UPDATE: US freeze shuts numerous chem plants, major ports

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Winter storm Enzo, which caused a hard freeze along the US Gulf Coast, led to widespread shutdowns among chemical plants and refineries.

Companies shut down at least five ethylene glycol (EG) units and at least eight crackers because of bad weather. Other plants, such as a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit, also shut down.

Pre-emptive shutdowns and operational disruptions reported so far include:

• BASF idles Geismar, Louisiana, EO operations following winter weather
• BASF TotalEnergies cracker shuts down due to weather
• Dow’s Plaquemine, Louisiana, glycol ethers site down following winter weather
• Dow’s Taft, Louisiana, glycol ethers site down following winter weather
• Dow idles Taft, Louisiana, EO site following winter weather
• Dow’s Taft, Louisiana, ethanolamines site down following winter weather
• Enterprise’s PDH1 unit in Texas has unplanned shutdown
• Formosa shuts Louisiana PVC unit ahead of freeze
• GCGV Portland, Texas, EG site down ahead of freezing temperatures
• Indorama’s Clear Lake, Texas, EG site down for winter weather
• Indorama Lake Charles cracker shut due to weather
• Indorama shuts Port Neches, Texas, cracker ahead of winter storm
• Indorama’s Port Neches, Texas, ethanolamines unit down due to winter weather
• Indorama’s Port Neches, Texas, EG unit down ahead of winter weather
• Ingleside, Texas, cracker shut before winter storm
• LACC Lotte/Westlake Louisiana cracker and EG unit down ahead of winter weather
• Lyondell Channelview, Texas, crackers flaring on operations issues
• Lyondell La Porte, Texas, cracker shutting due to weather
• Shell’s Geismar, Louisiana, EO, EG site down following winter weather

SHUTDOWNS AT REFINERIES AND BIOFUELS
Motiva’s refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, experienced unexpected interruptions and shutdowns of several critical pieces of equipment, it said in a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The disruptions caused emissions at a catalytic reformer, a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit and a delayed coker unit.

Renewable Biofuels conducted a planned shutdown at its biodiesel plant in Port Neches, Texas, for freeze protection, according to a filing with the TCEQ.

MIDSTREAM DISRUPTIONS
In some cases, midstream companies reported freeze offs and hydrates forming.

If these happen on a wide enough scale, they could interrupt the supply of natural gas. Chemical plants and refineries burn natural gas to produce process heat, and power plants use it to produce electricity.

PORTS
Ports in Houston and New Orleans were closed through Wednesday because of cold weather.

Container vessel operations will begin at Port Houston at 19:00 local time on Wednesday, while all Port Houston facilities will begin normal operations on Thursday.

NO WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES
Texas avoided the widespread power outages that had led to several plant shutdowns during winter storm Uri in 2021.

FREEZING TEMPERATURES TO END BY FRIDAY
Temperatures rose above freezing during Wednesday, and daily highs should continue to rise as the week progresses.

Lows should be just below freezing on Wednesday and Thursday, according to meteorologists.

(Thumbnail shows snow, which can precipitate in the type of cold weather that can disrupt plant operations. Image by Michael Ainsworth/AP/Shutterstock)