Phillips 66 Co. has delayed the schedule to resume polyethylene production at its Houston Chemical Complex.
Start-up of the first 300 million lb/year of capacity is postponed to early October from an original schedule of late June or early July for the new Plant 4, using an interim control room. However, the company still intends to have 600 million lb/year of capacity on stream in fourth quarter 1990.
The polyethylene unit was heavily damaged by explosions and a fire last Oct. 23.
A Phillips investigation found the accident stemmed from an isolated departure from routine procedures (OGJ, May 28, p. 36).
The delayed schedule for resumption will allow polyethylene production to be controlled from a single, permanent Plant 4 control room, which also will service the second 300 million lb of capacity expected to be on stream in late October.
Aside from the control room, all other aspects of plant construction are on schedule.
Phillips said the revised schedule does not change its plans to fully restore the 1.8 billion lb/year of polyethylene capacity that was in operation or under construction at the time of last year's accident.
Capacity is to increase in several stages, with the last phase going on stream in mid-1992.
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