Exxon Mobil shuts down Beaumont chemical plant, assessing refinery

Exxon Mobil said it has shuttered its petrochemical operations in Beaumont and is weighing doing the same for its massive oil refinery as severe rainfall and flooding from Tropical Storm Imelda continues through Thursday.

The storm, since downgraded to a tropical depression, has battered much of the Gulf Coast south and east of Houston with rapid rainfall.

Exxon’s Beaumont refinery is the fourth-largest oil refinery in Texas, churning through about 370,000 barrels of oil a day to produce gasoline and other fuels.

The refinery is undergoing a major expansion to make it one of the two largest refineries in the country.

“Exxon Mobil’s Beaumont refinery and chemical complex is conducting a preliminary assessment to determine the impact of the storm,” an Exxon spokesman said.

“The Beaumont chemical plant has completed a safe and systematic shutdown of its units.”

The major Port Arthur refineries owned by Motiva Enterprises, Valero Energy and the French energy major Total are still functioning.

This article first appeared on the Houston Chronicle – an Energy Voice content partner. For more from the Houston Chronicle click here.

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