A damage assessment of its 14 manufacturing facilities, associated utilities and infrastructure indicates Sasol’s Lake Charles Chemical Complex sustained no apparent damage to major process equipment, utilities or infrastructure.
In a news release Monday, the company said the facility did sustain moderate wind damage to cooling towers and some insulation and building damage.
Sasol expects to confirm that assessment until site electrical power is completely restored and all systems are tested.
Removal of debris, repair work and startup planning continue on the site. Regular employee work shifts have resumed, and several hundred contractors are working on site to expedite readiness for startup.
Operational restart awaits electrical power service from Entergy, as the Sasol Lake Charles site is currently partially energized. Entergy expects full load service, industrial-level reliability power, to be available to Sasol and other industrial customers in the area by early-to-mid October.
Some site utility systems are currently online, with startup of the remaining utilities planned before reliable power is enabled. Once Entergy declares reliable, full-load power is restored, Sasol will activate a coordinated startup of the site’s two ethane crackers, and derivative units.
The low-density polyethylene unit, the last of the Lake Charles Chemicals Project units to come online, did not experience any significant storm impacts and commissioning activities have resumed. The unit’s beneficial operation sequence will be initiated once the site is fully energized.
Sasol has Atlantic Named Wind Storm insurance coverage for units under construction as well as operating units.
Sasol’s progress toward securing a partner in its U.S. Base Chemicals business is far advanced, and was not impacted by Hurricane Laura.
