Tag: Sulphur

Nickel is becoming increasingly important to the sulphur and sulphuric acid markets, with Indonesia now a key importer.

Sulphur degassing reduces hydrogen sulphide content in molten sulphur, which lowers toxic exposure risk, reduces the likelihood of explosive headspace conditions, and improves downstream handling.

Peter Harrisson, Principal, Sulphur & Sulphuric Acid Market Services, provides a brief snapshot of the global sulphur market at the end of June 2026.

• The market has paused as bearish buyer sentiment has not yet translated into lower spot prices. The direction of the next major deal is now the critical test. This will either initiate a downward price correction, validating buyer caution, or force a recognition of the market’s underlying tightness and bring purchasers back to the table at current levels.

The global sulphur market has entered a holding pattern, as a wave of bearish sentiment has so far failed to move stubbornly high spot prices. The departure of a significant volume of product from the Middle East has emboldened buyers and shifted market sentiment firmly towards bearish, but at time of writing this has so far failed to translate into lower prices. With sellers in no hurry to lower prices and spot availability still tight, the market has stalled as both sides wait for the other to blink first.

Worley Comprimo, in partnership with BASF, has been awarded a contract to deliver engineering and licensing services for integrated gas treatment technology and sulphur recovery units at Oman’s Budour Tayseer Gas Project. The project is designed to produce 2 million scf/d of sweet gas, 950 m³/day of condensate, and 80 t/d of sulphur. It aims to strengthen Oman’s energy infrastructure by ensuring a reliable domestic gas supply under a design-build-own-operate-maintain framework, while supporting in-country value initiatives.

Nickel Industries announced started up the sulphuric acid plant at its new Excelsior Nickel Cobalt (ENC) HPAL project in the final week of June. The ENC Project is a massive, multi-billion dollar high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) facility located in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is operated by Australia’s Nickel Industries to supply battery-grade materials for the electric vehicle (EV) market. At capacity, it is expected to yield roughly 72,000 t/a of contained nickel equivalent as mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), nickel sulphate, and nickel cathode.

Russia has ordered a “temporary cessation” of rail transport of all sulphur originating from Kazakhstan that is destined for Russian seaports and railway checkpoints, representing a significant policy shift, according to an official order from the Federal Agency for Railway Transport (Roszheldor). The directive, which took effect from May 26th, orders a halt to the loading and movement of Kazakh sulphur “until further notice.” While the measure is officially described as temporary, the order provides no specific timeline for when the transit might resume. The action cites instructions from Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, D.V. Manturov, as its basis.

Cartagena Refinery has entered the solid sulphur market, diversifying its petrochemical portfolio, according to a company statement on 21 May. The first shipment of 260 tonnes has already been dispatched to the domestic market. This new venture is enabled by a recently commissioned pelletising plant that converts liquid sulphur into solid pellets, with a production capacity of 1,000 t/d. The refinery is targeting Colombia’s fertilizer, chemical, and mining industries, and is also planning to export to international markets, including Brazil, Peru, and countries in Africa.

Russian gas producer Gazprom and fertilizer giant PhosAgro have signed a new five-year agreement for the supply of sulphur, according to a report from Interfax on 5 June. The deal, signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), will see Gazprom continue to supply the key raw material for PhosAgro’s phosphate fertilizer production. The document was signed by Gazprom Deputy Chairman Vitaly Markelov and PhosAgro CEO Alexander Gilgenberg.