PORT NECHES, Texas – Bitterly cold winter weather forced synthetic rubber maker Lion Elastomers to shut down two facilities in Texas.
Both the company's Port Neches and Orange, Texas, locations "remain down at this time," the company said in a statement on the company's website.
"Lion Elastomers enacted its severe weather and freeze precaution procedures ahead of this storm, but the magnitude of this event overwhelmed the regional infrastructure and the Lion Elastomers facilities' ability to maintain operations online," the company said.
Brutal temperatures have hit Texas, causing massive power outages under the strain of demand created by the unseasonably cold weather for that part of the country.
"Lion Elastomers is assessing the full impact of the raw materials and utilities curtailments, along with any damage incurred, due to the extended freezing temperatures. The major obstacle at this time remains the state of Texas' curtailment on natural gas, the impact of which is not allowing enough natural gas to either facility for even basic preparations for restart," the company said.
Lion Elastomers said the company is assessing the impact this will have on current and future orders.
"This is a very fluid situation in the region and Lion Elastomers continues to work with local municipalities and utilities providers to acquire the best information possible to work towards the restart of the facilities," the company said.
Power outages improved significantly overnight in Texas with about 500,000 homes still without electricity as of Thursday, according to the poweroutage.us website.
