31-Dec-18, S&P Global
The Asian physical naphtha market looks set to face downside pressure in the first half of 2019 as key producers in the Middle East and Southeast Asia move to ramp up production, while demand in Northeast Asia could falter during a heavy steam cracker maintenance season over April-June.
%20Platts%20Oil.jpg "Asian naphtha under pressure as supply threatens to outweigh demand (c) Platts Oil")
Image: Platts Oil
The impact of new plants starting up in the Middle East in late 2018 - which will ramp up to full production in early 2019 - will be keenly felt in the first quarter as more naphtha supply flows into Asia, market sources said.