Convtactor sued LyondellBasell over safety at La Porte facility

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A contractor sued LyondellBasell Industries in May, alleging lax safety measures led to a workplace accident at the same plant that leaked chemicals, killing two contractors and injuring 30 workers, reported Reuters.

The accident was one of the worst US chemical plant disasters since a 2019 Texas blast forced the evacuation of some 60,000 people the day before the US Thanksgiving holiday.

The suit, filed in a Texas District Court in Houston against LyondellBasell Acetyls, said the company failed to provide a safe work environment at its facility in La Porte, leading to a pair of accidents last year.

In December 2020, plaintiff Adam Good was injured while working in a below-ground excavation trench box after a valve broke and forcefully pushed water and other liquids into the area. Good's lanyard became entangled, preventing him from exiting, the lawsuit said. As a result, he nearly drowned and was injured.

The suit alleges Lyondell had knowledge that the method used to secure the valve was ineffective but did not intervene. It also said a similar incident had recently occurred at that unit.

Lyondell's acetyls unit in La Porte leaked some 100,000 pounds of a mixture including acetic acid, leading to the two worker deaths and multiple injuries. The leak did not prompt an evacuation of the surrounding area.

Good and his lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A separate lawsuit against Lyondell was filed on Thursday by Bryant Hinojosa, a worker injured earlier this week. That suit, which seeks monetary damages exceeding USD1 million, alleges that negligence on the part of Lyondell led to the accident. The suit claims Lyondell discovered the leak on Tuesday and called out a company that specializes in sealing and correcting industrial leaks. Lyondell was told the leak needed to be sealed and repaired, but opted to call other contractors up to temporarily fix the leak, putting off permanent repairs until later, the suit said.

LyondellBasell said it is aware of the lawsuits but does not comment on pending litigation.

As MRC informed earlier, LyondellBassel's La Porte, Texas, cracker was heard to be offline again after a short-lived restart, reported S&P Global with reference to sources familiar with operations' statement on July 23. The cracker had been confirmed as back online July 20, but, according to one market source, it was shut again not long after.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.

LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont Clean Technologies (part of DuPont), a global leader in process technology licensing & engineering, has announced a global price increase of USD0.30/liter for its MECS sulfuric acid catalyst products, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Subject to the terms of applicable contracts, the new pricing will take effect immediately.

As MRC reported previously, DuPont is investing USD400 million in the production capacity of Tyvek nonwoven fabric made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) at its site in Luxembourg. A new building and a third work line at the production site will be constructed. The launch of new facilities is scheduled for 2021.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, May estimated HDPE consumption in Russia grew to 128,100 tonnes from 69,430 tonnes a month earlier. Domestic producers reduced their exports, whereas some producers' output increased. Overall HDPE shipments to the Russian market totalled 549,590 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, down by 3% year on year. Production increased, whereas imports fell by 35%.

The Clean Technologies division of DuPont is a global leader in process technology licensing & engineering, with an unwavering commitment to customer support. The company provide extensive global expertise across our portfolio of offerings in key applications - MECS sulfuric acid production, STRATCO alkylation, BELCO wet scrubbing and IsoTherming® hydroprocessing. Offering critical process equipment, products, technology and services, The company enables an array of industrial markets, including phosphate fertilizer, non-ferrous metals, oil refining, petrochemicals and chemicals, to minimize their environmental impact and optimize productivity.

DuPont is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. The company's employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) employees from the Catlettsburg refinery participated in a Trench Safety Stand Down exercise and demonstration with local officials from the Ashland Fire Department (AFD), Ashland-Boyd County-Catlettsburg Office of Emergency Management and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the AFD?Training Center in Ashland, Kentucky, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The event’s purpose was to help raise public awareness of trench safety and allow members of MPC’s Refinery Emergency Response Team and Ashland Fire Department to train in trench rescue.

The fire department hosted the event, which featured two trenches dug by the city of Ashland to allow the MPC Safety Department to present an exhibit on both safe and hazardous trenching practices.

“Working and training with our local emergency responders only makes us better, and our communities safer,” said Greg Gibson, Safety Supervisor, Catlettsburg refinery. “Especially during times of potential real emergency when we would need to be able to effectively communicate and align with our local agencies to ensure the best possible outcome.”

As MRC reported earlier, a portion of Marathon Petroleum Corp’s 363,000 barrel-per-day Carson refinery in California was shut following a fire in late February, 2020.

We remind that Marathon Petroleum shut down its catalytic cracking unit in Galveston Bay on 18 June, 2021, for a scheduled maintenance. Maintenance at the 250,000 tonnes of propylene per year cat cracking unit continued for 14 days.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High denisty polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.

Marathon Petroleum was founded in 2005 as the oil transportation, refining and marketing division of Marathon Oil. In 2011, the division became completely independent from the parent company.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell said it was restarting the polymers and olefins units at its La Porte, Texas, facility following an acetic acid leak last week that killed two people, reported Reuters.

Both units are located in other parts of the La Porte site, the company said in a statement.

The chemical leak at Lyondell's chemical plant in La Porte killed two workers and injured 30 others, marking one of the worst US petrochemical accidents since a 2019 Texas blast prompted the evacuation of thousands of people.

The company said that the investigation into the July 27 incident continues and it will take some time before a determination is made on the cause.

As MRC informed earlier, LyondellBassel's La Porte, Texas, cracker was heard to be offline again after a short-lived restart, reported S&P Global with reference to sources familiar with operations' statement on July 23. The cracker had been confirmed as back online July 20, but, according to one market source, it was shut again not long after.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.

LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC

1. Italian Eni increases near-term crude oil price outlook as market recovery powers strong Q2 earnings

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italy's Eni raised its near-term oil price outlook July 30 as the market rebound fueled strong second quarter earnings despite lower production volumes and negative refining margins, reported S&P Global. Eni said it is now assuming a near-term Brent price of USD65/b, up from USD60/b previously, to reflect a firming oil market scenario which helped its adjusted earnings more than treble from the previous quarter. Hydrocarbon production in the second quarter slipped 5% on the year to average 1.6 million boe/d due to higher maintenance activity in Norway, Italy and the UK, lower activity in Nigeria and mature fields declines. In the first half, start-ups and ramp-ups added 50,000 boe/d mainly due to the Merakes gas field in Indonesia, Berkine in Algeria, Agogo in Angola, and the Mahani gas project in the UAE's Sharjah Emirate.


MRC