U.S. Petrochemical Producers Prep for 120-Plus 2Q Turnarounds

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Chemical Processing Industry is seeing more demand for industrial chemicals, especially those used in household, automotive and other everyday items. Leading companies like LyondellBasell (NYSE:LYB) (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Dow Incorporated (NYSE:DOW) (Midland, Michigan) are keeping their plants in shape in anticipation of stronger output. Industrial Info is tracking more than 120 maintenance-related projects at U.S. petrochemical plants that are set to kick off in the second quarter, with more than 80% of the investment value attributed to projects in Texas and Louisiana.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing the top 10 parent companies for U.S.-based petrochemical maintenance projects set to begin in the second quarter.

INEOS Limited (London, England) accounts for the single highest-valued project: the $40 million turnaround of Olefins Unit 1 at the Chocolate Bayou complex in Alvin, Texas, which produces 1.7 billion pounds per year of ethylene. Many industry observers are keeping an eye on this particular turnaround: The Chocolate Bayou complex has run into operational issues in recent months, including mechanical issues caused by freezing temperatures in January that forced it to reduce its resin production. In the same month, INEOS declared force majeure for the supply of polypropylene (PP) from the complex.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Chemical Processing Project and Plant databases can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.

Outside the Gulf Coast region, INEOS is preparing for a trio of turnarounds at its Joliet Works facility in Channahon, Illinois: two units that produce about 160,000 metric tons per year of purified isophthalic acid (PIA); a 50,000-metric-ton-per-year maleic anhydride (MAN) unit; and four units that produce about 60,000 metric tons per year of trimellitic anhydride (TMA). Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed reports on the PIA, MAN and TMA turnarounds.

LyondellBasell accounts for about as much investment in second-quarter turnarounds as INEOS, most of which is attributed to three turnarounds at its CVO South facility at its complex in Channelview, Texas: the 1.2 billion-pound-per-year POSM 2 Propylene Oxide unit, the 121 million-pound-per-year Butanediol (BDO) Unit, and its polyolefins unit. Each is expected to begin maintenance in May and finish up toward the end of the month. Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed reports on the POSM 2, BDO and polyolefins units.

Dow, another industry leader, is investing almost as much as its top rivals in second-quarter maintenance, led by a pair of turnarounds at its Sabine River Works complex in Orange, Texas: the 1.7 billion-pound-per-year ethylene unit and Copolymer Unit D, which produces the company's ELVAX brand of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer resins. Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed reports on the ethylene and ELVAX units.

Dow also is among the chemical producers with strong hopes for polyethylene, which it expects to see exponential demand growth in the coming decades. The company is preparing for a months-long turnaround on the Polyethylene A area at its complex in Plaquemine, Louisiana. Subscribers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed project report.

"Polyethylene demand is expected to continue to grow at approximately 1.2 times to 1.4 times GDP through 2050," said Jim Fitterling, the chief executive officer of Dow, in a recent quarterly earnings-related conference call. "A growing population, regulations and consumer preferences support this. And our customers have expressed an increasing need for low- and zero-carbon emissions and circular products. As global demand grows, no new cost-advantaged ethylene capacity is expected to come online in North America until the late 2026 to 2027 timeframe, which is expected to tighten the supply-demand balance in the near term."

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for maintenance-related projects at chemical-processing plants across the U.S. that are slated to begin in the second quarter.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).