ChevronPhillips reports flaring at LDPE unit in Texas

20 August 2010 21:58  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--A low density polyethylene (LDPE) unit at Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Cedar Bayou plant in Texas experienced flaring due to a problem in the ethylene purification section, according to a public regulatory filing available on Friday.

It was unclear what effect the emissions event had on production, and company spokesman Brian Cain, citing company policy, declined to comment on operational details.

The emissions event report filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said the ethylene purification section of PE unit 1792 became over pressurised after a loss of propylene coolant, with flaring occurring between 15:00-16:50 hours Cedar Bayou (20:00-21:50 GMT) on 19 August.

The unit was stabilised and workers were re-establishing the propylene coolant level and troubleshooting the instrumentation, the report said.

LDPE supply in North America is extremely tight, according to buyers and sellers.

ExxonMobil declared force majeure (FM) on certain grades from its Baton Rouge plant in Louisiana on 20 July due to an unplanned outage.

NOVA Chemicals was conducting maintenance and expansion work at its Moore LDPE plant in Ontario, Canada. That plant would not restart until the end of September, sources said.

For more on LDPE visit ICIS chemical intelligence
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By: David Barry
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