Q4 petrochemical production and inventory surveys reports 14% increase in USA

NPRA, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, released the results of its fourth quarter petrochemical production and inventory surveys. In Q4-2006, total production of the 15 petrochemicals surveyed and reportable was 48.2 billion pounds. This figure represents an increase of 14% compared with same quarter 2005 production of 42.4 billion pounds of these petrochemicals, and a decrease of 3% compared with Q3-2006 production of 49.7 billion pounds of the same petrochemicals. Q4-2006 inventories of the seven petrochemicals reportable was 5.7 billion pounds. This figure represents a decrease of 3% from same quarter 2005 inventories of 5.9 billion pounds, and an increase of 6% compared to the third quarter 2006 inventories of 5.4 billion pounds of the same petrochemicals. From Q3 of 2006 to Q4 of 2006, production of two of the 15 petrochemicals surveyed and reportable increased while inventories of three of the seven petrochemicals surveyed and reportable decreased. NPRA regularly surveys the U.S. petrochemical and refining industries on a quarterly basis regarding production of 20 petrochemicals. NPRA also surveys end of the quarter inventory levels for eight of those petrochemicals. Data are only reported if they meet NPRA policy for minimum number of reporters and maximum share of a statistic by any one reporting company. The petrochemicals surveyed include ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene and mixed xylenes -- the basic building block chemicals -- and the largest volume first and in some cases, second derivatives of these petrochemicals. The report is published one month after the end of each quarter.