China’s barite prices weakened notably through May as exporters faced soft overseas demand and rising port side availability. Mines in key producing regions operated without disruption, keeping supply abundant at a time when drilling fluids consumption showed only marginal growth. A new national due diligence law prompted producers to accelerate the clearance of pre registered inventories, further swelling stocks and increasing buyer leverage. International demand from oil and gas service companies slowed, while domestic use tied to shale drilling remained limited. These conditions pushed prices lower and reinforced a bearish tone across the barite supply chain. Looking ahead, seasonal shifts, monsoon related drilling slowdowns, and geopolitical risks are expected to shape a cautious outlook for barite, with trade flows and inventory management playing a central role in near term direction.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
