Chevron Lummus Global announces base oil unit to be commissioned at Hengli in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- As the world’s second largest lubricant market, China has been mostly depending on imports to satisfy its fast-growing Group III base oil demands. As Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) announces, this situation will be greatly improved by the recent addition of a Group II/III base oil plant at Hengli PetroChemical Co. which will employ CLG’s ISODEWAXING technology, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Hengli’s base oil plant is located within its refinery on Changxing island off the industrial seaport of Dalian. CLG’s ISODEWAXING technology was selected due to a combination of exceptionally high yields, extended cycle length, and outstanding base oil quality.

With the plant in mechanical completion, full production is expected later in 2019, with capacity to make 350,000 t/y Group III and 190,000 t/y Group II base oils. CLG will provide startup support and to Hengli for smooth daily operation to maximize plant economics.

Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), a joint venture between Chevron USA Inc. and McDermott, is a leading process technology licensor for refining hydroprocessing technologies and alternative source fuels, as well as a global leader in catalyst system supply.

bottom-of-the-barrel solution for upgrading heavy oil residues. Our research and development experts are continuously seeking advancements in technology and catalysts that will improve operating economics for your next project.

As MRC wrote before, in later March 2019, Chevron Lummus Global announced successful start-up of RDS Unit in Vietnam. Thus, Nghi Son Refinery & Petrochemical LLC (NSRP) - a joint venture between PetroVietnam, Idemitsu Kosan, Kuwait Petroleum Europe, and Mitsui Chemicals has recently started up a large residuum hydrodesulfurization (RHDS) unit at its new 200,000 barrels per day refinery in Thanh Hoa Province in northern Vietnam. The 105,000 barrels per day RHDS unit started up in May 2018 and passed performance guarantees in December 2018, Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) reported.

Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), a joint venture between Chevron USA Inc. and McDermott, is a leading process technology licensor for refining hydroprocessing technologies and alternative source fuels, as well as a global leader in catalyst system supply. CLG offers the most complete bottom-of-the-barrel solution for upgrading heavy oil residues. Our research and development experts are continuously seeking advancements in technology and catalysts that will improve operating economics for your next project.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, A. Schulman, Inc., has declared a quarterly dividend of USD15.00 per share for A. Schulman's convertible special stock, as per LyondellBasell's press release.

The dividend is payable on May 1, 2019 to shareholders of record as of April 15, 2019.

This dividend is only payable to shareholders of A. Schulman convertible special stock and is independent of LyondellBasell's quarterly dividend.

As MRC informed earlier, in Augugst 2018, LyondellBasell announced it had completed the acquisition of A. Schulman, Inc., a leading global supplier of high-performance plastic compounds, composites and powders.

A. Schulman, Inc. is a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds, composites and resins headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Since 1928, the company has been providing innovative solutions to meet its customers' demanding requirements. The company's customers span a wide range of markets such as packaging, mobility, building & construction, electronics & electrical, agriculture, personal care & hygiene, sports, leisure & home, custom services and others. The company employs approximately 5,200 people and has 54 manufacturing facilities globally. A. Schulman reported net sales of approximately USD2.5 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies and a member of the S&P 500. LyondellBasell manufactures products at 55 sites in 17 countries. LyondellBasell is also a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. The more than 250 polyolefin process licenses granted by LyondellBasell are twice that of any other polyolefin technology licensor.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF and Aspen Aerogels announced the expansion of their strategic partnership with the signing of an addendum to their exclusive supply agreement, said the company.

The addendum provides for the production and supply of a new non-combustible, high-performance thermal insulation product. The new product, complimentary to SLENTEX, is showing excellent performance in early testing with lead customers.

SLENTEX, available today, represents the cutting edge of non-combustible thermal insulation technology with its unique combination of industry-leading thermal performance and a non-combustible fire rating. SLENTEX was developed for unique applications in the building and construction sector, including facade systems, thermal bridges and transition areas, while the new insulation product will also target broader applications beyond the construction industry.

As part of the agreement, Aspen has received a second tranche of prepayment from BASF which will be used to support product optimization and new process development. BASF receives exclusive rights to market the newly developed product.

"When we announced our joint development agreement with BASF in 2016, we had a collective vision to create innovative and exceptional products. Our partnership with BASF has exceeded our expectations," said Don Young, President and CEO of Aspen. "This addendum recognizes the commitment to our cooperative development and the additional prepayment strengthens our financial position."

"The successful development of the product will help us to better serve the fast-growing market for high-performance insulation materials," said Raimar Jahn, President of Performance Materials, BASF. "This innovative product will expand our portfolio in the high-performance insulation market and, together with SLENTEX®, will make our offering more competitive. The addendum will accelerate the global launch and adoption of a new class of firesafe and ultra-efficient aerogel insulation technology."

In the late March, BASF officially opened a pioneering research center at the heart of the Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, close to the famous Ammonia Lab. This new pilot plant facility for catalyst and process development will be operated by the global research unit Process Research & Chemical Engineering.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil said that it has made a final investment decision on a multi-billion dollar expansion of its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore to convert fuel oil and other bottom-of-the-barrel crude products into higher-value lube base stocks and distillates, reported Reuters.

The expansion project is part of the company’s plan to further enhance the competitiveness of the Singapore facility, which includes the world’s only steam cracker capable of cracking crude oil. The project, which leverages proprietary technologies, integration and scale, will significantly increase site downstream and chemical earnings potential. Engineering, procurement and construction activities have begun, and startup is anticipated in 2023.

"The demand for high-quality fuels and lubricants will increase as the global economy expands,” said Bryan Milton, president of ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company. “By using a combination of proprietary catalyst and process technologies, we will increase the site’s competitiveness and help meet growing demand for high-performance lubricants and cleaner fuels."

The investment will add 20,000 barrels per day of ExxonMobil Group II base stocks capacity, which includes EHCTM 50 and EHCTM 120 grades, in addition to a new high-viscosity Group II base stock to meet increasing demand in the Asia-Pacific region.

"The project also applies new chemicals technologies and leverages integration across the crude cracker and refining complex to further enhance the competitiveness of crude cracking," said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company.

The expansion will add the capacity to increase production of cleaner fuels with lower-sulfur content by 48,000 barrels per day, including high-quality ExxonMobil Marine fuels to enable customers to meet the International Maritime Organization’s 0.50 percent sulfur requirement.

The project represents the latest and most significant in a series of recent ExxonMobil investments in base stock production. Recent ExxonMobil EHCTM Group II base stock investments include a 2015 expansion in Singapore and the startup of a world-scale, enhanced hydrocracker unit in Rotterdam in 2018.

"The decision to expand our operations in Singapore helps to further establish ExxonMobil as a regional leader in producing innovative products that help customers improve fuel economy and reduce emissions," said Gan Seow Kee, chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. "This is the latest in a series of major investments in Singapore and builds on our commitment to enhance our growth and competitiveness in the Asia Pacific region."

Engineering, procurement and construction contracts have been awarded to Tecnicas Reunidas for the new process units, and Wood Group for interconnecting pipelines and supporting infrastructure facilities. As part of the project, ExxonMobil is working on a long-term commercial agreement with Linde to upgrade residue from the site to hydrogen and synthesis gas.

As MRC informed earlier, in October 2017, ExxonMobil Chemical Company commenced production on the first of two new 650,000 tons-per-year high-performance polyethylene (PE) lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The full project, part of the company’s multi-billion dollar expansion project in the Baytown area and ExxonMobil’s broader Growing the Gulf expansion initiative, will increase the plant’s polyethylene capacity by approximately 1.3 million tons per year. The Mont Belvieu plant capacity will total more than 2.5 million tons per year, making it one of the largest polyethylene plants in the world.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chevron announced in January it would buy the Pasadena Refining System Inc (PRSI) plant owned by Petrobras for USD350 million, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

"We expected them to take over on Monday," one of the sources said on Tuesday.

Last week, the Brazilian flag and a Petrobras flag were not visible on flag poles in front of the Pasadena refinery. Both have been flying there since Petrobras took over sole ownership of the plant in 2012.

On Tuesday, a Petrobras sign in front of the refinery was covered up.

"We continue to expect the PRSI transaction to close in the first half of 2019," said Chevron spokesman Braden Reddall on Tuesday.

A Petrobras spokeswoman did not reply to messages on Tuesday seeking to comment.

On Sunday, PRSI filed notices with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) that the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and the 56,000 bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at the Pasadena refinery were shut for required maintenance.

Energy industry intelligence service Genscape said the refinery’s 100,000 bpd crude distillation unit and a 23,000 bpd catalytic reformer were also shut on Sunday at the refinery.

The Pasadena refinery was at the center of a corruption probe by the Brazilian government into Petrobras. The company paid more than USD1 billion for the plant by the time it took sole ownership in 2012.

In addition to the refinery, Chevron is buying a terminal, land surrounding the refinery and a trading company owned by PRSI.

Chevron is buying the Pasadena plant to run sweet crude oil it produces in Texas. It will be the second Gulf Coast refinery owned by the company.

The CDU does the primary breakdown of crude oil into hydrocarbon feedstocks for all other production units. The reformer produces octane-boosting chemicals added to gasoline.

An ESP removes fine catalyst particles from the emissions of the unit. The catalyst is used to convert gas oil into gasoline within an FCCU.

As MRC wrote before, in May 2018, Chevron Products Company, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., and Novvi LLC announced that they had entered into an agreement to jointly develop and bring to market novel renewable base oil technologies.
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