Damaged Shell Norco increases flaring: Update

Adds company confirmation of damages.

Shell's 250,000 b/d refinery in Norco, Louisiana, has increased natural gas flaring after losing power in Hurricane Ida, but a timeline for its return to service remains uncertain.

The facility was shut in ahead of Ida's landfall on 29 August and remains without power today. 
The company said there was "evidence of some building damage" at the facility. Images on social media showed flooding around Norco's parking lot and storage tanks while the facility's four flares burned amid the outage.

"Shell Norco and Shell Geismar have essential personnel on site to ensure around-the-clock safety and security as well as to provide ongoing assessments of the storm's impact," the company said. "It's still too early to know when we will resume full operations."

Shell Norco is one of nine Louisiana refineries comprising over 2.3 mn b/d of capacity taken offline by the hurricane. 
The company said damage assessments were ongoing at its chemicals plant in nearby Geismar.

By Dylan Chase