Chevron expands NAO production in Baytown

BAYTOWN – Chevron Phillips Chemical will expand normal alpha olefins (NAO) production capacity at its Cedar Bayou plant. The investment will provide an additional 100,000 tpy of capacity.

Construction completion is anticipated in July 2015. Houston-based S&B Engineers and Constructors will execute the engineering, procurement and construction, and expects to support up to 600 jobs during the construction phase.

NAOs and its derivatives are used extensively as polyethylene co-monomers, synthetic motor oils, lubricants, automotive additives and in a wide range of specialty applications.

Chevron has recently announced the construction of a world-scale ethylene cracker in Baytown, two world-scale polyethylene reactors in Old Ocean, and the start-up of the world’s largest 1-hexene facility in Baytown.

The 1-hexene plant, capable of producing up to 250,000 tpy, is co-located with this expansion project at the Cedar Bayou plant. The two plants will enjoy synergies as they both share the same infrastructure and workforce talent.

Read more at Hydrocarbon Processing.