More US producers move towards post-Harvey recovery

More US producers are revamping their operations in the post-Harvey period. Some have already returned to normal operating rates this week while there are still many that are in the restart procedure.

After having restarted its Port Arthur complex, Chevron Phillips Chemical initialized the restart of its Sweeny site, which was shut on August 27. The complex houses three steam crackers with a total ethylene production capacity of around 1.9 million tons/year. The restart is expected to last throughout this week.

DuPont also resumed operations at its complexes in Orange and Victoria after shutting on August 30. The polymer production at the 235,000 tons/year PE plant in Orange and 131,000 tons/year PE plant in Victoria was restarted while the company expects to bring its 680,000 tons/year cracker in Orange back online towards the end of this week.

BASF-Total joint venture also returned to normal operating rates at their 1 million tons/year cracker in Port Arthur, Texas after having run it at reduced rates right after Harvey.

After starting the restart procedure first on September 4, Formosa has fully completed the restart of its Point Comfort complex. The 681,000 tons/year No 1 cracker and 818,000 tons/year No 2 cracker as well as its polymer units including 6 PP lines, 6 PE lines were all resumed.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil, who already returned to normal operations at its Baytown complex, also reached normal operating rates its PE plants at Mont Belvieu, where there is a 1 million tons/year of PE plant located while there are two more new PE plants at the start-up phase with a combined capacity of 1.3 million tons/year. The company has still not restarted its Beaumont complex, where an 827,000 tons/year ethylene cracker is located, although there are efforts for it.

Dow Chemical has almost reached full rates at its 1.6 million tons/year cracker at Freeport, Texas. However, the company’s Seadrift site is still reportedly shut with no plans ahead for restart. Dow is able to produce more than 1 million tons/year of PE at Seadrift.

Flint Hills also started the restart procedure of its 623,000 tons/year cracker in Port Arthur after suspending operations on August 28. The restart is expected tol ast until September 22. The complex also has a 317,000 tons/year chemical-grade propylene unit.

The restart procedure has also kicked off this week in Shell’s Deer Park refining and chemical complex with 836,000 tons/year of ethylene capacity. The company shut its complex right after Harvey’s landfall on August 26-27.