The US orthoxylene contract rolled over for April at 71 cents/lb ($1,565/mt), a buyer said Thursday.
The direction of the OX contract in April was a question mark among downstream phthalic anhydride producers as supply was tight, but demand did not support higher prices.
Supply was tight from a Flint Hills Resources OX force majeure. The company declared force majeure on OX deliveries from its 120 kt/year plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 22. Sources had said FHR put buyers on 40% allocation following the force majeure, but the company did not confirm the allocation amount.
Demand for OX was slow in April, however, as PA maker Stepan has a three-week turnaround in April at its 109 kt/year PA plant in Millsdale, Illinois.
The flat OX contract did buck the trend of OX following upstream mixed xylene's contract. The MX contract decreased 10 cents/gal to settle at 424 cents/gal ($1,284.72/mt) earlier in April.
