Epoxy
September 6, 2021
Chlorine Overview
Ida Disrupts Chlorine Production, Raising Risk of Higher Prices
By Kevin Crowley August 30, 2021, 5:29 PM EDT Updated on August 30, 2021, 6:06 PM EDT
- Westlake, Formosa shut down facilities ahead of storm
- Chlorine was already in short supply after February’s freeze
Hurricane Ida’s landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast caused production outages in the heart of the country’s chlorine manufacturing industry.
Chlorine was already in short supply after a deep freeze in February knocked facilities offline for weeks. Now, widespread power outages around Baton Rouge, Louisiana may increase prices further, according to Robert Stier, a senior petrochemicals analyst at S&P Global Platts.
“Chlorine is going to get really tight” because of the industry’s concentration in the Louisiana area, he said.
READ: Ida’s Aftermath Raises Environmental Fears in ‘Cancer Alley’ (1)
Westlake Chemical Corp. shut two Louisiana facilities that make chlorine over the weekend. An assessment of the storm’s impact may take several days, the company said. Formosa Plastics also closed a plant in Baton Rouge, according to ICIS, a data provider.
Chlorine manufacturers also tend to make PVC, a key building material used in pipes, siding and other construction materials. Gulf Coast contracts for PVC were already trading at record highs before the storm, according to ICIS.
September 6, 2021
Friday Update
Most of US Gulf oil, natgas remains offline after Hurricane Ida
Author: Janet Miranda
2021/09/03
HOUSTON (ICIS)–Most offshore oil and natural gas production in the US Gulf remains offline because of Hurricane Ida, according to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on Friday.
The amount of oil and gas shut in has fallen slightly from Monday but remains high.
Key ports such as Port Fourchon in Louisiana were damaged. The port is a main site for offshore workers. Some estimates have indicated it could be at least a month before offshore production could be restored.
The following table shows the number of platforms and rigs evacuated, including the total amount of oil and natural gas that has been shut in.
| Total | % | |
| Platforms evacuated | 133 | 23.75 |
| Rigs evacuated | 6 | 54.55 |
| Oil shut in (bbl/day) | 1,698,557 | 93.33 |
| Gas shut in (bcf/day) | 1.990 | 89.25 |
Source: BSEE
Over the last several days after the storm, US oil majors with assets in the Gulf have been conducting initial flyovers and safety assessments.
Shell observed damage to its West Delta-143 (WD-143) offshore facility, it said. It is currently working to assess the full extent of the damage and the impact it will have on its offshore production.
WD-143 is a transfer station for all production from its assets in the Mars corridor in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf to onshore crude terminals.
Its Perdido assets was never disrupted by the hurricane, and its storage and offloading vessel, the Turritella, is back online.
All of Shell’s other offshore assets remain shut in and remain fully evacuated at this time. Approximately 80% of Shell-operated production is currently offline.
A temporary crew-change heliport will be established in the next few days since its primary location in Houma sustained significant damage.
BP has conducted a visual assessment of its four Gulf of Mexico platforms and reported no major damage, the company said on Thursday.
It expects to provide a more comprehensive update of the platforms’ statuses in the coming days. Production will remain shut in until further confirmation that it is safe for operations to resume.
Its onshore assets at Houma and Port Fourchon experienced the brunt of the storm’s force, with damage to both facilities that will require repairs. BP will temporarily relocate its shore base and heliport to other locations.
BP’s midstream and downstream assets are in various stages of start-up and await facility inspections and power restoration.
Chevron has begun to deploy personnel to provide closer assessments of possible damage to any of its assets, the company said on Wednesday.
Fourchon terminal and Empire terminal and their related pipeline systems remain shut in, Chevron said.
PLANT STATUS
The following shows the status of the chemical plants and refineries affected by Ida.
| Company | Site | Products | Status | Force Majeure |
| AmSty | St James, Louisiana | Styrene | Shutdown | |
| BASF | Geismar, Louisiana | BDO, EO, isocyanates, polyols | Shutdown | |
| Cornerstone | Waggaman, Louisiana | ACN, melamine | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Cos-Mar | Carville, Louisiana | Styrene, ethylbenzene | Shutdown | |
| DAK Americas | Bay St Louis, Mississippi | PET | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Dow | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, EO, glycol ethers, PE, PG, PO | Expected Restart | |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, acetic acid, acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, ethanolamines, EO, glycol ethers, LLDPE, oxo-alcohols | Shutdown | |
| Enterprise Products | Louisiana, US | Propylene, NGLs | Shutdown | |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, BD, benzene, toluene, IPA, PA, plasticizers, PE, PP, base oils | Restart | |
| Formosa Plastics | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | PVC, VCM | Shutdown | |
| INEOS Oxide | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Ethanolamines | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Lion Copolymer | Geismar, Louisiana | EDPM | Restart | |
| Marathon Petroleum | Garyville, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products | Shutdown | |
| Methanex | Geismar, Louisiana | Methanol | Shutdown | |
| NOVA | Geismar, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Olin | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | |
| Olin | St Gabriel, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | |
| OxyChem | Convent, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| OxyChem | Geismar, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| OxyChem | Taft, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| PBF Energy | Chalmette, Louisiana | Benzene, toluene, MX, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Phillips 66 | Belle Chasse, Louisiana | Benzene, toluene, MX, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Pinnacle Polymers | Garyville, Louisiana | PP | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Roehm | Fortier, Louisiana | Methyl methacrylate (MMA) | Shutdown | |
| Rubicon | Geismar, Louisiana | MDI, polyether polyols, aniline, nitrobenzene | Shutdown | |
| Shell | Geismar, Louisiana | EO, EG, glycol ethers, linear alcohols, linear olefins | Curtailment | |
| Shell | Norco, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, BD | Shutdown | |
| Shintech | Addis, Louisiana | PVC | Shutdown | |
| Shintech | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC, PVC, VCM, ethylene | Shutdown | |
| Total Energies | Carville, Louisiana | PS | Shutdown | |
| Valero | Meraux, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Valero | St Charles, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Westlake | Geismar, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Westlake | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC, PVC, VCM | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| YCI Methanol One | St James, Louisiana | Methanol | Shutdown |
POWER UPDATE
Regional power distributor Entergy has restored electrical service to 225,000 of the estimated 950,000 customers who lost service after Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday.
Distribution system damage in Louisiana and Mississippi includes 14,527 poles, 17,454 spans of wire and 3,277 transformers damaged or destroyed.
Of the 224 affected transmission substations, 106 have returned to service as of Thursday afternoon, as well as 82 of 211 affected transmission lines.
More than 1,380 miles (2,220 km) of transmission lines remain out of service.
“For our industrial customers, restoration priority is to power critical community services such as fire, police, hospitals and water and communication services,” Entergy said.
Poweroutage.us is showing just more than 850,000 customers without power in the state, which includes electrical service from other power distributors as well as Entergy.
Damage assessments are continuing at refineries and chemical plants in the region, but operations cannot restart until feedstock supply, power and other essential third-party utilities are restored.
While the impact will be much less severe than from winter storm Uri in mid-February, the power outages and flooding will constrain production for weeks.
Products most impacted include the chlor-alkali chain all the way through polyvinyl chloride (PVC), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), styrene, linear alpha olefins (LAO), phthalic anhydride (PA) and butanediol (BDO).
RAIL UPDATE
Union Pacific (UP) has resumed operations from St James to New Orleans, although generators remain in place for signal and gate operations until commercial power is restored, the rail company said on Friday.
Interchange with Norfolk Southern resumed on Thursday evening, although no interchange operations are occurring during the city-mandated curfew from 2000-600 local time.
Interchange with all other carriers in New Orleans remains under embargo.
Due to flooding associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida in the US northeast, Norfolk Southern has issued embargoes impacting intermodal shipments on their networks, UP said on Friday.
Norfolk Southern said on Friday it has resumed regular operations in New Orleans, but delays are expected to continue due to slow orders and signal issues.
Interchanges are open except for the interchange to Canadian National, which is still blocked.
Floodwaters in New Jersey and New York have receded overnight, but there are many locations that are still unavailable until debris is cleared and signal issues are repaired.
Customers with shipments in this area should expect delays of up to 48-72 hours.
CSX has also seen the impacts of the storm in the northeast, with disruptions in operations in portions Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Customers are advised to expect delays, it said on Thursday.
It is also continuing repair work on track and signals on the New Orleans and Mobile line.
BNSF has reopened nearly all of its main line between Lafayette, Louisiana, and New Orleans, the US railroad company said on Wednesday.
Just one location, 10 miles east of Raceland, remains out of service with downed power lines on the track, BNSF said.
Its rail yard in Lafayette is in full operations.
Interchanges in New Orleans with other carriers, including CSX and Canadian National, remain under embargo.
New Orleans Public Belt, another railroad company, said it has resumed operations with modified hours to connect with BNSF, Norfolk Southern and UP.
PORTS REOPENING
The port of New Orleans reopened on Wednesday afternoon and port conditions are set at normal, but restrictions remain for some terminal operations. Vessel movement and cargo operations are authorised with restrictions.
The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal remains closed.
Terminal operators continue restoration efforts to resume operations, which is dependent upon power restoration.
New Orleans Terminal and Ports America for containerised operations will remain closed until more information is known and dependent upon power restoration.
Empire, Coastal Cargo, Gulf Stream Marine and Ports America for breakbulk operations will be closed until more information is known and dependent upon power restoration.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) is conducting repairs following Hurricane Ida, it said. It has paused oil deliveries.
The LOOP is the nation’s only deepwater oil port for supertankers.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER REOPENS
The US Coast Guard has reopened the lower Mississippi river to nearly all vessel traffic, although some key areas remain closed as recovery operations continue.
Some chemicals shipped by barge on the Mississippi river are still likely to be delayed following damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
Coast Guard crews continue to work with port partners on the identification and mitigation of grounded and submerged vessels along the banks of the river.
Facility assessments and repairs are underway.
Additional reporting by Ruth Liao, Adam Yanelli, Al Greenwood
Thumbnail shows damage from Hurricane Ida. Image by Shutterstock
September 6, 2021
Friday Update
Most of US Gulf oil, natgas remains offline after Hurricane Ida
Author: Janet Miranda
2021/09/03
HOUSTON (ICIS)–Most offshore oil and natural gas production in the US Gulf remains offline because of Hurricane Ida, according to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on Friday.
The amount of oil and gas shut in has fallen slightly from Monday but remains high.
Key ports such as Port Fourchon in Louisiana were damaged. The port is a main site for offshore workers. Some estimates have indicated it could be at least a month before offshore production could be restored.
The following table shows the number of platforms and rigs evacuated, including the total amount of oil and natural gas that has been shut in.
| Total | % | |
| Platforms evacuated | 133 | 23.75 |
| Rigs evacuated | 6 | 54.55 |
| Oil shut in (bbl/day) | 1,698,557 | 93.33 |
| Gas shut in (bcf/day) | 1.990 | 89.25 |
Source: BSEE
Over the last several days after the storm, US oil majors with assets in the Gulf have been conducting initial flyovers and safety assessments.
Shell observed damage to its West Delta-143 (WD-143) offshore facility, it said. It is currently working to assess the full extent of the damage and the impact it will have on its offshore production.
WD-143 is a transfer station for all production from its assets in the Mars corridor in the Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf to onshore crude terminals.
Its Perdido assets was never disrupted by the hurricane, and its storage and offloading vessel, the Turritella, is back online.
All of Shell’s other offshore assets remain shut in and remain fully evacuated at this time. Approximately 80% of Shell-operated production is currently offline.
A temporary crew-change heliport will be established in the next few days since its primary location in Houma sustained significant damage.
BP has conducted a visual assessment of its four Gulf of Mexico platforms and reported no major damage, the company said on Thursday.
It expects to provide a more comprehensive update of the platforms’ statuses in the coming days. Production will remain shut in until further confirmation that it is safe for operations to resume.
Its onshore assets at Houma and Port Fourchon experienced the brunt of the storm’s force, with damage to both facilities that will require repairs. BP will temporarily relocate its shore base and heliport to other locations.
BP’s midstream and downstream assets are in various stages of start-up and await facility inspections and power restoration.
Chevron has begun to deploy personnel to provide closer assessments of possible damage to any of its assets, the company said on Wednesday.
Fourchon terminal and Empire terminal and their related pipeline systems remain shut in, Chevron said.
PLANT STATUS
The following shows the status of the chemical plants and refineries affected by Ida.
| Company | Site | Products | Status | Force Majeure |
| AmSty | St James, Louisiana | Styrene | Shutdown | |
| BASF | Geismar, Louisiana | BDO, EO, isocyanates, polyols | Shutdown | |
| Cornerstone | Waggaman, Louisiana | ACN, melamine | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Cos-Mar | Carville, Louisiana | Styrene, ethylbenzene | Shutdown | |
| DAK Americas | Bay St Louis, Mississippi | PET | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Dow | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, EO, glycol ethers, PE, PG, PO | Expected Restart | |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, acetic acid, acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, ethanolamines, EO, glycol ethers, LLDPE, oxo-alcohols | Shutdown | |
| Enterprise Products | Louisiana, US | Propylene, NGLs | Shutdown | |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, BD, benzene, toluene, IPA, PA, plasticizers, PE, PP, base oils | Restart | |
| Formosa Plastics | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | PVC, VCM | Shutdown | |
| INEOS Oxide | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Ethanolamines | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Lion Copolymer | Geismar, Louisiana | EDPM | Restart | |
| Marathon Petroleum | Garyville, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products | Shutdown | |
| Methanex | Geismar, Louisiana | Methanol | Shutdown | |
| NOVA | Geismar, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Olin | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | |
| Olin | St Gabriel, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | |
| OxyChem | Convent, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| OxyChem | Geismar, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| OxyChem | Taft, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| PBF Energy | Chalmette, Louisiana | Benzene, toluene, MX, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Phillips 66 | Belle Chasse, Louisiana | Benzene, toluene, MX, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Pinnacle Polymers | Garyville, Louisiana | PP | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Roehm | Fortier, Louisiana | Methyl methacrylate (MMA) | Shutdown | |
| Rubicon | Geismar, Louisiana | MDI, polyether polyols, aniline, nitrobenzene | Shutdown | |
| Shell | Geismar, Louisiana | EO, EG, glycol ethers, linear alcohols, linear olefins | Curtailment | |
| Shell | Norco, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, BD | Shutdown | |
| Shintech | Addis, Louisiana | PVC | Shutdown | |
| Shintech | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC, PVC, VCM, ethylene | Shutdown | |
| Total Energies | Carville, Louisiana | PS | Shutdown | |
| Valero | Meraux, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Valero | St Charles, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene | Shutdown | |
| Westlake | Geismar, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| Westlake | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, EDC, PVC, VCM | Shutdown | Declares FM |
| YCI Methanol One | St James, Louisiana | Methanol | Shutdown |
POWER UPDATE
Regional power distributor Entergy has restored electrical service to 225,000 of the estimated 950,000 customers who lost service after Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday.
Distribution system damage in Louisiana and Mississippi includes 14,527 poles, 17,454 spans of wire and 3,277 transformers damaged or destroyed.
Of the 224 affected transmission substations, 106 have returned to service as of Thursday afternoon, as well as 82 of 211 affected transmission lines.
More than 1,380 miles (2,220 km) of transmission lines remain out of service.
“For our industrial customers, restoration priority is to power critical community services such as fire, police, hospitals and water and communication services,” Entergy said.
Poweroutage.us is showing just more than 850,000 customers without power in the state, which includes electrical service from other power distributors as well as Entergy.
Damage assessments are continuing at refineries and chemical plants in the region, but operations cannot restart until feedstock supply, power and other essential third-party utilities are restored.
While the impact will be much less severe than from winter storm Uri in mid-February, the power outages and flooding will constrain production for weeks.
Products most impacted include the chlor-alkali chain all the way through polyvinyl chloride (PVC), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), styrene, linear alpha olefins (LAO), phthalic anhydride (PA) and butanediol (BDO).
RAIL UPDATE
Union Pacific (UP) has resumed operations from St James to New Orleans, although generators remain in place for signal and gate operations until commercial power is restored, the rail company said on Friday.
Interchange with Norfolk Southern resumed on Thursday evening, although no interchange operations are occurring during the city-mandated curfew from 2000-600 local time.
Interchange with all other carriers in New Orleans remains under embargo.
Due to flooding associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ida in the US northeast, Norfolk Southern has issued embargoes impacting intermodal shipments on their networks, UP said on Friday.
Norfolk Southern said on Friday it has resumed regular operations in New Orleans, but delays are expected to continue due to slow orders and signal issues.
Interchanges are open except for the interchange to Canadian National, which is still blocked.
Floodwaters in New Jersey and New York have receded overnight, but there are many locations that are still unavailable until debris is cleared and signal issues are repaired.
Customers with shipments in this area should expect delays of up to 48-72 hours.
CSX has also seen the impacts of the storm in the northeast, with disruptions in operations in portions Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Customers are advised to expect delays, it said on Thursday.
It is also continuing repair work on track and signals on the New Orleans and Mobile line.
BNSF has reopened nearly all of its main line between Lafayette, Louisiana, and New Orleans, the US railroad company said on Wednesday.
Just one location, 10 miles east of Raceland, remains out of service with downed power lines on the track, BNSF said.
Its rail yard in Lafayette is in full operations.
Interchanges in New Orleans with other carriers, including CSX and Canadian National, remain under embargo.
New Orleans Public Belt, another railroad company, said it has resumed operations with modified hours to connect with BNSF, Norfolk Southern and UP.
PORTS REOPENING
The port of New Orleans reopened on Wednesday afternoon and port conditions are set at normal, but restrictions remain for some terminal operations. Vessel movement and cargo operations are authorised with restrictions.
The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal remains closed.
Terminal operators continue restoration efforts to resume operations, which is dependent upon power restoration.
New Orleans Terminal and Ports America for containerised operations will remain closed until more information is known and dependent upon power restoration.
Empire, Coastal Cargo, Gulf Stream Marine and Ports America for breakbulk operations will be closed until more information is known and dependent upon power restoration.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) is conducting repairs following Hurricane Ida, it said. It has paused oil deliveries.
The LOOP is the nation’s only deepwater oil port for supertankers.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER REOPENS
The US Coast Guard has reopened the lower Mississippi river to nearly all vessel traffic, although some key areas remain closed as recovery operations continue.
Some chemicals shipped by barge on the Mississippi river are still likely to be delayed following damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
Coast Guard crews continue to work with port partners on the identification and mitigation of grounded and submerged vessels along the banks of the river.
Facility assessments and repairs are underway.
Additional reporting by Ruth Liao, Adam Yanelli, Al Greenwood
Thumbnail shows damage from Hurricane Ida. Image by Shutterstock
September 2, 2021
IDA Update
Power restoration work ongoing in Louisiana after damage from Ida
Author: Adam Yanelli
2021/09/02
HOUSTON (ICIS)–Work continues in Louisiana to repair the power infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on Sunday as a powerful category 4 storm.
Regional power distributor Entergy said on Thursday that it has restored power to 167,000 customers and continues to work in areas that are safe and where power can be received.
The company again stressed that those in the hardest-hit areas could experience outages for weeks.
Source: Entergy
Poweroutage.us is showing just more than 900,000 customers without power in the state, which likely includes electrical service from other power distributors.
Damage assessments are continuing at refineries and chemical plants in the region, but operations cannot restart until feedstock supply, power, and other essential third-party utilities are restored.
While the impact will be much less severe than from winter storm Uri in mid-February, the power outages and flooding will constrain production for weeks.
Products most impacted include the chlor-alkali chain all the way through polyvinyl chloride (PVC), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), styrene, linear alpha olefins (LAO), phthalic anhydride (PA) and butanediol (BDO).
PLANT STATUS
The following shows the status of the chemical plants and refineries affected by Ida.
| Company | Site | Products | Status |
| BASF | Geismar, Louisiana | BDO, EO, MDI, TDI, polyols | Shutdown |
| Lion Copolymer | Geismar, Louisiana | ethylene propylene diene monomer (EDPM) | Shutdown |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Olefins, acetic acid, acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, ethanolamines, EO, glycol ethers, LLDPE, oxo-alcohols | Shutdown |
| Dow | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Olefins, aromatics, EO, glycol ethers, LDPE, LLDPE, PG, PO | Shutdown |
| Total Energies | Carville, Louisiana | Polystyrene (PS) | Shutdown |
| Roehm | Fortier, Louisiana | Methyl methacrylate (MMA) | Shutdown |
| OxyChem | Convent, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, ethylene dichloride (EDC) | FM |
| OxyChem | Taft, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, ethylene dichloride (EDC) | FM |
| Shell | Geismar, Louisiana | Linear olefins, ethylene glycols (EG), ethylene oxide (EO), glycol ethers, linear alcohols | Curtailment |
| PBF Energy | Chalmette, Louisiana | Benzene, Toluene, Mixed Xylenes (MX) | Shutdown |
| Methanex | Geismar, Louisiana | Methanol | Shutdown |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, butadiene (BD), benzene, toluene, isopropanol (IPA), phthalic anhydride (PA), plasticizers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), base oils | Restart |
| Enterprise Products | Louisiana, US | Propylene, natural gas liquids (NGLs) | Shutdown |
| DAK Americas | Bay St Louis, Mississippi | polyethylene terephthalate (PET) | FM |
| Cos-Mar | Carville, Louisiana | Styrene, ethylbenzene | Shutdown |
| AmSty | St James, Louisiana | Styrene | Shutdown |
| Valero | Meraux, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene, propylene upgrade | Shutdown |
| Valero | St Charles, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene, propylene upgrade | Shutdown |
| Shintech | Addis, Louisiana | Ethylene, chlorine, caustic soda, EDC, VCM, PVC | Shutdown |
| Shintech | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Ethylene, chlorine, caustic soda, EDC, VCM, PVC | Shutdown |
| Rubicon | Geismar, Louisiana | MDI, polyether polyols, aniline, nitrobenzene | Shutdown |
| Pinnacle Polymers | Garyville, Louisiana | PP | FM |
| Phillips 66 | Belle Chasse, Louisiana | Refined products, aromatics, propylene | Shutdown |
| Olin | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown |
| Olin | St Gabriel, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown |
| NOVA | Geismar, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene | Shutdown |
| Marathon Petroleum | Garyville, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products | Shutdown |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Gasoline, refinery grade propylene (RGP), benzene, toluene | Shutdown |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Oxo-alcohols (Isobutanol, n-Butanol) | Shutdown |
| Cornerstone | Waggaman, Louisiana | ACN, melamine | FM |
| Westlake | Geismar, Louisiana | Caustic soda, EDC, PVC, VCM | Shutdown |
| Westlake | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, EDC, PVC, VCM | Shutdown |
| Formosa Plastics | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | PVC, VCM | Shutdown |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Olefins, aromatics, IPA, polyolefins, base oils | Shutdown |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Olefins, acetic acid, acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, ethanolamines, EO, glycol ethers, LLDPE, oxo-alcohols | Shutdown |
| Dow | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Olefins, aromatics, EO, glycol ethers, LDPE, LLDPE, PG, PO | Shutdown |
| BASF | Geismar, Louisiana | BDO, EO, MDI, TDI, polyols | Shutdown |
| Shell | Norco, Louisiana | Olefins | Shutdown |
| Shell | Geismar, Louisiana | LAO, EG, EO, linear alcohols, glycol ethers | Shutdown |
| Phillips 66 | Belle Chasse, Louisiana | Refined products, aromatics, propylene | Shutdown |
| Cornerstone | Waggaman, Louisiana | ACN, melamine | Shutdown |
RAIL UPDATE
Rail operations at the Port of New Orleans have resumed with modified daytime hours of operation to connect with BNSF, Norfolk Southern (NS) and Union Pacific (UP).
BNSF has reopened nearly all of its main line between Lafayette, Louisiana, and New Orleans, the US railroad company said on Wednesday.
UP said on Wednesday that its rail line between St James, Louisiana, and New Orleans remains closed, making it one of three lines in the state that are out of service because of Hurricane Ida.
It expected the line to open by Thursday, but the company did not respond to requests for confirmation prior to publication.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER REOPENS
The US Coast Guard has reopened the lower Mississippi river to nearly all vessel traffic, although some key areas along the river remain closed as recovery operations continue.
Some chemicals shipped by barge on the Mississippi river are still likely to be delayed following damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
Coast Guard crews continue to work with port partners on the identification and mitigation of grounded and submerged vessels along the banks of the river.
PORTS REOPENING
The Port of New Orleans reopened on Wednesday afternoon and port condition has been set at normal, but restrictions remain for some terminal operations. Vessel movement and cargo operations are authorised with restrictions.
The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal remains closed.
Terminal operators continue restoration efforts to resume operations, which is dependent upon power restoration.
New Orleans Terminal and Ports America for containerised operations will remain closed until more information is known, and dependent upon power restoration.
Empire, Coastal Cargo, Gulf Stream Marine and Ports America for breakbulk operations will be closed until more information is known, and dependent upon power restoration.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) has paused deliveries of crude until Hurricane Ida subsides.
LOOP is working directly with shippers to minimise storm related impacts.
Facility assessments and repairs are underway.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port is the nation’s only deepwater oil port for supertankers. Some 50% of the nation’s refining capacity can be supplied by LOOP, which moves 12% of the nation’s annual crude oil imports.
Additional reporting by Joseph Chang, Janet Miranda, Al Greenwood
September 2, 2021
IDA Update
Power restoration work ongoing in Louisiana after damage from Ida
Author: Adam Yanelli
2021/09/02
HOUSTON (ICIS)–Work continues in Louisiana to repair the power infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on Sunday as a powerful category 4 storm.
Regional power distributor Entergy said on Thursday that it has restored power to 167,000 customers and continues to work in areas that are safe and where power can be received.
The company again stressed that those in the hardest-hit areas could experience outages for weeks.
Source: Entergy
Poweroutage.us is showing just more than 900,000 customers without power in the state, which likely includes electrical service from other power distributors.
Damage assessments are continuing at refineries and chemical plants in the region, but operations cannot restart until feedstock supply, power, and other essential third-party utilities are restored.
While the impact will be much less severe than from winter storm Uri in mid-February, the power outages and flooding will constrain production for weeks.
Products most impacted include the chlor-alkali chain all the way through polyvinyl chloride (PVC), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), styrene, linear alpha olefins (LAO), phthalic anhydride (PA) and butanediol (BDO).
PLANT STATUS
The following shows the status of the chemical plants and refineries affected by Ida.
| Company | Site | Products | Status |
| BASF | Geismar, Louisiana | BDO, EO, MDI, TDI, polyols | Shutdown |
| Lion Copolymer | Geismar, Louisiana | ethylene propylene diene monomer (EDPM) | Shutdown |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Olefins, acetic acid, acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, ethanolamines, EO, glycol ethers, LLDPE, oxo-alcohols | Shutdown |
| Dow | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Olefins, aromatics, EO, glycol ethers, LDPE, LLDPE, PG, PO | Shutdown |
| Total Energies | Carville, Louisiana | Polystyrene (PS) | Shutdown |
| Roehm | Fortier, Louisiana | Methyl methacrylate (MMA) | Shutdown |
| OxyChem | Convent, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, ethylene dichloride (EDC) | FM |
| OxyChem | Taft, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine, ethylene dichloride (EDC) | FM |
| Shell | Geismar, Louisiana | Linear olefins, ethylene glycols (EG), ethylene oxide (EO), glycol ethers, linear alcohols | Curtailment |
| PBF Energy | Chalmette, Louisiana | Benzene, Toluene, Mixed Xylenes (MX) | Shutdown |
| Methanex | Geismar, Louisiana | Methanol | Shutdown |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene, butadiene (BD), benzene, toluene, isopropanol (IPA), phthalic anhydride (PA), plasticizers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), base oils | Restart |
| Enterprise Products | Louisiana, US | Propylene, natural gas liquids (NGLs) | Shutdown |
| DAK Americas | Bay St Louis, Mississippi | polyethylene terephthalate (PET) | FM |
| Cos-Mar | Carville, Louisiana | Styrene, ethylbenzene | Shutdown |
| AmSty | St James, Louisiana | Styrene | Shutdown |
| Valero | Meraux, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene, propylene upgrade | Shutdown |
| Valero | St Charles, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products, propylene, propylene upgrade | Shutdown |
| Shintech | Addis, Louisiana | Ethylene, chlorine, caustic soda, EDC, VCM, PVC | Shutdown |
| Shintech | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Ethylene, chlorine, caustic soda, EDC, VCM, PVC | Shutdown |
| Rubicon | Geismar, Louisiana | MDI, polyether polyols, aniline, nitrobenzene | Shutdown |
| Pinnacle Polymers | Garyville, Louisiana | PP | FM |
| Phillips 66 | Belle Chasse, Louisiana | Refined products, aromatics, propylene | Shutdown |
| Olin | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown |
| Olin | St Gabriel, Louisiana | Caustic soda, chlorine | Shutdown |
| NOVA | Geismar, Louisiana | Ethylene, propylene | Shutdown |
| Marathon Petroleum | Garyville, Louisiana | Gasoline, refined products | Shutdown |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Gasoline, refinery grade propylene (RGP), benzene, toluene | Shutdown |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Oxo-alcohols (Isobutanol, n-Butanol) | Shutdown |
| Cornerstone | Waggaman, Louisiana | ACN, melamine | FM |
| Westlake | Geismar, Louisiana | Caustic soda, EDC, PVC, VCM | Shutdown |
| Westlake | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Caustic soda, EDC, PVC, VCM | Shutdown |
| Formosa Plastics | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | PVC, VCM | Shutdown |
| ExxonMobil | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Olefins, aromatics, IPA, polyolefins, base oils | Shutdown |
| Dow | Taft, Louisiana | Olefins, acetic acid, acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, ethanolamines, EO, glycol ethers, LLDPE, oxo-alcohols | Shutdown |
| Dow | Plaquemine, Louisiana | Olefins, aromatics, EO, glycol ethers, LDPE, LLDPE, PG, PO | Shutdown |
| BASF | Geismar, Louisiana | BDO, EO, MDI, TDI, polyols | Shutdown |
| Shell | Norco, Louisiana | Olefins | Shutdown |
| Shell | Geismar, Louisiana | LAO, EG, EO, linear alcohols, glycol ethers | Shutdown |
| Phillips 66 | Belle Chasse, Louisiana | Refined products, aromatics, propylene | Shutdown |
| Cornerstone | Waggaman, Louisiana | ACN, melamine | Shutdown |
RAIL UPDATE
Rail operations at the Port of New Orleans have resumed with modified daytime hours of operation to connect with BNSF, Norfolk Southern (NS) and Union Pacific (UP).
BNSF has reopened nearly all of its main line between Lafayette, Louisiana, and New Orleans, the US railroad company said on Wednesday.
UP said on Wednesday that its rail line between St James, Louisiana, and New Orleans remains closed, making it one of three lines in the state that are out of service because of Hurricane Ida.
It expected the line to open by Thursday, but the company did not respond to requests for confirmation prior to publication.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER REOPENS
The US Coast Guard has reopened the lower Mississippi river to nearly all vessel traffic, although some key areas along the river remain closed as recovery operations continue.
Some chemicals shipped by barge on the Mississippi river are still likely to be delayed following damage caused by Hurricane Ida.
Coast Guard crews continue to work with port partners on the identification and mitigation of grounded and submerged vessels along the banks of the river.
PORTS REOPENING
The Port of New Orleans reopened on Wednesday afternoon and port condition has been set at normal, but restrictions remain for some terminal operations. Vessel movement and cargo operations are authorised with restrictions.
The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal remains closed.
Terminal operators continue restoration efforts to resume operations, which is dependent upon power restoration.
New Orleans Terminal and Ports America for containerised operations will remain closed until more information is known, and dependent upon power restoration.
Empire, Coastal Cargo, Gulf Stream Marine and Ports America for breakbulk operations will be closed until more information is known, and dependent upon power restoration.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) has paused deliveries of crude until Hurricane Ida subsides.
LOOP is working directly with shippers to minimise storm related impacts.
Facility assessments and repairs are underway.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port is the nation’s only deepwater oil port for supertankers. Some 50% of the nation’s refining capacity can be supplied by LOOP, which moves 12% of the nation’s annual crude oil imports.
Additional reporting by Joseph Chang, Janet Miranda, Al Greenwood
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