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Crude Oil Down $1.55/b | Rate reductions considered due to poor margins

Crude Oil Down $1.55/b | Rate reductions considered due to poor margins

Apr 21, 2023

- Crude
Oil Down $1.55/b-
Rate reductions considered due to poor margins



The
Asian styrene markets declined on April 19, amid weaker crude oil prices and a
bearish outlook for the economy. The front-month ICE Brent contract
dropped $1.55/b on April 19, to $81.99/b. Upstream benzene fell $15-20/mt in
the same day, at $972.33 FBO Korea. Some producers are considering rate
cuts for the next few months due to a persistently poor margin environment,
even at plants that were recently restarted after undergoing
turnaround. On April 20, the CFR China markers for benzene were $980/mt,
and those for styrene were $1,080/mt, respectively. This put the spread at
about $100-120/mt. In the region, tepid demand and low production margins
continue to prevail. The majority of production is used for contract volumes
only, leaving very little...

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