[ferro-alloys.com]Calcined petroleum coke producers near the US Gulf Coast have begun idling operations as Hurricane Laura approaches eastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, sources said Aug. 25.

Rain Carbon idled its calcining plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, over the weekend in preparation for the storm, with plans to safely restart following an assessment once the storm has passed, an official with the company said. The calciner has a nameplate annual CPC production capacity of 400,000 mt.

Likewise, Phillips 66 said it had begun a safe and orderly shutdown of its Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex, including the site's oil refinery and petroleum coke calciner, on Aug. 24.

"We continue to monitor the storm and to work with Calcasieu Parish and other local authorities to ensure the safety of refinery personnel and the community," Phillips 66 said in a statement.

The Lake Charles operation has an estimated CPC production capacity of between 150,000 mt/year and 175,000 mt/year, according to market sources. A spokesman for Phillips 66 declined to comment on the facility's CPC capacity.

Market observers said Alcoa was also idling operations at its 250,000 mt/year Lake Charles calciner for a few days starting Aug. 25.

A representative for Alcoa could not immediately be reached for comment.

The aluminum industry accounts for nearly 75% of the world's CPC consumption, according to producer Oxbow Carbon.

Officials in Calcasieu Parish, where Lake Charles is located, issued mandatory evacuation orders on Aug. 25 in response to the storm's impending landfall.

Terminals at the Port of New Orleans were operating normally on Aug. 25, according to the port's website.

To the west of Lake Charles in Port Arthur, Texas, Oxbow's calciner has been idled, with a restart timeline dependent on the storm's activity, market sources said. The facility has the capacity to produce 700,000 mt/year of anode and industrial grade CPC, according to Oxbow's website.

A representative for Oxbow could not immediately be reached for comment.

Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie issued a mandatory evacuation for the city, taking effect Aug. 25, according to local reports.

The Port of Houston said its terminals would be closed Aug. 26 and possibly Aug. 27 as storm conditions in the area continue to be monitored, according to a statement.

(S&P Global Platts)

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