Japan's naphtha imports for ethylene production in October rose 5.3% month on month to 1.183 million mt, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Friday.
Ethylene output in Japan rose 1.5% month on month in October, following the completion of turnarounds at naphtha-fed steam crackers in the country.
JX Nippon Oil & Energy restarted its sole steam cracker at Kawasaki on October 11, after an extended turnaround since August 13, a company source had said. The steam cracker can produce 404,000 mt/year of ethylene.
In addition, Idemitsu Kosan restarted its steam cracker at Tokuyama, Yamaguchi prefecture, at the end of October, after starting scheduled maintenance on September 4. The cracker can produce 623,000 mt/year of ethylene.
Meanwhile, the import price of naphtha averaged $980.10/mt in October, up 9.6% from $894.40/mt in September, the ministry said.
