Japan's JX Nippon shuts IPA plant in Kawasaki unexpectedly

09 May 2012 11:29  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Japan’s JX Nippon Oil & Energy shut its 85,000 tonne/year isopropanol (IPA) plant in Kawasaki – the second such unplanned outage at the plant in under three weeks, a company source said on Wednesday.

Production was disrupted on Wednesday morning by a ‘pipeline accident’, the source said, adding that it is as yet unclear when the plant can resume operations.

JX Nippon is in talks with customers to cancel or delay around 2,000 tonnes of May shipments, the source said.

“Our inventories are very low because of the earlier shutdown,’’ the source said who added that the producer may have to reduce export quantities in June as it has to build its inventories ahead of a 50-day turnaround in early August.

The first unplanned outage at the plant took place on 21 April and the plant was restarted on 29 April.

It is unclear if the two shutdowns are related.

By: Yeow Pei Lin

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