新加坡6月7日消息，随着下游工厂结束停工检修重新恢复生产，7-8月份亚洲苯需求可能会有所改善，与此同时，受地区内两套生产装置计划关停的影响，亚洲市场苯供应量将减少。

关键的中国市场以及亚洲其它市场苯库存较高，将需要时间来消耗库存，这将取决于第三季度整个亚洲市场需求的强劲程度。

在下游苯乙烯单体（SM）、苯酚和二苯基甲烷二异氰酸酯（MDI）工厂停工检修的情况下，亚洲苯生产装置高负荷的生产已经导致今年上半年亚洲地区苯库存增加。

今年5月，中国市场的苯库存量已从2017年12月时的约15万吨增加到23万吨以上。

一位驻新加坡的交易员表示：“大多数下游工厂的停工检修活动将在5月和6月完成，因此苯的消费量可能会从第三季度开始增长。”

原文如下：

Asia benzene demand may improve; supply to stay long into H2

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Asia’s benzene demand may improve in July-August with the expected restart of downstream plants from turnarounds, with supply to be curtailed by scheduled shutdowns of two regional facilities.

But the high inventories in the key China market, as well as along the supply chain in Asia, will require time to whittle down, which will hinge on the strength of demand across Asia in the third quarter.

Strong run rates at benzene units in Asia amid turnarounds at downstream styrene monomer (SM), phenol and methyl diphenyl di-isocyanate (MDI) plants caused the build-up in stocks across the region in the first half of this year.

Inventories in the key China market piled up above 230,000 tonnes in May this year, from around 150,000 tonnes in December 2017.

“Most downstream turnarounds will complete in May and June, hence benzene consumption will likely increase from the third quarter,” a Singapore-based trader said.