Sasol again reveals cost overruns for Louisiana project

Once again, the petrochemical complex Sasol is building in Lake Charles, Louisiana, faces cost overruns. The company says the plant will cost between $12.6 billion and $12.9 billion, up from the $11.6 billion to $11.8 billion it estimated in February. When the project got the go-ahead in 2014, it was supposed to cost $8.1 billion. Sasol faced construction problems such as defective carbon steel forgings for the new ethylene cracker. The firm says the project is 96% complete. A polyethylene plant has started up, an ethylene oxide plant is ready to open, and the cracker will start up in July.