Chevron to produce Group II+ and Group III base oils in its U.S. refineries
Chevron Products Company, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., announced that it will begin producing Group II+ base oils at both its Richmond, California, and Pascagoula, Mississippi, refineries. In addition to the Group II+ production upgrade, Chevron will also be manufacturing NEXBASE Group III base oil in Richmond through a supply and production agreement with a subsidiary of Finland’s Neste Corporation. Both companies will remain independent marketers of their own base stock slates.
“Our customers want cost-effective solutions for blending lower viscosity lubricants. So, working with our manufacturing division and with Chevron Lummus Global’s (CLG) state-of-the-art catalyst technology, our Chevron Base Oils team tailored a processing scheme for the improved qualities to be produced at both plants,” said Tracey Gardiner, vice president of Base Oils. “This included upgrading 100R base oil to Group II+ quality and lowering the Noack volatility of Chevron’s 220R. The improved blending power in low viscosity lubricant formulations means customers will be able to cover the broadest range of products with a fewer number of base oils. As part of Chevron’s Global Group II product slate, the upgraded products will deliver value in both formulation and supply chain cost savings.”
“The production of Group III for Neste highlights the manufacturing flexibility of our production facilities and our commitment to delivering products that meet the market’s needs now and in the future. Neste’s Group III is a great fit for our manufacturing capabilities and offers synergy to both companies,” Gardiner continued.
“TEMA and its two joint ventures, Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) and Advanced Refining Technologies (ART) are very excited that Chevron is able to produce Group II, II+ and III base oils at the Richmond refinery and without supplemental feedstocks,” said Bharat Srinivasan, director of Chevron’s Technology Marketing group (TEMA).
Chevron’s ISODEWAXING® technology, invented in 1993, has proven to be robust at increasing yield while producing premium base oils from a broad range of crude oil feedstocks. This has furthered the growth and expansion of premium base oils in the market. Today, about two-thirds of the world’s premium base oils are manufactured using this technology. This has been enhanced by continually improving Chevron’s catalyst technology – ISOCRACKING®, ISODEWAXING®, and ISOFINISHING® – so refiners can more readily adapt to and meet the performance needs of the market.
“The agreement with Neste and the product upgrade demonstrate our refineries’ willingness and ability to expand our product slate to support the market’s evolving needs. Our refineries create products that fuel progress around the world. From gasoline to jet fuel, diesel and lubricating oils, every one of our products is produced with care by our dedicated team of operators, engineers, scientists, and other professionals. Chevron is committed to safe and reliable operations and enabling human progress in the communities where we operate,” said Mike Coyle, president, Manufacturing (Chevron’s refining network).
