How Vital Are International Markets for BP’s Petrochemicals?

In this part, we’ll discuss the geographical spread of BP’s (BP) petrochemical products markets. BP sells 74% of its petrochemical products outside Europe, of which 16% is in the US. The company’s sales in the European market account for 26% of its total petrochemical sales volumes.

In 3Q16, BP’s sales of chemical products fell 8% and 1% over 3Q15 in Europe and its international markets, respectively. The sales in the US fell 36% YoY in 3Q16.

BP’s peer ExxonMobil (XOM) sold 38% of its total petrochemical products in the US and the rest in its international markets. In 3Q16, Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) sold its petrochemical products in North and South America (~36%), Europe and Africa (~33%), and Asia (~31%).

The Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) has ~39% exposure to integrated energy sector stocks.