EXXON U.S.A. PLANS THREE MTBE PLANTS

Exxon Co. U.S.A. plans to spend more than $1 00 million to build methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) units at three U.S. refineries. A 7,000 b/d MTBE plant is expected to begin production by yearend 1992 at Exxon's 438,000 b/sd Baton Rouge, La., refinery. Exxon let a contract for that project to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Pasadena, Calif. Construction is to begin by yearend 1991. Exxon is evaluating plans: To start up in 1993 a similar MTBE plant at its 448,000 b/sd Baytown, Tex.,

Sept. 16, 1991

2 min read

Exxon Co. U.S.A. plans to spend more than $1 00 million to build methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) units at three U.S. refineries.

A 7,000 b/d MTBE plant is expected to begin production by yearend 1992 at Exxon's 438,000 b/sd Baton Rouge, La., refinery. Exxon let a contract for that project to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Pasadena, Calif. Construction is to begin by yearend 1991.

Exxon is evaluating plans:

To start up in 1993 a similar MTBE plant at its 448,000 b/sd Baytown, Tex., refinery.
For a 3,500 b/d MTBE unit to go on stream after 1993 at its 132,000 b/sd re-finery in Benicia, Calif.

Even with the three plants running, Exxon still will need to buy MTBE from Exxon Chemical Co. and other MTBE manufacturers, Exxon officials said.

Amendments in 1990 to the Clean Air Act require oxygenated gasoline to be sold no later than next year in 41 mainly urban areas, affecting about 40% of U.S. gasoline consumption.

Requirements will become more stringent in 1995 and again in 2000.

Exxon in June 1990 began selling about 8 million b/d of reformulated gasoline in 40 major U.S. markets. The company has expanded sales of reformulated gasoline to include 50 markets and says it is the leading U.S. producer of reformulated gasoline.

Exxon said it is not considering plans for more MTBE plants but in the future might consider producing other gasoline oxygenates.