Williams Partners is to restart its fire-hit Geismar, Louisiana, olefins plant in July, instead of June as previously planned, the company said in a 2014 financial guidance update, as per Platts. Williams cited lower than expected labor productivity and "other factors" on both the reconstruction and expansion projects, as the main factors behind the delayed startup. The company continues to expand the Geismar plant, which is expected to boost ethylene production capacity by 600 mln lbs pa to a total capacity of 1.95 bl lbs pa. "The Geismar plant rebuild and expansion projects are targeted for initiation of startup in late July. Williams Partners' financial guidance assumes ethylene sales commencing in mid-August," the company said in a June 15 statement.
Before the June 13, 2013, explosion and subsequent fire, that injured over 70 employees and killed two, the plant's ethylene and propylene production capacity were pegged at 1.3 bln lbs pa and 90 mln lbs pa, respectively. The facility has been offline for investigatory work, but the company was able to resume expansion activities across the majority of the plant outside the affected area. An initial damage assessment found the explosion started in the propylene fractionator area of the complex, which caused damage to the heat exchangers and reboilers in adjacent areas, the company said in an incident update memo on June 24, 2013. Additionally, a 50-foot section of plant pipe rack system was damaged, which would require the replacement of support structures and a "significant amount of piping," the company added.
17-Jun-14 
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