Developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is going to be a key influence for the sulphur market through the year. The potential loss of Russian sulphur to key import markets such as North Africa and Latin America is likely to lead to trade flows increasing to these regions from the Middle East and North America.
Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media
We look ahead at fertilizer industry prospects for the next 12 months, including the key economic and agricultural drivers likely to shape the market during 2022.
The ammonia market has entered 2022 looking very different to last year, with early January Pivdenny prices $875/t higher on a mid-point basis than they were at the start of 2021, and the likelihood of further gains ahead.
Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media
Recent spikes in natural gas prices, particularly in Europe, have highlighted the tightness of natural gas markets around the world going into the northern hemisphere winter. Are ammonia and methanol producers on for a run of high gas prices in 2022?
The processed phosphates market will be a major indicator for price direction for sulphur markets in 2022. A significant downward correction is expected in DAP prices with early signals prices could soften in the February-March period.
It’s a slightly dispiriting fact about the sulphur industry that most of its producers don’t really want it. If you’re a refiner or a sour gas producer, you mainly care about the diesel and gasoline or natural gas that you can process and sell, and the sulphur is just the inconvenient component that the law and your customers force you to remove. But at times when sulphur prices, as they have at the start of this January, reach levels as high as $300/t, then the industry standing joke is that sulphur suddenly stops being a by-product or waste product, and starts to become a ‘co-product’ instead.
Meena Chauhan , Head of Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid Research, Argus Media, assesses price trends and the market outlook for sulphur.
Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media