ExxonMobil Chemical to boost capacity of synthetic base stocks in Baton Rouge

ExxonMobil Chemical Corp. said it will increase capacity for synthetic base stocks and lubricants blending and packaging operations at its Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A. facility. Construction is expected to start in late 2012. Project cost is estimated at more than US$200 million.
The Baton Rouge expansion will increase ExxonMobil’s capacity of synthetic esters and alkylated naphthalene worldwide by more than 25%. These products are used to produce engine oils, gear oils and greases, as well as in aviation, marine and industrial applications.
The investment also includes a new lube manufacturing, packaging and distribution process unit at the existing Port Allen, La., lubricants plant. Port Allen will manufacture more than 145 lubricant products and have an annual throughput of more than 90 million gallons (340 million liters).
The project is expected to make the company’s Baton Rouge plant almost at par with Shell’s newly announced lube plant in Tianjin, China. However, the Tianjin plant is being built with the capacity to expand to 500 million liters. The expanded 8.3-acre plant will replace an existing aviation lube manufacturing, packaging and storage facility in Edison, N.J. , U.S.A. The New Jersey plant will continue production until the new facilities in Baton Rouge go on stream in 2014.