VINACHEM

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Ammonia producers in Trinidad have shut down some plants while natural gas deliveries originating from BP have been curtailed in October, sources said on Thursday.

In response to a 30% curtailment in natural gas deliveries to the Point Lisas chemical complex by the National Gas Co of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC), which receives most of its natural gas from BP, at least three ammonia producers have shut down plants since 10 October. The current natural gas curtailment is expected to be lifted on 25 October.

Yara shut down its 300,000 tonne/year Point Lisas plant prior to 10 October and plans to restart the plant as soon as possible after 25 October, a source said.

PotashCorp said its 334,000 tonne/year 03 plant went down on October 10 and returned to service on 19 October. On the same day, PotashCorp brought down the 731,000 tonne/year 01 plant. It is scheduled to return to service on 4 November.

During the shutdowns, PotashCorp is performing maintenance on the plants, the company said.

Monthly 20-30% reductions in natural gas deliveries to chemical producers in Point Lisas have occurred since February and will likely continue well into 2012, a source said.

A primary cause for the curtailments is safety inspections being performed on BP Trinidad and Tobago (BPTT) natural gas platforms.

BP supplies to the NGC about 65% of the natural gas consumed in Trinidad

BP is taking down natural gas platforms for safety inspections one at a time, a source said.

BP did not immediately comment about the maintenance schedule.

The company has been operating in Trinidad and Tobago since the 1960s, first producing oil in 1972, BP said

BP currently holds exploration and production licences covering3,600 square kilometres off the east coast of Trinidad.

BP facilities include 13 offshore platforms and the Galeota Point onshore processing facility.

BP also holds interests in all of Atlantic LNG’s four production trains on Trinidad.

BP is the largest producer of hydrocarbons in Trinidad and Tobago, with average production in 2010 of some 460,000 bbl of oil equivalent/day (mostly gas), BP said.

BP has undertaken a campaign to inspect all of its production facilities for safety purposes in response to the 2010 Macondo well explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

"BPTT will be continuing its rigorous safety agenda aimed at reducing safety and operational risk across our offshore and onshore facilities," said BP corporate communications manager Danielle Jones.

"The work will include routine preventative maintenance programmes as well as major turnarounds on our facilities to ensure we are maintaining our facilities as per our company and industry standards and requirements," Jones said.