Preliminary process resiliency analysis is a necessary part of any modern process design methodology. This paper extends the disturbance cost (DC) resiliency index, previously developed for linear plants, to nonlinear systems. As the nonlinear index can handle such nonlinear features as input and. output multiplicities, it can accommodate the analysis of the potential of a partial control strategy to improve process resiliency. The index reliably identifies potential resiliency problems associated with process design. This paper deals with the DC analysis of processes that can be described by closed-form models and demonstrates its application to the design of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR).