MORE OXYGENATES PROJECTS SCHEDULED IN U.S.

Surging demand for oxygenates continues to spawn more projects to produce them in the U.S. Among recent developments: A joint venture plans a $300 million project to revamp a mothballed synthetic natural gas plant in Illinois to produce either methyl tertiary butyl ether or ethyl tertiary butyl ether. Valero Energy Corp. plans a $230 million, 13,000 b/d MTBE plant at its Corpus Christi, Tex., refinery, involving upgrading surplus butane to MTBE feedstock isobutylene, an approach similar to the