HOUSTON, May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Prices in the $3-trillion-plus global petrochemicals market climbed 10% month over month in April, posting the first double digit increase since February 2012. This marked the first time since 2013 that global petrochemical prices have climbed for three consecutive months. Petrochemical prices, expressed as a monthly average, increased $97 per metric ton (/mt) from March to $1,052/mt in April, according to the just-released monthly Platts Global Petrochemical Index (PGPI).

The PGPI is a benchmark basket of seven widely used petrochemicals and is published by Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information and a top source of benchmark price references.

"Petrochemical prices were reacting to increasing crude and naphtha prices," said Jim Foster, director of petrochemical analysis at Platts. "Naphtha, which is the most commonly used feedstock to produce olefins, climbed 13% in April as crude was up about 16%. As those feedstock prices climb, petrochemicals tend to trend higher. The tightness in supply due to maintenance turnarounds in the global ethylene markets also contributed to the strong gains."

PLATTS GLOBAL PETROCHEMICAL INDEX IN DOLLARS PER METRIC TON
The daily price reflected as a monthly average

     April
      2015       Monthly % Change     Annual % Change      April 2014          March 2015       Feb 2015        Jan 2015        Dec 2014
     -----       ----------------     ---------------      ----------          ----------       --------        --------        --------

           $1052                  10%                -23%             $1,363              $954           $872            $850            $984
           -----                  ---                  ---              ------              ----           ----            ----            ----

Petrochemicals are used to make plastic, rubber, nylon and other consumer products and are utilized in manufacturing, construction, pharmaceuticals, aviation, electronics and nearly every commercial industry.

OLEFINS
Prices of olefins - a group of hydrocarbon compounds which are the building blocks of many petrochemical products used to produce everyday goods - were mixed in April. Ethylene prices jumped 19% to $1,096/mt. Maintenance turnarounds caused tight supply in the global ethylene markets, pushing the price higher. Propylene, though, saw prices fall 2% in April as strong refinery production rates pushed more propylene into the market.

Polyethylene and polypropylene, plastics manufactured from ethylene and propylene respectively, were both stronger in April. Global polyethylene prices climbed 12% to $1,422/mt, while global polypropylene prices increased 7% to $1,368/mt.

AROMATICS
Prices of aromatics - a group of scented hydrocarbons with benzene rings used to make a variety of petrochemicals - also was also on an uptrend in April. Benzene saw the largest increase of any aromatic component in the PGPI, with prices climbing 14% from March to $831/mt in April. Toluene prices rose 6% to $730/mt, while paraxylene prices were up 9% at $859/mt.

Global equity markets were higher in April. The London Stock Exchange Index (FTSE) posted a 3% gain, while the NIKKEI 225 was up 2% last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1% in April.

A summary of the April performance of each of the seven key petrochemicals included in the PGPI is available upon request.

The PGPI reflects a compilation of the daily price assessments of physical spot market ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, paraxylene, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene as published by Platts and is weighted by the three regions of Asia, Europe and the United States. Used as a price reference, a gauge of sector activity, and a measure of comparison for determining the profitability of selling a barrel of crude oil intact or refining it into products, the PGPI was first published by Platts in August 2007.

Published daily in a real-time news service Platts Petrochemical Alert and other Platts publications, the PGPI is anchored by Platts' robust and long-established price assessment methodology and the firm's 100-year history of energy price reporting.

Platts petrochemicals experts are available for media interviews. A sample list of experts may be found at the Platts Media Center. For more information on petrochemicals, visit the Platts website at www.platts.com.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the biofuels, carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, shipping and sugar markets. A division of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), Platts is based in London with more than 1000 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial: McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL and J.D. Power. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 30 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts