Boardwalk's ruptured Louisiana brine pipeline repaired: sources

A brine pipeline rupture in Louisiana has been repaired, restoring brine flows to Westlake Chemical's chlor-alkali operations at its Geismar, Louisiana, complex, sources familiar with company operations confirmed May 25.

Sources said the rupture was repaired May 24.

Boardwalk Pipeline, the company that operates the line, did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the rupture or repair. Westlake also did not respond to a request for comment.

The rupture forced Westlake on May 18 to declare force majeure on membrane-grade caustic soda, according to a customer letter seen by S&P Global Platts. The letter said supply of a key raw material to the Geismar facility was disrupted because of a brine pipeline rupture.

Westlake's force majeure remained in effect on May 25.

Geismar's chlor-alkali facility can produce up to 317,514 mt/year of chlorine and 349,255 mt/year of caustic soda. Chlorine is the first link in the production chain for construction staple polyvinyl chloride, and caustic soda, a key feedstock for alumina and pulp and paper industries, is a byproduct of chlorine production. Brine is used to make chlorine.

Membrane-grade caustic soda is purer than diaphragm-grade, which contains more impurities such as salt and iron. Of the five US chlor-alkali producers, Westlake, Olin and OxyChem, the chemical division of Occidental Petroleum, produce both grades, while Formosa Plastics USA and Shintech produce only membrane-grade.

Formosa declared force majeure on chlor-alkali products May 19 after torrential rain on May 18 flooded a 736,000 mt/year chlor-alkali unit at its Point Comfort, Texas, complex. A company spokesman had no timeline on when the unit may restart post-repairs.