Updated: Jan. 27
Some resin and feedstocks assets in Texas were impacted by severe weather and tornadoes that hit the Houston area on Jan. 24.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the Houston area that afternoon. Tornadoes were spotted near Pinehurst and Pasadena, with the Pasadena tornado damaging homes, buildings and power lines.
Units operated by Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA in La Porte — known as the Battleground Manufacturing Complex — suffered a direct hit from a tornado on Jan. 24, according to a letter to customers obtained by Plastics News.
“Recovery protocols were immediately initiated and damage assessments are underway,” Ineos officials said in the letter. “Unfortunately, the infrastructure damage and limitations due to this unprecedented event have limited [the site’s] access to power and other essential resources necessary for recovery and ultimately, recommencement of operations.”
As a result of the damage, Ineos has provided notice of a force majeure event with “likely implications” to its supply of high density polyethylene and polypropylene produced at BMC.
The site “is diligently working to recommence operations and to return production capacity as quickly and as safely as possible,” officials said, adding that “allocation of the available supply of polymer product produced at [the site] will be necessary, with some period of interrupted supply altogether likely.”
Ineos operates a 1.75 billion-pound capacity HDPE unit in La Porte, as well as a 1 billion-pound-capacity HDPE unit. The site also includes a PP unit with annual capacity of almost 300 million pounds.