Argus Methanol Forum

• Special commemoration for the institute’s anniversary
• A background on the institute’s founding and its 30-year journey
• The value of the trade association

Speaker: 

Greg Dolan, CEO, Methanol Institute

Special guest speaker 

• Introducing new applications for methanol providing heat for industrial boilers, kilns, tobacco/tea drying
• Looking at expansion in China, and introduction in other global markets
• Policy drivers and economic analysis

• How is the increase in shale crude production impacting the global market?
• What geopolitical constraints are having the largest effect on global trade flows?
• How are IMO regulations impacting refiners’ crude slate decisions?

• What are the geopolitical factors affecting global LNG supply?
• What does abundance in US supply mean for the market?
• What new technologies and adaptations are on the horizon for natural gas?

• What challenges and opportunities exist in the global olefins market?
• Global ethylene and products trade flows, who is the largest supplier and what is driving demand?
• Propylene growth balance, what impacts will recycling have on production?

• Description of regions increasing and decreasing methanol production and why?
• Anticipated demand for methanol in the coming 3-5 years.
• The future of methanol, and industries to watch new developments in.

• An understanding of the factors behind US methanol pricing and volumes in the market.
• Regions where production is expected to increase and decrease.
• Learn which new players/ projects coming online will have the largest impact on trade flows.

• What are the challenges in implementing artificial intelligence during the chemical production processes?
• How can digitization help to reduce consumption of resources?
• How can we use adaptive data driven optimizers to improve chemical operations?

• What are the various contenders for alternative marine fuels?
• Can Methanol realistically change the marine fuel market? How much of the market can methanol conquer?
• What barriers to entry and competition does Methanol face as an alternative marine fuel?

• How is new production offsetting imports in Europe?
• What changes will we see to European flows?
• How might dwindling Chinese MTO demands impact European prices?

• Chinese government’s message on US Chinese business relations
• Increasing mutual trust between the two nations
• How US methanol producers can help with supplying the Chinese market.

• Will the next driver of Chinese methanol demand be fuel? What is its projected growth?
• Insights on Chinese methanol balance
• Will China continue to maintain its methanol growth?
  
  

• A deeper look at Chinese MTO production and progression of new and existing projects
• How are existing MTOs surviving in the face of fierce competition from new naphtha/ ethane crackers?
• What opportunities exist for foreign investment?

• What is the scalability of Methanol-fueled fleets?
• Will current supply chains be able to keep up with new growth?
• What government incentives exist to help boost Methanol’s appeal with consumers?

• How does China’s methanol demand affect the US?
• Besides the M100, what other new markets in China is methanol looking to expand into?
• How can the US help meet china’s methanol demands?

Speakers:

Ken Yin, Director Strategic Support, Founder
Becky Zhang, Editor Olefins and Methanol, Argus
James S Lamoureaux, CEO, IGP

• What is the US’s strategy on sanctions, what other players are involved?
• How is Iran responding to pressure and why?
• How are tensions affecting the stability of the region?

• Will interregional suppliers be able to meet SE Asian hunger in the short and long term as India and China’s demand is also projected to increase?
• Will increased intraregional production be enough to meet demand?
• What countries in the region are best positioned to weather methanol shortages and which will have more difficulties?
  
  

• Indian methanol demand, production & imports, and India’s planned transition to “Methanol Economy"
• In the face of Iranian sanctions, who will meet India’s demand?
• What sectors will drive Indian demand growth?