LyondellBasell may restart methanol plant by mid-December: sources

HOUSTON (ICIS)–LyondellBasell’s restart of a mothballed Texas methanol plant should be completed by mid-December and possibly sooner, sources said on Wednesday.

One source said the restart of the 780,000 tonne/year methanol plant in Channelview was mechanically complete and dependent mainly on technical issues. “They’re trying to get it started now,” the source said.

Another source had been told the unit would be up and running by mid-December.

LyondellBasell CEO Jim Gallogly said in late October that the restart of the Texas methanol plant was 90% complete and would be done by year’s end.

Corporate spokesman David Harpole said the company maintains that the unit will be mechanically complete by the end of this year.

“We’re still on schedule with that,” Harpole said on Wednesday.