Mix of refinery petrochemical plants affected by Imelda

Tropical storm Imelda caused some breakdowns in refineries and chemical plants, but many other logistical problems in the energy sector were caused by road closures and bottlenecks in ports in the region. most of the Texas Gulf Coast.

The effects were relatively modest compared to two years ago, when Hurricane Harvey knocked out a quarter of the country's oil refining capacity, pushed up Texas gasoline prices 20 % and stopped nearly half of the national production of many major chemicals, such as ethylene. which is the main building block of most plastics.

Imelda has been the largest rainy event in the country since Harvey.

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Key impacts this week include Exxon Mobil: the closure of its Beaumont chemical plant and the reduction in production at its Beaumont oil refinery, the fourth largest refinery in the state. The Port Arthur Total and Valero Energy refineries also operated at reduced capacity.

Closer to Houston, Imelda has also decommissioned a LyondellBasell petrochemical plant at La Porte and a chemical plant on the Ineos Chocolate Bayou Campus in Brazoria County, said Jennifer Van Dinter, Petrochemical Analysis Manager at S & P Global Platts.

All of these chemical plant failures have affected ethylene production, resulting in a temporary hike in ethylene prices, added Van Dinter.

The facilities of Exxon, Ineos and LyondellBasell were also among those who reported unplanned emissions.

A spokesman for Exxon Mobil said the company was working on the resumption of the chemical plant business.

"Exxon Mobil's Beaumont refinery and chemical complex are conducting a preliminary assessment to determine the impact of the storm," said Jeremy Eikenberry, exxon.