BP Refinery Blast: Propylene arb window to the US closed  24
March 2005 14:29  [Source: ICIS news]  LONDON (CNI)--The fatal
explosion at BP's Texas City refinery in the US Gulf has
virtually eliminated any immediate possibility of a propylene
arbitrage window with the US, European market sources told CNI
on Thursday.  They said that yesterday's blast has so far had
little impact on the European propylene market. But one market
source today commented that the potential effect on global
propylene could be the loss of exports from the US to Europe and
Asia, as possibilities began to appear in an arbitrage window.
This looks less likely now, although US markets have not yet
reacted to the tragic incident. No impact is expected on
ethylene markets.  Fourteen people died, all believed to be
contractors' staff, and some 70 were injured in the explosion at
the 470,000 bbl/day Texas City refinery.  Adjacent facilities at
the huge petrochemicals complex were also likely to have been
affected, a company spokesman told C