ExxonMobil wraps expansion project at Singapore refinery

ExxonMobil Corp. has completed a project to expand production of high-quality lubricant base stocks at affiliate ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.'s 592,000-b/d integrated, two-site refining complex on mainland Jurong and Pulau Ayer Chawan, Jurong Island, offshore southwestern Singapore (OGJ Online, Feb. 16, 2017).

The expansion, which began in 2017 and was completed on schedule, supports production of ExxonMobil’s EHC Group II base stocks to enable customers to blend lubricants that satisfy more-stringent specifications, help reduce emissions, and improve fuel economy and low-temperature performance, ExxonMobil said.

The company said it expects supply to customers to begin in third-quarter 2019, building upon recent expansions at ExxonMobil’s Rotterdam complex, which along with existing production at its operations in Baytown, Tex., strengthens the operator’s global supply of high-quality base stocks.

Confirmation of the newly completed EHC Group II base stocks expansion follows ExxonMobil’s April announcement that it had taken final investment decision on a multibillion-dollar expansion to convert fuel oil and other bottom-of-the-barrel crude products into higher-value lube base stocks and distillates at the Singapore integrated manufacturing complex to further enhance competitiveness of the site (OGJ Online, Apr. 2, 2019).

Scheduled for start-up in 2023, the proposed expansion project will add 20,000 b/d of Group II base stocks capacity—including EHCTM 50 and EHCTM 120 grades, in addition to a new high-viscosity Group II base stock to meet increasing demand in the Asia-Pacific region—as well as expand capacity to increase production of cleaner fuels with lower-sulfur content by 48,000 b/d, including high-quality marine fuels to enable customers to meet the International Maritime Organization’s 0.5% sulfur requirement set to take effect in January 2020.

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].