Chevron Phillips Chemical marks progress toward US ethylene plant

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP has reached an agreement with the Shaw Group Inc., Baton Rouge, La., for front-end engineering and design for a 1.5 million tonnes/year (3.3 billion lb/year) grassroots ethylene plant at Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Tex.

The scope of work, which will be released in phases, follows a contract announced in December 2011 for Shaw’s license of its proprietary technology and a process design package for the project.

The new plant will be designed to use ethane supplies from increased shale gas production, said the announcement.