INEOS declares PP force majeure on feedstock issue

HOUSTON (ICIS)–INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA declared force majeure  on polypropylene (PP) this week because of a feedstock issue at its California plant, according to a letter to customers obtained on Wednesday.

Dated 1 December, the letter said the declaration stemmed from “an inability to acquire feedstock” at its Carson, California, PP plant.

That unit has annual capacity of 231,000 tonnes/year, according to ICIS Plants and Projects. Ineos has two other PP plants, both in Texas – the 440,000 tonne/year unit in Chocolate Bayou, and a 145,000 tonne/year plant in La Porte.

The move by Ineos still leaves one force majeure in place for US PP. LyondellBasell this week lifted the force majeure it declared on PP in early October, according to a letter to customers on Tuesday.