U.S. Chemical Industry Readies for 240 Scheduled Maintenance Projects this Summer

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Industrial Info is tracking about 240 maintenance-related projects in the U.S. Chemical Processing Industry, with a total investment value (TIV) of almost $545 million, that are set to begin between now and the end of September. The petrochemical and plastic/rubber manufacturing sectors account for the bulk of the spending, but the actual project count is more evenly spread among those two and the specialty, industrial and agricultural chemicals sectors.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing maintenance projects in the U.S. Chemical Processing Industry that are set to kick off this summer, by industry sector.

The Texas Gulf Coast leads all other regions of the country in both project count and TIV--which is predictable, given its dominant role in the production and processing of ethylene and other major chemicals. Two of the largest companies in the global chemical market--LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) (ExxonMobil)--each have a series of maintenance projects that are set to kick off in the area this summer.

LyondellBasell is preparing two of the largest maintenance projects in the U.S., at units C and D in its Bayport Polyolefins complex in Pasadena , which produce more than 1.6 billion pounds per year of polypropylene, and the acetyls area at its complex in La Porte , which produces 1.2 billion pounds per year of acetic acid and 880 million pounds per year of vinyl acetate monomer. ExxonMobil is looking at routine inspections and repairs to units 200 and 300 at its polyethylene complex in Beaumont, each of which produces more than 1.5 billion pounds per year of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and 595 billion pounds per year of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on Bayport units C and D, the La Porte acetyls area, and units 200 and 300 at Beaumont.

LyondellBasell also has a pair of projects at its ethylene and plastic pellets plant in Clinton, Iowa, at two polymerization units that each produce 487 million pounds per year of LDPE and 450 million pounds per year of HDPE. One of the projects is expected to begin and end during the summer, and the other will last into the fall. For more information, Industrial Info's reports on the earlier and later turnarounds.

Louisiana, which normally rivals Texas as a leader in the Chemical Processing Industry, is looking at a smaller-than-normal TIV for its maintenance projects, but still exceeds all states but the Lone Star State in project count. Three of the Pelican State's top cities for chemical projects--Westlake, Plaquemine and Geismar--are set to see turnarounds from major companies.

Sasol Limited (NYSE:SSL) (Johannesburg, South Africa) one of the biggest industrial players along the Gulf Coast, is preparing for a turnaround on its linear alkylbenzene (LAB) unit at its Lake Charles Chemical Complex in Westlake, which produces 287 million pounds per year of LAB. Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE:WLK) (Houston) is set to perform routine inspections to its 728,000-metric-ton-per-year vinyl chloride monomer unit at its polyvinyl chloride and caustic chlorine facility in Plaquemine, and Praxair Incorporated (Danbury, Connecticut), a subsidiary of Linde AG (NYSE:LIN) (Guildford, England), is nearing a turnaround on Unit 1 at its hydrogen and carbon monoxide plant in Geismar, which produces 95,000 standard cubic feet per day. For more information, see Industrial Info's reports on the Westlake, Plaquemine and Geismar projects.

Maintenance projects at U.S. chemical facilities are subject to sudden changes, and plenty of factors could alter their content or their delay their start dates.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com/.