OREANDA-NEWS. Oneok Partners' 165,000 b/d fractionator MB-1 at Mont Belvieu, Texas, is back online, the company told Argus.

The unit is now fully operational but the exact time of the unit's restart was unclear. Oneok said the unit was "down briefly this weekend."

Midstream operators were heard in the marketplace earlier in the week covering short positions. The fractionator's outage may have contributed to spot market volatility earlier in the week.

Natural gasoline prices at the Mont Belvieu EPC terminal jumped to a high of 138.5?/USG on 20 April, and April/May backwardation widened steeply to 8-10?/USG. The price reverted to 126.5?/USG by market close on 21 April.

Ethane values firmed during the week, reaching a high weekly midpoint of 18.25?/USG yesterday.

Although midstream companies were heard buying propane, subsequently boosting activity, prices weakened during the week on seasonally weaker demand for the product.

Mont Belvieu propane fell to an average 54.75?/USG on yesterday, from 56.43?/USG on Monday.