Butene price index

Butene price December 2025 and outlook (see chart below)

• Europe:US$1.52/KG, unchanged
• Northeast Asia:US$0.97/KG, -1% down

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Butene price index

This post is a summary of the Butene price developments. The price developments of Butene are expressed in US$ prices converted FX rates applicable at the time when the price was valid. Butene price index developments are calculated from multiple separate sources of data to ensure statistical accuracy.

The outlook for Butene prices is generated from different inputs including:

• Very recent price developments of immediate cost drivers of Butene prices
• Recent price developments of underlying feedstocks which drive the price of Butene
• Market futures for both cost drives and feedstocks of Butene prices
• Adjustment of current supply/demand imbalances in the Butene market
• Longer term trends in likely demand conditions

What is Butene and what is it used for

Butene (also called butylene) is a family of four-carbon alkenes (formula C₄H₈) that includes isomers such as 1-butene, cis- and trans-2-butene, and isobutene. It is primarily a petrochemical feedstock: 1-butene is used as a comonomer in polyethylene (improves film and mechanical properties), as a comonomer or monomer for specialty polymers (e.g., polybutene-1), and as an intermediate for butyl rubber and other chemicals; other butene isomers are used in fuel blending, alkylation, and downstream synthesis (e.g., butylene oxides, solvents and aldehydes).

How is Butene produced

Butenes are not typically separated directly from crude oil but are produced as part of refinery and steam-cracker C4 fractions. Major production routes are steam cracking of naphtha or ethane (which yields C4 streams containing butadiene and butenes) and catalytic/cracking processes in fluid catalytic crackers (FCC) in refineries; the desired butenes are separated from the C4 raffinate by extraction, selective hydrogenation/removal of butadiene, and fractional distillation or chemical conversion/isomerization steps to give purified 1- and 2-butene and isobutene. Specialized catalytic processes (e.g., selective isomerization or upgrading) are also used to shift yields toward specific butene isomers.

How large is the global market for Butene and where is it produced

Market estimates vary by report and by the exact product definition (e.g., “butene”, “1-butene” or the broader C4 market). Recent market research places the global 1-butene / butene market value in the low billions of USD (reports show figures such as roughly USD 3–4 billion for 1-butene in the mid-2020s) while some broader butene market reports project larger totals (tens of billions) depending on included derivatives and downstream value. The market is expected to grow modestly at mid single-digit CAGRs driven by demand for comonomers in polyethylene, synthetic rubber and other derivatives. In terms of production geography, Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India) holds the largest capacity for 1-butene and other butenes, followed by significant capacity in the Middle East (integrated petrochemical complexes in Saudi Arabia, UAE), North America (U.S. steam crackers and refineries) and Europe; major chemical companies such as Chevron Phillips, ExxonMobil, Shell and regional players operate large butene units. Because estimates differ across consultancies, consider specific market reports for exact recent figures and forecasts.