Fifteen petrochemical companies have reported 2005 second-quarter production of 50.4 billion pounds, a three percent decrease from the same time last year, according to a survey by the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA).
NPRA released the results of its second quarter petrochemical production and inventory surveys on July 27.
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.
In the second quarter of 2004, the companies reported production of 51.8 billion pounds of the petrochemicals.
In addition, a decrease of 5 percent was reported, compared with first-quarter 2005 production of 53.1 billion pounds of the same petrochemicals.
Total second quarter 2005 inventories of the six petrochemicals reportable was 4.2 billion pounds. This figure represents an increase of 24 percent from same quarter 2004 inventories of 3.4 billion pounds, and an increase of 8 percent compared with first quarter 2005 inventories of 3.9 billion pounds for reportable petrochemicals.
From the first quarter of 2005 to the second quarter of 2005, production of four of the 15 petrochemicals surveyed and reportable increased while inventories of five of the six petrochemicals surveyed and reportable increased.
Included on the second quarter 2005 report are revisions of the ethylene inventory numbers from the first quarter of 2002 until the fourth quarter of 2004.
The revisions are due to the NPRA Petrochemical Statistics Subcommittee's clarification of the inventory instructions on the survey form beginning the first quarter 2005.
NPRA regularly surveys the US petrochemical and refining industries on a quarterly basis regarding production of 19 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.