Ineos Olefins and Polymers USA suffered a process upset at its La Porte, Texas, polyethylene facility resulting in an excess release of isobutane, the company reported Wednesday.
A leak from a pressure gauge assembly on a reactor Tuesday morning resulted in hydrocarbon emissions of 7,959 lb of isobutane, according to a filing by Ineos with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The event lasted approximately four hours, according to the filing, and ended after the reactor was de-pressurized to stop the leak.
Ineos' La Porte plant has a high density polyethylene capacity of 794,000 mt/year.
