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The new unit would enhance the Beaumont refinery’s competitive position and establish it as a leader in the North American refining industry. “The proposed project would position the Beaumont refinery as a world leader in West Texas light crude or tight oil processing, converting raw materials to clean finished products at a highly competitive cost. The project would also further improve base operating cost competitiveness ensuring the long term viability of our refinery,” says Ryan Bucholtz, the process division manager at the Beaumont refinery. These projects combined with expansions in Baytown, Baton Rouge and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast are the catalysts for growth that is shaping the Gulf Coast’s economy.
Some of that expansion is already underway right here in Beaumont. Last year, investment on crude unit A increased production capacity at the refinery by 20,000 barrels per day and added flexibility to process light crudes. Additionally, work on the SCANfiner is advancing to increase production of ultra-low sulfur fuels by approximately 40,000 barrels per day. Start-up is expected in 2018, producing gasoline that will meet EPA’s Tier 3 specifications. Meanwhile, the construction of a new production unit at the polyethylene plant will increase capacity by 65 percent once it is completed in 2019. The polyethylene plant expansion is aimed at meeting a growing demand for high performance plastics driven by a growing global population and an emerging worldwide middle class. One of the proposed projects is the potential expansion of light crude refining capacity at the Beaumont refinery, but an investment decision won’t be made for many years. If the project proceeds, construction would begin in 2019, followed by a unit startup in 2022.
To learn more, visit ExxonMobil’s website at exxonmobil.com/growingthegulf.
These investments are expected to strengthen communities with well-paying jobs and grow the region’s economy.
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