Chemical News
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US benzene production dips on poor on-purpose margins
http://www.chemnet.com May 22,2015 Platts
US benzene production fell to 85,320 b/d in the week ended May 15 from 95,830 b/d during the prior week due to poor on-purpose production margins, a Platts analysis showed Thursday.
On-purpose benzene production from toluene disproportionation and Mobil select toluene disproportionation fell to 7,400 b/d in the week from 18,390 b/d a week prior, according to the analysis.
Weekly toluene disproportionation margins during the period fell $27.10 to negative $13.07/mt toluene move to a premium of $35.80/mt over benzene.
Toluene is converted into benzene and xylenes in disproportionation.
Benzene production from refineries climbed slightly to 58,420 b/d, a 470 b/d increase from the week prior, as the impact of increased refinery utilization in the Gulf Coast region was reduced by a drop in Midwest refinery utilization.
Gulf Coast refinery utilization rose 1.2 percentage points to 93.1% and Midwest refinery utilization fell 0.8 percentage points to 96.6% last week, according to data released by Energy Information Administration Wednesday.
The Gulf Coast is the largest benzene-producing region in the US and benzene production from refineries is correlated with utilization rates.
Benzene production from petrochemical sources nearly flat at 19,500 b/d.
Demand for benzene remained steady at 132,410 b/d for the week as one of LyondellBasell's Channelview, Texas, styrene units remained down for maintenance.
The Channelview unit is expected to be back in operation in the second half of June, according to market sources. However, market sources have talked of another styrene unit going down for maintenance on the Louisiana Gulf Coast in June.
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