful with improved understanding of the thermal reactor? CFD models appear to be adequate at higher temperatures, e.g. 1,200°C, but not at lower temperatures, e.g. 800°C and 1,000°C. A. Keller, on behalf of the Amine Best Practices Group, reviews how meaningful the rules of thumb for Claus unit ammonia destruction really are.

What lessons can be learnt from the successful commissioning and start-up of major fertilizer industry construction projects? Recent case studies from the nitrogen, phosphate and potash industries provide some interesting answers.

As recently as five years ago, decarbonising fertilizer production was little more than an aspiration.

More than 560 delegates participated in CRU’s Phosphates 2021 Virtual Conference, 23-25 March 2021. To highlight this successful event, we report on keynote and selected commercial and technical presentations.

We compare and contrast the 2020 financial performance of selected major fertilizer producers, following the publication of fourth-quarter results.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media