Louisiana chemical plants shut down as Hurricane Francine nears landfall, major capacities at risk

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Several chemical companies are shutting down plants in Louisiana, with others taking other precautionary measures as the eye of Francine – now a Category 2 hurricane – approaches the coast for imminent landfall.

Roehm is taking its methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant in Fortier, Louisiana offline.

BASF earlier on 10 September started procedures to idle operations in Geismar, North Geismar and Vidalia, Louisiana.

Shell has shut in oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico at its Perdido, Auger and Enchilada/Salsa assets, but its chemical production sites in Geismar and Norco, Louisiana, and Deer Park, Texas, were operating normally as of Shell’s latest update on 10 September.

Operations were continuing at ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana plant as of 10 September.

Louisiana is home to just above 25% of the total ethylene capacity in the US, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database.

It also has close to 50% of the country’s vinyls chain capacity – for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorine, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and caustic soda.

Other significant exposures close to 50% of total US capacity include methanol, ethylbenzene, styrene and low density polyethylene (LDPE).

Upstream, an estimated 38.56% of current US oil production and 48.77% of US natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico was shut in, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

The Port of New Orleans has shut down, and railroad companies are warning customers of delays as traffic will be diverted following the port’s flood-gate closure.

Track the latest updates on Hurricane Francine and its impact on chemicals on the Topic Page: Storm Season 2024.

Thumbnail shows wind speed probabilities of Hurricane Francine from the US National Hurricane Center

Focus article by Joseph Chang