From the Houston Chronicle
Exxon Mobil is in the process of shutting down the nation’s second-largest refining complex in Baytown in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
The Baytown campus, which also produces petrochemicals, can churn through up to 560,000 barrels of oil a day to produce fuel. The refinery is a major source of the Gulf Coast and nation’s gasoline supplies. Baytown also serves as a major petrochemical hub that’s undergoing a massive expansion.
“Safety is our first priority, and we have taken all the precautions to minimize impact to community and employees throughout the shutdown process,” Exxon Mobil spokeswoman Suann Guthrie said.
Previously, refineries were shuttered temporarily in Corpus Christi by Valero Energy, Citgo Petroleum and Flint Hills Resources before Hurricane Harvey made landfall. Now, some of the Houston refining corridor is beginning to close.
More than 25 percent of the nation’s fuel supplies are produced along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Chevron Phillips shut down its massive Cedar Bayou petrochemical complex in Baytown on Sunday as flooding overtook much of the Houston region.
Chevron Phillips is undergoing a sitewide shutdown of one of the nation’s largest chemical campuses, according to a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The plant is currently undergoing a $6 billion expansion that’s scheduled for completion by the end of 2017.
The facility is scheduled to be closed through Sept. 6, according to the state panel. The chemical company is a joint venture between Chevron and Houston’s Phillips 66.
The news follows confirmations from Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell that they’re temporarily halting operations in Baytown and Deer Park, respectively.
