MONHEIM AM RHEIN, Germany – On Sept. 15, the global chemical company Oxea announced the successful restart of operations at its production sites in Bay City and Bishop, Texas, after the controlled shutdown due to the landfall of Hurricane Harvey at end of August. Oxea’s units are back in operation mode and have started production of specified material. Although the units are not yet back at full capacities, Oxea was able to repeal force majeure for several products. While logistics are still a state-wide challenge, Oxea’s logistics team is working closely with customers to arrange shipments matching with their needs.

“The safety of our employees was of primary concern when we shut down the Bay City and Bishop plants and prepared for the storm. Our thoughts are with the huge number of people whose lives have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” said Salim Al Huthaili, CEO of Oxea. “Now we are working closely with our employees that were significantly affected by the storm and who are dealing with damage and flooding of their personal property and impact on their family and friends. Many Oxea colleagues have volunteered labor, services, and supplies, and donated to relief efforts,” he continued.

The company reports that the impact of the hurricane and subsequent flooding were less damaging than forecasted, and only minor issues have been identified at the site. In Bay City, Oxea is currently implementing one of its largest investment projects: the construction of the new propanol production unit, Propanol 2, scheduled for completion in 2018. The contractors were able to secure Oxea's construction site before the storm. The assessment of the Propanol 2 construction site did not identify any significant damages. “Except for a slight schedule delay, the Propanol 2 Project suffered very little impact from Hurricane Harvey,” said Markus Heuwes, Propanol 2 Project Director at Oxea.