This report presents the commercial and developing isopropanol technologies.  Production economics for producers located in the USGC, Western Europe and China are provided for the three commercial routes along with an overview of isopropanol consumption, capacity and trade for global and major regional markets.

This report analyzes the shale gas resource potential of countries outside North America, and identifies the most likely sources of commercial production outside of North America over the next five years.  This report also considers petrochemical production economics based on feedstocks currently being utilized and the potential impact of shale gas in countries presently using heavier feedstocks.

This techno-economic report offers a review of the options available to refiners and ship owners to conform to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) global sulfur specification that will take effect in 2020.  Refiners must consider continuing current HSFO production, new fuel oil blending options, installing residue desulfurization technology to produce LSFO or installing residue upgrading technology to reduce HSFO production.  Ship owners must comply by purchasing more expensive compliant fuels, installing exhaust gas scrubbing units on their ships or switching to an alternative fuel that is inherently low sulfur.  The report also provides economics for these options in various regions under a consistent first quarter 2017 price scenario and includes an analysis of the global bunker fuels market.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production technologies have been reviewed and profiles of major licensors are presented.  Cost of production estimates have been developed for suspension process for USGC, Western Europe, coastal China, and inland China and for mass, emulsion, and microsuspension for USGC.  Global and tri-regional demand, capacity, and supply/demand data is included.