A wave of strikes started in France Tuesday over pension reforms.
The spokesman said Ineos is "progressively turning plants down to stand-by mode" as raw material feedstocks run low.
"Current status is being reviewed plant by plant on a daily basis. As a consequence, I can confirm that the Oxide business has today declared force majeure on ethylene oxide and other derivatives," he said.
The force majeure affected ethylene oxide, ethylene glycols, glycol ethers, ethanolamines, oxo-alcohols, and butyl acetates, Ineos said in a letter to customers dated October 14.
"To the extent that is reasonably possible, it is our intention to maintain supplies during this period with product arising from our reduced production rates and via material from our remaining stocks," it said. "Once the current restrictions have been resolved, we intend to ramp up production rates to maximum levels as soon as can be safely achieved, to allow us to rebuild stocks quickly and catch up on any postponed orders."
Ineos operates a 240,000 mt/year HDPE plant at Lavera, France.
"HDPE deliveries to customers out of Lavera are not affected for now," a company source said.
The company, in a joint venture with Total Petrochemicals, also operates the Naphtachimie steam cracker with a capacity to produce 745,000 mt/year of ethylene. It also runs a 150,000 mt/year polypropylene plant at the site.
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