Flaring at Exxon’s Beaumont Chemical Plant Triggered by Malfunction

A malfunction at Exxon Mobil Corp's Beaumont, Texas, chemical plant triggered flaring on Friday, said sources familiar with plant operations.

Operations were normal at Exxon's adjoining 369,024 barrel-per-day (bpd) crude oil refinery on Friday, but the chemical plant was using portions of the refinery's safety flare system, the sources said.

Exxon warned of flaring from the refinery and chemical plant in notices posted on Friday to a community warning system website.

Exxon spokesperson Julie King declined to discuss operations at Beaumont refining and petrochemical complex.

In the two notices, Exxon said "operations require flaring."

Refineries and chemical plants use their safety flare systems when they cannot process hydrocarbons normally.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis)