Maruzen operates two naphtha crackers at Chiba at full capacity

27-Apr-15

Amid robust export demand, Japan's Maruzen Petrochemical Co has been running its two naphtha crackers at its Chiba plant at full capacity, as per company officials reported by Reuters. The company operates two crackers at Chiba, which use naphtha as feedstock to produce 1.29 mln tpa of ethylene. A series of cracker maintenance in South Korea, which leads to tighter petrochemical supplies, has boosted petrochemical margins. "The export environment is very good, and an increase in exports has been helping the keep the run rate at high level," a senior Maruzen official said. "When the ships are delayed, the run rate is reduced a little bit, but basically we are at full capacity." However, as more and more plants start coming online in South Korea, restoring ethylene supplies, petrochemical margins are expected to ease.