LyondellBasell will begin expanded ethylene production at its La Porte, Texas, facility during September, CEO Jim Gallogly said on a Friday conference call. The company initially expected to bring the 800-million-pounds-per-year expansion online during the summer, but a turnaround that began in March lasted 35 days longer than anticipated. LyondellBasell briefly restarted the plant in July but shut it down to address a compressor issue. The plant has since been restarted again.
LyondellBasell is in the midst of a $1.3 billion ethylene expansion program that also includes projects at its Channelview and Corpus Christi sites. The La Porte expansion will bring LyondellBasell’s total annual ethylene production capacity to 10.7 billion pounds.
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