Chevron Phillips Chemical commissions USGC ethane cracker

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP (CPCC), a joint venture of Chevron Corp. and Phillips 66, has completed startup of a 1.5 million-tonne/year ethane cracker at the combine’s Cedar Bayou facility at Baytown, Tex., finalizing the second phase of its previously announced $6-billion US Gulf Coast petrochemical project (OGJ Online, Apr. 8. 2014).

CPCC has successfully introduced feedstock into and started operation of the ethane cracker, the operator said.

Official commissioning of the cracker follows CPCC’s earlier announcement in late 2017 that it had reached mechanical completion of the cracker and started a series of rigorous commissioning activities, system checks, and final certifications to ensure the unit’s safe and reliable startup (OGJ Online, Dec. 20, 2017).

CPCC previously told OGJ that it expects the cracker to achieve full-production rates sometime during 2018.

The unit will produce at least 1.5 million tpy of ethylene to support CPCC’s ethylene business and as feedstock for the operator’s two nearby 500,000-tpy polyethylene units at Old Ocean, Tex., which began commercial operation in November 2017 (OGJ Online, Sept. 20, 2017).

First announced in March 2011, the USGC petrochemical project comes as part of CPCC’s strategy to help meet robust global demand for ethylene and ethylene derivatives by taking advantage of abundant shale gas feedstock produced from ongoing development of US shale resources (OGJ Online, Mar. 29. 2011).

Completion of both phases of the USGC petrochemical project marks a new era of growth for CPCC, according to Mark Lashier, CPCC’s president and chief executive officer.

“With global demand for ethylene and polyethylene poised for sustained long-term growth, the [USGC] petrochemicals project will allow [CPCC] to deliver high-quality products to our customers across the country and around the globe,” Lashier said, referring to project as the most transformational undertaking in the company’s history.

“Our company and our growing employee base, the communities we call home, and the entire [USGC] region's economy will benefit for decades to come as our project comes to life,” Lashier added.

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].