石油设备网讯 据路透社伦敦报道，全球大宗商品贸易公司托克集团上周三表示，它正通过与总部位于休斯顿的阿尔蒂斯国际集团合作，利用不断扩大的行业优势，进入石油化学品交易市场。
总部位于日内瓦的托克估计，全球石油化工市场的价值为7290亿美元，而且还在不断增长。
石油巨头们通过投资数十亿美元在亚洲到美国的新工厂中增加在该领域的业务，并预计新兴市场中不断增长的中产阶级对塑料的需求将会增长。
合资企业将有两个机构，一个在休斯顿，另一个在日内瓦，重点是散装液体化学品，如冶炼过程中产生的硫副产品，而不是用于塑料的典型石油化学品。
托克集团的汽油交易主管Chris Clarkson以及之前的精炼金属（散装和精矿）交易部门的主管Tom Jay，将担任新合资公司的董事会成员。
因此，这一举措为交易员提供了一个连接其工业金属利益和石油业务的桥梁。例如，托克对芬兰镍和钴矿商Terrafame公司进行了重大投资，该公司还将建立一个工厂，生产用于电动车电池的化学品。
国际海事组织对航运燃料中硫含量的一个新的、较低的上限，也将在明年该规则生效时产生更多的化学需求，以及更多不需要的硫。
詹晓晶 摘自 路透社
原文如下：
Commodity firm Trafigura jumps into chemical trading with new JV
Global commodities house Trafigura Group said on Wednesday it is entering petrochemicals trading by teaming up with Houston-based Altis Group International to take advantage of an expanding sector.
Geneva-based Trafigura estimates the value of the global petrochemical market at $729 billion and growing.
Oil majors have been beefing up their presence in the sector by investing billions of dollars in new plants from Asia to the United States, betting on growth in plastics demand from a growing middle class in emerging markets.
The joint venture will have two units - one in Houston and the other in Geneva - with a focus on bulk liquid chemicals such as sulfur byproducts from smelting rather than typical petrochemicals that are used in plastics.
Trafigura’s Chris Clarkson, head of gasoline trading, and Tom Jay, previously head of the deals desk for refined metals, bulk and concentrates, will be on the boards of the new venture.
As a result, the move serves the trader as a bridge between its industrial metal interests and oil business. For instance, Trafigura has a major investment in Finnish nickel and cobalt miner Terrafame that will also build a plant to produce chemicals for use in electric-vehicle batteries.
A new, lower cap on sulfur content in shipping fuels by the International Maritime Organization （IMO） will also create more chemical needs when the rule comes into effect next year, as well as more unwanted sulfur.
