Tampa: Early last week, PCS finally announced that it had reached the same deal with its sulfur suppliers as Mosaic did more than a week earlier. The Tampa molten price for the second quarter will increase $5/lt, to $155/lt delivered to Tampa.
As a result, Green Markets has changed the price in its index.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported that refinery capacity operating rates were up 0.9 percent last week, to 84.4 percent from the previous week’s 83.5 percent. The year-ago rate was 86 percent, with a four-year average was 85.6 percent.
Stocks of both crude oil and finished products remained very high.
Vancouver: Sulfur dealers and traders at Vancouver were expected to go along with the $5/lt bump that suppliers gained in Tampa molten sulfur, but that will not happen at least until the end of May, or possibly later.
West Coast: Although the West Coast normally tracks the Vancouver market price, it moved up $3-$5/mt last week, following the Tampa settlement.
Benelux: The price range for the second quarter was $175-$185/mt FOB.
ADNOC: The ADNOC price for April was $160/mt FOB, but was anticipated to fall about $5/mt, to $155/mt FOB.