ExxonMobil Beaumont shuts chemical plant

ExxonMobil shut its chemical plant in Beaumont, Texas, along with its 340,000 b/d refinery refinery there after a power outage yesterday.

"Our internal automated safety mechanisms functioned as they are designed and we have successfully transitioned our refinery and chemical plant operations into a safe-park mode following a disruption of connectivity with the local power grid that occurred yesterday," the company said.

The plant has two ethylene units with a combined nameplate capacity of 2bn lb/yr (900mn t/yr) of ethylene and 500,000mn lb/yr (227,000 t/yr) of polymer grade propylene.

Spot ethylene at Mont Belvieu, Texas, for January delivery climbed 18¢/lb so far this morning, up 1.5¢/lb from yesterday. Three deals for February delivery closed at 18.75¢/lb.