Motiva inaugurates major Texas refinery expansion
A ceremony held Thursday at the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, celebrated the completion of a five-year project that more than doubled crude processing capacity to 600,000 bpd, making it the largest refinery in the US.
Executives of the companies that jointly own Motiva - Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, and Khalid Al-Falih, CEO of Saudi Aramco - turned the ceremonial valve commemorating the start of oil flowing through new processing units at the complex.
Motiva CEO Bob Pease thanked Port Arthur and the surrounding region for their continued support of the project.
“This was truly a community effort that involved so many people and businesses in the Golden Triangle area of Southeast Texas,” Pease said.
“The tremendous talent and skill of the employees and contractors who worked on the expansion, day in and day out; the quality of products and services provided by local suppliers; the enthusiasm and support of public officials and local community. All of these contributions came together to make this project a success."
With more than 14,000 working on the project at peak construction and more than 300 new permanent jobs, the expansion bolstered Motiva’s position as an employer and a leading revenue source for the city, county and local public schools, the company said.
The overall economic impact of the project in the region has been estimated in excess of $17 billion.
Pease noted that the expanded refinery can process a wide variety of crude oils, ranging from relatively light to heavy.
It also has the flexibility to switch between primarily producing gasoline and diesel to adapt to varying market conditions.
Al-Falih described the expansion project as a significant milestone of Saudi Aramco’s enduring energy ties with the US.
“Our investment in Port Arthur is an integral part of Saudi Aramco’s global downstream expansion strategy,” he said.
“Our commitment to meet the needs of the United States’ oil market, our expanded stake in US downstream, and our R&D investments in future transportation fuels will contribute to enhancing the United States’ long-term energy security - today, tomorrow, and for decades to come,” he added.
Voser noted that “Port Arthur’s expansion is central to Shell’s plans for selective downstream growth in North America. “
“This refinery will make a major difference to our ability to process the lowest cost crudes to high quality oil products for our customers,” Voser said.
The inauguration ceremony was followed by an open house and site tours.
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