Dow Chemical Co. announced yesterday that its wholly owned subsidiary Union Carbide Corp. is again producing ethanolamines at its Hahnville, La., plant. The facility was shut down by hurricane Katrina.
We are thankful that the ethanolamines production equipment was not impacted by the hurricane and that we were able to resume operations this week, said Ken Bromfield, marketing manager for Dow Ethanolamines. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to return to normal operations over the next several days.
Dow had declared force majeure on Aug. 31, and yesterdays announcement did not lift that declaration.
Transportation and logistics continue to be constrained on the Gulf Coast and southeastern United States, Bromfield said, and they are likely to continue to present supply disruptions over the coming months. Based on current assessments, this situation could last through at least October.
Ethanolamines are chemical intermediates that are widely used in production of lubricant additives. Dow is headquartered in Midland, Mich.