Shell Deer Park 2027 Turnaround
A letter to our community about the upcoming work at Shell Deer Park for the beginning of 2027.
Upcoming Deer Park 2027 Turnaround
At Shell Chemicals LP Deer Park plant (Shell Deer Park Chemicals), we are committed to operating safely, responsibly, and transparently. We would like to inform you about an upcoming Turnaround at our site, scheduled to take place beginning January and expected to end in February involving around 1200 contractors to complete the work. As always, any changes to this schedule will be communicated. While the official turnaround begins in January, we have already begun pre-work for the event. This means you may see some extra activity at the site.
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 by Houston Area Safety Council and instruction at the site.
Will there be flaring and will it impact air quality?
We are anticipating having a flaring event during the first couple of weeks. This will last approximately 10 days and is expected to remain within permitting limits. 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%. Additionally, when we shut down and clean units, we will monitor air quality to ensure the safety of our workers and the community.
Any changes or updates to the flaring activity during the Turnaround will be communicated via CAER online and our Facebook page.
What other impacts might come from Turnaround?
To help with traffic, we employ several 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.
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. We will also take advantage of the hotels in the area for the extra contractors we are bringing on site.
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.
Our focus is conducting all operations safely and responsibly while protecting the environment. Having been part of the Deer Park community for over 95 years, we value the relationships we have built and remain committed to supporting our community for many years ahead. Thank you for your cooperation and support as we complete this work, which plays an important role in ensuring we can continue meeting that commitment.
