EIA: Gulf Coast Propane/Propylene Build Lifts US Supply

    

   OAKHURST, N.J. (DTN) --- U.S. inventories of propane/propylene rose nearly 
2% in the first week of December as a roughly 6% gain in Gulf Coast stocks 
offset further draws in East Coast and Midwest supplies, Energy Information 
Administration data released midmorning show.

   At 93.5 million bbl as of Dec. 5, domestic propane/propylene supplies rose 
1.7 million bbl week-over-week while up 16.9 million bbl from the same week in 
2018.

   Midwest PADD 2 propane/propylene stocks dropped for a seventh straight week, 
down 1.052 million bbl to 21.025 million bbl in the week profiled, a 24-week 
low and down 3.3 million bbl versus a year ago. 

   EIA reported East Coast PADD 1 supplies fell 626,000 bbl as of Dec. 6 to 
7.094 million bbl, a nine week low while about 300,000 bbl more than the same 
time last year.

   At the Gulf Coast PADD 3, data show propane/propylene supplies posted a 
3.347 million bbl build to 61.470 million bbl, the highest level in five weeks 
and more than 19 million bbl above a year ago.

   U.S. propane/propylene imports averaged 117,000 bpd in the week reviewed, 
13,000 bpd more than the week prior. Propane imports in the last four weeks 
averaged 138,000 bpd compared with 153,000 bpd in the same period last year.

   EIA reported implied demand for propane/propylene dropped from a better than 
nine month high, falling more than 1 million bpd to 756,000 bpd in the 
week-ended Dec. 6. Implied demand in the four weeks ended Dec. 6 at 1.112 
million bpd was down 4.5% compared with the same period in 2018.

   Data show refiner and blender net production of propane/propylene at 2.423 
million bpd, up 165,000 bpd from the week prior. Versus the same time last 
year, refiner and blender propane/propylene production rose 472,000 bpd.

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