Styrene makers see a turnaround in '97. (1997)

Chemical Market Reporter, February, 1997 by Brand, Tony

Producers hope outages and a delayed plant expansion should finally tighten up the market. AFTER A DISMAL YEAR, styrene producers are predicting a better 1997 with tighter supplies tied to a postponed expansion and production outages. Prices are already on the rise due to high feedstock costs, and demand has started to pick up.

Huntsman Corporation's 250-million-pound-per-year expansion in Bayport, Tex., initially scheduled for completion in April, has now been postponed for about two years, a Huntsman spokesman says. The company needs to complete the expansion in connection with a catalyst change, says an industry insider, and April, the next one in Bayport isn't scheduled for two years. In fact, some observers are starting to question...

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