Production news : Korea's Samsung Total Petrochemicals shut its 850,000 tonne/year SM unit at Daesan around mid week for a day due to a cracker outage. The unit has since restarted. Taiwan's Formosa Chemical and Fibre Corp reduced operating rates at its 300,000 tonne/year No2 and 600,000 tonne/year No3 SM units in mid week, due to an outage at its No1 cracker. Thailand’s IRPC plans to restart its 200,000 tonne/year SM unit at Rayong at the end of the week. The unit was shut in end January for maintenance for more than 30 days. Its downstream styrenics units were also shut for maintenance during this time and would restart shortly after the SM unit. IRPC produces PS, ABS and EPS at the same location. Thailand’s Siam Cement Group Chemicals plans to restart its 300,000 tonne/year SM unit at Mab Ta Phut next week. The unit was shut in February for a month-long turnaround. Its 120,000 tonne/year PS unit was shut as well and would restart shortly after its SM unit. Qilu Petchem plans to turn around its 200,000 tonne/year SM unit in Shandong, northern China, in end March for one month. LG Chem plans to turn around its 200,000 tonne/year No1 and 300,000 tonne/year No2 SM plants in Yeochon for around 25 days in April. Nippon Steel Chemical restarted its 240,000 tonne/year SM unit at Oita in H2 February. The unit was shut in December due to poor demand. The company shut its 190,000 tonne/year unit in late February at the same location for a turnaround. Korea’s SK Energy plans to turn around its propylene oxide/styrene monomer (PO/SM) plant next week. The unit located in Ulsan would be shut for around 3 weeks. The unit has an capacity of 175,000 tonnes/year of PO and 405,000 tonnes/year of SM. Japan’s Asahi Kasei Co shut its 320,000 tonne/year No 2 SM unit in Mizushima in H2 February for a month long turnaround. Shanghai Secco Petrochemical plans to debottleneck its 500,000 tonne/year SM unit at Caojing, eastern China in May. The company plans to add another 150,000 tonne/year of output to its unit. Idemitsu Malaysia shut its 220,000 tonne/year SM unit in Johor State in early February for a month long turnaround. Its 110,000 tonne/year PS unit at the same location will also be idled for maintenance during this time. ($1 = CNY6.84)