Motiva JV refinery becomes biggest in America

Late last week, the Motiva Enterprises Texas Gulf Coast refinery expansion was unveiled. This expansion has cost US$ 10 billion and has made the facility the largest in the US with a processing capacity of 600 000 bpd. A new crude distillation unit was the last unit to come online.

Joint Venture

The facility is a 50 – 50 joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco. The project was first launched in 2007 but due to the global financial crisis, the project was suspended for a year in 2008. Due to the delays and other unforeseen factors, the original price of US$ 7 billion for the work increased to US$ 10 billion, but despite hold ups the plant is now running at nearly full capacity.

Before the expansion work, the facility only had a processing capacity of 285 000 bpd and until the completion last week, ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas refinery was the biggest in the US with a processing capacity of 560 640 bpd. This is one of three refining facilities owned by the joint venture company, the other two being located in Louisiana.

The future

The next phase of this epic project will be to increase exports to 100 000 bpd with the help of a newly laid pipeline infrastructure and docks. 

Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/07062012/motiva_refinery_expansion_complete/