Rationalizing the US Paraxylene Market

On September 16th, BP confirmed a press report that it plans to permanently close one of the paraxylene lines at its Texas City Chemicals site in Texas. The asset in question (around 450 thousand tons of capacity by Wood Mackenzie estimates) has reportedly been idle for over a year because of lacklustre market conditions, and BP has deemed their resources would be better applied elsewhere. This inform covers a range of topics, including: details of the closure; pressures that the polyester chain, and this asset in particular, have been facing; and overall impact this will eventually have on global balances.