Today's Chemical Processing Hotline Headlines

North America
NOVA Chemicals is close to completing a turnaround of its 1,950 million-pound-per-year ethylene unit in Geismar, Louisiana, which began on October 9. A restart attempt is expected over the upcoming weekend.

Dow Chemical, on November 4, was forced to shut down the 1,653 million-pound-per-year propane dehydrogenation unit at its plant in Freeport (Oyster Creek), Texas, for emergency repairs. A restart attempt is expected next week.

Westlake Petrochemicals extended the turnaround of its 1,600 million-pound-per-year Petro 2 Ethylene Unit in Sulphur, Louisiana, which began September 13, due to a flash fire in a quench tower on September 27. The restart now is expected in mid-December.

International
Lotte Chemical Corporation, on November 5, restarted the 1,371.27 million-pound-per-year Ethylbenzene (EB) Unit at its Seosan Daesan Chemicals plant in South Korea, after completing a 29-day planned turnaround.

Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company, on November 7, restarted the 1,014 million-pound-per-year ethylene unit at its Alexandria Petrochemical Complex in Egypt, after completing a planned maintenance turnaround that began October 9.

LyondellBasell, on November 8, restarted the 804 million-pound-per-year ethylene unit at its Pfaffenhofen (Muenchsmuenster) Ethylene Complex in Germany, after completing a planned shutdown that began September 17.

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