By David Taylor Managing Editor
LyondellBasell’s Channelview Complex is one of the largest and most complex petrochemical operations along the Texas Gulf Coast, but Chris Block told members of the Crosby- Huffman Chamber of Commerce last Thursday that its mission is rooted in products people use every day and a commitment to operating safely in the communities around it.
Block, north plant site operations manager at the Channelview Complex, said LyondellBasell is a global company whose products touch nearly every part of daily life, from transportation and food packaging to health care, agriculture and renewable energy.
“We like to say we provide solutions for everyday sustainable living,” Block said.
He said the company’s products are used in more efficient fuels, lighterweight vehicle parts, potable water delivery systems, food packaging that extends shelf life, personal protective equipment for medical workers, pharmaceutical packaging, agricultural applications, children’s toys, cosmetics, solar panels and wind turbines.
“We affect just about every part of everybody’s lives on a daily basis,” he said.
Globally, Block said LyondellBasell has about 19,000 employees, sells products in about 100 countries and operates manufacturing facilities in about 20 countries. The company ranks No. 1 or No. 2 in several of its major markets, including oxyfuels, polypropylene, propylene oxide and polyethylene.
The Channelview facility, located nearby, has been operating for 69 years, beginning in 1957. Block said the site covers 4,000 acres, with about 1,100 acres currently developed, leaving room for future growth.
The scale of the operation is significant. According to Block, the complex includes about 17 operating units, 144 reactors and roughly 260 distillation columns. The facility makes about 58 different products and has approximately 1,200 employees and 1,000 contractors on site each day. During major maintenance events, the number of contractors can increase by as many as 3,000.
“Lots and lots of folks come through our door each and every day to help us run the plant safely and efficiently,” Block said.
Block also described the company’s integrated Gulf Coast footprint, including sites in Channelview, La Porte, Bayport, Mont Belvieu and Corpus Christi. He said interconnected pipelines and storage areas, including salt dome storage, allow Lyondell- Basell to move materials between facilities as needed.
A major portion of Block’s presentation focused on health, safety and environmental performance, which he described as central to the company’s operations.
“We can’t do what we do unless we protect our people, protect the environment and protect our communities,” he said.
The Channelview facility operates around the clock. Block said operators staff control rooms 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, monitoring and controlling processes through computers and monitors. Outside operators and maintenance personnel also work directly with equipment throughout the site.
The complex also has a communications center staffed 24 hours a day. The center monitors radio communications, answers emergency and non-emergency calls and helps coordinate emergency response and weather-related notifications across the site.
On environmental issues, Block said the facility operates under strict air and water permit requirements. Flares are used to safely burn gases during startups, shutdowns, process upsets and some routine operations.
He said wastewater from the facility is treated before being discharged into the San Jacinto River, and described the site’s treatment process as extensive.
“The water that leaves our facility, what we call our wastewater, is actually cleaner than the water that we pull out of Lake Houston,” Block said.
He added that the company self-reports permit deviations to state and local agencies and investigates those events to prevent recurrence.
Block said the Channelview Complex is also proud of its safety performance, which he said routinely ranks in the top 10 percent across industry. He said the site had recorded zero injuries so far this year and reached several million man-hour safety milestones.
“We work hard every day to ensure that everybody that walks in our gates leaves in the same condition or better as they return home to their families,” he said.
The site also maintains a 225-member volunteer emergency response team, including fire and hazardous materials responders, fire apparatus operators, rescue responders, emergency medical responders and marine spill responders. Team members receive extensive training, including fire training at Texas A&M.
Block said the facility has its own ambulances and fire trucks, and that many emergency calls involve personal medical events such as heart issues, asthma or other illnesses. He said responders can often reach a patient within minutes and transport them to a hospital if necessary.
Weather preparedness was another key topic. Block said the facility plans for hurricanes, thunderstorms, lightning, flooding, freezes and heat. He said extreme heat is the most significant weather issue for workers on the Texas Gulf Coast.
To address heat, the facility uses water and ice stations, electrolyte packets, work-rest cycles, hydration logs, cooling vests and air-conditioning units for certain tasks. He said the site also begins preparing for hurricane season and freezing conditions well in advance.
Block said some weather events can lead to shutdowns, most commonly due to loss of power or steam. In those cases, safety systems and emergency procedures are used to bring equipment to a safe state. The company may also proactively shut down ahead of a major hurricane or freeze if expected impacts are severe enough.
Block also addressed questions about flares, which are among the most visible parts of the facility. He said some candlestick flares are between 450 and 500 feet tall and have pilot flames that remain lit so gases can be safely burned if sent to the flare.
“They are an essential safety function,” Block said.
He said candlestick flares destroy 98 to 99 percent of the material sent to them, while ground flares are about 99.5 percent efficient. Ground flares, he said, can produce a large orange glow that may alarm residents, but they are safety devices and not necessarily signs of danger.
Block also said flaring can produce noise, usually a rumbling sound caused by the volume of material sent to the flare and the steam used in the process.
The company is also preparing for a major project known as Flex 2, a second unit that will convert ethylene into propylene. Block said the technology is proprietary and designed to minimize air emissions by recycling process gases and reusing material wherever possible.
Another large piece of equipment, a distillation tower built in South Korea, is currently being shipped to the site and is expected to arrive in the coming months.
Block closed by emphasizing community outreach. He said the Channelview Community Outreach Committee works with communities including Precinct 2, Precinct 3, Channelview, Crosby, Sheldon and Highlands to identify needs and determine how employees can help.
He also described CAPLA, the Community Advisory Panel to Lyondell Equistar, which brings community members to the site each month to learn about operations and share concerns.
Block encouraged residents to use the CAER line, a community awareness and emergency response tool that can notify the public about site activity, including flaring or unit upsets.
“The biggest thing is we feel like we need to be listening to our community’s needs and then responding to those,” Block said.
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