BASF Total's Port Arthur cracker in Texas remains shut for maintenance: sources

Houston — BASF Total's Port Arthur cracker in Texas remained shut for maintenance, with no known target date for restart, sources said Aug. 11.

The company said in a June 21 filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that there would be flaring and maintenance at its BTP Cracker Complex as a result of an unplanned outage that began June 11.

The maintenance was scheduled to begin June 22 and was expected to last 744 hours through July 23, according to the filing.

The cracker has a ethylene production capacity of 1 million mt/year, according to S&P Global Platts data.

The company was not immediately available for comment Aug. 11 or June 22, but said in the TCEQ filing that "this activity is to repair the propylene refrigerant compressor."

S&P Global Platts assessed spot Mont Belvieu ethylene at 17 cents/lb Aug. 10.