Exxon, Sabic Launch Texas Study

ExxonMobil and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) signed an agreement in Riyadh May 20 to conduct a detailed study of the proposed US Gulf Coast Growth Ventures project in Texas and begin planning for front-end engineering and design work.

This follows on from the selection by Exxon and Saudi state-owned Sabic last month of a site in San Patricio County, Texas for their proposed petrochemical complex that would include an ethane steam cracker capable of producing 1.8mn metric tons/yr of ethylene, a monoethylene glycol unit and two polyethylene units. The proposed project is part of Exxon’s $20bn 'Growing the Gulf' investment program running from 2013 to at least 2022.

Abundant ethane as a feedstock for petrochemicals has been a big spinoff of the US shale gas production boom, and not only for firms based in the US. 

Exxon's chemicals business also May 22 announced the mechanical completion of two new 650,000 metric ton/yr high performance polyethylene lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas, due to start production in 3Q2017. Part of a previously announced multi-billion dollar expansion project in the Baytown area, Exxon said the two new lines will process ethylene feedstock from a new steam cracker currently being built at its Baytown complex. 

Mark Smedley