Pure Benzene Industry Chain Capacity Utilization Statistics (October 16–22, 2026)

Petroleum benzene production stood at 427,100 tonnes, an increase of 900 tonnes (0.21%) compared to the previous period. The capacity utilization rate was 70.48%, up 0.14 percentage points from the prior cycle. During this period, Hainan Refining & Chemical underwent cracking unit maintenance, while Renqiu Petrochemical restarted its reforming units.

The operating rate of domestic benzene hydrogenation units was 60.9%, a rise of 1.06 percentage points week-on-week. Within the week, Shandong Laigang’s unit shut down, Inner Mongolia Qinghua’s unit restarted, and Zaozhuang Zhenxing and Zhanhua Yukai increased their load rates.

This week, the capacity utilization rates of major downstream products—styrene, caprolactam, phenol, aniline, and adipic acid—all declined. For styrene, one production line at Zhejiang Petrochemical entered maintenance during the week, while Shell’s styrene line restarted after a brief shutdown. Caprolactam operating loads decreased. Phenol/acetone units at Qingdao Haiwan, Zhongsha (Tianjin) Petrochemical, and Fuyu Petrochemical shut down as planned. Regarding aniline, Shandong Jinling had two 100,000-tonne/year units under maintenance: Unit 1 from September 28 to October 22, and Unit 2 from September 28 to October 31; Shanxi Tianji underwent maintenance from October 12 to October 27; Jilin Xuyang Cornelle conducted rotating maintenance on one unit from October 13 to November 7; and Dongying Huatai experienced a brief shutdown from October 20 to October 24. Taihua reduced its operating load for adipic acid.

Looking ahead, considering recent maintenance and restart activities, the capacity utilization rates for phenol and aniline are expected to rise. The rates for styrene, caprolactam, and adipic acid are projected to remain stable.