As the crisis in Japan following an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami continues to evolve, the long-term implications of the natural disasters remain uncertain. In the near term, however, Wells Fargo's Master Limited Partnership team, led by managing director Michael Blum, expects a slight negative impact on U.S. natural gas liquids (NGLs) and ethylene fundamentals.

"Our assessment is based on the following factors," Blum reveals in a March 23 research report. First, supply chain disruptions in Japan could temporarily dampen demand for plastics and, consequently, for ethylene, the equity-research director ...