Sasol says Lake Charles remains shut without damage from Hurricane Delta

Paul Burkhardt
Sasol’s Lake Charles development.

Sasol said its Lake Charles Chemicals Project in Louisiana remains shut, though no apparent damage to equipment was found following the nearby landfall of Hurricane Delta.

While a preliminary assessment is underway, crews also indicated no flooding damage was experienced at the site from the hurricane that hit on October 9, the company said in a reply to questions. Some power supply was lost overnight.

Delta was the second major weather system to strike the vicinity of the complex in less than two months. Hurricane Laura knocked out electricity to the site for weeks as Sasol struggles to finish the project that has been 99 percent complete since March. Approved in 2014 at an estimated cost of $8.1 billion, various setbacks have increased the price to $12.9 billion.

“We will resume the coordinated startup sequence of Sasol’s Lake Charles facilities when it is safe to do so,” the company said. “Start-up will depend on the availability of electricity and other feedstocks as well as the restoration process underway from Hurricane Laura.”

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AFP