Huntsman reports no serious structural damage in wake of Hurricane Rita
  by: OilOnline
  Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Huntsman Corporation has announced that none of its manufacturing facilities sustained serious structural damage from Hurricane Rita.

The company had closed manufacturing facilities in Port Arthur, Port Neches, Conroe, Dayton, Chocolate Bayou and Freeport, Texas and Lake Charles and Geismar, Louisiana, as well as its headquarters and research and development campus in The Woodlands, Texas in advance of the storm. All but those in Port Arthur, Port Neches and Lake Charles are in the process of restarting, and the company expects them to be on line within the next 48 hours.

Port Arthur, Port Neches and Lake Charles were all at or near the eye of the Category 3 storm when it came ashore, and are still without power and other utilities.

Peter R. Huntsman, President and CEO, commented, "We feel extremely fortunate that none of our employees was injured and none of our facilities sustained serious damage, especially since the eye of the storm passed directly over Port Arthur.

"With most of our Gulf Coast plants continuing their start-up procedures we have mobilized logistics for Port Arthur, Port Neches and Lake Charles. We are moving generators, mobile homes and motor homes to the sites to accommodate our employees' needs and expedite the restart of those facilities."

The company's ability to restart its Port Arthur, Port Neches and Lake Charles sites is dependant on the availability of outside power, utilities and infrastructure.