A lightning strike has stopped production of plastic feedstock ethylene at a plant operated by Indorama Ventures Public Co. in Westlake, La.
The plant was hit by lightning on Aug. 1, causing "a plant trip of the facility and subsequent flaring," according to a news release from Bangkok-based Indorama.
Officials said in the release that there is no danger to the site, employees or surrounding community. The facility is currently offline and being assessed by plant personnel, they added.
The site has annual ethylene production capacity of almost 900 million pounds.
Indorama is one of the world's largest suppliers of PET resin and related products. The firm employs 24,000 worldwide and posted sales of $11.4 billion in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Indorama has donated to efforts in Thailand, the U.S., France, India, Brazil, Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic.