US petrochemicals producer Dow Chemical restarted over the weekend the 680,000 mt/year No. 7 light hydrocarbon cracking unit at its Freeport, Texas, complex, sources said Monday.
Three out of five furnaces have been restarted, with another expected to start up by end of the week, followed by the last one in mid-June, a source with knowledge of operations said.
A company spokesman could not be reached for confirmation.
The unit was shut on May 2 after it had reported an unexpected process upset, Dow said in a filing with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
US ethylene was last assessed Friday at 28.75-29.25 cents/lb FD USG for May and June deliveries, up 0.75 cent day on day.
