EXHIBIT 24.5

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

     WHEREAS, Occidental Petrochem Partner GP, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"General Partner"), is a general partner of Equistar Chemicals, LP, a Delaware
limited partnership (the "Partnership"); and

     WHEREAS, the Partnership intends to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Act"), a Registration Statement on Form S-4, including a prospectus, with such
amendment or amendments thereto, whether pre-effective or post-effective, in
each case as may be necessary or appropriate, together with any and all exhibits
and other documents having relation to said Registration Statement
(collectively, the "Registration Statement"), in connection with the
Partnership's proposal to offer to exchange up to $900,000 aggregate principal
amount of notes registered under the Act for a like aggregate principal amount
of outstanding notes;

     NOW, THEREFORE, each of the undersigned, in his or her capacity as a
director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of the General Partner, does
hereby appoint Dennis F. Blake, John L. Hurst, Scott A. King and Joseph R.
DeMartino, and each of them, each of whom may act without the joinder of the
others, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with power to
act and with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to execute in his or
her name, place and stead, in his or her capacity as a director or officer or
both, as the case may be, of the General Partner, the Registration Statement,
and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, with such
amendment or amendments thereto in each case as said attorneys-in-fact and
agents or any of them shall deem necessary or appropriate, together with any and
all exhibits and other documents relating thereto as said attorneys-in-fact and
agents or any of them shall deem necessary or appropriate or incidental in
connection therewith, and to file the same or cause the same to be filed with
the Commission.  Said attorneys-in-fact and agents shall have full power and
authority to do and perform in the name and on behalf of each of the
undersigned, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever necessary or
desirable to be done to the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes
as each of the undersigned might or could do in person, each of the undersigned
hereby ratifying and approving the acts of said attorneys-in-fact and agents or
any of them or their substitutes.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this instrument on
this 6th day of April, 1999.

 
 
                                              

           /s/ J. Roger Hirl                         /s/ J. Roger Hirl
- -------------------------------------         -------------------------------
Name:  J. Roger Hirl                          Name:  J. Roger Hirl
Title:    President                           Title:    Director
 
 
        /s/ Richard A. Lorraine                 /s/ Richard A. Lorraine                             
- -------------------------------------         --------------------------------                          
Name:   Richard A. Lorraine                   Name:    Richard A. Lorraine                          
Title:  Executive Vice President,             Title:        Director                                
        Chief Financial Officer
        (Principal Accounting Officer)
 
       /s/ Keith McDole                          /s/ Keith McDole
- -------------------------------------         --------------------------------                          
Name:  Keith McDole                           Name:    Keith McDole
Title: Secretary and Senior Vice President    Title:   Director