ExxonMobil has commissioned a $2bn expansion project at the 369,000-barrels per day (bpd) Beaumont refinery located in Texas, US, to meet the surging demand for affordable and reliable energy.
The refinery expansion project will see the development of a new crude distillation unit (CDU), with a capacity of 250,000bpd. The CDU is designed to break down crude oil into feedstocks for motor fuels.
Supported by Exxon’s surging crude oil production in the Permian basin, the expansion project increases the Beaumont refinery’s total refining capacity to more than 630,000bpd. This makes the refinery the largest of its kind in the US.
It involved 1,700 contractors and, after completion, will add 50 full-time employees to handle the operation of the expanded refinery.
ExxonMobil Product Solutions president Karen McKee said: “ExxonMobil maintained its commitment to the Beaumont expansion, even through the lows of the pandemic, knowing consumer demand would return and new capacity would be critical in the post-pandemic economic recovery.
“The new crude unit enables us to produce even more transportation fuels at a time when demand is surging. This expansion is the equivalent of a medium-sized refinery and is a key part of our plans to provide society with reliable, affordable energy products.”
The refinery, which is connected to pipelines from ExxonMobil’s Permian basin operations, produces finished products, including diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.
In February 2023, it was reported that ExxonMobil was considering merging business units as part of its corporate reorganisation plan to reduce costs.
