ExxonMobil adding crude unit at Beaumont refinery

ExxonMobil Corp. has reached a final investment decision to proceed with a previously announced plan to expand crude refining capacity by more than 65% at its 366,000-b/d integrated refining complex in Beaumont, Tex. (OGJ Online, Sept. 26, 2018).

Already under construction, the project will add a third crude unit within the refinery’s existing footprint that will increase light crude refining capacity at the site by 250,000 b/d, supported by increased production in the Permian basin, ExxonMobil said.

“With access to terminals, railways, pipelines, and waterways nearby, the Beaumont refinery is strategically positioned to benefit from Permian production growth,” said Bryan Milton, ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Co. president.

Intended to enhance the refinery’s competitive position and establish the site as a leader in the US refining industry, the new unit is scheduled for startup by 2022, the company said.

While the operator did not disclose details regarding the amount of its investment in the proposed project, ExxonMobil did confirm the project comes as part of its 10-year, $20-billion “Growing the Gulf” investment initiative, which also has included expansion of Beaumont’s polyethylene capacity by 65%, a new unit in Beaumont that increases production of ultra-low sulfur fuels, and a new 1.5 million ton/year ethane cracker at the company’s integrated Baytown chemical and refining complex in Texas (OGJ Online, Feb. 6, 2018).

ExxonMobil previously announced plans to build and expand manufacturing facilities in the US Gulf region as part of its Growing the Gulf initiative. Growing the Gulf projects include expansion of Beaumont’s polyethylene capacity by 65%, a new selective cat-naphtha hydrofining (SCANfining) unit to increase production of ultralow-sulfur fuels by 45,000 b/d at Beaumont, and a new 1.5 million-tonne/year ethane cracker at the company’s integrated chemical and refining complex in Baytown, Tex. (OGJ Online, July 26, 2018).

ExxonMobil and SABIC have also created a new joint venture to advance development of the Gulf Coast Growth Ventures project, a 1.8 million-tpy ethane cracker currently planned for construction in San Patricio County, Tex. (OGJ Online, May 7, 2018).