In the first quarter of 2006, total production of the 15 petrochemicals surveyed and reportable was 46.4 billion pounds, according to the results of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA) first quarter petrochemical production and inventory surveys.
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.
The figure represents a decrease of 13 percent compared with same quarter 2005 production of 53.2 billion pounds of these petrochemicals.
It is an increase of 5 percent compared with fourth quarter 2005 production of 44.0 billion pounds of the same petrochemicals.
Total first quarter 2006 inventories of the six petrochemicals reportable was 4.3 billion pounds. These figures represent a decrease of 27 percent from same quarter 2005 inventories of 5.9 billion pounds. That is a decrease of 27 percent compared to the fourth quarter 2005 inventories of 5.9 billion pounds of the same petrochemicals.
From the fourth quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2006, production of eight of the 15 petrochemicals surveyed and reportable increased while inventories of six of the seven petrochemicals surveyed and reportable decreased.
NPRA regularly surveys the US petrochemical and refining industries on a quarterly basis regarding production of 20 petrochemicals.
The association also surveys end of the quarter inventory levels for eight of those petrochemicals. Data are only reported if they meet the NPRA policy for a minimum number of reporters and a maximum share of a statistic by any one reporting company.