Chevron Phillips was utilizing the safety flare system at its Baytown, Texas, chemical plant following a power interruption, according to a source familiar with plant operations, said Reuters.
Thick black smoke was seen throughout the morning at the plant, located on the east side of the Houston metro area, according to a Reuters witness.
The smoke had started to dissipate by around noon local time, the witness said. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Safety flares are used when a refinery or chemical plant experiences an upset or outage to burn off hydrocarbons that cannot be processed normally.
As per MRC, QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem) have awarded the early site works contract for the Ras Laffan Petrochemical Project (RLPP) to Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). The contract award marks the commencement of execution of the RLPP. CCC has secured a lump-sum contract to prepare the site for the new facility within Ras Laffan Industrial City. Early works on the project will begin in June, at the conclusion of which the EPC contract for the project is expected to be awarded.
mrchub.com