Market update · Every Monday
Plastics feedstock
market update
Crude oil is still almost double last year's level and swinging hard week to week, so feedstock costs for PP and PE in Asia remain under upward pressure.
Latest prices 20 Oct 2026 · Marketing Department, ADVANCEDCHEM SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
This week's feedstock energy prices
Four prices at the start of the resin cost chain. Changes compare with the same day 1, 4 and 52 weeks earlier; the charts show weekly averages over the last 26 weeks.
Brent crude
115.22 USD/bbl
20 Oct 2026
- 1 week
- ▼ -8.4%
- 4 weeks
- ▲ +0.3%
- 52 weeks
- ▲ +88.9%
Weekly average, 26 weeks · low 69.70 · high 127.43
WTI crude
107.89 USD/bbl
20 Oct 2026
- 1 week
- ▲ +13.1%
- 4 weeks
- ▲ +11.9%
- 52 weeks
- ▲ +83.9%
Weekly average, 26 weeks · low 70.47 · high 108.95
Henry Hub natural gas
3.10 USD/MMBtu
20 Oct 2026
- 1 week
- ▼ -1.3%
- 4 weeks
- ▲ +6.9%
- 52 weeks
- ▼ -5.5%
Weekly average, 26 weeks · low 2.62 · high 3.34
Propane (Mont Belvieu)
1.133 USD/gal
20 Oct 2026
- 1 week
- ▲ +9.2%
- 4 weeks
- ▲ +31.1%
- 52 weeks
- ▲ +87.6%
Weekly average, 26 weeks · low 0.655 · high 1.131
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) daily spot prices (Brent Europe, WTI Cushing, Henry Hub, propane Mont Belvieu TX) · public data
This week in brief
- Brent was 115.22 USD/bbl on 20 Oct 2026, 88.9% above 52 weeks earlier but 8.4% below a week earlier, while WTI rose 13.1%. The two benchmarks moved in opposite directions in one week: the market is still volatile, so one week's figure is not a trend.
- Naphtha, the main feedstock for Asian crackers, usually tracks crude, so Asian PP and PE prices tend to follow with a lag of several weeks.
- Propane (Mont Belvieu) rose 31.1% in 4 weeks, which raises the cost of propylene made by PDH (propane → propylene → PP).
- Henry Hub natural gas was 3.10 USD/MMBtu, 5.5% below a year earlier. US PE producers running on gas-based ethane keep a cost advantage over naphtha crackers.
- For converters: while resin costs are volatile, cutting scrap and using part recycled resin can soften the impact. Work out your cost per good part with the Cost-in-Use calculator.
What each price tells you
| Price | What it is | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Brent | Crude benchmark for Asia and Europe; naphtha usually tracks it | PE and PP from naphtha crackers, including in Asia |
| WTI | US crude benchmark | Overall energy prices and the spread to Brent |
| Henry Hub | US natural gas, the source of ethane | US PE costs; US PE competes in Asia |
| Propane | Feedstock for PDH | Cost of propylene and PP made by PDH |
For the full explanation of how energy prices reach resin, and why resin prices lag oil, read Oil, gas and resin costs.
Please note
This page is for learning, not trading or investment advice. The energy prices are US and European spot prices from the EIA, not resin prices. What your plant actually pays for resin depends on grade, supplier, volume and commercial terms.
