ExxonMobil progressing expansion of lubricant base stocks and fuels production in Singapore
SINGAPORE – ExxonMobil said that it is progressing a multi-billion dollar project at its integrated manufacturing facility in Singapore to produce higher-value products and expand lubricant base stocks production to meet growing demand.
“Our Singapore facility is one of our largest integrated fuels, lubricant base stocks and chemicals production sites in the world. This investment would move it to the top quartile worldwide in terms of refining competitiveness and increases the site’s competitive advantage from crude cracking,” said Bryan Milton, president of ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company.
Should the project proceed, a startup is anticipated in 2023.
ExxonMobil plans to develop and apply proprietary technologies that will convert lower-value byproducts into a cleaner, higher-value products, including high-quality light and heavy lubricant base stocks. The advanced technology will also allow ExxonMobil to introduce a new, unique high viscosity Group II base stock into the marketplace. Designed to help blenders achieve greater formulation flexibility and simplify global testing, these products will allow customers in Asia-Pacific to cost-effectively blend a wide-range of finished lubricants.
The Singapore refinery expansion project will also result in the production of more clean fuels with lower sulfur content, including high-quality ExxonMobil Marine Fuels that comply with the International Maritime Organization’s 0.5 percent sulfur cap to help customers continue to meet the reduced sulfur limit.
“We’re working to ensure that we can reliably meet long-term customer needs with high-quality base stocks and fuels as demand in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow,” said Nick Berthiaux, vice president of ExxonMobil Basestocks and Specialties. “By introducing higher-value base stocks in larger volumes, we can meet the needs of an expanded customer base looking to satisfy more stringent industry requirements such as reducing emissions and improving fuel economy.”
The project represents the latest and most significant in a series of recent ExxonMobil investments in base stock production in Singapore. In 2017, ExxonMobil announced it would expand its Singapore refinery to upgrade production of its EHCTM Group II base stocks. Construction began in 2017 and commissioning is expected by early 2019. ExxonMobil also completed an expansion at the refinery in 2015.
“ExxonMobil has operated in Singapore for 125 years, and we continue to expand our business footprint here with strategic investments that will help meet the growing demand for cleaner, high-quality products in the region and the world,” said Gan Seow Kee, chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.
Beyond Singapore, ExxonMobil is nearing completion of its Rotterdam, Netherlands hydrocracker expansion project, which is expected to start up by the end of 2018. The Rotterdam refinery, in addition to the Baytown, Texas refinery, will produce EHC 120, and product availability is expected in 2019. Once the Rotterdam expansion is complete, ExxonMobil will be the only global Group I and Group II producer with significant manufacturing assets and global slates of products across three continents.
ExxonMobil will continue to produce AP/E CORETM Group I base stocks at its Singapore refinery and remains committed to producing quality Group I base stocks for its customers around the world.
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