Shell Wesseling 2B cracker at reduced rates

30 August 2006 15:01  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Operating rates at Shell Petrochemicals' Wesseling 2B cracker in Germany are steadily improving but have not yet reached full capacity, a company source said on Wednesday.

There was no indication as to when full rates might be achieved.  “We are taking it as it comes,” the source added.

The 240,000 tonnes/year 2B cracker, one of two operated by Shell at the Wesseling site, was due to go into a planned month-long maintenance in early October.

“It would not be unusual for the cracker to run at reduced but steady rates until the shutdown,” the source said

The cracker went down late on 16 August because of a lightning strike on an external power source.

Shell put its ethylene (C2) and propylene (C3) customers on a mutually agreed sales control to avoid an official force majeure declaration.

By: Nel Weddle
+44 20 8652 3214

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