Petrochemical expansion continues along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Chevron Corp. approved plans to expand and modernize Chevron Chemical Co.'s Port Arthur ethylene plant at a cost of $267 million.
Chevron's project will boost its Port Arthur ethylene capacity to 1.7 billion lb/year from 1 billion lb/year. Construction is to be complete by yearend 1997.
Almost all of the expanded capacity will be used to support Chevron Chemical's increasing output of ethylene derivatives, notably polyethylene and normal alpha olefins.
Meanwhile, FINA Inc. will begin engineering on a project to double production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) at its Bayport petrochemical complex.
FINA will add an HDPE train at Bayport that will boost its capacity there to 850 million lb/year from 420 million lb/year.
In addition to the Bayport HDPE expansion, FINA has completed or is completing expansions at each of its other U.S. polymer complexes.
At La Porte, Tex., FINA recently completed an expansion that hiked capacity of polypropylene by 400 million lb/year to 1.4 billion lb/year.
FINA also will boost its Carville, La., polystyrene plant capacity to 1.025 billion lb/year when a 250 million lb/year crystal polystyrene train is complete in the second quarter.
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