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Volatile water upstream makes participants wary / Supply will remain abundant

Volatile water upstream makes participants wary / Supply will remain abundant

Jun 04, 2024

Participants were mostly waiting and watching on June 3. After the Asian Petrochemical Industry Conference held in Seoul the previous week, there was little discussion. Participants were also cautious due to volatile upstream prices, and some pointed out that the near-term outlook was unclear. Participants said that negotiations for July cargoes will likely pick up in the second half of this week. Some buyers are eager to secure cargoes. Sources say that supply will be plentiful as operating rates are expected to remain stable at Asian steam crackers. The benchmark C+F Japan Naphtha was down $4.75/mt for the day to $672.50/mt, June 3. The ethylene/naphtha differential was calculated at $177.50/mt. This is below the typical spreads of $250/mt or $300-$350/mt that are common for non-integrated producers.