US combined propane and propylene stocks fell unexpectedly by 1 million barrels to 66.3 million barrels during the week ended 5 June, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Overall inventories were flat with prior-year levels, it says.
Demand for propane and propylene, as suggested by the product supplied category, leaped 674,000 b/d on the week to 1.263 million b/d. Exports rose slightly to 1.094 million b/d from 1.027 million b/d a week earlier, with imports also rising by 42,000 b/d to 110,000 b/d.
The bulk of the decline in stocks stemmed from the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) region, which fell by 1.4 million barrels on the week to 41.7 million barrels. East Coast (PADD 1) inventories also fell, by 100,000 barrels to 5.5 million barrels. These declines were countered by a 300,000-barrel increase in the Midwest (PADD 2) region to 15.9 million barrels, and a 100,000-barrel pickup in PADD 4 and PADD 5 to a combined 3.1 million bbl. Refiner and blender net production rose by 108,000 b/d to 2.097 million b/d.
By: Jessica Marron
Source: Chemical Week
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