Formosa Plastics will lift force majeures on polyethylene and polypropylene from its Point Comfort, Texas, petrochemical complex at the end of September, company spokesman Steve Rice said Tuesday.
Formosa imposed those force majeures on August 28, three days after Hurricane Harvey came ashore on the Texas Coast near Rockport, about 59 miles southwest of the Point Comfort site, citing issues with feedstock supply and logistics, according to a letter to customers posted on the company's website.
Formosa shut the complex on August 24 ahead of Harvey's arrival. The storm forced nine major ports to close for a week or more, prompted railroads to idle trains from the middle of the Texas Coast through the far southeast corner of the state and sharply restricted access to feedstocks.
Formosa's force majeures were among many from petrochemical producers alerting customers of inability to provide contracted volumes because of storm-related production and logistics shutdowns. Most producers, including Formosa, have since restarted plants while third-party logistical services and utilities resumed operations.
The company's force majeure on products produced by its chlor alkali and specialty polyvinyl chloride division remains in place, Rice said in an email.
