Japan petchems unaffected by heavy rains

20 July 2006 09:29  [Source: ICIS news]

TOKYO (ICIS news)--Japan’s petrochemical majors said on Thursday that their plants in western Japan were operating normally, amid reports of mudslides and flash floods caused by heavy rain killing or leaving people missing in the area.

Mitsubishi Chemical reported that no damage had been done to its plant at Mizushima, Okayama Prefecture, where ethylene and other chemicals are produced. He also said that the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) unit in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture, run by the company’s subsidiary Echizen Polymer, was also operating normally.

Asahi Kasei Chemicals, which also has a plant at Mizushima, said no damage had been reported as of Thursday and all of the company’s facilities, including the acrylonitrile (ACN) units, were operating at normal rates.

Daiso’s Mizushima plant, which produces epichlorohydrin (ECH), was also unaffected, a company spokeswoman said.

As of Thursday morning, 10 people were reported dead in Nagano, Fukui, Shimane and Okayama prefectures, and 10 people were missing in Nagano, Shimane and Kyoto prefectures because of the mudslides and other damages caused by heavy rain, according to news reports.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that more heavy rain was expected mainly in Kyushu, Shikoku and Kinki regions on Thursday and in wider areas in eastern and western Japan on Friday. Mudslides and flooding were expected, it added.

By: Tomomi Yokomura
+65 6780 4359

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly