Sterling Texas City plant to restart in early Oct

25 September 2008 23:28  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Sterling Chemicals’ acetic acid plant at Texas City, Texas, will restart in the first week of October, a company executive said on Thursday.

 

The plant, which was shut down on 10 September as a precaution in anticipation of Hurricane Ike, suffered no significant damage during the storm, according to the company.

 

Sterling chief financial officer John Beaver said the plant has remained closed since the storm but will resume operations in early October, though he would not pinpoint a date.

 

"Let's just say the first week [of October] and leave it at that," Beaver said.

 

Like many petrochemical plants in the Houston area, the Sterling facility has been down since the hurricane because of power outages and logistics problems.

 

The FOB (free on board) export price range for aceitic acid is $700-800/tonne (76-544/tonne), according to global chemical intelligence service ICIS pricing.  List prices remain at 67-69 cents/lb.

 

Sterling and BP Amoco Chemical recently renewed their acetic acid supply agreement that gives BP the right to buy all of the acetic acid produced at Sterling's Texas City plant through December 2031.

 

($1 = €0.68)

 

For more on Sterling Chemical's Texas City plant visit ICIS plants and projects

For more on acetic acid visit ICIS chemical intelligence

To discuss issues facing the chemical industry go to ICIS connect

By: Lane Kelley
+1 713 525 2653

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