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New facility will add 650,000 tonnes of high performance polyethylene
per year
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Abundant supply of domestic shale gas enables expansion to meet strong
product demand
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ExxonMobil investing billions along U.S. Gulf Coast; creating
thousands of jobs
BEAUMONT, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 2016--
ExxonMobil
announced today plans to add a new production unit at its Beaumont
polyethylene plant that will increase capacity by 65 percent – or
approximately 650,000 tonnes per year -- to meet growing demand for high
performance plastics.
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As the U.S. continues to produce abundant supplies of oil and natural gas, ExxonMobil is investing billions of dollars along the U.S. Gulf Coast to help meet growing global energy demand. (Photo: Business Wire)
ExxonMobil is a leader in the manufacture of polyethylene products for
packaging applications that deliver light-weight, tough,
damage-resistant films. Construction of the new unit has begun at the
plant, where current polyethylene production capacity is one million
tonnes per year. Startup is expected in 2019.
As the U.S. continues to produce abundant supplies of oil and natural
gas, ExxonMobil is investing billions of dollars along the U.S. Gulf
Coast to help meet growing global energy demand. These investments will
not only expand existing refining and chemical capacity, but also
stimulate economic growth and create jobs. In fact, ExxonMobil’s
investments could create more than 28,000 temporary jobs in construction
and more than 1,200 permanent jobs over the next few years and beyond.
“The availability of vast new supplies of U.S. shale gas and associated
liquids for feedstock and energy is a significant advantage that enables
expansion to meet strong global demand growth in polyethylene,” said
Cindy Shulman, vice president of ExxonMobil’s plastics and resins
business.
The Beaumont project builds on supply advantages created by ExxonMobil’s
expansion of its Mont Belvieu Plastics Plant in Texas, where two similar
polyethylene units are being added. Combined, this multi-billion dollar
investment will increase the company’s U.S. polyethylene production by
40 percent, or nearly two million tonnes per year, making Texas the
largest polyethylene supply point for ExxonMobil.
“ExxonMobil is committed to continuing investments in its world-class,
integrated facilities,” Shulman said. “We combine our state-of-the-art
production expertise with a first-class technology organization, which
enables us to offer innovative polyethylene products for applications
such as flexible food packaging that increases product shelf life and
safety.”
The Beaumont expansion project will employ 1,400 construction workers
and create 40 permanent jobs upon completion, as well as generate $20
billion in economic activity in the first 13 years of operation based on
2015 Impact Data Source estimates.
“We’re part of the growth in an area that is primed for new business,”
said Jason Duncan, manager of the Beaumont polyethylene plant. “The
expansion of the polyethylene plant is now ExxonMobil’s third
significant investment in the Beaumont area over the past 18 months, the
impact of which will benefit the local economy in the years to come.”
ExxonMobil’s previously announced investments at Beaumont include
expansion of the refinery’s crude refining capacity in 2015 and, earlier
this year, construction of a new unit to increase domestic supply of
ultra-low sulfur gasoline and diesel.
About ExxonMobil Beaumont
ExxonMobil’s integrated operations in Beaumont, Texas, include refining
and chemical manufacturing. The operations have 2,100 employees,
accounting for one out of every 7 jobs in the Beaumont area, according
to the economic analysis firm, the Perryman group.
About ExxonMobil Chemical Company
ExxonMobil Chemical Company is one of the largest petrochemical
companies worldwide. The company holds leadership positions in some of
the largest-volume and highest-growth commodity petrochemical products
in the world. ExxonMobil Chemical Company has manufacturing capacity in
every major region of the world, serving large and growing markets. More
than 90 percent of the Company’s chemical capacity is integrated with
large refineries or natural gas processing plants. To learn more, visit www.exxonmobilchemical.com.
Cautionary Statement: Statements of future events or conditions in this
release are forward-looking statements. Actual future results, including
project plans, schedules, and capacities and local impacts, could differ
materially due to factors such as changes in prices of oil, gas, or
petrochemicals and other market factors affecting the chemical industry
and the supply and demand for our products; the occurrence and duration
of economic recessions; timely completion of construction projects and
unforeseen technical or operating difficulties; legal or regulatory
events; the actions of competitors; and other factors discussed under
the heading Factors Affecting Future Results on the Investors page of
our website at exxonmobil.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161114005833/en/
Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation
ExxonMobil
Media Relations: 832-625-4000
