ExxonMobil wraps Singapore plant expansion

Jan. 8, 2014
ExxonMobil Corp. has completed and commissioned the multibillion dollar expansion of its chemical complex in Jurgong Island, Singapore.

ExxonMobil Corp. has completed and commissioned the multibillion dollar expansion of its chemical complex in Jurgong Island, Singapore.

The expansion project more than doubles the size of the plant’s finished product capacity, making it the largest chemical expansion in ExxonMobil’s history as well as positioning it to meet rapidly growing global chemical demand, two thirds of which will come from Asia-Pacific, the company said.

In addition to one of the world’s largest ethylene steam crackers, the expansion includes two polyethylene plants, a polypropylene plant, a metallocene elastomers unit, an oxo-alcohol unit, and an aromatics expansion (OGJ Online, May 30, 2013; Dec. 28, 2012).

Also included in the expansion is a steam cracker capable of processing a wide range of feedstock—from light gases to crude oil—to produce an expanded slate of premium and commodity petrochemicals, ExxonMobil said.

The Singapore chemical complex, which now accounts for about one quarter of ExxonMobil’s global chemical capacity, came on stream in 2001 and is integrated with ExxonMobil’s 605,000-b/d Singapore refinery (OGJ Online, July 3, 2001).