Motiva to expand base oil plant at Port Arthur refinery

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, July 12 -- Houston-based Motiva Enterprises LLC, a petroleum refining and marketing company owned by affiliates of Shell Oil Co. and Saudi Refining Inc., said it plans to further expand the base oil plant at its Port Arthur, Tex., refinery.

Motiva said it will construct a third lube hydroprocessing unit that will upgrade heavy gas oil into high quality Group II base oil, using Motiva's patented unit design. Construction will begin in the third quarter and should be completed in January 2006.

The expansion will boost Motiva's production by 5 million bbl/year of high quality Group II and Group II+ base oils.