Tampa:
Tampa molten contracts were valued at $130/lt CFR for the first quarter, rising $40/lt from $90/lt CFR in the previous period.
Refinery rates softened for the week ending Jan. 27, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported, falling to 85.7% from the week-ago 86.1%, a 0.4 percentage-point decline. The current-week rate trailed both the year-ago 86.7% and 86.4% five-year average.
Crude inputs were also lower at 14.961 million barrels/d, the EIA noted, off 20,000 barrels/d from the week-ago 14.981 million barrels/d.
US Gulf:
Pemex successfully restarted several units at its Deer Park, Texas, refinery on Jan. 31, Genscape reported. The units, knocked offline by severe weather on Jan. 24, included a 70,000 barrel/d crude distillation unit (CDU); 270,000 barrel/d CDU; 70,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC); and 67,000 barrel/d hydrocracker. Multiple additional units remained offline on Jan. 31.
Based on falling values at Brazil, Gulf export sulfur prices were reported at $120/mt FOB, down from $130-$135/mt FOB in the prior report. Some predicted further softening in the short-term.
Brazil:
New import business at Brazil was reported at $145/mt CFR for the week, a $10/mt decline from the prior-week $155/mt CFR. Sources described the tons as loading from Vancouver.
With minimal business reported, first-quarter Brazil sulfur contracts were understood to land in a $172-$186/mt CFR range, a increase from $119-$138/mt CFR reported for the fourth quarter.
Vancouver:
Lower values at China and Brazil dragged Vancouver pricing to a $110-$115/mt FOB range, sources said. The market was previously reported at $135-$140/mt FOB.
Alberta:
Alberta sulfur netbacks softened to $15-$60/mt FOB from the week-ago $15-$70/mt FOB. Molten tons contracted into the US market set both the high and low of the range, while prilled material exported through the Vancouver market fell in the middle.
West Coast:
Prilled sulfur cargoes loading from the West Coast were indicated at $110-$115/mt FOB, below $135-$140/mt FOB in the previous report.
Sources reported contracts for molten sulfur in a $125-$135/lt FOB range for the first quarter, above $75-$79/lt FOB noted for 4Q.
China:
China spot imports moved lower following the country’s return from the Jan. 22 Lunar New Year holiday, with sources reporting a plunge into the $130s/mt CFR, down $25/mt from $155-$165/mt CFR reported last.