ExxonMobil plans Texas lubricant base stock plant
ExxonMobil Chemical said it plans to build a world-scale facility for its metallocene polyalphaolefin (mPAO) synthetic lubricant base stocks at its integrated refining and chemical complex in Baytown, Texas.
The facility will have the capacity to produce 50,000 tpy of high-viscosity (Hi-Vis) SpectraSyn Elite mPAO.
Engineering, procurement and construction activities for the new facility have begun, and completion is expected in 2013.
"The drive for greater energy efficiency, improved durability and extended drain intervals is creating demand for high-performance lubricants made with advanced synthetic base stocks," said Habib Quazi, global vice president for synthetics.
"This new metallocene Hi-Vis PAO manufacturing capacity demonstrates ExxonMobil's technology leadership and our commitment to provide our customers with reliable supply of synthetic base stocks that enable innovative synthetic lubricants,” he added.
SpectraSyn Elite mPAO base stocks are manufactured using a proprietary metallocene catalyst process and offer improved performance characteristics versus conventional PAO, the company said.
This enables finished lubricants with improved shear stability, viscosity index (VI) and low-temperature performance. These properties can help address formulators' lubrication challenges, particularly in industrial applications.
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