Upcoming Deer Park Turnaround & Project Work

What is a Turnaround?

A turnaround is a regular maintenance activity – similar to maintenance we perform to keep our vehicles running properly. Equipment is shut down, inspected, repaired or replaced, and cleaned to ensure safe and reliable operations. It is also an opportunity for us to make capital investments to improve process safety and reliability.

How will the people working during the Turnaround be protected?

We have specialized contractor partners in place who are familiar with working turnarounds and are accustomed to following our site’s safety protocols (including the use of personal protective equipment). We will provide specific onboarding for every contractor. The training will be a combination of courses held at the Health and Safety Council and onboarding at the site.

Will there be flaring and will it impact air quality?

While flaring during the turnaround is possible, it’s not expected. Regardless, we want our community to know flaring plays a key role in keeping our plant safe. Site personnel are constantly monitoring the flares to prevent smoking. Once flared, the hydrocarbon has been safely treated and potential emissions have been reduced by at least 98%. Also, as we shut down and clean units, we will monitor air quality to ensure the safety of our workers and the community.

What other impacts might come from Turnaround?

To help with traffic, we employ a number of traffic management tactics including staggering shift times to avoid peak commute hours, using multiple entrance/exit points across the site, and working with local law enforcement, including officers helping direct traffic in high-traffic locations.

Turnarounds also have economic benefits to the area due to workers spending time in the local community and businesses. Meals that are provided during this turnaround will be provided by local restaurants and grocery stores in the area.

What additional project work is taking place?

The site is working on a project that will slightly change the way you see the skyline from 225. Our team has been working on the demolition of a concrete stack located within our fence line. Beginning in the fall, you will notice the exterior of the stack being taken apart. A team of specialized contractors, skilled in demolition, are at work and will continue until it is completely removed. There should be no impacts to the community, as this piece of equipment has been non-operational for more than 15 years.

How can neighbors stay connected?

As always, we welcome feedback and questions and we can be reached at any time by calling our community hotline: 713-246-7301. We invite the community to engage with us on social media @ShellDeerPark on Facebook and Twitter.

Our top priority remains operating in a safe and environmentally sound manner. We are proud to be part of the Deer Park community for over 95 years and we are committed to be a good neighbor to our community for years to come. We greatly appreciate your support in the delivery of these events, as its completion will help us to maintain that commitment.