The massive Shell Caroline Gas Complex north of Sundre is scheduled to restart operations this week after being shut down since late October due to a number of mechanical breakdowns, says company spokesperson Alice Murray.Repairs have been completed and the plant should back up and running on Jan. 24, Murray said Friday.On Oct. 25 a failure in the facility's sulphur plant forced the shutdown of the entire complex, as well as pipelines leading to and from the plant.On Nov. 7, while the plant was still off-line, a detonation occurred in the furnace when crews were attempting to start it up.The plant was restarted on Dec. 17 but shut down again four days later after a mechanical problem developed in the facility's sulphur pit.An investigation is ongoing into the causes of the breakdowns.There have been no layoffs at the plant due to the facility going off-line, Murray said.The plant processes natural gas shipped by pipeline from nearby gas fields.On Dec. 3 a fire at the Shell Shantz plant, southeast of Sundre, destroyed a 6,000-tonne sulphur tank. Investigators later determined that the fire was caused by a leak in a glycol heating pipe.Shell is not saying how much the shutdowns have cost the company, calling the amount proprietary, she said.
