ExxonMobil to start second Singapore steam cracker in 2011

ExxonMobil Chemical expects to start up its second steam cracker in Singapore on schedule in early 2011, a company source said. The cracker will have the capacity to produce 1 million metric tons per year (mt/y) of ethylene and about 500,000 mt/y of propylene. It will support two 650,000-mt/y polyethylene units, a 450,000-mt/y polypropylene unit, a 300,000-mt/y-specialty elastomers unit and an aromatics extraction unit to produce 340,000 mt/y of benzene. The project also includes an oxo-alcohol expansion of 125,000 mt/y and a paraxylene expansion of 80,000 mt/y. Output from the new plant is expected to be exported to China, as well as to countries in Southeast Asia. (January 15, 2009)