HOUSTON – If you heard a loud boom near the Houston Ship Channel on Sunday morning, then you probably heard the sound of the planned implosion at the LyondellBasell Houston Refinery.
The chemical company says it carried out a controlled demolition of two inactive coker units at the refinery, located at 12000 Lawndale Street facilities.
The structures—about 350 feet tall—have been inactive since refining operations at the site ended in early 2025. LyondellBasell says the implosion is part of the company’s long-term transition of the property and is the final step in the coker-unit demolition work that started last year…