ExxonMobil has completed a milestone to boost production at its lubricants blending plant in Jurong, an expansion project which began two years ago. This milestone was recognised yesterday at an opening ceremony attended by Singapore Economic Development Board Managing Director Yeoh Keat Chuan and ExxonMobil’s Global Lubricants Operations Manager Terry Neal.

The highly automated lubricant blending plant is the only location in Asia-Pacific where ExxonMobil produces Mobil 1^TM, the company’s flagship synthetic engine oil. Neal said that the grease manufacturing plant is also the first plant in the region capable of producing synthetic greases.

The plant incorporates the latest manufacturing technologies and is a combination of its learnings from all over the world over more than 50 years in the business, company officials said.

ExxonMobil officials declined to reveal the amount of the investment in the plant, as well as the plant’s capacity, although ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director Gan Seow Kee said the lube blending plant is the largest for ExxonMobil in the region and the amount invested was significant.

Gan said that because the plant is highly automated, only 20 jobs were created, but these are “highly technically, highly skilled and high knowledge-based jobs.”

The plant is expected not only to supply the Asia-Pacific region, although the key driver for building the plant is growing demand for grease and synthetic lubricants in the region, ExxonMobil officials said.

“These new grease and synthetic lubricants production facilities are strategically located close to key Asia-Pacific markets, ensuring the reliable supply of these premium products to our customers,” said Teoh Song Ping, Asia Pacific lubricant sales director at ExxonMobil.

“Asia was and continues to be a region of growth and a region of promise,” says Neal.

The grease plant started production in January 2017, and the synthetics lubricant plant, which was completed in March, started production in April following successful commissioning.

“The expansion of ExxonMobil’s Jurong lubricant plant is a good example of companies taking advantage of Singapore as a strategic base to capture growth opportunities in Asia,” Yeoh said. “The synthetic lubricants and grease plants underscore Singapore’s emphasis on higher value-added manufacturing activities as we continue growing the chemicals sector in a competitive and sustainable manner.”