Grace Davison to form joint venture to offer hydroprocessing catalysts

A business unit of W.R. Grace & Co. has signed an agreement with Chevron Products Co. to create a company that will offer hydroprocesing catalysts and related services to customers in the global petroleum refining industry.

Oct. 11, 2000

The Grace Davison business unit of W. R. Grace & Co., Columbia, Md., said Wednesday it's partnering with Chevron Products Co., a Chevron Corp. unit, to create Advanced Refining Technologies LLC (ART), a company that will offer hydroprocessing catalysts and related services to customers in the petroleum refining industry worldwide.

Hydroprocessing catalysts represent about 45% of the $2 billion global refining catalyst market, said Grace Davison officials. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations governing clean air worldwide have turned hydroprocessing catalysts into one of the fastest growing segments of the catalyst market.

ART intends to offer a comprehensive slate of premium hydrotreating catalysts for fixed-bed, onstream catalyst replacement and boiling bed residuum operations, as well as distillate hydrotreating catalysts for vacuum gas oil, hydrocracking pre-treat, and product post-treat applications.

Robert H. Bullard, Davison Chemical's vice-president and general manager for hydroprocessing catalysts, will oversee day-to-day activities as the venture's managing director.

Advanced Refining Technologies is expected to begin operations in the first quarter 2001 pending final negotiations and government regulatory approval. It will be based in Columbia, Md.