Updated: Chemical producers keeping an eye on Isaac

A hurricane warning is in effect for the area east of Morgan City, LA, to the Alabama-Florida border, including New Orleans, Lake Ponchartrain and Lake Maurepas, stated the National Weather Service. 

Isaac could potentially hit New Orleans on the seventh anniversary of Katrina, which took more than 1800 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage. Current projections show the storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday near New Orleans.

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in the path of Tropical Storm Isaac, according to The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

ExxonMobil has activated hurricane preparedness plans for its Baton Rouge, LA area facilities, a spokesperson said. The ExxonMobil Baton Rouge facilities, which include its chemical site, are operating at reduced rates consistent with hurricane preparedness plans. The company is in the process of evacuating personnel from its offshore facilities expected to be in the path of the storm.

"We continue to monitor the storm closely and will resume full operations at all sites as soon as safely possible," the spokesperson said. "ExxonMobil's critical objectives are to protect the safety of our personnel, our communities, and maintain reliable supply of our products to our customers."

Westlake Chemical Corp., a vertically integrated manufacturer and marketer of basic chemicals, vinyls, polymers and fabricated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) building product, have begun the orderly shutdown of its vinyls operations in Geismar, LA, a company spokesperson told PlasticsToday. The company expects to have the site down by mid-day Tuesday, with all non-essential personnel released to take care of their families and homes.

The company also fully implemented its emergency plan for its olefins and polyethylene facilities in Lake Charles, LA. 

"We will be continuously monitoring the storm closely to determine if any shutdown or other operational action is deemed necessary," the spokesperson said. "At present we plan to continue to operate the facilities based upon current storm projections. All other manufacturing sites and our corporate headquarters will remain operational based upon current storm information."

Dow Chemical calls itself the largest petrochemical company in Louisiana. At its sites in Plaquemine, Grand Bayou, Hahnville, Sterlington, Greensburg, and Weeks Island, the company manufactures more than 100 basic and specialty chemicals such as chlorine and polyethylene.

A Dow spokesperson told PlasticsToday the company is actively monitoring the progress of the storm and all Louisiana sites are currently implementing their preparedness plans as appropriate.

 "All of Dow's manufacturing sites in coastal regions have comprehensive and well rehearsed hurricane and inclement weather preparedness plans that are designed to minimize or eliminate production interruptions, while protecting the safety and health of our employees, our communities and our environment," the spokesperson said.

Polyolefin giant LyondellBasell, which produces polypropylene at its Lake Charles, LA plant, told PlasticsToday, "We continue to monitor the storm but at this time no additional action is required as the storm is projected to remain well east of our facilities."

Total Petrochemicals & Refining, a producer of polypropylene, polystyrene, styrene, base chemicals and polyethylene, is monitoring the situation. The company has a plant at Carville, LA.

A company spokesperson said the company has a crisis management and business continuity plan that is activated when a named storm enters the Gulf of Mexico. 

"We are actively monitoring the storm closely because we do have facilities that may be affected by Isaac," the spokesperson said. "As I am sure that you understand, the preparations are too numerous to detail here but it is all developed to secure the site(s) if a storm makes landfall. Our primary focus is to protect employees, neighbors and the environment."

Pinnacle Polymers declared Force Majeure on Monday due to raw material delivery interruption into their polypropylene plant in Garyville, LA, according to PetroChem Wire.