REF 206
Global Petrochemical Industry Fundamentals
COURSE SCHEDULE
| Code | Date | Location | price (€)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| REF 206 | 27-31 July 2026 | Online | 3300 |
| REF 206 | 14-16 Dec 2026 | Zagreb | 4400 |
* Prices are subject to VAT and local terms. Ph.D. students, groups (≥ 3 persons) and early bird registrants (8 weeks in advance) are entitled to a DISCOUNT!
COURSE OVERVIEW
This is a 5-day course designed to provide participants with a complete understanding of the global petrochemical industry, progressing logically from industry foundations through production processes, products, economics, project finance, and future trends.
Day one provides petrochemical industry foundations and global markets, covering the petrochemical value chain, global demand and supply, key producing regions (North America, Middle East, China, Europe, Southeast Asia), major players (SABIC, Dow, ExxonMobil, BASF, Sinopec, LyondellBasell, INEOS), and industry drivers (GDP growth, population, urbanization, electric vehicles, packaging trends).
Day two focuses on feedstocks and major production processes, including feedstock sources (ethane, propane, naphtha, gas oil, coal, biomass), steam cracking (furnaces, quench, compression, fractionation), catalytic reforming and aromatics extraction, methanol-to-olefins (MTO), propane dehydrogenation (PDH), and syngas chemistry.
Day three addresses key petrochemical products and value chains, including olefins (ethylene, propylene, butadiene), aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene – BTX), polymers (polyethylene – HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE; polypropylene, PET, polystyrene, PVC), and intermediate chemicals (MEG, styrene, acrylonitrile, phenol, cumene, EO, PO, MTBE).
Day four covers petrochemical economics, pricing, and trade, including production economics (integrated cracking, co-product credits), feedstock optimization (ethane vs naphtha), cash cost curves, regional cost advantages, pricing benchmarks (Platts, ICIS, Argus), trade flows and logistics (pipelines, vessels, storage), and margin analysis.
The final day concentrates on project finance, risk management, and future trends, including petrochemical project finance essentials, key project risks (feedstock, technology, market, execution, environmental), financial metrics (NPV, IRR, payback), circular economy (recycling, pyrolysis, chemical recycling), bio-based feedstocks, CO₂ to chemicals, hydrogen integration, and future market outlook, followed by wrap-up and summary.
COURSE OUTLINE
5 days
INSTRUCTOR
Day 1: Petrochemical Industry Foundations and Global Markets
o Introduction to the Petrochemical Industry
o The Petrochemical Value Chain
o Global Petrochemical Supply & Demand
o Major Industry Players
o Industry Drivers and Challenges
o Workshop – Mapping the Global Petrochemical Value Chain
Day 2: Feedstocks and Major Production Processes
o Petrochemical Feedstocks
o Steam Cracking
o Catalytic Reforming & Aromatics Extraction
o Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) & Methanol-to-Propylene (MTP)
o Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH)
o Syngas Chemistry & Fischer-Tropsch
o Workshop – Refinery-Petrochemical Integration
Day 3: Key Petrochemical Products and Value Chains
o Basic Chemistry
o Olefins – Ethylene/ Propylene/ Butadiene
o Aromatics – BTX & Intermediate Chemicals
o Petrochemical Markets
o Case Study – China Self-Sufficiency & Middle East Downstream Expansion
o Workshop – Product Value Chain Mapping
Day 4: Petrochemical Economics, Pricing and Trade
o Production Economics – Integrated Cracking
o Feedstock Optimization & Flexibility
o Trade Flows and Logistics
o Regional Advantages
o Petrochemical Strategies
o Workshop – Pricing Benchmarks and Price Discovery
Day 5: Petrochemical Project Finance, Risk Management and Future Trends
o Petrochemical Project Finance – Essentials
o Financing Sources – ECAs, Commercial Banks, Bonds, Development Banks
o Key Project Risks and Mitigation
o Financial Metrics and Project Appraisal
o Future Trends – Circular Economy & Recycling, Bio-Based Feedstocks & CO₂ to Chemicals
o Course Review and Close
Petro Teach Instructor
The Instructor holds BSc and PhD degrees from the UK and has over 30 years of experience in refinery technology, operations, and management with major oil companies. He currently works as a Senior Consultant at PetroTeach, specializing in oil and gas, process technology, safety, and environmental management.
He is a Chartered Chemist and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), as well as a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (USA). He previously served as an Approved Safety Inspector at Cyprus Petroleum Refinery Ltd.
He holds honorary academic appointments at several European universities and is involved in research in vacuum distillation, gas recovery, and pyrolysis. He is a team member of the Energy Integration Lab at Huddersfield University and heads the Waste to Plastics effort at a major recycling facility in Cyprus. Since 1996, he has delivered more than 250 professional training courses.
DESIGNED FOR
o Personnel working across the petrochemical industry, including but not limited to process, chemical, and mechanical engineers, who will benefit from understanding how each section of the petrochemical value chain functions. By seeing the bigger picture, they will discover how their specific role adds value – whether through optimizing plant operations, improving yields, reducing costs, or enhancing reliability – and how their decisions impact the commercial success of the entire enterprise
o Commercial managers, marketers, and business development professionals
o Project finance professionals, investment analysts, and bankers
o Legal and contracts professionals
o Supply chain and logistics managers
o Government regulators, energy policy advisors, and economic development planners
Some prior exposure to chemical or energy markets is ideal but not a prerequisite. The course builds understanding from basic principles while providing practical tools that experienced participants can immediately apply.
COURSE LEVEL
o Intermediate to Advance
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
o Understand petrochemical industry foundations – Describe the global petrochemical landscape, key feedstocks (ethane, propane, naphtha, gas oil, coal, biomass), and the value chain from basic building blocks to end-use products.
o Master major production processes – Explain steam cracking, catalytic reforming, aromatics extraction, methanol-to-olefins (MTO), syngas chemistry (Fischer-Tropsch, methanol-to-gasoline), and propane dehydrogenation (PDH).
o Analyse key product markets – Differentiate between olefins (ethylene, propylene, butadiene), aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene), polymers (PE, PP, PET, PS), and intermediate chemicals (MEG, styrene, acrylonitrile, phenol, cumene, EO, PO); understand pricing benchmarks and trade flows.
o Apply production economics and margin analysis – Understand integrated cracking economics, feedstock optimization (ethane vs naphtha), co-product credits, cash cost curves, regional cost advantages, and margin drivers.
o Structure project economics and manage risk – Understand petrochemical project finance essentials, key project risks (feedstock availability, technology, market, environmental), and financial metrics (NPV, IRR, payback, breakeven).
o Analyse future trends and emerging risks – Assess petrochemical industry trends including circular economy (recycling, pyrolysis), bio-based feedstocks, CO₂ to chemicals, hydrogen integration, China's self-sufficiency drive, and Middle East downstream expansion.
REGISTER
Registration is now OPEN!
* Prices are subject to VAT and local terms. Ph.D. students, groups (≥ 3 persons) and early bird registrants (8 weeks in advance) are entitled to a DISCOUNT!
For more details and registration please send email to: register@petro-teach.com
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