Westlake, Louisiana – The Louisiana Integrated Polyethylene Joint Venture, located in Westlake, has announced that its facility will be employing the flare system as it resumes normal operations this week. The announcement follows a recent unit outage that necessitated the use of this safety feature.

During the startup process, residents in the vicinity may observe a bright orange flame along with a rumbling noise emanating from the plant. These phenomena are typical and expected components of the startup process. According to plant officials, the flare system is designed to safely manage excess gases that may occur during operations, ensuring both worker safety and environmental compliance.

Flaring is a common practice in the petrochemical industry. It involves the burning of excess hydrocarbons that are released during various phases of production. Steam is also commonly added during flaring. While the bright flame and rumbling may appear alarming to some, it is a controlled action intended to prevent the buildup of gases that could pose a risk. The plant team is actively working to minimize the need for flaring and aims to return to standard operational levels as quickly as possible.