ExxonMobil Corp. has enlisted Worley Ltd. to deliver construction works for the operator’s planned reconfiguration of its 584,000-b/d integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Baytown, Tex.
On Oct. 16, Worley said it will provide construction services for infrastructure modifications, equipment installation, and integration of new processing technologies related to the project that aims to increase the Baytown complex’s production of higher-demand products such as Group III base stocks and distillates, as well as improve the site’s operational efficiency.
Scheduled for construction over a 24-month period, the Baytown refinery reconfiguration project is scheduled for startup in 2028, Worley said.
Confirmation of the construction contract award follows ExxonMobil’s final investment decision (FID) in August 2025 to move forward with the projectas part of the company's broader strategy to shift production capacity toward higher-margin products, particularly amid long-term expectations of declining gasoline demand.
ExxonMobil said the Baytown reconfiguration works will enable the company’s expansion of its base oil portfolio to include Group III base stocks used in the manufacturing of premium lubricants.
Once online, ExxonMobil said it expects the Baytown project to position the operator as the only global supplier offering the full spectrum of Group I through Group V base stocks.
Alongside base stocks, the Baytown project will also boost the site’s output of diesel to align with a projected ongoing decline in demand for traditional gasoline over time.
Shortly after announcing FID on the project, ExxonMobil confirmed to the Baytown-West Chambers County Economic Development Foundation reconfiguration works specifically will include updating three of the refinery’s existing—though yet-to-be-identified—units to make more diesel fuel and lubricant base stocks.
Construction on the project—which is slated to begin by yearend—will create more than 700 jobs, the operator said.
ExxonMobil most recently completed a similar project to expand its global offerings of lubricant base stocks at subsidiary ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.’s integrated refining and petrochemical complex on Jurong Island, Singapore.
