Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. completes ethane cracker

In order to guarantee a smooth start-up and the desired production the cracker is currently being subjected to numerous commissioning tests, system checks and mandatory certifications. Chevron Phillips Chemical anticipates that the unit – for which 5000 workers were required – will generate a minimum of 1.5 million tpy.

"With the mechanical completion of Cedar Bayou's ethane cracker, we are now on the cusp of completing the most transformative project in our company's history, or US Gulf petrochemical project," said Mark Lashier, president and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical.

When the cracker begins production it will create product for the company’s ethylene business as well as feedstock for its ethylene derivatives businesses. The unit joins the company’s two new polyethylene (PE) units at Old Ocean, Texas, and forms another part of the company’s drive to meet the increasing worldwide demand for PE. The units create various polyethylene resins, such as metallocene LLDPE film and bi-modal film.

Supplementing the completion of the cracker and PE units is the company’s purchase of approximately 3000 new rail cars, along with the construction of a storage-in-transition facility; the latter will ship PE by rail to national consumers and ports for global export.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/02012018/chevron-phillips-chemical-co-completes-ethane-cracker/