Japan's Mitsui resumed naphtha cracker production

Japan’s Mitsui Chemical has successfully restarted its naphtha cracker in Osaka last weekend after the recovery from a fire incident during late June.

As reported earlier, a fire broke out at a chimney of a utility plant that supplies electricity, water and steam to multiple petrochemical facilities at Mitsui Chemical’s complex in Osaka on 21 June 2018. Down-stream units were not directly affected and the company’s naphtha cracker was undergoing scheduled maintenance work at the time the incident took place.

The cracker is able to produce 500,000 tons/year ethylene and 370,000 tons/year propylene. The delay extended the shutdown period to 60 days from the initial plan of 45 days.