In Baytown, Texas, ExxonMobil Chemical is constructing new facilities to expand the capacity to make the building blocks for plastics. John Cummings (left), construction safety advisor, and Guadalupe Varela, carpenter, review safety procedures in the construction area where furnaces will soon be installed.
Photo by Robert Seale
Rotterdam hydrocracker expansion ExxonMobil will expand the hydrocracker unit at its Rotterdam refinery to upgrade heavier byproducts into cleaner, higher-value products, including base stocks and ultralow sulfur diesel, to meet growing global market demand. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin next year, with unit startup anticipated in 2018. “This investment demonstrates ExxonMobil’s long-term view and disciplined investment approach,” says Jerry Wascom, president of ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Company. The base stocks to be produced at Rotterdam are a part of ExxonMobil’s EHC product line, and are designed to help lubricant blenders achieve greater formulation flexibility and simplify global qualification testing. They also enable customers to cost-effectively blend a range of lubricants to meet evolving industry requirements. The refinery, operated by Esso Nederland BV, is one of the most energy- efficient in Europe, and plays a key role in the region and the marketplace as a manufacturer of low-sulfur petroleum products and chemical feedstocks.
The Rotterdam hydrocracker will be expanded to upgrade heavier byproducts into cleaner, higher-value finished products.
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